Before his popularity, in the late 1920s, Miller played or wrote arrangements for many hot jazz groups, including a stint as a trombonist-arranger for Red Nichols’ famed Five Pennies recordings.
Charted singles and selected discography, 1938–1942
Chart is sorted by order of individual song debut date.
Recorded September 27, 1938, with vocals by Ray Eberle, "My Reverie" was the first release by the reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra on Victor Bluebird. Larry Clinton released a popular version of it the same year with Bea Wain on vocals, writing lyrics to Claude DeBussy's Reverie.[3] According to George Simon, the original arrangement was to be an instrumental, but a producer at RCA Victor wanted Glenn Miller to play a solo trombone a'la Tommy Dorsey, with a Ray Eberle vocal.[4] The B side was "King Porter Stomp".
Instrumental. Miller's theme song, and a favorite of the swing era. Composed by Miller himself, as "Now I Lay Me Down to Weep", out of a Joseph Schillinger exercise, it was number three for 1 week.
Instrumental. Traditional, although the songwriting credit is sometimes assigned to Joseph Eastburn Winner,[8] who published a version in 1869.[9] Arranged by Bill Finegan, it was recorded April 10, 1939.[10]The Glenn Miller Story takes dramatic license and gives the date of the arrangement as 1944, as a surprise for Helen Miller for a Christmas Day broadcast by the Army Air Force band from Europe.[11]
"Moon Love"
1
16
Vocal by Ray Eberle, Based on Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op.64. Number one for 4 weeks.
Instrumental. Number one for 13 weeks. "In The Mood" had a long history, even before Glenn Miller recorded it. Composition was credited to Jerry Gray, but fragments of the song had been found in earlier recordings dating back to the early 1930s.[13] The 1939 Bluebird recording was also released as V-Disc 123B in February 1944. A version was also released as V-Disc 842B in May 1948 by Glenn Miller and Overseas Band by the U.S. War Department.
Instrumental. An adaptation of Londonderry Air, "Danny Boy" was arranged by Glenn Miller and Chummy MacGregor. The Bluebird 78 single made Billboard's chart in 1940, staying for 2 weeks.
Instrumental. Selling a reported 110,000 pressings the first week of its availability, "Tuxedo Junction" was number one for nine weeks on Billboard's Juke Box chart. Buddy Feyne added lyrics. Glenn Miller copyrighted his arrangement of the song on February 8, 1940.[14]
Featuring a band chant vocal, written by Jerry Gray and Carl Sigman, Pennsylvania Six-Five Thousand reached number five on Billboard's charts on August 31, 1940; Retrospectively one of Miller's most popular and enduring songs.
Vocal by Ray Eberle. Written by Hoagy Carmicheal, lyrics by Ned Washington. "The Bluebird label recording was a moderate success, appearing on the pop charts at the end of June [1940]..."[17]
Vocal by Jack Lathrop. Written by James Cavanaugh, John Redmond, and Nat Simon,[18] "Crosstown" reached number nine on the Billboard Best Sellers chart on October 5, 1940.
Vocal by Vocal by Jack Lathrop. Written by Don Raye, Hughie Prince, and Ray McKinley, under his wife's maiden name Eleanore Sheehy; Ray McKinley would later lead the official tribute Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Instrumental. Music written by Jerry Gray, Ben Smith and Leonard Ware, lyrics by Robert B. Wright, the pseudonym of Buddy Feyne, who also wrote the lyrics to "Tuxedo Junction". The single reached number three on the Billboard Best Sellers chart on April 5, 1941, staying five weeks total.
Vocal by Dorothy Claire and The Modernaires.[19] Written by Milton Leeds and Alberto Dominguez, Victor released two performances, one the Bluebird studio recording from February 19, 1941 and the other from June 3, 1941 at the Pacific Square Ballroom in San Diego, California,[20] with Paula Kelly replacing Dorothy Claire.
Vocal by Tex Beneke, Paula Kelly and the Modernaires. Number one for nine weeks. Recorded for the soundtrack of Sun Valley Serenade and then recorded on May 7, 1941 for Victor Bluebird in Hollywood, California.[21] The song also acts as a 39 second teaser in 1942's Orchestra Wives.[22][23] Released as V-Disc 281A in October 1944 with Sgt. Ray McKinley and the Crew Chiefs on vocals with Glenn Miller and the AAFTC Orchestra.
Vocal in Sun Valley Serenade by The Modernaires, and Six Hits and a Miss.[24][25] Also recorded separately by the band for Bluebird in New York City on August 11, 1941 and released as a Bluebird B-11263-A.[26][27] The single reached number 18 on the Billboard chart in 1941, staying on for one week.
Vocal by Paula Kelly and the Modernaires. The B-side to "Chattanooga Choo Choo", recorded May 7, 1941, also was featured in Sun Valley Serenade.[28] Sung by Pat Friday[29] and John Payne[30] with the Modernaires in Sun Valley Serenade.[31]
Vocal by Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton and the Modernaires. Number one for 7 weeks. The biggest hit from Orchestra Wives,[36] it was recorded at RCA Victor's studios in Hollywood,[37] pressed as Victor 27934-A, and was number one for 7 weeks on the Billboard Best Sellers chart in 1942.[38]
"Sweet Eloise"
14
8
Vocal by Ray Eberle and the Modernaires. Recorded April 2, 1942. Written by Mack David, bandleader Russ Morgan, and arranged by Jerry Gray.[39]
Envisioned as a major song for Sun Valley Serenade with an arrangement by Jerry Gray and Bill Finegan, "At Last" was sung off-screen by Pat Friday[30] with actor John Payne. However, the song was mostly deleted from the release print; The audio portion survives and has been issued many times.[40] Reintroduced in an alternative arrangement the next year, with dual vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday,[30] its musical motif was played throughout the movie during dramatic and romantic scenes. Eberle sang it solo for the Victor 78.[41] Glenn Miller was the first to record "At Last", reaching fourteen on the Billboard in 1942 and his recording became the first in a long history of popular versions. "At Last" subsequently became a standard covered by Nat King Cole[42] and Etta James[43] in the 1950s and 1960s, the Etta James version reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the R&B chart in 1961, Ray Anthony, who reached number two on Billboard with a remake in 1952, Lou Rawls, Celine Dion, Diana Krall, Eva Cassidy, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Bing Crosby, Aretha Franklin, the Oak Ridge Boys, Cyndi Lauper, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Michael Bolton, Dianne Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé in 2008. By the 2000s, Etta James' version seemed to have eclipsed Miller's. Miller's version, however, appeared in Till There Was You (1997). Beyoncé also sang it at one of the Inaugural Balls for President Barack Obama in 2009.[44]
Vocal by Skip Nelson and the Modernaires, number one for 1 week. Written by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, it was the last Glenn Miller number one hit.
"Sold American" – written by Glenn Miller and Chummy MacGregor, was first recorded on May 23, 1938, as part of the first session for the new, reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra on Brunswick.[45] When Miller signed with Victor he recorded "Sold American" again on June 27, 1939.[46]
"The Rhumba Jumps!" – Vocal by Marion Hutton and Tex Beneke.
"Sometime" – vocal by Ray Eberle, composed by Glenn Miller and Chummy MacGregor in 1939, the song was only performed for radio broadcast; published in 1940 with lyrics credited to Mitchell Parish
"Long Tall Mama" – written by Billy May under his first wife's name, "Arletta May".
"Measure for Measure" – written by Billy May, recording exists from Sun Valley Serenade sound-on-film sessions.
"Daisy Mae" – written by Billy May with Hal McIntyre
"Gabby Goose" – written by Billy May
"Swinging at the Seance" - composed by Edward Stone, whose real name was Abie Steinfeld. The song was covered by The Moon-Rays in 2008, and the Deep River Boys in 2009.
"Yesterthoughts" – vocal by Ray Eberle.
"Flagwaver" - written by Jerry Gray.
"A Love Song Hasn't Been Sung" - written by Jerry Gray, Bill Conway, and Harold Dickinson.
"Are You Rusty, Gate?" – written by Jerry Gray.
"Introduction to a Waltz" – instrumental composed by Glenn Miller, Jerry Gray, and Hal Dickinson and performed for radio broadcast only.[47]
"The Man in the Moon" – Vocal by Ray Eberle. Written by Jerry Gray, Jerry Lawrence, and John Benson Brooks and recorded on September 3, 1941.[48]
"Solid as a Stonewall, Jackson" – written by Chummy MacGregor and Jerry Gray
"Stardust" by Hoagy Carmicheal and Mitchell Parish. Recorded January 29, 1940 for Bluebird.[49]
"Delilah" – Vocal by Tex Beneke and the Modernaires.
"Ida! Sweet As Apple Cider" – Vocal by Tex Beneke; Recorded January 17, 1941. Written by Eddie Leonard. Two recordings exist, one a test pressing. Arranged by Billy May.[51]
"Down for the Count" - written by Bill Finegan, performed over broadcast.
"Conversation Piece" - written by Bill Finegan, performed over broadcast.
"Slumber Song" – written by Chummy MacGregor and Saul Tepper.[53] It was used as Glenn Miller's theme song in 1941 when contractual problems with ASCAP[54] forbade him from using "Moonlight Serenade".[55]
"The Spirit is Willing" – written by Jerry Gray. Recorded for the soundtrack, but not used for Sun Valley Serenade. Audio still survives and has been reissued several times.[40] Issued on 78 as Bluebird B-11135-A.[19]
"Helpless" – written by Glenn Miller Orchestra; guitarist and vocalist Jack Lathrop
"Keep 'Em Flying" – written by Jerry Gray. Glenn Miller changed the song title from "That's Where I Came In" to "Keep 'Em Flying". Recorded December 8, 1941.[34]
"Oh! So Good" – written by Jerry Gray
"Soldier, Let Me Read Your Letter" – arranged by arranger/trumpeter Billy May; written by Sidney Lippman, Pvt. Pat Fallon and Pvt. Tim Pasma
"I Got Rhythm" – Billy May, arranger; January 1, 1942 broadcast [56]
"Boom Shot" – composed by Glenn Miller and Billy May (under his wife's name Arletta May) for Orchestra Wives and arranged by George Williams.
"Blues in the Night" — December 18, 1941 broadcast.
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" — Recorded February 18, 1942.
"Rainbow Rhapsody" — Recorded July 16, 1942.
"Make Believe" — September 9, 1942 broadcast.
"Lullaby of the Rain" — Recorded May 20, 1942.
Harry Warren and Mack Gordon songs for Sun Valley Serenade and Orchestra Wives:
Harry Warren and Mack Gordon were songwriters under contract with Twentieth Century Fox from 1940 to 1943.[57] During that time period they composed the songs for Miller's movies for Fox.
"The Kiss Polka", used in Sun Valley Serenade[58] and also appeared as a Bluebird 78.[26]
"The World is Waiting to Waltz Again" – vocal by John Payne, cut out of the release print of Sun Valley Serenade.
"People Like You and Me" – Vocals by Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke, Ray Eberle, and the Modernaires in Orchestra Wives.[22] Not recorded commercially or performed for broadcast.
"That's Sabotage" – vocal by Marion Hutton. Cut out of the release print of Orchestra Wives supposedly by pressure from the United States government about how the war effort was being presented in the song.[59] The 35mm audio survives and has been released many times.[60][61] Also recorded with Marion Hutton for RCA Victor.[62]
Radio format:
In sharing air time with the Andrews Sisters for the early Chesterfield Shows, the Miller band had nine minutes to present its music. Miller instituted medleys of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue into the band's broadcasts to enable it to play as much as possible.[63] This medley tradition continued into both later programs and the I Sustain The Wings radio broadcasts of the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra (March 20, 1943 to January 15, 1946).
Sample Glenn Miller medley, June 19, 1940, Cincinnati, Ohio, Chesterfield show with a Jerry Gray arrangement of all tracks:
Old – "The Touch of Your Hand" (Generally an older song)
New – "Basket Weaver Man" (A way to introduce a new song, written by Joe McCarthy and Walter Donaldson)
Borrowed – "The Waltz You Saved For Me" (Themes or songs made famous by other bands/bandleaders; Borrowed from bandleader Wayne King, written by King, Gus Kahn and Emil Flindt)
Blue – "Blue Danube" ("Blue" in title, written by Johann Strauss Jr., 1867)[64]
Recordings as sideman, arranger, and leader: 1926–1938
The first authenticated recordings made by Glenn Miller were in 1926. In the fall of 1926, Earl Baker, a cornetist, made recordings on cylinders using the Edison Standard Phonograph recording device, making the first recordings of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Fud Livingston. Miller and Goodman were both in the Ben Pollack and his Californians band at that time. The Ben Pollack band was in Chicago, Illinois, to make studio recordings for Victor. The Baker cylinders are available on the album "The Legendary Earl Baker Cylinders", released by the Jazz Archives record label as JA43 in 1979. The songs performed included "Sleepy Time Gal", "Sister Kate", "After I Say I'm Sorry", and "Sobbin' Blues".[65]
"When I First Met Mary" – recorded on December 9, 1926, in Chicago as part of Ben Pollack and his Californians which featured Benny Goodman on clarinet. The recording was released as Victor 20394.
"He's the Last Word" – recorded on December 12, 1926, with Ben Pollack and featuring a solo by Benny Goodman
"Room 1411 (Goin' to Town)" – Miller's first known composition, written with Benny Goodman in 1928 and recorded with Miller's peers was released on 78 as Brunswick 4013.
"Solo Hop" – composed by Glenn Miller in 1935 when he began recording under his own name which features a trumpet solo by Bunny Berigan. The record reached number seven on the Billboard singles chart in 1935 becoming Miller's first hit record.
"Dese Dem Dose" – with the Dorsey Brothers and Ray Noble.
"When Icky Morgan Plays the Organ" – recorded with the Clark Randall Orchestra in 1935. Clark Randall was the pseudonym of Frank Tennille, the father of Toni Tennille of the Captain and Tennille. Most of the band members in the Clark Randall Orchestra were part of the Bob Crosby Orchestra.
"Annie's Cousin Fanny" – with the Dorsey Brothers in 1934, vocal by Kay Weber and orchestra. This song was covered by Dick Pierce, Russ Carlton and his Orchestra, Marshall Royal and Maxwell Davis on the album Studio Cuts which includes two takes of the song and in 2000 by Mora's Modern Rhythmists Dance Orchestra, a ten-piece ensemble that plays jazz and swing from the 1920s and 1930s. The record was banned by radio stations in 1934 because of suggestive lyrics relying on double entendre.[66]
"Every Day's a Holiday" was a 1938 Brunswick 78 single by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra that reached number 17 on Billboard, staying on the charts for one week. This was Glenn Miller's second hit record before he switched to the Bluebird label.
Captain Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra
"Stardust": The civilian band's arrangement by Glenn Miller and Bill Finegan was recorded in 1940 for Bluebird.[49] The Army Air Force band uses a completely different arrangement making use of its string section and includes a French horn solo. A version was released as V-Disc 65A in December, 1943 with a spoken message by Glenn Miller: "This is Captain Glenn Miller speaking for the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra and we hope that you soldiers of the Allied forces enjoy these V-Discs that we're making just for you."
"St. Louis Blues March": Arranged by Jerry Gray, Ray McKinley, and Perry Burgett and recorded on October 29, 1943. Released as V-Disc 65B in December 1943 and as Navy V-Disc 114A. "St. Louis Blues March", credited as a "March" side, was released as V-Disc 522A in October, 1945.
Captain Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra
"Stormy Weather": Released as V-Disc 91A in January 1944 as a "Sweet" side by Captain Glenn Miller and the AAFTC Orchestra.
"El Capitan": Released as the flip side, by the 418th AAFTC Band Under the Direction of Captain Glenn Miller as a "March" side; composed by John Philip Sousa and originally recorded by his band in 1895.
Captain Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra / Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
"Going Home": Written by Antonín Dvořák, arranged by Harry Katzman, and broadcast on June 2, 1944 on the I Sustain the Wings radio program.[67] "I Sustain the Wings": The 1943 NBC radio program theme was co-written by Glenn Miller and was used to introduce some V-Discs. Released as V-Disc 123A in February 1944 as an "Orchestral" side by Capt. Glenn Miller and the AAFTC Orchestra.
V-Disc
144
"The Squadron Song", "Tail End Charlie" / "Don't Be That Way", "Blue Champagne"
Captain Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra
"Tail End Charlie": Written by Bill Finegan. Released as V-Disc 144A in March 1944 as a "Swing" side by Captain Glenn Miller and the AAFTC Orchestra.
Captain Glenn Miller and the Army Air Forces Training Command Orchestra / Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
"Moon Dreams": Vocal by Johnny Desmond and the Crew Chiefs, was recorded with the Glenn Miller AAF Band and released as V-Disc 201A in October, 1944 and Navy V-Disc 114B. The music was written by Chummy MacGregor and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.[68][69]Gil Evans was also a main arranger for the Claude Thornhill orchestra in the forties, which was financed by Miller.[70] As such, Glenn Miller had a very slight relationship with modern jazz, tangential nonetheless. Incidentally, Miles Davis did not like Thornhill's interpretations of some bebop songs that Evans arranged, like "Donna Lee", calling them "mannered". Despite this, Evans and Davis were best friends and collaborators for the rest of their lives. The Miles Davis Nonet recorded a live performance of "Moon Dreams" in 1948 in New York. Martha Tilton also recorded a version in 1942.[71] Jazz historian Richard Jessen has also proposed that Miller's recording of "Wham" from August 1, 1939, predates the same phrasing used in famed bebop track "Salt Peanuts" by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in 1944.[72]
"Sleepy Town Train": 1942 RCA Bluebird studio recording, "Sweet" side.
Songs that were in the civilian band and Army Air Force band libraries include:[74]
"Jeep Jockey Jump" – written by Jerry Gray and one broadcast of the song was done by the civilian band.[75]
"It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)" – music written by Chummy MacGregor and George Williams and lyrics by Sunny Skylar.[76] George Williams, arranger /Mar. 11, 1944 Chant by the band.[73] This version is from the Army Air Force band. The civilian band played the same arrangement that was performed at least twice, available on a Victor 78 recording, Vi-20-1546-A, recorded July 15, 1942 [77] or also taken from a radio remote broadcast from September 15, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts [78] and later re-released by RCA Victor on LPT 6700.[79][80] According to the tsort.com website, the 78 single, Victor 20–1546, reached number twelve on the Billboard charts in January, 1944, where it stayed for eight weeks on the chart.[81] Moreover, the record was a crossover hit, reaching number two on the Billboard 'Harlem' Hit Parade Chart on February 19, 1944, the then equivalent of the later R&B chart, and number sixteen on the Billboard Juke Box Chart. Harry James, Johnny Long, and Frankie Ford also recorded versions. Woody Herman recorded a version that was also released as a V-Disc, No. 320B, in November, 1944.
"Sun Valley Jump" – written by Jerry Gray. Released as a V-Disc, No. 281A, in October 1944 by Glenn Miller and the AAFTC Orchestra.
"Rhapsody in Blue" – written by George Gershwin. The civilian band version has Bobby Hackett solo in the middle.[82] "Rhapsody in Blue" from the civilian band is not the entire work, but rather a section of the work arranged to fit on a 10" 78 rpm record. It was released as Victor 20-1529-A.[82]
"Blue Rain" – written by Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen,[83] Civilian band-arrangement with Ray Eberle vocal, unknown arranger. Army Air Force band: arrangement with strings, no vocal.
"Are You Jumpin' Jack?" – written by Bill Finegan. First civilian band version, December 21, 1940, for a remote broadcast on NBC.[84]
" Enlisted Men's Mess" – written by Jerry Gray. In the civilian band's library but not performed or recorded.[85] Performed by the Army Air Forces Training Command Band and broadcast on the I Sustain the Wings radio program, May 5, 1944.[67]
U.S. Navy V Disc No. 114B.
Songs that were prepared for but went unreleased on V-Disc include:
A disc released in 2010 is called "The Final - His Last Recordings"[86] and collects Miller's last known recorded performances (November, 1944) plus bonus spoken bits for the radio program "Music for the Wehrmacht", starring Major Miller with German speaker Ilse Weinberger. The album also contains a September 1944 interview and - as final track - the BBC radio announcement of Miller's disappearance.
Album discography, 1928–1944
Year
Album
Original release format(s)
Peak chart position
Total weeks charted
Sales certifications
1943
Red Nichols Jazz Classics, Vol. One (Five Pennies compilation)
78 rpm shellac
–
–
–
Chicago Jazz Classics (Benny Goodman's Boys compilation)
^Cab Calloway and his Orchestra covered the song and released it on Conqueror in 1941. On February 10, 1942, Glenn Miller was presented with the first gold record in history for selling one million and two hundred thousand records of "Chattanooga Choo Choo". Wally Early of Victor presented this live on the Chesterfield program of February 10, 1942.
^Recording and filming dates for Sun Valley Serenade: March 24 – May 3, 1941 see Flower 289
Recording and filming dates for Orchestra Wives: March 23 – May 22, 1942 see Flower 426
^The song was recorded by the Jack Million Band on the album In the Mood for Glenn Miller, Volume 1.
^An unreleased instrumental version was recorded for the Orchestra Wives soundtrack and never used in the release print. See the 1994 compact disc "Glenn Miller in Stereo" and its accompanying liner notes.
^Originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 in New York, it became a jazz standard and one of the most covered jazz songs of the twentieth century.
^"Harry Warren". Archive.is. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2017-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ abGlenn Miller: The Secret Broadcasts, RCA Victor, 75605-52500-2, 1996
^The song was covered by the Miles Davis Nonet in 1950 on his album Birth of the Cool and also appears on "The Complete Birth of the Cool", arranged by Gil Evans
^Some songs were performed by the civilian band and the Army Air Force Band but might be better known by one band over the other. For example, the Army Air Force band and the civilian band both had "In The Mood", "String of Pearls", "Moonlight Serenade", "Jukebox Saturday Night", "Caribbean Clipper", "Here We Go Again" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in their libraries.
^Woody Herman covered the song in 1944 and released it as a V-Disc and commercially released it as a Columbia 78 with matrix number 71904. Sunny Skylar added lyrics. Herman's version was recorded March 23, 1944. Woody Herman information taken from Visser, Joop. "Discography." Liner notes. The Woody Herman Story. CD. Properbox 15: Proper Records Ltd.,2000.
Polic, Edward F. (1990). The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.; Sustineo Alas/I Sustain the Wings edition (June 1, 1990) ISBN0-8108-2269-5
Miller, Glenn (1943). Glenn Miller's Method for Orchestral Arranging. New York: Mutual Music Society. ASIN: B0007DMEDQ
Miller, Glenn (1927). Glenn Miller's 125 Jazz Breaks For Trombone. Chicago: Melrose Brothers Music Company.
Miller, Glenn (1939). Feist All-Star Series of Modern Rhythm Choruses Arranged By Glenn Miller For Trombone. New York: Leo J. Feist, Inc.
Grudens, Richard (2004). Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life and Times of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Stony Brook, NY: Celebrity Profiles, 2004. ISBN978-1-57579-277-4
Sears, Richard S. (1980). V-Discs: A History and Discography. Greenwood Press; illustrated edition (December 23, 1980) ISBN978-0-313-22207-8
