"Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" is a 1936 song, with music and lyrics by

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...

, who first recorded it with the New Orleans Gang.

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...

released it on February 28, 1936 on the 78rpm record format, with "It's Been So Long" as the B-side. The song is strongly identified with the

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 ...

and

swing era The swing era (also frequently referred to as the big band era) was the period (1933–1947) when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though this was its most popular period, the music had actually been aroun ...

s. Several have performed the piece as an instrumental, including

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musi ...

and, most famously,

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 ...

Benny Goodman recording

On July 6, 1937, "Sing, Sing, Sing" was recorded in Hollywood with

on clarinet;

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

on drums;

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 ...

Ziggy Elman Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his group Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra. Early years Elman was born i ...

, and

Chris Griffin Christopher “Chris” Cross Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series, ''Family Guy''. He is the second of three children of Peter and Lois Griffin and is also the older brother of Stewie Griffin and the younger bro ...

on trumpets; Red Ballard and

Murray McEachern Murray McEachern (August 16, 1915 – April 28, 1982) was a Canadian jazz trombonist and alto saxophonist, perhaps best known for having played trombone for Benny Goodman from 1936 to 1937. McEachern is also remembered for playing both the trombo ...

on trombones;

Hymie Schertzer Herman "Hymie" Shertzer or Schertzer (April 22, 1909 – March 22, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, best known for his long-term association with Benny Goodman. Shertzer was born in New York City, United States, began playing violi ...

and George Koenig on alto saxophones; Art Rollini and

Vido Musso Vido William Musso (January 16, 1913 – January 9, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Musso moved with his family from Sicily to the U.S. in July 1920, having arrived at the Port of New York on the Italian steamship ''Patria''. T ...

on tenor saxophone;

Jess Stacy Jesse Alexandria Stacy (August 11, 1904 – January 1, 1995) was an American jazz pianist who gained prominence during the swing era. He is perhaps best known for his years with the Benny Goodman band during the late 1930s, particularly his ...

on piano;

Allan Reuss Allan Reuss (June 15, 1915 – June 4, 1988) was an American jazz guitarist. Biography Reuss was born New York City, he began playing professionally as a banjoist at age 12. He learned guitar from George Van Eps. In the middle of the 1930s, ...

on guitar; and Harry Goodman on bass. The song was arranged by

Jimmy Mundy James Mundy (June 28, 1907 – April 24, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer, best known for his arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Earl Hines. Mundy died of cancer in New York City at the age of 75 ...

. Unlike most big band arrangements of that era, limited in length to three minutes so that they could be recorded on one side of a standard 10-inch 78-rpm record, the version which Goodman’s band recorded was an extended work. The 1937 recording lasted 8 minutes and 43 seconds, and it took up both sides of a 12-inch 78. The recording of Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall live performance (with impromptu solos) took 12 minutes and 30 seconds. Mundy's arrangement incorporated "

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

", a piece written by

Chu Berry Leon Brown "Chu" Berry (September 13, 1908 – October 30, 1941) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist during the 1930s. According to music critic Gary Giddins, musicians called him "Chu" either because he chewed on the mouthp ...

for the

band, as well as Prima's work. Fletcher Henderson recorded a vocal version in August 1936. The 1937 Benny Goodman recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982. Ross Firestone says that the 1937 recording "bore only the slightest resemblance to the original score." Helen Ward said that the changes started spontaneously: "One night Gene just refused to stop drumming when he got to the end of the third chorus, where the tune was supposed to end, so Benny blithely picked up the clarinet and noodled along with him. Then someone else stood up and took it, and it went on from there." Firestone says the elements from "Christopher Columbus" were added this way. The title of the number as given on the Goodman recordings acknowledges the additional tune - "Sing, Sing, Sing (introducing Christopher Columbus)”. In their 1966 book ''Hear Me Talkin’ To Ya: The Story Of Jazz As Told By The Men Who Made It,'' music critics Nat Shapiro and

Nat Hentoff Nathan Irving Hentoff (June 10, 1925 – January 7, 2017) was an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media. Hentoff was a columnist for ''The Village Voice'' from 1958 to 2009. Fol ...

quote Goodman as saying, "'Sing, Sing, Sing' (which we started doing back at the Palomar on our second trip there in 1936) was a big thing, and no one-nighter was complete without it." Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert performance with Christopher Columbus interpolation was different from the commercial release and from subsequent performances with the Goodman band. The personnel of the Goodman band for the Carnegie Hall concert were the same as in the 1937 recording session, except that Vernon Brown replaced Murray McEachern on trombone, and Babe Russin replaced Vido Musso on tenor saxophone. Stacy was quoted as saying he was glad he did not know Goodman was going to let him solo, because then he would have gotten nervous and "screwed it up." For the 1955 recording recreating the Carnegie Hall performance for the movie ''

The Benny Goodman Story Dick Winslow ''The Benny Goodman Story'' is a biographical film starring Steve Allen and Donna Reed, directed by Valentine Davies, and released by Universal-International in 1956. The film was intended as a follow-up to Universal's 1954 hit '' Th ...

'', Stacy declined to participate and there was no piano solo, because he was offered only a standard daily wage for one day's work.

In popular culture

The composition has appeared in numerous films and television programs, including:

Films

* Swing Banditry (1936) Short Film (played by

Georgie Stoll Georgie Stoll (born George Martin Stoll; May 7, 1905 – January 18, 1985) was a musical director, conductor, Academy Award-winning composer, and jazz violinist, associated with the Golden Age of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals and performers fr ...

and His Orchestra with

Virginia Dale Virginia Dale (born Virginia Paxton; July 1, 1917 – October 3, 1994) was an American actress and dancer. Biography Dale was born in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Lula Helms Paxton, and she graduated from Central High School in Ch ...

singing) * ''

After the Thin Man ''After the Thin Man'' is a 1936 American murder mystery comedy film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring William Powell, Myrna Loy and James Stewart. A sequel to the 1934 feature ''The Thin Man'', the film presents Powell and Loy as Dashiel ...

'' (1936) (playing during Nick & Nora's homecoming party scene, with vocal lyrics sung by Eadie Adams) * ''Hollywood Hotel'' (1937) (performed by Benny Goodman's Orchestra) * ''

Canine Caddy This is a list of animated short films produced by Walt Disney and Walt Disney Animation Studios from 1921 to the present. This includes films produced at the Laugh-O-Gram Studio which Disney founded in 1921 as well as the animation studio now o ...

'' (1941 short film), when

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

is intensely preparing a golf stroke * ''

'' (1956) * ''

American Pop ''American Pop'' is a 1981 American adult animated jukebox musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of f ...

'' (1981) *

Racing with the Moon ''Racing with the Moon'' is a 1984 American drama film starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, and Nicolas Cage. It was directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Steve Kloves. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin. The film's t ...

(1984), pool hall scene * ''Power'' (1986) * ''Big Business'' (1988), during the opening scene * ''

New York Stories ''New York Stories'' is a 1989 American anthology film consisting of three segments with the central theme being New York City. The first is ''Life Lessons'', directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The s ...

'' (1989) * ''

Awakenings ''Awakenings'' is a 1990 American drama film directed by Penny Marshall. It is written by Steven Zaillian, who based his screenplay on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir ''Awakenings''. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams ...

'' (1990) when the patients leave the hospital for an afternoon at the dance hall * ''Swing Kids'' (1993), performed by Arvid's band during a large gathering * ''

Manhattan Murder Mystery ''Manhattan Murder Mystery'' is a 1993 American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, which he wrote with Marshall Brickman, and starring Alan Alda, Allen, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Keaton. The film centers on a married couple's ...

'' (1993) *'' The Mask''(1994 film), Club scene * ''Casino'' (1995) * ''Tower of Terror'' (1997) * ''Deconstructing Harry'' (1997), with Harry's story set in Hell. * ''Pollock'' (2000), when the characters are gathered around a radio * ''

Riding in Cars with Boys ''Riding in Cars with Boys'' is a 2001 American biographical film based on the autobiography of the same name by Beverly Donofrio, about a woman who overcame difficulties, including being a teen mother, and who later earned a master's degree. The ...

'' (2001), during a wedding reception * ''The Majestic'' (2001), during a homecoming reception * ''Below'' (2002), on the submarine's phonograph during several scenes. The script called for the song " I'll Be Seeing You," but the filmmakers were unable to secure the rights. * ''Bright Young Things'' (2003) * ''

Swing Girls is a Japanese 2004 teen comedy film directed and co-written by Shinobu Yaguchi. The plot follows a group of inept high school girls who form a big band. The cast includes Juri Ueno, Yuta Hiraoka, Shihori Kanjiya, Yuika Motokariya and Yukari To ...

'' (2004) * ''

Gone with the Bullets ''Gone with the Bullets'' (Chinese: 一步之遥) is a 2014 Chinese film directed by Jiang Wen and also starring Jiang Wen, Ge You, Zhou Yun and Shu Qi. Production started on location in Beijing at the China Film Group studio in Huairou on October ...

'' (2014) * ''

The Wedding Ringer ''The Wedding Ringer'' is a 2015 American buddy romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick. It stars Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco. The film was produced by Adam Fields, Will Packer Productions and Miramax, distribu ...

'' (2015) * ''Florence Foster Jenkins'' (2016) (in which

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...

's character dances to it) * ''Swing Kids Korean'' (2018) * ''Tove'' (2020) * ''Finch'' (2021) * ''

Don't Worry Darling ''Don't Worry Darling'' is a 2022 American psychological thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Katie Silberman, based on a spec script by Carey Van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, and Silberman. The film stars Florence Pugh, Harry ...

'' (2022)

Theater

* ''

Dancin' ''Dancin'' is a musical revue created, directed, and choreographed by Bob Fosse and originally produced on Broadway in 1978. The plotless, dance-driven revue is a tribute to the art of dance, and the music is a collection of mostly American son ...

'' (1978) * '' Fosse'' (1999) * '' Burn the Floor'' (1999) and spin-offs

Television

*''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' episode "One for the Money" (1987) (The tune plays in one scene when

Rose Nylund Rose Nylund is a character from the sitcom television series ''The Golden Girls'' and its spin-off, '' The Golden Palace''. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totalling 204 episodes. Rose was supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan, ...

dances solo against

Blanche Devereaux Blanche Devereaux is a character from the sitcom television series '' The Golden Girls'', and its spin-off ''The Golden Palace''. Blanche was portrayed by Rue McClanahan for 8 years and 204 episodes across the two series. The charact ...

and

Dorothy Zbornak Dorothy Zbornak is a character from the sitcom television series '' The Golden Girls'', portrayed by Bea Arthur. Sarcastic, introspective, compassionate, and fiercely protective of those she considers family, she is introduced as a substitute tea ...

at a dance marathon.) *'' Chips Ahoy'' advert (1993) *''

Daddy Dearest ''Daddy Dearest'' is an American television sitcom that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, on Sunday nights from September 5 to December 5, 1993. Synopsis The series revolved around Dr. Steven Mitchell, a psychologist who lived in Manhatta ...

'' (1993) theme tune *''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episodes "

Lady Bouvier's Lover "Lady Bouvier's Lover" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 1994. In the episode, Abe S ...

" (1994) (The tune plays as

Mr. Burns Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, Monty, or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced initially by ...

cuts in to a dance between

Grampa Simpson Abraham Jebediah "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa, is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled " Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on ...

and Mrs. Bouvier.), "

Make Room for Lisa "Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 28, 1999. The main plot has Homer and Lisa embark ...

" (1999) (The tune playing on the radio when Homer mistakenly thinks from a radio broadcast that he traveled back in time), and "

Coming to Homerica "Coming to Homerica" is the twenty-first and final episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 17, 2009. The episode title is a par ...

" (2009) (Plays in the background while a wall is constructed between Shelbyville and Ogdenville) *''

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

'' (1994) The song is heard in the Sixth Inning when recounting

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

and his 56-game hitting streak. *''

Bert Bert or BERT may refer to: Persons, characters, or animals known as Bert *Bert (name), commonly an abbreviated forename and sometimes a surname *Bert, a character in the poem "Bert the Wombat" by The Wiggles; from their 1992 album Here Comes a Son ...

'' (1994) (Episode 5: "Min älskling du är som en tulipan") *''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' (1998) (Season 6, episode 3: "Triangle") *''

Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch and ...

'' (1999) (Season 3, episode 24: "Dancing with Debra") *''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...

'' (2002) (Season 3, episode 7: "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?") *''

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

'' advert "Moth" (2004) *''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'' Season 6, episode 15: "Remember When" (2007) (Plays during the closing scene.) *''

The Man in the High Castle ''The Man in the High Castle'' (1962), by Philip K. Dick, is an alternative history novel wherein the Axis Powers won World War II. The story occurs in 1962, fifteen years after the end of the war in 1947, and depicts the political intrigues b ...

'' Season 3, episode 3: "Sensô Kôi" (2018) *''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

'' Season 2, episode 4 "We're going to the Catskills" (2018) during the initial dance *'' Dead to Me'' Season 1, episode 9 (2019) (The song plays over the opening scenes.) *'' NCIS'' Season 17, episode 8 "Musical Chairs" (2019) (Once at beginning and again at end of episode) *'' Hollywood'' Season 1, episode 2 "Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2" (2020) (Once, third of the way into episode, transition from screening room to studio cafeteria) *'' Penny Dreadful: City of Angels'', Season 1, episode 9 "Sing, Sing, Sing" *'' Takt Op. Destiny'', episode 2 *''

The Good Cop (Israeli TV series) ''The Good Cop'' ( he, השוטר הטוב, ) is an Israeli police television sitcom that premiered on yes. The series was created by Erez Aviram and Tomer Aviram and produced by Yoav Gross, and is the first Israeli police sitcom. The 15-part s ...

'' (2015) theme tune (uses the James Horner recording, from the soundtrack of ''Swing Kids (1993)''). *'' SAS: Rogue Heroes'' (2022) episode 1, about 30 minutes into the episode at The Empire.

Video games

* ''

Donkey Konga is a GameCube rhythm video game series starring the ape Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. The series' games are intended to be played with a special controller called the DK Bongos that resemble two small bongo drums, b ...

'' (2004) * ''

Mafia II ''Mafia II'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K Games. It was released in August 24 2010 for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. The game is a standalone sequel to 2002's ''Mafia'', and the second insta ...

'' (2010) (plays on the fictional Empire Central Radio during the 1940s segment of the game) * ''

LA Noire ''L.A. Noire'' is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows detective Cole Phelps's rise among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he sol ...

'' (2011) (plays on KTI Radio)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) 1930s jazz standards 1936 songs Benny Goodman songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs written by Louis Prima Swing jazz standards