"Harlem Chapel Chimes" is a 1935 jazz instrumental composed 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 US Army Air Forc ...

. The song was released as an A-side 78 single by the

Dorsey Brothers Orchestra The Dorsey Brothers were an American studio dance band, led by Tommy Dorsey, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording in 1928 for OKeh Records. History The Dorsey Brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels (Banner Records, Banner, C ...

Background

The song was recorded by the

on February 6, 1935, in New York and released as a 78 single. The song was copyrighted by the music publisher Campbell and Connelly and Company, Ltd., in the UK. Two versions were released: 39337-A was released on British

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 prod ...

in the UK as 02149 backed with "Weary Blues", while 39337-C was released on British

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

as BM-02149, the American Series.

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...

played clarinet.

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 ...

played trombone on the track. Miller was not on the studio recording session. The arrangement was by Glenn Miller. The instrumental featured a clarinet solo by Jimmy Dorsey with chimes at the beginning and end of the song. The personnel on the recording: George Thow, Charlie Spivak, trumpet, Tommy Dorsey, Joe Yukl, trombone, Don Mattison, tb, Jimmy Dorsey, clarinet, alto sax, Jack Stacey, alto sax, Skeets Herfurt, tenor sax, Bobby van Eps, piano, Roc Hillman, guitar, Delmar Kaplan, bass, and Ray McKinley, drums. The Brunswick 78 release was reviewed in the British music magazine, ''Musical News: Dance Music and Those Who Make It'', the May, 1936 issue.

Ray McKinley Ray McKinley (June 18, 1910 – May 7, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader. He played drums and later led the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra in Europe. He also led the new Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956. ...

's drumming was highlighted:''Musical News'', May, 1936, volume 1, number 8, p. 22.
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I am no particular Dorsey fan, except perhaps for brother Tom's trombone playing, but by hook or by crook you ''must'' hear the drumming on both sides of the above. Apart from the actual beats, there is the most seductive, mushy sound, obtained goodness knows how. That is really the only thing I have to say. The band has polish and restraint, but they play the wrong ''kind'' of music.

Don't forget them drums.

This instrumental is not to be confused with "Harlem Chapel Bells" which was composed by Glenn Miller orchestra trumpeter

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with ''Batgirl'' theme ...

and performed by the band on April 2, 1941, on the Chesterfield radio program. The instrumental was featured on a Big Band Show program on Glenn Miller which was broadcast on Radio Clyde on 15 December 1981 hosted by

Ken Sykora Ken Sykora (13 April 1923–7 March 2006), born Charles Kenneth Sykora, was an English jazz guitarist and radio presenter. Sykora had two older sisters: Rose M. Sykora, born in 1911, shortly after her parents' marriage, and Clara Phyllis ...

, playing recordings of Glenn Miller as a member of other bands, as a soloist, and rare radio performances.

Album Appearances

The recording does not appear on any compilation albums.

References

Sources

*Allsop, Kenneth. ''Hard Travellin'.'' Bloomsbury Reader, 2011. *Flower, John (1972). ''Moonlight Serenade: A Bio-Discography of the Glenn Miller Civilian Band''. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House. . *Miller, Glenn (1943). ''Glenn Miller's Method for Orchestral Arranging''. New York: Mutual Music Society. ASIN: B0007DMEDQ *Simon, George Thomas (1980). ''Glenn Miller and His Orchestra''. New York: Da Capo paperback. . *Simon, George Thomas (1971). ''Simon Says''. New York: Galahad. . *Schuller, Gunther (1991). ''The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945, Volume 2''. New York: Oxford University Press. . *Rust, Brian A.L. ''Jazz Records, 1897-1942: Abe Lyman to Bob Zurke.'' Storyville, 1982. *Stockdale, Robert Lee. ''Jimmy Dorsey: A Study in Contrasts.'' Scarecrow, 1999.

External links

"Harlem Chapel Chimes" online, selection #72. Archive.org
{{authority control Glenn Miller songs Swing music 1935 songs Instrumentals Jazz compositions Dance music songs