Originally titled "Till The Real Thing Comes Along" (Alberta Nichols - Mann Holliner) for the Rhapsody In Black 1936 revue. This was sung on stage by Ethel Waters who never recorded the song. The Kansas City swing band Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds Of Joy with vocalist and dancer Pha (Elmer) Terrell topped the 1936 American chart with their version of "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" (Cahn - Chaplin - Freeman).

Bill Kenny and The Ink Spots (Charlie Fuqua, Hoppy Jones and Deek Watson) covered "(It Will Have To Do) Until The Real Thing Comes Along" (Mann Holiner - Alberta Nichols - Sammy Cahn - Saul Chaplin - L.E. Freeman) in 1941 and peaked at number twenty-four on Billboard. This is the same year they appeared as Pullman porters in the John Payne, Alice Faye film "The Great American Broadcast".