DON´T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE
Music: Duke Ellington- Lyrics: Bob Russell
Year: 1942
Origin of the song
The song was originally instrumental and its title was ‘Never No Lament’. It was recorded by Duke Ellington’s orchestra on 4 May 1940 in the RCA Hollywood Studio (California). In 1942, Bob Russell wrote the lyrics and the song was entitled ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’. In July, Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra and The Ink Spots, with one day of difference, recorded the vocal version, but Duke Ellington, for various reasons, couldn’t do so until the end of the II World War.
On 15 July 1945, Duke played ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’ for the first time during the radio transmission Your Saturday Dare with The Duke from The Fieldstone Ballroom for the ABC channel. And, finally, two years later, on 20 November 1947, he was able to record the song for the Columbia label in the Liederkranz Hall of New York. Al Hibbler was the solo singer in both occasions.
Other notorious compositions by Ellington are ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)’ (1932), ‘Sophisticated Lady’ (1933), ‘Solitude’ (1934), ‘In A Sentimental Mood’ (1935), ‘Caravan’ (1936), ’I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart’ (1938), ‘Prelude To A Kiss’ (1938), ‘I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)’ (1941), ’Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me’ (1943), ‘I’m Beginning To See The Light’ (1944), and ‘Satin Doll’ (1953).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
1940.05.04 |
1943.05.01 |
25 |
1 (three weeks) |
Instrumental
Rhythm & Blues charts |
|
1942.07.27 |
1943.01.23 |
16 |
7 |
Kenny Sergeant, LeBrun Sisters (voc) |
|
|
1942.07.28 |
1942.10.24 |
28 |
1 (two weeks) |
Charles Fuqua, Orville 'Hoppy' Jones, Bill Kenny, Ivory Watson (voc)
Rhythm & Blues charts |
|
|
Tab Hunter |
1957.??.?? |
1957.03.30 |
3 |
74 |
Tab Hunter (voc), Billy Vaughn Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1940.05.04 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Wallace Jones, Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams (tp), Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown, Juan Tizol (vtb), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as, ss), Otto Hardwicke (as), Ben Webster (ts), Harry Carney (bars, cl, as), Fred Guy (g), Jimmy Blanton (b), Sonny Greer (d) |
|
|
1947.12.09 |
Rex Stewart (cnt), Sandy Williams (tb), George Kennedy (as, cl), Vernon Story (ts), Don Gais (p), Fred Emerlin (b), Ted Curry (d) |
|
|
1952.04.07 |
Lou Donaldson (as), Milt Jackson (vib), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
1952.12.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
1953.12.08 |
Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Benny Carter (as), Ben Webster (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
Nat Adderley Quartet |
1958.09.?? |
Nat Adderley (cnt), Gene Harris (p), Andrew Simpkins (b), Bill Dowdy (d) |
|
1959.07.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d) |
|
|
1963.02.22 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Stéphane Grappelli, Ray Nance (vn), Svend Asmussen (va), Ernie Shepard (b), Sam Woodyard (per) |
|
|
1974.10.03 |
Lee Konitz (as), Dave Brubeck (p) |
|
|
George Shearing Trio |
1979.09.19 |
George Shearing (p), Louis Stewart (g), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b) |
|
Clifford Jordan Quartet |
1986.12.23 |
Clifford Jordan (ts), Kevin O’Connell (p), Ed Howard (b), Vernel Fournier (d) |
|
Jessica Williams |
2000.10.?? |
Jessica Williams (p) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra |
1942.07.27 |
Glen Gray (cl, as, dir), Frank Ryerson, Cy Baker, Grady Watts (tp), Billy Rauch, Murray McEachern, Pee Wee Hunt (tb), Clarence Hutchinrider (cl, as, fl), Kenny Sargent (cl, as, voc), Art Ralston (as, ob, fg), Danny D’Andrea (as), Pat Davis (cl, ts, fl), Joe Hall (p), Jack Burdette (g), Stanley Dennis (b), Tony Briglia (d), LeBrun Sisters (voc) |
|
1947.11.20 |
Duke Ellington (dir), Shorty Baker, Dub Bascomb, Shelton Hemphill, Ray Nance, Francis Williams (tp), Lawrence Brown, Tyree Glenn (tb), Claude Jones (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as), Russell Procope (as, cl), Al Sears (ts), Harry Carney (bars), Billy Strayhorn (p), Fred Guy (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Sonny Greer (d), Al Hibbler (voc) |
|
|
1956.09.04 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Ben Webster (ts), Stuff Smith (vn), Paul Smith (p), Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1957.07.10 |
Nat Cole (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Mannie Klein, Uan Rasey (tp), Ed Kusby, Murray McEachern, George Roberts, Si Zentner (tb), Red Callender (tu), Willie Schwartz, Willie Smith (as), Jules Jacob, Ted Nash (ts), Fred Fallensby (bars), Helen Hutchinson (arp), Jimmy Rowles (p), John Collins (g), Charlie Harris (b), Lee Young (d), Lou Singer (per), Billy May (dir) |
|
|
1959.09.10 |
June Christy (voc), Bob Cooper (ts, dir), Norman Benno (fis, fg), Frank Rosolino (tb), Jim Decker (tpa), Bud Shank (as, fl), Buddy Collette, Chuck Gentry (cl), Kathryn Julye (arp), Joe Castro (p), Red Callender (b), Mel Lewis o Stan Levey (d) |
|
|
1960.12.12 |
Mel Tormé (voc), Jack Sheldon (tp), Frank Rosolino (tb), Stu Williamson (vtb), Joe Maini (as), Bill Perkins (ts, bars), Teddy Edwards (ts), Jimmy Rowles (p), Al Hendrickson (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Shelly Manne (d), Johnny Mandel (dir) |
|
|
1961.04.03 |
Duke Ellington (p), Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Trummy Young (tb), Barney Bigard (cl), Mort Herbert (b), Danny Barcelona (d) |
|
|
1961.??.?? |
Etta James (voc), Riley Hampton Orchestra |
|
|
Tony Bennett |
1967.01.27 |
Tony Bennett (voc), Joe Newman, Joe Wilder (tp), Urbie Green (tb), Bobby Tricarico (ts), Joe Soldo (fl), John Bunch (p), Corky Hale (arp), Milt Hinton (b), Sol Gubin (d), Marion Evans (dir) |
|
Kenny Burrell Orchestra |
1975.02.04 |
Kenny Burrell (g), Thad Jones (cnt, fis), Jon Faddis, Snooky Young (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Jerome Richardson (ts, ss), Jimmy Jones (p), Jimmy Smith (org), Stanley Gilbert (b), Jimmie Smith (d), Richie Goldberg (per), Ernie Andrews (voc) |
|
1989.06.?? |
Harry Connick Jr. (voc, p) |
|
|
2005.??.?? |
Kevin Mahogany (voc), James Williams (p) |
On cinemas
The song 'Don’t Get Around Much Anymore' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
No Way Out |
Un rayo de luz |
1950 |
|
|
The Bottom of the Bottle |
Barreras de orgullo |
1956 |
Background music |
|
A Hatful of Rain |
Un sombrero lleno de lluvia |
1957 |
Background music |
|
The Last Time I Saw Archie |
La última vez que vi a Archie |
1961 |
|
|
Teresa la ladra |
Teresa la ladrona |
1973 |
Background music |
|
Rough Cut |
Golpe audaz |
1980 |
|
|
Maria's Lovers |
Los amantes de María |
1984 |
|
|
Tough Guys |
Otra ciudad, otra ley |
1986 |
Bing Crosby |
|
Full Moon in Blue Water |
Luna llena en agua azul |
1988 |
Willie Nelson |
|
When Harry Met Sally |
Cuando Harry encontró a Sally |
1989 |
Harry Connick Jr. |
|
Sphere |
Esfera |
1998 |
The Ink Spots |
|
Living Out Loud |
De ahora en adelante |
1998 |
Robin McDonald |
|
The Odd Couple II |
La extraña pareja, otra vez |
1998 |
|
|
Melinda and Melinda |
Melinda y Melinda |
2004 |
Dick Hyman |
|
42 |
42 |
2013 |
Duke Ellington |