"Misty" is a
jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...
written in 1954 by pianist
Erroll Garner
Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first rec ...
. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional
32-bar format, and recorded it for the album ''
Contrasts''. Lyrics were added later by
Johnny Burke. It appeared on
Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
' 1959 album ''
Heavenly'', and this recording reached number 12 on the
U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. It has since become the
signature song of Mathis.
The song has been recorded by many other artists, including versions by
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
and
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
. Recordings by both Mathis and Garner have been inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
.
It was ranked number 174 in the list of the
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and ...
compiled by
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
and
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
.
Composition
Erroll Garner was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into
O'Hare, Garner looked through the window to see a rainbow glowing through a haze, and was moved to begin composing "Misty" on the spot, striking imaginary piano keys on his knees as he hummed the notes he imagined (causing his neighboring passenger to summon a flight attendant to assist the apparently ill Garner).
The lyrics were added later by
Johnny Burke. Burke was initially reluctant to write for the song, but was persuaded to do so at the insistence of his pianist Herb Mesick, who knew Garner and was fond of the tune.
It was said that Mesick would play the tune every time Burke came into the room, until Burke said: "Alright, give me the damn music, and I'll do it." Burke wrote the lyrics in two to three hours in the bedroom.
Early recordings
Garner first recorded his rendition of "Misty" on piano in 1954, accompanied by
Wyatt Ruther
Wyatt Robert "Bull" Ruther (February 5, 1923, Pittsburgh – October 31, 1999, San Francisco) was an American jazz double-bassist.
Ruther played trombone in high school before picking up the double-bass. He studied at the San Francisco Conservat ...
on bass and
Fats Heard
Eugene "Fats" Heard (October 10, 1923 – December 5, 1987) was an American jazz drummer.
Early life and education
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Heard graduated from Central High School and studied piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music before ...
on drums. The recording was first released in October 1954 credited to Errol Garner Trio, and it was included in Garner's album ''
Contrasts'' released in December 1954. Garner later re-recorded the song with an orchestral arrangement by
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...
for his album ''Other Voices'' in 1957.
Instrumental versions were also recorded by
Georgie Auld
Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader.
Early years
Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Au ...
and
Johnny Costa
Johnny Costa (born John Costanza; January 18, 1922 – October 11, 1996) was an American jazz pianist. Given the title "The White Art Tatum" by jazz legend Art Tatum, Costa is best known for his work as musical director of the children's televisi ...
in 1955.
Garner's original recording was ranked No. 174 in the list of the
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and ...
compiled by
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
and
NEA.
After lyrics were written for "Misty",
Dakota Staton
Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...
was the first to record the song in 1957.
A number of artists also recorded the song,
but it was the recording by
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
that drew greater attention to the song. Vaughan recorded the song in a 1958 Paris session, with an arrangement by
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
for her album ''
Vaughan and Violins
''Vaughan and Violins'' is a 1959 album by Sarah Vaughan, orchestrated and conducted by Quincy Jones.
Reception
The AllMusic review by Dave Nathan awarded the album four and a half stars and said that "these sessions catch Sarah Vaughan at her ...
''.
It was released backed with "
Broken Hearted Melody
"Broken Hearted Melody" is a popular song written by Hal David and Sherman Edwards.
It was recorded by Sarah Vaughan and it became a hit for Vaughan, reaching No. 7 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1958.
Background
Hal David wrote the lyrics for "B ...
", and it reached No. 6 on the
Bubbling Under
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart in July 1959. Those who recorded the song after Vaughn included
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
, and most notably Johnny Mathis who created the best-known version of the song.
Johnny Mathis version
Background
Mathis first heard Garner play the tune when he was a teenager, and told him that he would love to sing it if Garner had lyrics for it.
A few years later, having heard Vaughan's version of the song, he chose "Misty" as one of the possible songs for his 1959 album ''
Heavenly'', and informed Garner that he would record the song. Accounts differ as to whether it was Garner or Garner's business manager, Martha Glaser, who was in attendance when Mathis later recorded the song;
at the recording session, it was originally scheduled that Mathis should record a show tune, but Mathis insisted on recording "Misty" when Garner or Glaser turned up expectedly at the recording session.
Glenn Osser
Abraham Arthur "Glenn" Osser (August 28, 1914 – April 29, 2014) was an American musician, musical arranger, orchestra leader, and songwriter. His birthname was Abraham (Abe), but much of his work was under the name Glenn; he can be found with re ...
arranged the song at short notice, with Andy Ackers playing the piano. Mathis revealed that, on the high-pitched note when he first started singing "On my own" after the instrumental break, he used a technique of standing a distance from the microphone and then walked slowly toward it to create a
fade in effect. Mathis said that "Misty" was the song he was most proud of, because he recorded the song the way he wanted to, rather than relying on the producer
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...
.
The song was initially released as a back-to-back single together with Garner's version intended only for those in the broadcasting industry, but due to heavy demand Columbia released Mathis' recording as a commercial single in September 1959.
It reached No. 12 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Although the song is not Mathis' highest charting song, it became his signature song. Mathis received his first Grammy nomination for the song at the
3rd Annual Grammy Awards in the
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. Both Mathis' and Garner's recordings were inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
, Garner in 1991 and Mathis in 2002.
Chart performance
Weekly singles
''Play Misty for Me''
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
used the instrumental version in his 1971 film ''
Play Misty for Me
''Play Misty for Me'' is a 1971 American psychological thriller film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The screenplay, written by regular Eastwood collaborators Jo Heims and ...
'', a low-budget film that proved to be a box-office success. Eastwood was said to have paid Garner a $25,000 fee for the right to use the tune in his film.
Ray Stevens version
Background and release
In 1975, singer
Ray Stevens
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, known for his Grammy-winning recordings " Everything Is Beautiful" and " Misty", as well as novel ...
released an up-tempo
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
rendition of this song. It is the title track of
his twelfth studio album. Stevens recounted that the song was recorded on the second take when experimenting in the studio. His version won a
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
in the category of Music Arrangement of the Year. This version peaked at No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom.
Chart performance
Weekly singles
Year-end charts
Other notable versions
*
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
, ''
Dance Along with Basie
''Dance Along with Basie'' is an album released by pianist, composer and bandleader Count Basie featuring tracks recorded in late 1959 and originally released on the Roulette label.
Reception
The album won the Best Performance by a Band for Da ...
'' (1959)
*
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
recorded the song in 1961 for use on his
radio show, and it was included on the album ''With All My Heart'' (2012)
*
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Yeah!!!
''Yeah!!!'' (or ''Aretha Franklin in Person With Her Quartet'') is the seventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on May 17, 1965 by Columbia Records. Contrary to the overdubbed sounds of audience murmurs, the album was not ...
(1965)
*
Groove Holmes hit the Hot 100 with his version (1966)
*Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio – 1974 – "Misty" – Three Blind Mice
References
External links
"Misty" at jazzstandards.com
Misty chord/melody and solo studies for guitar
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Misty (song)
1954 songs
1959 singles
1963 singles
1975 singles
1950s jazz standards
Songs with lyrics by Johnny Burke (lyricist)
Ella Fitzgerald songs
Frank Sinatra songs
Lloyd Price songs
Ray Stevens songs
Johnny Mathis songs
Lesley Gore songs
Little Willie Littlefield songs
Sarah Vaughan songs
Andy Williams songs
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Jazz compositions in E-flat major
Columbia Records singles