AUTUMN LEAVES
Music: Joseph Kosma- Lyrics: Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert
Year: 1946
Origin of the song
Yves Montand performed the song ‘Les feuilles mortes’ in the dark drama Les portes de la nuit (Gates of the Night) that premiered in France on 3 December 1946. The film was directed by Marcel Carné and its main actors were Nathalie Nattier, Yves Montand, Pierre Brasseur, and Serge Reggiani.
The ballads such as Tin Pan Alley’s stopped being of interest in the 40s. With the decrease in demand of his sophisticated talent, Johnny Mercer had to resort to writing lyrics for instrumental pieces and to other activities. When, in 1949, he adapted ‘Les feuilles mortes’, he did not hesitate and changed the title ‘Dead leaves’ for ‘Autumn leaves’, a lot more appropriate for the American audience tastes. on 7 February 1950, Jo Stafford recorded ‘Autumn Leaves’, the first English version of the song, for Capitol Records, record label founded by Mercer.
Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics of more than a thousand and five hundred songs and he received the Oscar for four of them: ‘On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe’ (1946), ‘In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening’ (1951), ‘Moon River’ (1961), and ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ (1962).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRNACE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1955.??.?? |
1955.08.20 |
26 |
1 (four weeks) |
Roger Williams (p), unidentified orchestra |
|
|
Steve Allen with George Cates |
1955.??.?? |
1955.11.12 |
12 |
35 |
Steve Allen (p), George Cates Orchestra & Chorus (dir) |
|
Mitch Miller Orchestra |
1955.??.?? |
1955.11.12 |
14 |
41 |
Vocal group |
|
Jackie Gleason Orchestra |
1955.??.?? |
1955.11.12 |
9 |
50 |
Instrumental, Bobby Hackett
(tp) |
|
Victor Young Singing Strings |
1955.??.?? |
1955.11.12 |
11 |
52 |
Instrumental, Ray Turner
(p) |
|
Ray Charles Singers |
1955.??.?? |
1955.11.12 |
8 |
55 |
Vocal group |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1951.07.13 |
James Moody (as, ts), René Reumont (tpa), Max Porret (fl), Robert Jeannoutot (ob), Henri Bellicourt (cl), Raymond Fol (p), Pierre Michelot (b),
Pierre Lemarchand (d), Pepito Riebe (bon), André Hodeir (dir), string section |
|
|
1952.12.19 |
Stan Getz (ts), Duke Jordan (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Bill Crow (b), Frank Isola (d) |
|
|
1955.09.19 |
Erroll Garner (p), Eddie Calhoun (b), Denzil Best (d) |
|
|
1955.10.25 |
Ahmad Jamal (p), Ray Crawford (g), Israel Crosby (b) |
|
|
1956.10.17 |
Coleman Hawkins (ts), Glen Osser Orchestra |
|
|
Vince Guaraldi Trio |
1957.??.?? |
Vince Guaraldi (p), Eddie Duran (g), Dean Reilly (b) |
|
1957.06.14 |
Dizzy Gillespie (tp, dir), Talib Daawud, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick (tp), Ray Connor, Al Grey, Melba Liston (tb), Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell (as), Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell (ts), Pee Wee Moore (bars), Wynton Kelly (p), Tommy Bryant (b), Charlie Persip (d) |
|
|
1958.03.09 |
Miles Davis (tp), Cannonball Adderley (as), Hank Jones (p), Sam Jones (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1958.09.05 |
Ahmad Jamal (p), Israel Crosby (b), Vernel Fournier (d) |
|
|
1959.12.28 |
Bill Evans (p), Scott LaFaro (b), Paul Motian (d) |
|
|
Bobby Timmons Trio |
1961.10.01 |
Bobby Timmons (p), Ron Carter (b), Albert Heath (d) |
|
1963.06.04 |
McCoy Tyner (p), Jimmy Garrison (b), Albert Heath (d) |
|
|
Miles Davis Quintet |
1963.09.20 |
Miles Davis (tp), George Coleman (ts), Herbie Hancock (p), Ron Carter (b), Tony Williams (d)
In Jazz Festival of Monterey, California |
|
Paul Desmond Orchestra |
1968.11.20 |
Paul Desmond (as), Joe Shepley, Marvin Stamm (tp, fis), Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise, Bill Watrous, Kai Winding (tb), Ray Alonge, Tony Miranda (tpa), Herbie Hancock (p), Joe Beck (g) Ron Carter (b), Airto Moreira (d) |
|
1972.08.04 |
Jim Hall (g), Ron Carter (b) |
|
|
James Moody Quartet |
1973.01.15 |
James Moody (ts, as, fl), Kenny Barron (p, clv), Larry Ridley (b), Freddie Waits (d, per) |
|
1973.02.22 |
Stephane Grappelli (vn), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
1974.07.17 |
Chet Baker (tp), George Marge (fl, ob), Hubert Laws (fl), Romeo Penque (cl, fl), Paul Desmond (as), David Friedman (vib), Bob James (p), Ron Carter (b), Steve Gadd (d) |
|
|
Johnny Griffin Quartet |
1978.10.17 |
Johnny Griffin (ts), Ronnie Mathews (p), Ray Drummond (b), Keith Copeland (d) |
|
Keith Jarrett Trio |
1986.07.13 |
Keith Jarrett (p), Gary Peacock (b), Jack DeJohnette (d) |
|
1986.09.25 |
Wynton Marsalis (tp), Marcus Roberts (p), Robert Hurst III (b), Jeff 'Tain' Watts (d) |
|
|
1994.12.?? |
Eliane Elias (p) |
|
|
Jacky Terrason Trio |
2002.06.21 |
Jacky Terrason (p), Rémi Vignolo (b), Eric Harland (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1955.08.23 |
Nat Cole (voc, p), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
|
Mel Tormé |
1957.02.22 |
Mel Tormé (voc), Marty Paich (p, dir), Don Fagerquist (tp), Larry Bunker (aco, bon, cng), Max Bennett (b), Mel Lewis (d) |
|
1957.09.09 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Willie Cook (tp), Clark Terry (tp, fis), Ray Nance (vn), Quentin Jackson (tb), John Sanders (vtb), Russell Procope (as, cl), Rick Henderson, Johnny Hodges (as), Jimmy Hamilton (ts, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bars, cl), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d), Ozzie Bailey (voc) |
|
|
1982.03.01 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Roland Hanna (p), Joe Pass (g), Andy Simpkins (b), Harold Jones (d) |
|
|
Mark Murphy |
1990.05.10 |
Mark Murphy (voc), Allan Praskin (sax), Peter Mihelich (p), Achim Tang (b), Vito Lesczak (d) |
|
1992.12.09 |
Dee Dee Bridgewater (voc), Thierry Eliez (p), Hein Van De Geyn (b), Andre 'Dede' Ceccarelli (d) |
|
|
1996.01.02 |
Eva Cassidy (voc, g), Lenny 'The Ringer' Williams (p) |
|
|
1996.01.05 |
Karrin Allyson (p, voc), Rod Fleeman, Danny Embrey (g), Bob Bowman (b), Claude 'Fiddler' Williams (vn) |
|
|
2000.05.19 |
Patricia Barber (voc, p), Marc Johnson (b), Adam Nussbaum (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Autumn Leaves (Les feuilles mortes)' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Les portes de la nuit |
Las puertas de la noche |
1946 |
Yves Montand; Nathalie Nattier (dubbed by Irène Joachim) |
|
Autumn Leaves |
Hojas de otoño |
1956 |
Nat King Cole |
|
Storia di Piera |
Historia de Piera |
1983 |
Fausto Papetti |
|
Let’s Get Lost |
Let’s Get Lost |
1988 |
Chet Baker |
|
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil |
Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal |
1997 |
Paula Cole |
|
Addicted To Love |
Adictos al amor |
1997 |
Stéphane Grapelli |
|
Whole Nine Yards |
Falsas apariencias |
2000 |
Charlie Biddle Trio with Stephanie Biddle |
|
The Score |
Golpe maestro |
2001 |
Cannonnball Adderley Five Stars |
|
C’est la vie |
La vida |
2001 |
Jacky Terrasson & Cassandra Wilson |
|
The Sidewalks Of New York |
Las aceras de Nueva York |
2001 |
Stan Getz Quintet |
|
High Crimes |
Toda la verdad |
2002 |
The 101 Strings Orchestra |
|
El cónsul de Sodoma |
El cónsul de Sodoma |
2009 |
Juliette Greco |
|
My Week with Marilyn |
Mi semana con Marilyn |
2011 |
Nat King Cole |
|
Elles |
Ellas |
2011 |
|