PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
Music: Arthur Johnston- Lyrics: Johnny Burke
Year: 1936
Origin of the song
Even though he was under contract with Paramount Pictures, Bing Crosby could sometimes film some other films in other studios. In 1936, not only he involved himself but also he invested some of his own money in Columbia Picture’s Pennies from Heaven, which didn’t reach to be released in Spain. As well as having a melodramatic plot suitable for the time, the film offered half dozen good musical acts, such as ‘Pennies from Heaven’, nominated for the Oscar that year, which finally won ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. Its authors, Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston, wrote together a handful of songs, although the first one was Jimmy Van Heusen’s collaborator and the second, Sam Coslow’s.
Crosby’s bet paid off. The recording of ‘Pennies from Heaven’ remained on the radio show Your Hit Parade for thirteen weeks, and it was first place on the hit charts for ten weeks. Another five versions of the song also became very popular in a short period of time.
Bing Crosby has been the most first place artist with his single discs: thirty six on his own and seven more as a soloist in an orchestra. The Beatles (twenty) and Elvis Presley (eighteen), are far from his record.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1936.07.21 |
1936.12.05 |
9 |
2 (one week) |
Lee Sherwood (voc) |
|
|
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra |
1936.08.04 |
1936.12.19 |
1 |
19 |
Bob Eberle (voc) |
|
1936.08.17 |
1936.11.28 |
15 |
1 (ten weeks) |
Bing Crosby (voc), George Stoll Orchestra |
|
|
1936.09.02 |
1936.10.31 |
5 |
8 |
Maxine Grey (voc) |
|
|
Hildegarde |
1936.11.19 |
1936.12.26 |
2 |
16 |
Hildegarde (voc), William Wirges Orchestra |
|
Billie Holiday |
1936.11.19 |
1937.01.02 |
6 |
3 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
|
The Skyliners |
1960.??.?? |
1960.05.09 |
13 |
24 |
Jimmy Beaumont, Janet Vogel, Wally Lester & Joe Verscharen (voc), Jackie Taylor (voc, g) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Lester Young Quintet |
1944.02.22 |
Lester Young (ts), Jesse Drakes (tp), Kenny Drew (p), Aaron Bell (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
1949.05.12 |
Al Haig (p), Stan Getz (ts), Jimmy Raney (g), Gene Ramey (b), Charlie Perry (d), Carlos Vidal (cng) |
|
|
Lester Young Quintet |
1950.02.22 |
Lester Young (ts), Jesse Drakes (tp), Kenny Drew (p), Aaron Bell (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
1951.10.28 |
Stan Getz (ts), Al Haig (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Teddy Kotick (b), Tiny Kahn (d) |
|
|
1955.06.06 |
J.J. Johnson (tb), Hank Mobley (ts), Horace Silver (p), Paul Chambers (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
1955.11.01 |
Lester Young (ts), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1956.12.22 |
Lester Young (ts), Bill Potts (p), Norman Williams (b), Jim Lucht (d) |
|
|
Oscar Peterson Trio |
1958.07.05 |
Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis- Shirley Scott Quartet |
1958.09.12 |
Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (ts), Shirley Scott (org), George Duvivier (b), Arthur Edgehill (d) |
|
|
1963.02.22 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Gene Wright (b), Joe Morello (d) In Carnegie Hall, New York |
|
Stéphane Grappelli Quartet |
1966.09.30 |
Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Alex Riel (d) |
|
Earl Hines & Jonah Jones |
1973.03.26 |
Earl Hines (p), Jonah Jones (tp), Buddy Tate (cl), Jerome Darr (g), John Brown (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
1982.06.23 |
Zoot Sims (ts), Joe Pass (g) |
|
|
Joel Frahm Quartet |
1998.09.22 |
Joel Frahm (ss, ts), David Berkman (p), Doug Weiss (b), Matt Wilson (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1936.11.19 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Ben Webster (ts), Benny Goodman (cl), Allan Reuss (g), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1937.01.21 |
Count Basie (p, dir), Buck Clayton, Joe Keyes, Carl Smith (tp), George Hunt, Dan Minor (tb), Caughey Roberts (as), Jack Washington (as, bars), Lester Young, Herschel Evans (ts), Claude Williams (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d), Jimmy Rushing (voc) |
|
|
1947.05.17 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Bobby Hackett (cnt), Jack Teagarden (tb), Peanuts Hucko (cl), Dick Cary (p), Jack Lesberg (b), Sid Cattlet (d) In Town Hall, New York |
|
|
1953.06.17 |
Dinah Washington (voc), Paul Quinichette (ts), Sleepy Anderson (p), Jackie Davis (org), Keter Betts (b), Ed Thigpen (d), Cándido Camero (bon) |
|
|
1957.01.31 |
Louis Prima (tp, voc), Sam Butera (sax, voc), James 'Little Red' Blount (tb), Willie McCumber (p), Jack Marshall (g), Amado Rodrigues (b), Bobby Morris (d) |
|
|
1957.02.14 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Jimmy Jones (p), Richard Davis (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
|
|
1962.10.03 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Count Basie Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'Pennies from Heaven' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Pennies from Heaven |
No se estrenó en España |
1936 |
Bing Crosby |
|
From Here to Eternity |
De aquí a la eternidad |
1953 |
Background music |
|
Picnic |
Picnic |
1956 |
Background music |
|
Pepe |
Pepe |
1960 |
Bing Crosby |
|
The Victors |
Los vencedores |
1963 |
|
|
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell |
Cerveza para todos |
1968 |
|
|
Baby Boom |
Baby, tú vales mucho |
1987 |
The Moonlighters |
|
Operation Mad Ball |
Operación Gran Baile |
1957 |
Background music |
|
Pennies from Heaven |
Dinero caído del cielo |
1981 |
Arthur Tracy; Steve Martin |
|
Big Business |
Ensalada de gemelas |
1988 |
|
|
The Bonfire of the Vanities |
La hoguera de las vanidades |
1990 |
|
|
Corrina, Corrina |
Corina, Corina |
1994 |
Billie Holiday |
|
Angela’s Ashes |
Las cenizas de Ángela |
1999 |
Billie Holiday |
|
The Crew |
Una banda de cuidado |
2000 |
Louis Prima |
|
Elf |
Elf |
2003 |
Louis Prima |
|
Igor |
Igor |
2008 |
Louis Prima |
|
The Artist |
The Artist |
2011 |
Red Nichols & His Five Pennies |