ST. LOUIS BLUES
Music and lyrics: W.C. Handy
Year: 1914
Origin of the song
In 1912, William Christopher Handy wanted a hit that would make up for his disappointment with ‘Memphis Blues’. Unscrupulous publishers had deceived him by buying his copyrights for only fifty dollars, which barely covered the expenses. Two years later, he found peace and quiet in a small rented room in the Beale Street neighbourhood and began writing ‘St. Louis Blues’.
Although the song initially dazzled the dancers, it didn't immediately catch on. Since he did not find a publisher that would accept it, he and his occasional collaborator Harry H. Pace published 'St. Louis Blues' at the newly formed Pace & Handy Music Company. The sales of scores were scarce and it took several years for the song to begin to give some benefit.
Other compositions by Handy that reached a certain popularity were 'Yellow Dog Blues' (1914), 'Old Miss' (1916), 'Beale Street Blues' (1917), 'Long Gone (From Bowling Green)' (1920), 'Loveless Love' (1921), 'Aunt Hagar's Blues' (1921), 'Atlanta Blues' (1924) and 'Chantez-Les-Bas (Sing' Em Low)' (1931).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Prince´s Orchestra |
1916.01.03 |
1916.05.13 |
4 |
4 |
Instrumental |
|
Al Bernard |
1919.??.?? |
1919.06.14 |
1 |
9 |
Al Bernard (voc) |
|
1920.04.16 |
1920.08.26 |
9 |
1 (three weeks) |
Marion Harris (voc), Prince´s Orchestra |
|
|
Original Dixieland Jazz Band |
1921.05.25 |
1921.08.27 |
6 |
3 |
Al Bernard (voc) |
|
1923.06.04 |
1923.11.24 |
1 |
9 |
Instrumental |
|
|
Bessie Smith |
1925.01.14 |
1925.06.13 |
6 |
3 |
Bessie Smith (voc) |
|
Louis Armstrong Orchestra |
1929.12.13 |
1930.02.08 |
3 |
11 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc) |
|
Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees |
1930.02.19 |
1930.05.10 |
4 |
15 |
Rudy Vallée (voc) |
|
Jungle Band |
1930.07.24 |
1930.12.06 |
2 |
16 |
Cab Calloway (voc) |
|
The Mills Brothers |
1932.04.14 |
1932.07.02 |
8 |
2 (two weeks) |
Harry Mills (voc, p), Herbert & Donald Mills (voc), John Mills (voc, g) |
|
The Boswell Sisters |
1935.05.28 |
1935.07.27 |
3 |
15 |
Connee, Martha
& Helvetia Boswell (voc), Victor Young Orchestra |
|
Benny Goodman Orchestra |
1936.08.21 |
1936.10.24 |
1 |
20 |
Instrumental |
|
Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians |
1939.03.07 |
1939.06.17 |
1 |
11 |
Carmen Lombardo (voc) |
|
Earl Hines Orchestra |
1940.02.13 |
1940.05.18 |
4 |
11 |
Instrumental, titled 'Boogie Woogie On St. Louis Blues' |
|
Tex Beneke Orchestra |
1947.12.?? |
1948.04.10 |
17 |
5 |
Instrumental, titled 'St. Louis Blues March' |
|
Billy Eckstine |
1953.??.?? |
1953.09.19 |
1 |
24 |
Billy Eckstine (voc), Metronome All Stars |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1930.03.21 |
Fats Waller, Bennie Paine (p) |
|
|
1933.03.21 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
1936.08.21 |
Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Pee Wee Erwin, Sterling Bose, Gordon Griffin (tp), Red Ballard, Murray McEachern (tb), Hymie Schertzer, Bill DePew (as), Vido Musso, Dick Clark, Arthur Rollini (ts), Jess Stacy (p), Allan Reuss (g), Harry Goodman (b), Gene Krupa (d) |
|
|
1940.02.13 |
Earl Hines (p, dir), Walter Fuller, Milton Fletcher, Edward Sims (tp), George Dixon (tp, as), Edward Burke, John Ewing, Joe McLewis (tb), Omer Simeon (cl, bars), Leroy Harris (as), Jimmy Mundy, Robert Crowder (ts), Claude Roberts (g), Quinn Wilson (b), Alvin Burroughs (d) |
|
|
1940.07.26 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
1942.02.11 |
John Kirby (b), Charlie Shavers (tp), Buster Bailey (cl), Russell Procope (as), Billy Kyle (p), Gordon 'Specs' Powell (d) |
|
|
1944.01.24 |
Roy Eldridge, Joe Thomas, Emmett Berry (tp), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Israel Crosby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1944.12.20 |
Sidney Bechet (cl, ss), Sidney De Paris (tp), Vic Dickenson (tb), Pops Foster (b), Art Hodes (p), Manzie Johnson (d) |
|
|
1958.07.16 |
Jimmy Smith (org), Cecil Payne (bars), Kenny Burrell (g), Don Bailey (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1963.02.22 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Gene Wright (b), Joe Morello (d) In Carnegie Hall, New York |
|
|
1965.10.14 |
Max Roach (d), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Roland Alexander (ss), James Spaulding (as), Ronnie Mathews (p), Jymie Merritt (b) |
|
|
1967.10.31 |
Jaki Byard (p, g), David Izenzon (b), Elvin Jones (d) |
|
|
Earl Hines |
1973.03.27 |
Earl Hines (p) |
|
Jessica Williams Quartet |
1996.10.?? |
Jessica Williams (p), Jay Thomas (tp), Jeff Johnson (b), Mel Brown (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1921.05.25 |
Nick LaRocca (cnt), Eddie Edwards (tb), Larry Shields (cl), Bennie Krueger (as), Frank Signorelli (p), Tony Sbarbaro (d), Al Bernard (voc) |
|
|
1925.01.14 |
Bessie Smith (voc), Louis Armstrong (cnt), Fred Longshaw (arm) |
|
|
1932.04.14 |
Harry Mills (voc, p), Herbert & Donald Mills (voc), John Mills (voc, g) |
|
|
1935.05.28 |
Connee, Martha & Helvetia Boswell (voc), Victor Young Orchestra |
|
|
1938.06.29 |
Maxine Sullivan (voc), Bobby Hackett (tp), Jimmy Lytell, Paul Rickey, Bernie Kauffman, Babe Russin (sax), Eddie Powell (fl), Claude Thornill (p, dir), John Kirby (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1939.01.18 |
Mildred Bailey (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Buster Bailey (cl), Russell Procope (as), Red Norvo (xil), Billy Kyle (p), John Kirby (b), O'Neil Spencer (d) |
|
|
1940.10.15 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Benny Carter (as, cl, dir), Bill Coleman (tp), Benny Morton (tb), George Auld (ts), Sonny White (p), Ulysses Livingston (g), Wilson Myers (b), Yank Porter (d) |
|
|
1941.06.23 |
Lena Horne (voc), Dixieland Jazz Group |
|
|
1944.??.?? |
Mildred Bailey (voc), Red Norvo (vib), Teddy Wilson (p), Roy Eldridge (tp), Paul Baron Orchestra |
|
|
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
1946.09.03 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Ray Nance, Francis Williams (tp), Lawrence Brown, Wilbur De Paris (tb), Claude Jones (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope (as), Al Sears (ts), Harry Carney (cl, bars), Fred Guy (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Sonny Greer (d), Marion Cox (voc) |
|
1954.07.12 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Trummy Young (tb), Barney Bigard (cl), Billy Kyle (p), Arvell Shaw (b), Barrett Deems (d), Velma Middleton (voc) |
|
|
1957.07.24 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Frank DeVol Orchestra |
|
|
Nat King Cole |
1958.01.30 |
Nat Cole (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Charlie Harris (b), Lee Young (d), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
1963.10.29 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Roy Eldridge (tp), Wild Bill Davis (org), Ray Brown (b), Herb Ellis (g), Gus Johnson (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'St. Louis Blues' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
AEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Hallelujah |
Aleluya |
1929 |
Nina Mae McKinney (a capella) |
|
Night Nurse |
Enfermeras de noche |
1931 |
Ball
music at a party |
|
Scarface, Shame Of A Nation |
Scarface, el terror del hampa |
1932 |
Gus Arnheim Orchestra |
|
Rain |
Bajo la lluvia |
1932 |
Background music |
|
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang |
Soy un fugitivo |
1932 |
Background music |
|
Red-Headed Woman |
La pelirroja |
1932 |
Plays on the radio |
|
Winner Take All |
O todo o nada |
1932 |
Background music |
|
Baby Face |
Carita de ángel |
1933 |
Theresa Harris (a capella) |
|
King Kong |
King Kong |
1933 |
Robert Armstrong (whistled) |
|
Hold Your Man |
Tu eres mío |
1933 |
Dorothy Burgess (a capella) |
|
The Mind Reader |
El adivino |
1933 |
A band |
|
Stella Dallas |
Stella Dallas |
1937 |
Plays
on a disc |
|
Sweethearts |
Enamorados |
1938 |
Background music |
|
Birth of the Blues |
El nacimiento del blues |
1941 |
Ruby Elzy |
|
A Guy Named Joe |
Dos en el cielo |
1943 |
Don DeFore (a capella) |
|
Bataan |
Bataan |
1943 |
Kenneth Spencer (a capella) |
|
For Heaven’s Sake |
¿Se puede entrar? |
1950 |
Background music |
|
The Glenn Miller Story |
Música y lágrimas |
1954 |
'St. Louis Blues March', by Glenn Miller Orchestra |
|
The Client |
El cliente |
1994 |
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans |
|
Thirteenth Floor |
Nivel 13 |
1999 |
Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra |
|
The Cat's Meow |
El maullido del gato |
2001 |
Ian Whitcomb Bungalow Boys |
|
Try Seventeen |
Todo lo que quiero |
2002 |
|
|
Swing |
Swing |
2003 |
Black Tie Jazz Orchestra |
|
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 |
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 |
2004 |
Bessie Smith |
|
The Aviator |
El aviador |
2004 |
Benny Goodman Orchestra |
|
The Great Gatsby |
El gran Gatsby |
2013 |
Louis Armstrong |