Published in 1935, its music was written by Hugh Williams (pseudonym of Wilhelm Grosz) with lyrics by prolific songwriter Jimmy Kennedy.
[5] Popular versions in 1935 were by Bing Crosby, Guy Lombardo, Mantovani and Jack Jackson.
The Beatles often performed a rock-and-roll reworking of the song during their early years of nightclub engagements, with Paul McCartney doing the vocals.
The song was also the signature tune of Suzette Tarri, a British actress and comedian popular on stage and radio in the 1930s and 1940s.
The song's title inspires the Red Sails Festival, held annually in Portstewart, Northern Ireland.