Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song) Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song) "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is a song written by Noël Coward and first performed in "The Third Little Show" at the Music Box Theatre, New York, on 1 June 1931, by Beatrice Lillie. The following year it was used in the revue "Words and Music" and also released in a "studio version". It then became a signature feature in Coward's cabaret act. The song is especially known for the line "Only Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" with which most verses begin and end. According to Sheridan Morley, Coward wrote the
The Letter (The Box Tops song) more than one million copies and the RIAA certified it as gold. "The Letter" also reached the top 10 in several other countries, including Belgium, France, Holland, Malaysia, Israel, Norway, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Greece, and the Philippines. English singer Joe Cocker recorded "The Letter" during the rehearsals for his upcoming "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour on March 17, 1970. Leon Russell and the Shelter People provided the back up; Russell and Denny Cordell produced the recording. A&M Records released it as a single, with "Space Captain" as the B-side. It appeared in "Billboard's" Hot 100 in April 1970