Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American
swing dance band
''Dance Band'' is a 1935 British musical film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, June Clyde and Steven Geray. It was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets designed by the art director David Rawnsley.
Plot
When dance band ...
formed by
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
in 1938. Arranged around a
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
and tenor
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
playing
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
, and three other saxophones playing
harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
, the band became the most popular and commercially successful dance orchestra of the swing era and one of the greatest singles charting acts of the 20th century.
Miller began professionally recording in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
as a sideman in the
hot jazz era of the late 1920s. With the arrival of virtuoso trombonists
Jack Teagarden
Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...
and
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
, Miller focused more on developing his arrangement skills.
Writing for contemporaries and future stars such as
Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction.
Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...
, and
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
, Miller gained prowess as an arranger by working in a variety of settings. Later, Miller largely improved his arranging and writing skills by studying under music theorist
Joseph Schillinger
Joseph Moiseyevich Schillinger ( Russian: Иосиф Моисеевич Шиллингер, (other sources: ) – 23 March 1943) was a composer, music theorist, and composition teacher who originated the Schillinger System of Musical Compositio ...
.
In February 1937, Miller started an orchestra that briefly made records for
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
. With this group, Miller used an arrangement he wrote for British bandleader
Ray Noble
Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...
's American band in an attempt to form a clarinet-reed sound. This style developed over time, and eventually became known as the ''Glenn Miller sound''. Frustrated with his agency over playing inconsistent bookings and lacking broad radio exposure, Miller gave the band notice in December 1937. Less than three months later, he was looking for members and forming a new band.
Miller began a partnership with
Eli Oberstein, which led directly to a contract with Victor subsidiary
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a record label best known for its low-cost releases, primarily of kids' music, blues and jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. It was founded in 1932 as a lower-priced RCA Victor subsidiary label of RCA Victor. Bluebird became known ...
. Gaining notoriety at such engagements as the Paradise Restaurant and Frank Dailey–owned Meadowbrook and their corresponding nationwide broadcasts, Miller struck enormous popularity playing the
Glen Island Casino
Starin's Glen Island was a summer resort in the community of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York, developed by shipping magnate and U.S. Congressman John H. Starin in the late 1800s. Starin's resort, referred to as "America's pleasure gr ...
in the summer of 1939. From late 1939 to mid-1942, Miller was the number-one band in the country, with few true rivals.
Only
Harry James
Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...
' band began to equal Miller's in popularity as he wound down his career in the wake of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
The
AFM strike prevented Miller from making any new recordings in the last two months of his band's existence, and they formally disbanded at the end of September 1942.
Miller's short-term chart successes have seldom been duplicated and his group's unprecedented dominance of early ''
Your Hit Parade
''Your Hit Parade'' was an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1953 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During its 24-year ru ...
'' and ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' singles charts resulted in 16 number-one singles and 69 Top Ten hits.
Musical success
Beginnings
By March 1938, Glenn was planning to form a new group. The newly reformed band featured several longtime associates of Miller. From his first orchestra, Miller invited back
Hal McIntyre
Hal McIntyre (born Harold William McIntyre; November 29, 1914, Cromwell, Connecticut – May 5, 1959 Los Angeles, California) was an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.
McIntyre played extensively as a teenager and led his ow ...
, and hired
Paul Tanner,
Wilbur Schwartz,
Ray Eberle
Raymond Eberle (January 19, 1919 – August 25, 1979) was a vocalist during the Big Band Era, making his name with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. His elder brother, Bob Eberly, sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.
Career
Eberle was born in Mec ...
(who was the younger brother of Jimmy Dorsey's vocalist
Bob Eberly
Robert Eberly (born Robert Eberle; July 24, 1916 – November 17, 1981) was an American big band vocalist best known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell. His younger brother Ray was also a big-band singer, m ...
), and his old friend
Chummy MacGregor
John Chalmers MacGregor (March 28, 1903 – March 9, 1973), better known as Chummy MacGregor, a musician and composer, was the pianist in The Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1936 to 1942. He composed the songs " Moon Dreams", " It Must Be Jelly ('Cau ...
. Miller's perseverance, business expertise, combined with a penchant for showmanship and musical taste, provided the faith for financiers Mike Nidorf and Cy Shribman. Miller used the 'clarinet-lead' sound as the foundation for his new band, and this caught the attention of students at Northeastern campuses. They opened on April 16, 1938, at Raymor Ballroom in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. When the band reached
New York, they were billed below
Freddie Fisher and His Schnickelfritzers, a dance band comedy routine. From
Vincent Lopez
Vincent Lopez (December 30, 1895 – September 20, 1975) was an American bandleader, actor, and pianist.
Early life and career
Vincent Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Am ...
's group came
Marion Hutton
Marion Hutton (born Marion Thornburg; March 10, 1919 – January 10, 1987) was an American singer and actress. She is best remembered for her singing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1938 to 1942. She was the sister of actress and singer ...
, who added enthusiasm and energy in her performances. On September 7, 1938, the band made their first recordings, "
My Reverie "My Reverie" is a 1938 popular song with lyrics by Larry Clinton. Its melody is based on the 1890 piano piece ''Rêverie'' by the French classical composer Claude Debussy.
Recordings
A 1938 recording of the song by Clinton and his band with Be ...
", "
King Porter Stomp "King Porter Stomp" is a jazz standard by pianist Jelly Roll Morton, first recorded in 1923. The composition is considered to be important in the development of jazz.Magee, Jeffrey. "'King Porter Stomp' and the Jazz Tradition", p.46, ''Current Mus ...
" and "By the Waters of Minnetonka", in two parts.
Keeping up radio dates, Miller was only booked for 1 more session the rest of the year.
Glen Island Casino and Meadowbrook
In March 1939, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was given its big break, when they were chosen to play the summer season at the prestigious
Glen Island Casino
Starin's Glen Island was a summer resort in the community of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York, developed by shipping magnate and U.S. Congressman John H. Starin in the late 1800s. Starin's resort, referred to as "America's pleasure gr ...
located on the north shore of
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
in
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...
. Frank Dailey, manager of The Meadowbrook Ballroom in
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Cedar Grove is a township in north central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 12,411, reflecting an increase of 111 (+0.9%) from the 12,300 counted in the 2000 Census, w ...
, immediately booked the band for a four-week stay in March and April, before Glen Island. The band was well-received and within days Dailey picked up a three-week extension offer. During this time, Bluebird recording dates became more common and Glenn added drummer
Maurice Purtill
Maurice "Moe" Purtill (May 4, 1916 – March 9, 1994), was an American swing jazz drummer, best known as the drummer for the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1939 to 1942.
Career
Born in Huntington, New York, Purtill dropped out of high schoo ...
and trumpeter Dale "Mickey" McMickle to stabilize personnel. Opening at Glen Island on May 17, 1939, the casino's radio broadcast antenna ensured the Miller band was heard around the country. In late August, the end of their summer season, they had nationwide attention.
George T. Simon, writer and one-time drummer for Miller, spoke of the Glen Island broadcasts:
Glen Island was the prestige place for people who listened to bands on radio. The band's first semi hit, " Little Brown Jug", came out just when it opened at Glen Island. That helped. And the clarinet lead in Glenn's arrangements was such a romantic sound! It caught the public fancy during this exposure. Miller began ending his broadcasts from Glen Island with his "Something Old, Something New" medleys. But the most important thing for Glenn's success was that he recorded "In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...
" while he was at the casino. That made him the Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
of his day.
Nationwide popularity
Capitalizing on newfound popularity, Miller decided to add a trombone and a trumpet, giving the band a fuller sound. On April 4, 1939, Miller and his orchestra recorded "
Moonlight Serenade
"Moonlight Serenade" is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and perfo ...
". Considered one of the top songs of the swing era, and Miller's best composition, it soon became the theme song to start and end all of his radio performances.
Miller's most popular track "
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...
" was recorded August 1, 1939. Famous for its opening and bass riffs as well as its "dueling" saxophone solos between Tex Beneke and Al Klink, the song hit number one on the ''Billboard'' charts, staying for a total of 30 weeks.
Joe Garland
Joseph Copeland Garland (August 15, 1903, Norfolk, Virginia – April 21, 1977, Teaneck, New Jersey) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger, best known for writing "In the Mood".
Garland studied music at Shaw University and t ...
compiled the song from riffs he'd heard in other songs, and is credited on the label. Elements of "In the Mood" can be found in earlier jazz recordings, such as
Jimmy O'Bryant
J. A. "Jimmy" O'Bryant (c. 1896 – June 24, 1928) was an American jazz clarinetist.
Career
O'Bryant played with the Tennessee Ten in 1920 and 1921, then in a group with Jelly Roll Morton and W. C. Handy in 1923. In 1924, he played with Ki ...
's "Clarinet Getaway",
Wingy Manone
Joseph Matthews "Wingy" Manone (February 13, 1900 – July 9, 1982) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader. His recordings included " Tar Paper Stomp", "Nickel in the Slot", "Downright Disgusted Blues", "There'll Come a ...
's "
Tar Paper Stomp", and
Fletcher Henderson's "Hot and Anxious." Garland put these pieces together and initially offered the song, in a six-minute form, to Artie Shaw. Despite playing it for radio broadcast, Shaw found no success with it in this form. Miller purchased the song in June 1939
and asked
Eddie Durham
Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger. He was one of the pioneers of the electric guitar in jazz. The orchestras of Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie ...
to arrange it for his orchestra, and Miller made final tweaks in Victor studios. In a 2000 interview for
npr
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, trombonist
Paul Tanner remembered recording the song and playing it live:
He would say, "You fellas do this, and you fellas do that, and let's hear it once." And then, "We're gonna cut from this spot to this spot in the arrangement, and in here we're gonna put a trumpet solo. And in this spot and this spot we're gonna cut way down here and we're gonna have the two saxophones have a little battle in there," and decided to make cuts. And then at the end, Alice inkler, the interviewer if you know the arrangement, at the end there are all those false endings that go on, and it kept getting softer and softer until Glenn would give the drummer a cue and he would hit the cowbell and then we would know that the next time we were to come on very loud. And the dancers just loved it. He tried it out on the dances at the Glen Island Casino, and they loved it. They couldn't figure out how we knew when to come in loud. But, you know, I told them, "Well, we have a sixth sense of that sort of thing." But actually, what happened is the drummer hit the cowbell, and we knew the next time was loud. And this was all Glenn's doing.
On February 5, 1940, Miller recorded "
Tuxedo Junction
"Tuxedo Junction" is a popular song written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash with lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Collegi ...
", which hit number one and reportedly sold 115,000 copies within the first week of release, and placed 7th overall for the
National Hit Parade that year. Bob Eberly said that it "sold 90,000 copies in the first week, at a time when 25,000 was considered a great seller". In April, the band chant track "
Pennsylvania 6-5000
PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is a telephone number in New York City, written in the 2L+5N (two letters, five numbers) format that was common from about 1930 into the 1960s. The number is best known from the 1940 hit song " Pennsylvania 6-5000", a swing j ...
", referencing the phone number for the
Hotel Pennsylvania
The Hotel Pennsylvania was a historic hotel at 401 Seventh Avenue (15 Penn Plaza) in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City. Opened in 1919, it was once the largest hotel in the world. ...
, which housed the Café Rouge, a common engagement and broadcasting spot for the band, was released and it too became an instant swing standard.
On January 1, 1941, following tensions regarding licensing fees,
radio networks banned ASCAP songs from live performance. Miller had to work to reform his radio programs for
BMI published tunes, temporarily switching his theme to "Slumber Song". In early 1941, Marion Hutton left the band to go on maternity leave. In the meantime, Miller needed an additional female vocalist, and he offered
Dorothy Claire
Dorothy Claire (born Marietta Wright, June 5, 1920 – September 4, 1982) was an American singer and actress on Broadway and with big bands.
Early years
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Wright, Claire was born in La Porte, Indiana on June 5, 1 ...
, then with
Bobby Byrne's band, twice her salary. Claire went to work for Miller, despite her signature on a three-year contract with Byrne in November 1940, and Miller ignored Byrne's wishes for compensation. Byrne then launched a $25,000 lawsuit against the Miller orchestra's business dealings.
Miller met with Byrne in Columbus, Ohio sometime in early March and settled the dispute – Claire went back to working with Byrne's band. Miller soon hired
The Modernaires
The Modernaires was an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s alongside Glenn Miller.
Career
The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New Y ...
from
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...
, who was disbanding his orchestra. Still in need of a female vocalist, the wife of Modernaire Hal Dickinson,
Paula Kelly, who had sung previously with
Al Donahue
Al Donahue (June 12, 1904, Dorchester, Massachusetts - February 20, 1983, Fallbrook, California) was an American violinist and big band leader.
Donahue got his start playing in Boston-area campus bands and led a band at Boston's Weber Duck Inn i ...
, stepped up to fill in the role. The signing of the Modernaires significantly benefitted the Miller organization. Hip and popular with young listeners, the Modernaires' vocal range added a new dimension to Miller's recordings.
In late March, Miller and his orchestra began work on their first motion picture, ''
Sun Valley Serenade''. Previously, ''swing films'' such as ''
Hollywood Hotel
The Hollywood Hotel was a famous hotel, society venue of early Hollywood, and landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible fr ...
'' with Benny Goodman's orchestra had only featured bands for song performances; Miller reportedly insisted, perhaps even to the extent of contract clauses, that the plot of ''Sun Valley'' revolve around the band rather than only feature them.
[ Harry Warren and ]Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American composer and lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years betwee ...
were commissioned to write songs for the film. The Miller band filmed and recorded an extended song-and-dance number featuring the Nicholas Brothers
The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...
for what was soon to be its biggest selling record, surprise hit "Chattanooga Choo Choo
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and composed by Harry Warren. It was originally recorded as a big band/swing tune by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie '' Sun Valley Serenade''. It was ...
". Despite criticism of the plot, ''Sun Valley Serenade'' was received with general positivity from critics, and Miller earned praise for his band's role in the film, with Barry Ulanov writing for Metronome
A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
:
Miller comes across as a convincing band leader, and, even more important, a convincing human being in this film. He’s on mostly for music, but most of the film is music and the dozen or so reels are a better showcase for the Glenn Miller band than they are for the Sonja Henie torso and limbs, with and without skates. Never has a movie made more of a popular band and never has a movie featuring such an organization presented its music so tastefully... Pictorially, Trigger Alpert
Herman "Trigger" Alpert (September 3, 1916 – December 21, 2013) was an American jazz bassist from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Music career
A native of Indianapolis, Alpert attended Indiana University, where he studied music. Soon after, he played ...
and Maurice Purtill take the honors. Trigger hops around like mad and Maurice looks like the movies’ idea of a swing drummer, all right. They stay within the bounds of good taste, however ... the story is believable, and happily centers around the band, so that the whole thing is a triumph for Glenn Miller and the band.
In October, ASCAP and the radio networks agreed on a new rate, and the band could finally play "Chattanooga" and their other songs on radio. W. Wallace Early, the manager of record sales for RCA Victor and Bluebird Records, presented the first ever gold record to Miller on February 10, 1942, saying:
It's a pleasure to be here tonight. And speaking of RCA Victor, we're mighty proud of that Chattanooga Choo Choo, and the man that made the record, Glenn Miller. You see it's been a long time – 15 years in fact – since any record has sold a million copies. And ''Chattanooga Choo Choo'' certainly put on steam and breezed right through that million mark by over 200,000 pressings. And we decided that Glenn should get a trophy. The best one we could think of is a gold record of ''Chattanooga''. And now Glenn, it's yours – with the best wishes of RCA Victor Bluebird Records.
After the Pearl Harbor attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ...
, Miller began incorporating more patriotic themes into his radio shows and recordings.
In early 1942, the band was upgraded from Bluebird to full-price Victor Records. Following very closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Miller band started work on their second film, ''Orchestra Wives
''Orchestra Wives'' is a 1942 American musical film by 20th Century Fox starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, and Glenn Miller. The film was the second (and last) film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is notable among the many sw ...
'' in March. Once again, Gordon and Warren were recalled to compose the songs. The previous year, both had composed "At Last
"At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US ''Billboard'' po ...
" but couldn't place it into ''Sun Valley Serenade'' vocally, although it appears in the film in three different instrumental versions. The song was arranged by Jerry Gray
Jerry Don Gray (born December 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college footbal ...
in a vocal version, and it was displayed prominently in ''Orchestra Wives''. It became a standard when recorded by Glenn Miller orchestra alumnus Ray Anthony
Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Biography
Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...
in 1951 in a version that reached no. 2 on the ''Billboard'' pop singles chart. Etta James released a popular version in 1961 that added to the iconic status of the song. Akin to "Chattanooga", "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo
"(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" is a #1 popular song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1942. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and published in 1942. It was featured in the musical film ''Orchestra Wives'' and was recorde ...
" was filmed as a song and dance number featuring the Nicholas Brothers and also sold a million pressings, with ''Billboard'' ranking it among the most popular records of the year.
In mid–July, Miller and the band recorded thirteen sides, as James Petrillo James Caesar Petrillo (March 16, 1892 – October 23, 1984) was the leader of the American Federation of Musicians, a trade union of professional musicians in the United States and Canada.
Biography
Petrillo was born in Chicago, Illinois, United ...
, chief of the musicians' union, embarked on a 28-month recording ban. The strike prevented Miller from making additional records in his career, although Victor slowly released the last set of tracks, with "That Old Black Magic
"That Old Black Magic" is a 1942 popular song written by Harold Arlen (music), with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. They wrote it for the 1942 film '' Star Spangled Rhythm'', when it was sung by Johnny Johnston and danced by Vera Zorina. The song ...
" hitting number one in May 1943, over eight months after his band ceased to exist.
Miller began privately sending letters to the Armed Forces in attempts to lead a modern military band. Accepted into the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and later transferred to the Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, in early September he broke the news to the band and later that month they played their last radio shows. Miller surrendered his Chesterfield radio slot to Harry James
Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...
.
Radio success
Radio played a pivotal role in the success of Miller and His Orchestra. Featured heavily on the format during their existence, many of their earlier programs from such venues as the Paradise Restaurant, Glen Island and the Meadowbrook Ballroom used remote connections to the National Broadcasting Company, on both '' NBC–Red'' and '' NBC–Blue''.
The makers of Chesterfield Cigarettes
Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Altria and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA.
History
A blend of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, Chesterfields were int ...
hosted a half-hour radio show on CBS that featured ''King of Jazz'' Paul Whiteman. Whiteman decided to retire and recommended Glenn as a replacement. On December 27, 1939, Miller took over the program as ''Chesterfield Moonlight Serenade''. During the first 13 weeks, The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...
were featured as ''Chesterfield'' were worried over whether Miller could sustain his popularity. Their fear subsided, and the program, reformatted for 15 minutes, aired Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 10:15pm. Miller and his band held the slot until their disbandment in 1942.
In 1940, the band broadcast from the first time from the Café Rouge at the Hotel Pennsylvania, soon to become a regular booking and a host of long-term engagements. By then, the Miller band had several NBC sustaining broadcasts in addition to three CBS programs, reaching American homes 6–7 days a week. In August, Miller's orchestra had an hour-long program on NBC–Blue, ''Glenn Miller's Sunset Serenade'' featuring prizes Miller paid for out-of-pocket. A review in ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' commented, "Unusual length of the program allows Miller to display all the top items in his library."
Chart success
According to Paul Albone, of the 121 singles by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra that made the charts, 69 were Top Ten hits, and 16 reached number-one. In just a 4-year career, Miller and His Orchestra's songs spent a cumulative total of 664 weeks, nearly thirteen years, on the charts, 79 of which were at the number-one position. Miller also has the distinction of three posthumous albums reaching number-one on ''Billboard'' charts: ''Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
'' in 1945, its follow-up in 1947, and his original recordings repackaged for the release of ''The Glenn Miller Story
''The Glenn Miller Story'' is a 1954 American biographical film about the eponymous American band-leader, directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their second non-western collaboration.
Plot
The film follows big band leader Glenn ...
'' in 1954.
Past members
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:23
PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:0 right:20
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:07/09/1938 till:27/09/1942
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = grid:black unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1939
ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1939
Colors =
id:Leader value:black legend:Leader
id:Trombone value:coral legend:Trombone
id:clarinet value:gray(0.8) legend:Clarinet
id:saxophone value:yelloworange legend:Saxophone
id:Trumpet value:darkblue legend:Trumpet
id:Coronet value:skyblue legend:Cornet
id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:Piano value:purple legend:Piano
id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:MaleVocalists value:red legend:Male_Vocals
id:FemaleVocalists value:claret legend:Female_Vocals
id:GroupVocals value:powderblue legend:Vocal_Groups
BarData=
bar:Glenn text:Glenn Miller
bar:Al text:Al Mastren
bar:Paul text:Paul Tanner
bar:Toby text:Toby Tyler
bar:Tommy text:Tommy Mack
bar:Frank text:Frank D’Annolfo
bar:Howard text:Howard Gibeling
bar:JimmyP text:Jimmy Priddy
bar:Wilbur text:Wilbur Schwartz
bar:Tex text:Tex Beneke
bar:Hal text:Hal McIntyre
bar:Benny text:Benny Feman
bar:Babe text:Babe Russin
bar:SkipM text:Skip Martin
bar:Stanley text:Stanley Aronson
bar:Gabe text:Gabe Galinas
bar:HalT text:Hal Tennyson
bar:Ernie text:Ernie Caceres
bar:Jimmy text:Jimmy Abato
bar:JohnnyA text:Johnny Austin
bar:Charlie text:Charlie Hill
bar:Mickey text:Mickey McMickle
bar:Louis text:Louis Mucci
bar:Legh text:Legh Knowles
bar:Zeke text:Zeke Zarchy
bar:Billy text:Billy May
bar:BobP text:Bob Price
bar:Clyde text:Clyde Hurley
bar:Charles text:Charles Frankhauser
bar:RayA text:Ray Anthony
bar:Alec text:Alec Fila
bar:BillG text: Bill Graham
bar:Stevel text:Steve Lipkins
bar:JohnnyB text:Johnny Best
bar:Allen text:Allan Reuss
bar:Arthur text:Arthur Ens
bar:Dick text:Dick Fisher
bar:Jack text:Jack Lathrop
bar:Hack text:Bobby Hackett
bar:Bill text:Bill Conway
bar:Chum text:Chummy MacGregor
bar:Bob text:Bob Spangler
bar:Cody text:Cody Sandifer
bar:Frankie text:Frankie Carlson
bar:Moe text:Maurice Purtill
bar:Rollie text:Rollie Bundock
bar:Tony text:Tony Carlson
bar:Trigger text:Trigger Alpert
bar:Doc text:Doc Goldberg
bar:Ray text:Ray Eberle
bar:SkipN text:Skip Nelson
bar:Marion text:Marion Hutton
bar:Kay text:Kay Starr
bar:Dorothy text:Dorothy Claire
bar:Paula text:Paula Kelly
bar:mods text:The Modernaires
PlotData=
width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Glenn from:start till:end color:leader
bar:Glenn from:start till:end color:trombone width:3
bar:Paul from:start till:end color:trombone
bar:Al from:start till:15/01/1940 color:trombone
bar:JohnnyA from:start till:06/02/1939 color:Trumpet
bar:BobP from:start till:17/05/1939 color:Trumpet
bar:Clyde from:17/05/1939 till: 03/06/1940 color:Trumpet
bar:Charles from:13/06/1940 till:08/11/1940 color:Trumpet
bar:Louis from:start till:06/02/1939 color:Trumpet
bar:Legh from:06/02/1939 till:28/04/1940 color:Trumpet
bar:Charlie from:06/02/1939 till:04/04/1939 color:Trumpet
bar:Mickey from:04/04/1939 till:28/04/1940 color:Trumpet
bar:Mickey from:13/05/1940 till:end color:Trumpet
bar:Zeke from:28/04/1940 till:08/11/1940 color:Trumpet
bar:Zeke from:24/11/1941 till:08/01/1942 color:Trumpet
bar:BillG from:08/01/1942 till:18/02/1942 color:Trumpet
bar:JohnnyB from:11/09/1939 till:end color:Trumpet
bar:Billy from:08/11/1940 till:end color:Trumpet
bar:RayA from:08/11/1940 till:06/08/1941 color:Trumpet
bar:Alec from:11/08/1941 till:24/11/1941 color:Trumpet
bar:BillG from:08/01/1942 till:18/02/1942 color:Trumpet
bar:Stevel from:02/04/1942 till:end color:Trumpet
bar:Hack from:11/07/1941 till:end color:Coronet
bar:Hack from:11/07/1941 till:end color:Guitar width:3
bar:Toby from:11/09/1939 till:03/10/1939 color:trombone
bar:Tommy from:03/10/1939 till:05/11/1939 color:trombone
bar:Frank from:05/11/1939 till:end color:trombone
bar:Tommy from:26/01/1940 till:26/01/1940 color:trombone
bar:Howard from:05/02/1940 till:19/02/1940 color:trombone
bar:JimmyP from:19/02/1940 till:end color:trombone
bar:Wilbur from:start till:end color:clarinet
bar:Tex from:start till:end color:saxophone
bar:Tex from:start till:end color:MaleVocalists width:3
bar:Hal from:start till:06/10/1941 color:saxophone
bar:Babe from:03/11/1941 till: 24/11/1941 color:saxophone
bar:SkipM from:24/11/1941 till:end color:saxophone
bar:Benny from:20/10/1941 till: 01/11/1941 color:saxophone
bar:Stanley from:start till:04/04/1939 color:saxophone
bar:Gabe from:09/05/1939 till:22/06/1939 color:saxophone
bar:HalT from:22/06/1939 till:11/09/1939 color:saxophone
bar:Jimmy from:11/09/1939 till:19/02/1939 color:saxophone
bar:Jimmy from:11/09/1939 till:19/02/1939 color:clarinet width:3
bar:Ernie from:19/02/1939 till:end color:saxophone
bar:Chum from:start till:end color:Piano
bar:Rollie from:start till:01/08/1940 color:Bass
bar:Tony from:03/09/1940 till: 11/10/1940 color:Bass
bar:Trigger from:11/10/1940 till:01/06/1941 color:Bass
bar:Doc from:02/06/1941 till:end color:Bass
bar:Allen from:06/02/1939 till:18/04/1939 color:Guitar
bar:Arthur from:18/04/1939 till:02/06/1939 color:Guitar
bar:Dick from:02/06/1939 till:28/04/1940 color:Guitar
bar:Jack from:28/04/1940 till:22/05/1941 color:Guitar
bar:Jack from:28/04/1940 till:22/05/1941 color:MaleVocalists width:3
bar:Bill from:22/05/1941 till:22/05/1941 color:Guitar
bar:Bill from:08/12/1941 till:08/12/1941 color:Guitar
bar:Bob from:start till:06/02/1939 color:Drums
bar:Cody from:06/02/1939 till:04/04/1939 color:Drums
bar:Frankie from:04/04/1939 till:10/04/1939 color:Drums
bar:Moe from:10/04/1939 till:end color:Drums
bar:Ray from:start till: 09/07/1942 color:MaleVocalists
bar:SkipN from:14/07/1942 till:end color:MaleVocalists
bar:Marion from:06/02/1939 till:22/07/1939 color:FemaleVocalists
bar:Kay from:26/07/1939 till:26/07/1939 color:FemaleVocalists
bar:Marion from:28/07/1939 till: 01/01/1941 color:FemaleVocalists
bar:Marion from:15/08/1941 till:end color:FemaleVocalists
bar:Dorothy from:08/01/1941 till:20/03/1941 color:FemaleVocalists
bar:Paula from:20/03/1941 till:11/08/1941 color:FemaleVocalists
bar:mods from:11/10/1940 till:11/10/1940 color:GroupVocals
bar:mods from:13/01/1941 till:end color:GroupVocals
As of , Ray Anthony
Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Biography
Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...
is the last surviving member of the orchestra.
Discography
Singles
Million-selling singles:
*1939: " Little Brown Jug"
*1939: "Moonlight Serenade
"Moonlight Serenade" is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and perfo ...
"
*1939: "In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...
"
*1940: "Tuxedo Junction
"Tuxedo Junction" is a popular song written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash with lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Collegi ...
"
*1940: "Pennsylvania 6-5000
PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is a telephone number in New York City, written in the 2L+5N (two letters, five numbers) format that was common from about 1930 into the 1960s. The number is best known from the 1940 hit song " Pennsylvania 6-5000", a swing j ...
"
*1941: "Chattanooga Choo Choo
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and composed by Harry Warren. It was originally recorded as a big band/swing tune by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie '' Sun Valley Serenade''. It was ...
"
*1941: " A String of Pearls"
*1941: "Moonlight Cocktail
"Moonlight Cocktail" is a 1941 big band song recorded by Glenn Miller during World War II. The music was composed by Luckey Roberts with lyrics by Kim Gannon.
Background
The song was originally recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra on Dece ...
"
*1942: "American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by Frank White (F.W.) Meacham in 1885. It incorporates both original musical themes by Meacham and melodies from American patriotic songs of the era such as " Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," "Dixie," ...
"
*1942: "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo
"(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" is a #1 popular song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1942. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and published in 1942. It was featured in the musical film ''Orchestra Wives'' and was recorde ...
"
See also
* Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
* Swing music
Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or nominally weaker beat. Swing bands ...
* Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...
* Big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...
References
External links
Website of past vocalist Eileen Burns
YouTube Videos from 1983 GMO US and Japan Tour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Glenn, Orchestra
Big bands
Swing music
Bluebird Records artists
RCA Victor artists
American jazz ensembles
American classical music groups
Musical groups established in 1938
Musical groups disestablished in 1942