BLUES IN THE NIGHT
Music: Harold Arlen- Lyrics: Johnny Mercer
Year: 1941
Origin of the song
On 15 November 1941 the film Blues in the Night was released in the US, produced by Warner Bros, directed by Anatole Litvak, and its main roles played by Priscilla Lane, Betty Field, Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan, and Jack Carson. The film wasn’t released in Spain. The song ‘Blues In The Night’ plays during the credits, it is also sung by William Gillespie in the jail scene, Richard Whorf plays it at the piano (dubbed by Stan Wrightman) and, also, it is used many times as background music.
‘Blues In The Night’ was nominated to the Oscars as best song, won by ‘The Last Time I Saw Paris’, from the film Lady Be Good.
Other Arlen and Mercer’s noteworthy songs are ‘This Time the Dream's on Me’ (1941), ‘That Old Black Magic’ (1942), ‘My Shining Hour’ (1943), ‘One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)’ (1943), ‘Out of This World’ (1944), and ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ (1946).
‘Blues In The Night’ a had great popular success. During the brief time of four months, six versions entered the top charts and one of them, the Woody Herman’s orchestra’s version, was top of the charts during four weeks.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1941.09.02 |
1941.11.29 |
2 |
10 |
Hot Lips Page (voc) |
|
Woody Herman Orchestra |
1941.09.10 |
1941.12.06 |
18 |
1 (four weeks) |
Woody Herman (voc) |
|
Cab Calloway Orchestra |
1941.09.10 |
1942.01.31 |
8 |
8 |
Cab Calloway (voc) |
|
1941.12.22 |
1942.02.07 |
8 |
4 |
Willie Smith (voc) |
|
|
Benny Goodman Sextet |
1941.12.24 |
1942.02.14 |
1 |
20 |
Peggy Lee, Lou McGarity (voc) |
|
1942.01.12 |
1942.02.14 |
11 |
4 |
Dinah Shore (voc), Leonard Joy Orchestra |
|
|
Rosemary Clooney |
1952.04.?? |
1952.09.27 |
3 |
29 |
Rosemary Clooney (voc), Percy Faith Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1941.12.22 |
Jimmie Lunceford (dir), Snooky Young, Paul Webster, Gerald Wilson (tp), Elmer Crumbley, Russell Bowles, Trummy Young (tb), Willie Smith (cl, as), Ted Buckner, Dan Grissom (as), Joe Thomas (ts), Earl Carruthers (bars), Edwin Wilcox (p), Al Norris (g), Moses Allen (b), James Crawford (d) |
|
|
Sonny Clark Trio |
1958.12.07 |
Sonny Clark (p), Paul Chambers (b), Wes Landers (d) |
|
1964.04.29 |
Jimmy Smith (org), Lalo Schiffrin Orchestra |
|
|
Dick Hyman |
1989.04.14 |
Dick Hyman (p) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1941.09.10 |
Woody Herman (cl, as, voc, dir), Cappy Lewis, Ray Linn, Steady Nelson (tp), Jerry Rosa, Neal Reid, Vic Hamann (tb), Sam Rubinowitch (as), Herbie Haymer (ts), Saxie Mansfield (ts), Tommy Linehan (p), Hy White (g), Walter Yoder (b), Frank Carlson (d) |
|
|
1941.09.10 |
Cab Calloway (voc, dir), Jonah Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Lammar Wright (tp), Tyree Glenn (tb, vib), Quentin Jackson, Keg Johnson (tb), Jerry Blake (cl, as), Hilton Jefferson (as), Andrew Brown (as, bars), Walter Thomas, Chu Berry (ts), Bennie Payne (p), Danny Barker (g), Milton Hinton (b), Cozy Cole (d), The Palmer Brothers (voc) |
|
|
Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra |
1941.12.22 |
Jimmie Lunceford (dir), Snooky Young, Paul Webster, Gerald Wilson (tp), Elmer Crumbley, Russell Bowles, Trummy Young (tb), Willie Smith (cl, as, voc), Ted Buckner, Dan Grissom (as), Joe Thomas (ts), Earl Carruthers (bars), Edwin Wilcox (p), Al Norris (g), Moses Allen (b), James Crawford (d) |
|
1941.12.24
|
Benny Goodman (cl), Cutty Cutshall (tb), Lou McGarity (tb, voc), Tommy Morgan (g), Sid Weiss (b), Mel Powell (p), Ralph Collier (d), Peggy Lee (voc) |
|
|
1942.01.21
|
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Hot Lips Page (tp, voc), Lee
Castle, Max Kaminsky, Steve Lipkins (tp), Jack Jenney, Ray Conniff, Morey Samel (tb), Les Robinson, Chuck DiMaggio (as), Georgie Auld, Mickey Folus (ts), Artie Baker (bars),
Johnny Guarnieri (p), Mike Bryan (g), Eddie McKinney (b), Dave Tough (d), string section |
|
|
1943.10.15 |
Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra |
|
|
1957.??.?? |
Julie London (voc), Russell Garcia Orchestra |
|
|
1958.06.24 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
|
Mel Tormé |
1958.06.26 |
Mel Tormé (voc), Marty Paich Orchestra |
|
1958.11.22
|
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino (tp), Bob Enevoldsen (vtb, ts), Vincent DeRosa (tpa), Bud Shank (as), Bill Holman (ts), Med Flory (bars), John Kitzmiller (tu), Lou Levy (p), Joe Mondragon (b), Mel Lewis (d), Marty Paich (dir) |
|
|
2006.??.?? |
Ann Hampton Callaway (voc), Ted Rosenthal (p), David Gilmore (g), Christian McBride (b), Lewis Nash (d), Sherrie Maricle & The Diva Jazz Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'Blues In The Night' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Blues In The Night |
No se estrenó |
1941 |
Background music; William Gillespie; Richard Whorf (piano, dubbed by Stan Wrightman) |
|
All Through The Night |
A través de la noche |
1941 |
|
|
In This Our Life |
Como ella sola |
1942 |
On a gramophone |
|
The Major And The Minor |
El mayor y la menor |
1942 |
|
|
The Naked And The Dead |
Los desnudos y los muertos |
1958 |
|
|
These Are The Damned |
Éstos son los condenados |
1963 |
|
|
Class Of ’44 |
Curso del 44 |
1973 |
Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra |
|
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge |
Esperando a Mr. Bridge |
1990 |
Dinah Shore |
|
Ruby |
La conspiración de Dallas |
1992 |
Amy Weston y Sherilyn Fenn |
|
Forget Paris |
Olvídate de París |
1995 |
|
|
Ocean’s Eleven |
Ocean's Eleven. Hagan juego |
2001 |
Quincy Jones |
|
Pearl Harbor |
Pearl Harbor |
2001 |
Woody Herman |