FLAMINGO

Music: Theodor Grouya- Lyrics: Edmund Anderson

Year: 1940

Origin of the song

The singer Herb Jeffries tell that, a night in 1940, when he was performing with Duke Ellington’s orchestra in the Pearl Theatre of Philadelphia, a stranger approached and said in a French accent: ‘M. Jeffries, I’m Ted Grouya. I beg you to show my song to M. Ellington’. And put a score on the table of his dressing room. When he left, Billy Strayhorn saw it and played it at the piano. When he heard it, Ellington said: ‘This can be a great hit’. The song, which Edmund Anderson, Duke’s friend, wrote the lyrics for, was ‘Flamingo’.

Ellington recorded the song for the RCA Victor label on 28 December 1940 and, in effect, it turned out a success for him as well as for Jeffries. Later, Grouya contacted the singer and expressed his discomfort because he had changed some words. Jeffries said to him: ‘You wanted this song to get to Ellington and I helped you. You’re lucky I will not ask you to write my name as associate compositor’. When the song became famous, Grouya changed his mind. He assisted to Jeffrie’s 80th birthday and, together, they sang ‘Flamingo’.

Other popular Ted Grouya’s songs are ‘I Heard You Cried Last Night (And So Did I)’, which recorded with Harry James’ orchestra in 1942, and ‘In My Armas’, recorded by Dick Haymes in 1943.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	DAY OF ENTRANCE	PERMANENCE WEEKS	HIGH POSITION REACHED
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra	1940.12.28	1941.06.14	4	11	Herb Jeffries (voc)
Earl Bostic Orchestra	1951.01.10	1951.11.10	20	1 (four weeks)	Instrumental Rhythm & Blues charts
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass	1966.??.??	1966.09.03	6	28	Instrumental

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Herman Chittison	1941.09.17	Herman Chittison (p)
Eddie Heywood Trio	1944.05.26	Eddie Heywood (p), Johnny Hodges (as), Shelly Manne (d)
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn	1950.10.03	Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (p)
Earl Bostic Orchestra	1951.01.10	Earl Bostic (as), Gene Redd (tp, vib), Count Hastings (ts), Cliff Smalls (p), Rene Hall (g), Keter Betts (b), Jimmy Cobb (d)
Benny Carter Quartet	1953.12.31	Benny Carter (as), Jack Marshall (g), Red Callender (b), Alvin Stoller (d), Joe Glover Orchestra
Stan Getz Quintet	1954.11.09	Stan Getz (ts), Bob Brookmeyer (vtb), John Williams (p), Bill Anthony (b), Frank Isola (d)
Charles Mingus Sextet	1957.08.06	Clarence Shaw (tp), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Curtis Porter (as, ts), Bill Triglia (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d)
Jimmy Smith Quartet	1958.02.25	Lee Morgan (tp), Jimmy Smith (org), Kenny Burrell (g), Art Blakey (d)
Dave Brubeck Quartet	1958.07.28	Paul Desmond (as), Dave Brubeck (p), Joe Benjamin (b), Joe Morello (d)
Oscar Peterson- Stéphane Grappelli Quartet	1973.02.22	Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Kenny Clarke (d)
Terry Gibbs	1986.05.10	Frank Morgan (as), Terry Gibbs (vib), Sonny Bravo (p), Bobby Rodriguez (b), Jose Madera (cng, per), Johnny Rodriguez (bon, per), Tito Puente, Orestes Vilato (tim)
Chick Corea Elektric Band	1987.??.??	Chick Corea (p, sint), Carlos Rios (g), John Patitucci (b), Dave Weckl (d, sint)
Wynton Marsalis Quartet	1990.??.??	Wynton Marsalis (tp), Ellis Marsalis (p), Reginald Veal (b), Herlin Riley (d)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra	1940.12.28	Duke Ellington (dir), Rex Stewart (cnt), Wallace Jones, Ray Nance (tp), Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Barney Bigard (cl), Johnny Hodges (ss, as, cl), Otto Hardwick (cl, as), Ben Webster (ts), Harry Carney (cl, as, bars), Billy Strayhorn (p), Fred Guy (g), Jimmy Blanton (b), Sonny Greer (d), Herb Jeffries (voc)
Carmen McRae	1958.08.06	Carmen McRae (voc), Irving Markowitz (tp), Al Cohn, Ben Webster (ts), Don Abney (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Aaron Bell (b), Nick Stabulas (d)
Amanda Carr	2007.??.??	Amanda Carr (voc), Arnie Krakowsky (ts), John Wilkins (g), Bronek Suchanek (b), Kenny Hadley (d, per)

On cinemas

The song 'Flamingo' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODUCTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
En dag i oktober	Un día de octubre	1992	Kai Ewans & Swinging 16
Breakfast of Champions	El desayuno de los campeones	1999	Martin Denny
El embrujo de Shanghai	El embrujo de Shanghai	2002