MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT
Music: Karl Suessdorf- Lyrics: John M. Blackburn
Year: 1944
Origin of the song
Margaret Whiting, with just eighteen years old, signed her first contract with Capitol, the record company funded by Johnny Mercer. A theme composed by Karl Suessdorf and John M. Blackburn titled ‘Moonlight in Vermont’ awakened interest in the young singer. When Mercer listened to the recording she made on 20 September 1944 with the orchestra of the trumpeter Billy Butterfield, he knew he had hit the bulls-eye. During the two years that followed the release, two million copies of the recording were sold and it didn’t take long becoming in one of the American troops’ favourite song abroad.
On 24 December 1943 the musical melodrama Moonlight in Vermont was released in the US, it was a Universal production directed by Edward Lilley and starring Gloria Jean, Ray Malone and George Dolenz. The song, still unknown, was thought to be included in the score but finally it wasn’t. It was a great mistake. The rest of the songs, with the exception of ‘Lover’ by Rodgers and Hart, weren’t worth anything. The film wasn’t released in Spain.
Neither Karl Suessdorf nor John M. Blackburn ever wrote anything like ‘Moonlight in Vermont’.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Billy Butterfield Orchestra |
1944.09.20 |
1945.02.10 |
2 |
15 |
Margaret Whiting (voc) |
|
1952.10.29 |
1954.02.13 |
1 |
29 |
Margaret Whiting (voc), Lou Busch Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1947.08.13 |
Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b) |
|
|
1952.03.11 |
Stan Getz (ts), Sanford Gold (p), Johnny Smith (g), Eddie Safranski (b), Don Lamond (d) |
|
|
1952.12.12 |
Marian McPartland (p), Max Wayne (b), Mousie Alexander (d) |
|
|
1953.01.03 |
Chet Baker (tp), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Carson Smith (b), Chico Hamilton (d) |
|
|
1958.01.16 |
Ahmad Jamal (p), Israel Crosby (b), Vernell Fournier (d) |
|
|
1959.05.13 |
Lee Konitz, Hal McKusick (as), Ted Brown, Warne Marsh (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bars), Bill Evans (p), Buddy Clarke (b), Ronny Free (d) |
|
|
1963.10.28 |
Stan Getz (ts), Kenny Burrell (g), George Duvivier (b), unidentified (per), string section, Claus Ogerman (dir) |
|
|
Zoot Sims Quartet |
1976.02.08 |
Zoot Sims (ss), Ray Bryant (p), George Mraz (b), Grady Tate (d) |
|
1977.??.?? |
Sonny Stitt (as), Barry Harris (p), Reggie Workman (b), Tony Williams (d) |
|
|
1992.08.20 |
Joe Pass (g) |
|
|
1994.02.?? |
Jimmy Bruno (g), Craig Thomas (b), Steve Holloway (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1944.09.20 |
Billy Butterfield (tp, dir), Andy Ferretti, Chris Griffin (tp), Will Bradley, Cutty Cutshall (tb), Matty Matlock, Bill Stegmeyer (as), Eddie Miller, Arthur Rollini (ts), Ernie Caceres (bars), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Carl Kress (g), Bob Haggart (b), Nick Fatool (d), Margaret Whiting (voc) |
|
|
1954.12.15 |
Mel Tormé (voc, p), Al Pelegrini (cl), James Dupre (b), Richard Shanahan (d) |
|
|
1955.05.13 |
Betty Carter (voc), Ray Bryant (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
|
1956.08.16 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1957.01.03 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Jimmy Rowles (p), Barney Kessel (g), Red Mitchell (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1957.10.03 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Billy May Orchestra |
|
|
1958.05.23 |
Chris Connor (voc), Mundell Lowe (g) |
|
|
1986.02.28 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Joe Pass (g) |
|
|
1994.01.27 |
Jeanie Bryson (voc), Claudio Roditi (tp), Jay Ashby (tb), Paquito D'Rivera (as), Don Braden (ts), Danilo Perez (p), Vic Juris (g), Christian McBride (b), Ignacio Berroa (d), Rudy Byrd (per) |
On cinemas
The song 'Moonlight in Vermont' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Under Fire |
Bajo el fuego |
1983 |
Ella Laboriel with a jazz combo |
|
Baby Boom |
Baby, tú vales mucho |
1987 |
The Moonlighters |
|
Bugsy |
Bugsy |
1991 |
Margaret Whiting |
|
Heavy |
Heavy |
1995 |
Earl Grant |
|
The Man Who Wasn't There |
El hombre que nunca estuvo allí |
2001 |
Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra |
|
Revolutionary Road |
Revolutionary Road |
2008 |
King Cole Trio |
|
The Wolf of Wall Street |
El lobo de Wall Street |
2013 |
Ahmad Jamal Trio |