DARN THAT DREAM
Music: Jimmy Van Heusen- Lyrics: Eddie De Lange
Year: 1939
Origin of the song
Louis Armstrong, Maxine Sullivan, Bill Bailey, Dorothy Dandridge, Vivian Dandridge, and Etta Jones sang ‘Darn That Dream’ for the first time on 29 November 1939, date of the premiere of the musical revue Swingin’ the Dream in the Center Theatre of Broadway. The play was a profound failure and, on 9 December, after only thirteen performances, it was withdrawn from the hoarding. Apart from being a huge disappointment for the artists, it was a total economic disaster.
They spared no expense for the show’s production. The plot was based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, although the action developed in New Orleans in 1890. The cast was formed by a hundred and fifty actors and actresses, most of them black, including singers and musicians; apart from the already mentioned, Ruth Ford, Dorothy McGuire, Jackie 'Moms' Babley, Butterfly McQueen, Benny Goodman’s band, Bud Freeman’s “Summa Cum Laude” orchestra, and another orchestra conducted by Don Voorhees. Agnes DeMille directed the choreographies and Walt Disney designed the stage scenery.
However, the play was not that bad for everybody. The recording of the song ‘Darn That Dream’ by Benny Goodman’s orchestra with the singer Mildred Bailey had great success and on 16 March 1940 it reached the top of the charts.
Versions in the top of charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Benny Goodman Orchestra |
1939.11.22 |
1940.01.27 |
11 |
1 (one week) |
Mildred Bailey (voc) |
|
1939.11.24 |
1940.03.16 |
2 |
16 |
Anita Boyer (voc) |
|
|
Blue Barron Orchestra |
1939.12.01 |
1940.02.17 |
4 |
14 |
Russ Carlyle (voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1953.04.29 |
Chet Baker (tp), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Carson Smith (b), Larry Bunker (d) |
|
|
1953.12.15 |
Kenny Dorham (tp), Jimmy Heath (ts, bars), Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
1956.04.03 |
Thelonious Monk (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1958.09.10 |
Art Farmer (tp, fis), Benny Golson (ts), Addison Farmer (b), Bill Evans (p), Dave Bailey (d) |
|
|
1961.10.09 |
George Shearing (p), Wes Montgomery (g), Buddy Montgomery (vib), Monk Montgomery (b) |
|
|
1962.05.14 |
Bill Evans (p), Jim Hall (g) |
|
|
1964.06.02 |
Dexter Gordon (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
|
Chet Baker Quintet |
1979.09.04 |
Chet Baker (tp), Henry Florens (p), Jean-Paul Florens (g), Jim Richardson (b), Tony Mann (d) |
|
1982.03.23 |
Art Pepper (as), George Cables (p) |
|
|
1993.07.?? |
Jon Faddis, Byron Stripling (fis), Clifton Anderson (tb), Alex Brofsky (tpa), Bob Stewart (tu), Sonny Rollins (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Jack DeJohnette (d), Jimmy Heath (dir) |
|
|
Anthony Braxton Quartet |
1994.11.?? |
Anthony Braxton (p), Marty Ehrlich (as, ss, cl), Joe Fonda (b), Pheeroan AkLaaf (d) |
|
1996.10.15 |
Dave McKenna (p), Buddy DeFranco (cl) |
|
|
Bucky & John Pizzarelli |
2006.05.17 |
Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli (g) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1939.11.22 |
Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Ziggy Elman, Jimmy Maxwell, Johnny Martell (tp), Red Ballard, Vernon Brown, Ted Vesley (tb), Toots Mondello, Buff Estes (as), Jerry Jerome, Bus Bassey (ts), Fletcher Henderson (p), Charlie Christian (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Nick Fatool (d), Mildred Bailey (voc) |
|
|
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
1939.11.24 |
Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), Zeke Zarchy, Yank Lawson, Jimmy Blake (tp), Ward Silloway, Elmer Smithers, Dave Jacobs (tb), Johnny Mince (cl, as), Fred Stulce (as), Babe Russin, Deane Kincaide (ts), Howard Smith (p), Carmen Mastren (g), Gene Traxler (b), Buddy Rich (d), Anita Boyer (voc) |
|
Count Basie Orchestra |
1940.02.20 |
Count Basie (p, dir), Buck Clayton, Al Killian, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Ed Lewis (tp), Dan Minor, Vic Dickenson, Dickie Wells (tb), Earle Warren (as), Buddy Tate, Lester Young (ts), Jack Washington (bars), Freddie Green (g), Walter Page, (b), Jo Jones (d), Helen Humes (voc) |
|
1948.09.18 |
Miles Davis (tp), Michael Zwerin (tb), Junior Collins (tpa), Bill Barber (tu), Lee Konitz (as), Gerry Mulligan (bars), John Lewis (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d), Kenny Hagood (voc) |
|
|
1950.03.09 |
Miles Davis (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Gunther Shuller (tpa), Bill Barber (tu), Lee Konitz (as), Gerry Mulligan (bars), John Lewis (p), Al McKibbon (b), Max Roach (d), Kenny Hagood (voc) |
|
|
1957.01.07 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Harry Edison (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Jimmy Rowles (p), Barney Kessel (g), Red Mitchell (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
Maxine Sullivan |
1969.06.11 |
Maxine Sullivan (voc), Bob Wilber (cl, ss, voc), Bernie Leighton (p), George Duvivier (b), Gus Johnson (d) |
|
1969.??.?? |
Nancy Wilson (voc), Hank Jones (p), Gene Bertoncini (g), Ron Carter (b), Grady Tate (d) |
|
|
2002.12.07 |
Dianne Reeves (voc), Romero Lubambo (g) |
On cinemas
The song 'Darn That Dream' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Alice |
Alice |
1990 |
Thelonious Monk Trio |
|
Melinda and Melinda |
Melinda y Melinda |
2004 |
Dick Hyman |
|
Criminal |
Criminal |
2004 |
Clifford Brown- Max Roach Quintet |
|
Silver City |
Silver City |
2004 |
Dexter Gordon Quartet |
|
Irrational Man |
Irrational Man |
2015 |
Jimmy Bruno Trio |