![]() Listed below are known versions of "Blues In the Night" that have made Billboard magazine's charts in the United States since 1941. Critical comment Ĭomposer Alec Wilder said of this song, "'Blues in the Night' is certainly a landmark in the evolution of American popular music, lyrically as well as musically." Famous phrases from the lyrics Since then, a nominated song has to have been written specifically for the motion picture in which it is performed. Kern was so upset at winning with a song that had not been specifically written for a motion picture and that had been published and recorded before the film came out that he petitioned the Motion Picture Academy to change the rules. Observers expected that either "Blues in the Night" or " Chattanooga Choo Choo" would win, so that when " The Last Time I Saw Paris" actually won, neither its composer, Jerome Kern, nor lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II, was present at the ceremony. In 1942 "Blues in the Night" was one of nine songs nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In his review of the film, critic Howard Thompson of The New York Times argued that Gillespie's "superbly chanted" version of the Arlen-Mercer song transformed the motion picture and arguably "nailed the film down for posterity." Academy Award nomination Īfter the song was composed and the lyrics were written, African-American baritone William Gillespie (1908-1968) was hired to perform the song in the jail cell for the film. Judy and I ran to the piano to see who was going to learn it first. Mickey Rooney said, "That's the greatest thing I've ever heard." Judy Garland said, "Play it again." We had them play it seven times. Mel got up and said, "I can't believe it." Martha couldn't say a word. They came in the back door, sat down at the piano and played the score of "Blues in the Night". Margaret Whiting remembered what happened then: Instead, Arlen and Mercer went right over. She suggested they come later because she had dinner guests- Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, and Martha Raye. When they finished writing the song, Mercer called a friend, singer Margaret Whiting, and asked if they could come over and play it for her. On the third or fourth page of his work sheets I saw some lines-one of them was "My momma done tol' me, when I was in knee pants." I said, "Why don't you try that?" It was one of the very few times I've ever suggested anything like that to John. It sounded marvelous once I got to the second stanza but that first twelve was weak tea. And I knew in my guts, without even thinking what Johnny would write for a lyric, that this was strong, strong, strong! When Mercer wrote "Blues in the Night", I went over his lyric and I started to hum it over his desk. As usual with Mercer, the composer wrote the music first, then Mercer wrote the words. One requirement was for a blues song to be sung in a jail cell. Problems playing this file? See media help.Īrlen and Mercer wrote the entire score for the 1941 film Blues in the Night. The song is sung in the film by William Gillespie. ![]() The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for a 1941 film begun with the working title Hot Nocturne, but finally released as Blues in the Night. " Blues in the Night" is a popular blues song which has become a pop standard and is generally considered to be part of the Great American Songbook. Victor Gramercy Recording Studio #2, New York City September 18, 1941 ( ) by Harms, Inc., New York ĭecca Studios, 5505 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles 1941 song by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer "Blues in the Night"
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