"It's Been a Long, Long Time" is a

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 and ...

-era song that was a hit at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with music by

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

and lyrics by

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

Background

The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person welcoming home their spouse at the end of the war.

Popular recordings

The most popular recording, by trumpeter

Harry James and His Orchestra 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 to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

with vocalist

Kitty Kallen Kitty Kallen (born Katie Kallen; May 25, 1921 – January 7, 2016) was an American singer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, including the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-World War II pop scene, and the early years ...

, debuted in October 1945 on ''Billboard'''s Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart and reached number one in the chart dated November 24, 1945 – the last of Harry James's nine US number ones. The record features a solo by alto saxophonist Willie Smith. A hit version by iconic crooner

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

with Les Paul and His Trio (recorded on July 12, 1945) debuted the same week as James's record, which it replaced at number one in the chart dated December 8, 1945.

Sammy Kaye Sammy Kaye (born Samuel Zarnocay Jr.; March 13, 1910 – June 2, 1987) was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era. The expression springs fr ...

's "Chickery Chick" then returned to number one, only to be replaced by the Harry James recording, which reclaimed the top spot (for one final week) in the chart dated December 22. James's and Crosby's hits remained on the chart for 17 and 16 weeks, respectively. Both versions reached number one on ''Billboards Records Most-Played on the Air chart and its Most-Played Juke Box Records chart. Two other recordings of "It's Been a Long, Long Time" charted in America in late 1945:

Charlie Spivak Charlie Spivak (c. February 17, 1904 – March 1, 1982) was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s. Early life According to his immigration record, Sender Spivakovsky was born around 1904 in the village ...

and His Orchestra with vocal by

Irene Daye Irene Daye (January 17, 1918, Lawrence, Massachusetts – November 1, 1971, Greenville, South Carolina) was an American jazz singer. Early life Daye began her career at age 17 by singing in Dan Murphy's Musical Skippers big band while still ...

(US no. 4) and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra with vocal by

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925 – June 21, 1990) was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued ...

(US no. 6). "It's Been a Long, Long Time" topped ''Billboards composite Honor Roll of Hits chart for the last seven weeks of 1945.

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

recalled in an interview for ''Mojo'' magazine that "Bing was a sucker for guitar and that particular song was a case of you don't have to play a lot of notes, you just have to play the right notes." The song became a standard with versions recorded by

The DeMarco Sisters The DeMarco Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the big-band era who recorded popular music and performed in concerts and on the radio, television, and on film from the 1930s through the 1960s. They first achieved fame as weekl ...

(1945),

June Haver June Haver (born Beverly June Stovenour; June 10, 1926 – July 4, 2005) was an American film actress, singer and dancer. Once groomed by 20th Century Fox to be "the next Betty Grable," Haver appeared in a string of Musical film, musicals, but sh ...

and

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American actor and dancer. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

(1950),

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

(1956),

Al Hibbler Albert George Hibbler (August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001) was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of Hibbler's singing is classified as rhythm and blu ...

(1956),

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

(1959),

Keely Smith Dorothy Jacqueline Keely (March 9, 1928The reference work ''The Encyclopedia of Native Music: More Than a Century of Recordings from Wax Cylinder to the Internet'' gives Smith's date of birth as March 9, 1932. – December 16, 2017), professio ...

(1959),

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(1964), and

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

(1966). In 1945

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

sang a version on the radio show ''Your Hit Parade'', and this recording has appeared on many compilation albums. Harry James and His Orchestra re-recorded the song with singer

Helen Forrest Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel, April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Good ...

Other notable recordings

Others who have recorded it include

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...

(on her 1965 album '' Doris Day's Sentimental Journey''),

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. His best-kno ...

Shelley Fabares Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitc ...

(on her 1962 album ''

Shelley! ''Shelley!'' is the self-titled debut pop album by singer and actress Shelley Fabares, released in 1962 on Colpix Records. It was available in both mono and stereo, catalogue numbers CP-426 and SCP-426. The album was produced and arranged by Stu ...

''),

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American vocal pop group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style predated the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ...

Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements wit ...

Tina Louise Tina Louise (née Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her career on stage, film and television, including her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the popular television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island'' ...

Jimmy Roselli Michael John "Jimmy" Roselli (December 26, 1925 – June 30, 2011) was an American pop singer and pianist. Early life Roselli was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the son of Anna Bernadette Lovella, a seamstress, and Phillip Roselli, a boxer. His mo ...

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with ...

Judy Kuhn Judy Kuhn (born May 20, 1958) is an American actress, singer and activist, known for her work in musical theatre. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums and sang the title role in the 1995 film ''Pocahontas'', includ ...

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccin ...

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

with

(on their 1976 album ''

Chester and Lester ''Chester & Lester'' is a collaborative album by guitarists Chet Atkins and Les Paul released by RCA Records in 1976. The album was recorded in the mid-1970s when Atkins was in his fifties and Paul in his sixties. Atkins coaxed Paul out of his ...

''),

Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor best known for his role as the android Data on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (19871994), four subsequent films (19942002), and '' Star Trek: Picard'' ( ...

(on his 1991 album '' Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back'') and

Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist. Early life and education LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style fr ...

(on his 1966 album ''A Taste of Honey'').

Uses in popular culture

*The Harry James and Kitty Kallen recording features briefly in the beginning of the movie ''

Red Tails ''Red Tails'' is a 2012 American war film directed by Anthony Hemingway in his feature directorial debut, and starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. The film is about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American United States A ...

'' (2012), which is about an all African-American team of fighter pilots during World War II. *The Bing Crosby and Les Paul recording was used throughout the Ken Burns documentary miniseries The War (2007).

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Harry James and Kitty Kallen recording features in multiple projects in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

, notable as a tragically ironic piece of music representing Steve Rogers / Captain America ( Chris Evans) and his best friend James "Bucky" Barnes (

Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan (born August 13, 1982) is a Romania-born American actor. Known for his work in both blockbuster and independent films, his accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Silver Bear, in addition to nominations for an Academy A ...

) and later with love interest

Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist ...

(

Hayley Atwell Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is an English and American actress. After appearing in various West End productions, Atwell gained popularity for her roles in period dramas, appearing in the films ''Brideshead Revisited'' (2008), '' ...

) being torn apart by time. * It was first used in '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014), when

Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...

( Samuel L. Jackson) is hiding in Steve's apartment after an assassination attempt by HYDRA agents in the streets of Washington DC, before being shot by the Winter Soldier; representing the first instance in which Steve Rogers is reunited with his childhood best friend and companion Bucky Barnes since their separation during World War II (despite the identities of both men not being known to the other). *The song is used again at the end of '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019) when Steve travels back in time and chooses to live out his life with Peggy. The two share a slow dance to the song – a reference to the dance date Rogers promised Carter right before he was lost in ice for 70 years in '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011). *The song plays during the

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...

intro in " For All Time. Always.", the sixth episode of the first season of the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

series ''

Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...

'' (2021). *The song is featured in '' What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?'', the fifth episode of the second season of the Disney+ animated series '' What If...?''. In the episode, which is this universe's substitute for the events of ''The Winter Soldier'', an alternate version of Carter, called

Captain Carter Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter, also known as Agent Carter, is a fictional character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise portrayed by Hayley Atwell, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Carter is depict ...

and an alternate version of Rogers, who is in a suit of armor called the Hydra Stomper, are reunited after 70 years apart, and have a moment as the song plays in the background. *In addition, a composition heavily inspired by the song is featured in the 2016 video game ''

Lego Marvel's Avengers ''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows, ...

'', which adapts several MCU films, during a playable section based on a scene in '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015) where the

Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...

(

Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Chase Olsen (born February 16, 1989) is an American actress. She gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise, including in '' Avengers: Age of Ult ...

) makes Rogers hallucinate a dance with Carter.

References

Sources

*Grudens, Richard (2002). ''Bing Crosby: Crooner of the Century.'' Celebrity Profiles Publishing Co. . *Macfarlane, Malcolm. ''Bing Crosby: Day By Day.'' Scarecrow Press, 2001. *Osterholm, J. Roger. ''Bing Crosby: A Bio-Bibliography.'' Greenwood Press, 1994. {{DEFAULTSORT:It's Been a Long, Long Time 1940s jazz standards 1945 songs Al Hirt songs 1945 singles Bing Crosby songs Brook Benton songs Chet Atkins songs Decca Records singles Frank Sinatra songs Guy Mitchell songs Louis Armstrong songs Peggy Lee songs Perry Como songs Pop standards Rosemary Clooney songs Shelley Fabares songs Songs of World War II Songs with lyrics by Sammy Cahn Songs with music by Jule Styne Tom Jones (singer) songs