MY OLD FLAME

Music and lyrics: Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston

Year: 1934

My old flame-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

The actress and singer Mae West, along with Duke Ellington’s orchestra, performed ‘My Old Flame’ in the film Belle of the Nineties, which premiered on 21 September 1934 in New York. The office Hays considered the first version of the film morally unacceptable, so the title had to be changed and the script rewritten.

West, who was a big fan of Duke Ellington, proposed him and his orchestra to appear in the film. The executives of Paramount Pictures denied, claiming that it was too expensive, but Mae insisted and finally got her way: Duke and his band accompanied the actress in several acts of the film, such as ‘My Old Flame’. The song’s version of the film is much shorter than the one Ellington’s recorded on 9 May 1934 with the singer Ivie Anderson.

Coslow and Johnston had written a big number of excellent songs for Bing Crosby’s films and created another big success with ‘Cocktails for Two’, which was included on the film Murder at the Vanities, in which Duke Ellington took part, too.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	DATE OF ENTRANCE	PEMANENCE WEEKS	HIGH POSITION REACHED
Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians	1934.04.05	1934.06.23	5	7	Carmen Lombardo (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Benny Morton All Stars	1945.01.31	Benny Morton (tb), Barney Bigard (cl), Ben Webster (ts), Sam Benskin (p), Israel Crosby (b), Eddie Dougherty (d)
Charlie Parker Quintet	1947.11.04	Charlie Parker (as), Miles Davis (tp), Duke Jordan (p), Tommy Potter (b), Max Roach (d)
Stan Getz Quartet	1950.04.14	Stan Getz (ts), Tony Aless (p), Percy Heath (b), Don Lamond (d)
Miles Davis Sextet	1951.10.05	Miles Davis (tp), Jackie McLean (as), Sonny Rollins (ts), Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Tommy Potter (b), Art Blakey (d)
Gerry Mulligan Quartet	1953.04.27	Chet Baker (tp), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Carson Smith (b), Larry Bunker (d)
Paul Bley Trio	1954.08.30	Paul Bley (p), Peter Ind (b), Al Levitt (d)
Kenny Dorham Quintet	1957.05.27	Kenny Dorham (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Hank Jones (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Max Roach (d)
Stan Kenton Orchestra	1958.01.20	Stan Kenton (p, dir), Billy Catalano, Jules Chaiken, Lee Katzman, Phil Gilbert, Sam Noto (tp), Archie LeCoque, Don Reed, Jim Amlotte, Kent Larsen, Kenny Shroyer (tb), Jimmy Deckker, Vince DeRosa (tpa), Lennie Niehaus (as), Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca (ts), Bill Robinson, Steve Perlow (bars), Red Kelly (b), Jerry McKenzie (d)
J.J. Johnson Quartet	1958.02.19	J.J. Johnson (tb), Tommy Flanagan (p), Wilbur Little (b), Albert Heath (d)
Joe Pass	1973.08.28	Joe Pass (g)
Sonny Rollins Quintet with brass	1993.07.??	Jon Faddis (fis), Clifton Anderson (tb), Sonny Rollins (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Jack DeJohnette (d)
Darrell Grant	1998.??.??	Darrell Grant (p), Don Braden (ts), Joris Teepe (b), Cecil Brooks III (d)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Duke Ellington Orchestra	1934.05.09	Duke Ellington (p, dir), Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams (tp), Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as, ss), Harry Carney (bars, cl, as), Fred Guy (g), Wellman Braud (b), Sonny Greer (d), Ivie Anderson (voc)
Benny Goodman Orchestra	1941.10.02	Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Billy Butterfield, Al Davis, Jimmy Maxwell, Cootie Williams (tp), Cutty Cutshall, Lou McGarity (tb), Skip Martin, Clint Neagley (as), George Berg, Vido Musso (ts), Chuck Gentry (bars), Tommy Morgan (g), Morty Stuhlmaker (b), Mel Powell (p), Sid Catlett (d), Peggy Lee (voc)
Cootie Williams Sextet	1944.01.03	Cootie Williams (tp, voc), Eddie Vinson (as, voc), Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (ts), Bud Powell (p), Norman Keenan (b), Sylvester Payne (d)
Billie Holiday with Eddie Heywood Orchestra	1944.03.25	Billie Holiday (voc), Eddie Heywood (p, dir), Doc Cheatham (tp), Vic Dickenson (tb), Lem Davis (as), Teddy Walters (g), John Simmons (b), Sid Catlett (d)
Rosemary Clooney	1951.??.??	Rosemary Clooney (voc), Earl Shelton Orchestra
Dinah Washington	1955.03.17	Dinah Washington (voc), Barry Galbraith (g), Quincy Jones Orchestra
Helen Humes	1960.09.08	Helen Humes (voc), André Previn (p), Barney Kessel (g), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Shelly Manne (d), string section, Marty Paich (dir)

On cinemas

The song 'My Old Flame' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODUCTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
Belle of the Nineties	No es pecado	1934	Mae West with Duke Ellington Orchestra
Sabrina	Sabrina (y sus amores)	1995
Amreeka	Amerrika	2009	Kelly Richmond