SKYLARK
Music: Hoagy Carmichael- Lyrics: Johnny Mercer
Year: 1941
Origin of the song
Hoagy Carmichael composed the melody for a musical about his friend Bix Beiderbecke, whose title was Young man with a horn, the same as that of a novel by Dorothy Baker, which was partly based on Bix's life. Even though the play was never performed, Hoagy returned to work on the song and sent it to Johnny Mercer to write the lyrics. Months later, he phoned her and sang ‘Skylark’; but Carmichael didn't remember her, he had forgotten that he had written it.
In 1950, Warner Bros. brought the novel to the movies. The director was Michael Curtiz and his stars, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall and Doris Day. The film did not premiere commercially in Spain and its television show was titled El trompetista (The trumpeter). Harry James dubbed Douglas as he played the trumpet.
Mercer is said to have expressed in ‘Skylark’ his passion for Judy Garland, with whom he had a brief but intense love affair. The songwriter said he had composed ‘I Remember You’ 'for her and ‘One For My Baby’, to regret her loss. He wrote the lyrics over 1,500 songs, including, in addition to those mentioned above, ‘Lazybones’ (1933), ’I Thought About You’ (1939), ’Blues in the Night’ (1941), ‘That Old Black Magic’ (1942), ‘I'm Old-Fashioned’ (1942), ‘Tangerine’ (1942), ’Accentuate the Positive’ (1944), ‘Laura’ (1945), ‘On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe’ (1946), ‘Midnight Sun’ (1947), ‘Satin Doll’ (1958), ‘Moon River’ (1961), ‘Charade’ (1964) and ‘Emily’ (1964).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1942.01.08 |
1942.04.04 |
12 |
7 |
Ray Eberle (voc) |
|
|
Bing Crosby |
1942.01.24 |
1942.07.18 |
1 |
14 |
Bing Crosby (voc), John Scott Trotter Orchestra |
|
Harry James Orchestra |
1942.01.29 |
1942.05.02 |
4 |
11 |
Helen Forrest (voc) |
|
1942.02.10 |
1942.05.16 |
5 |
5 |
Dinah Shore (voc), Rosario Bourdon Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1949.07.20 |
Erroll Garner (p), Leonard Gaskin (b), Charlie Smith (d) |
|
|
Tal Farlow Trio |
1952.10.16 |
Tal Farlow (g), Red Norvo (vib), Red Mitchell (b) |
|
1956.02.10 |
John Lewis (p), Bill Perkins (ts), Jim Hall (g), Percy Heath (b), Chico Hamilton (d) |
|
|
1962.10.24 |
Freddie Hubbard (tp), Curtis Fuller (tb), Wayne Shorter (ts), Cedar Walton (p), Reggie Workman (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1972.07.?? |
Sonny Rollins (ts), George Cables (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), David Lee (d) |
|
|
1972.10.14 |
Ruby Braff (cnt), Ellis Larkins (p) |
|
|
1973.12.04 |
Paul Desmond (as), Bob James (p), Gene Bertoncini, Gabor Szabo (g), Ron Carter (b), Jack DeJohnette (d) |
|
|
Stan Getz & Jimmie Rowles |
1975.10.?? |
Stan Getz (ts), Jimmie Rowles (p) |
|
Kenny Barron |
1987.12.31 |
Kenny Barron (p) |
|
1991.08.?? |
Lee Konitz (as, ss), Joe Lovano (ts), Bill Frisell (g), Charlie Haden (b), Paul Motian (d) |
|
|
Clusone Trio |
1997.12.13 |
Michael Moore (as), Ernst Reijseger (vc), Han Bennink (d) |
|
Winard Harper Quintet |
1997.12.30 |
Patrick Rickman (tp), J.D. Allen (ts), George Cables (p), Eric Revis (b), Winard Harper (d) |
|
Bill Charlap Trio |
2001.09.?? |
Bill Charlap (p), Peter Washington (b), Kenny Washington (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1941.11.25 |
Gene Krupa (d, dir), Roy Eldridge, Norman Murphy, Al Beck, Graham Young (tp), John Grassi, Jay Kelliher, Babe Wagner (tb), Musky Ruffo (as), Walter Bates (ts), Sam Musiker (ts, cl), Sam Listengart (bars), Milt Raskin (p), Ray Biondi (g), Eddie Mihelich (b), Anita O'Day (voc) |
|
|
1942.01.29 |
Harry James (tp, dir), Claude Bowen, Nick Buono, Alexander Cuozzo (tp), Hoyt Bohannon, Dalton Rizzotto, Barry Rodgers (tb), Claude Lakey, Sam Marowitz (as), Gene 'Corky' Corcoran (ts), Clint Davis (bars), Al Lerner (p), Ben Heller (g), Thurman Teague (b), Mickey Scrima (d), string section, Helen Forrest (voc) |
|
|
1956.09.13 |
Hoagy Carmichael (voc), Don Fagerquist, Ray Linn, Jimmy Zito (tp), Harry Klee, Art Pepper (as), Mort Friedman (ts), Marty Berman (bars), Jimmy Rowles (p), Al Hendrickson (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Nick Fatool (d), Johnny Mandel (dir) |
|
|
1958.08.04 |
Carmen McRae (voc), Ben Webster (ts), Irving Markowitz (tp), Dick Berg, Donald Carrado, Fred Kelin, Anthony Miranda (tpa), Don Abney (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Aaron Bell (b), Teddy Sommer (d), Ralph Burns (dir) |
|
|
Teddi King with Marian McPartland Trio |
1973.11.17 |
Teddi King (voc), Marian McPartland (p), Rusty Gilder (b), Eric Nebbia (d) |
|
1977.09.?? |
Susannah McCorkle (voc), Digby Fairweather (tp, cnt), Duncan Lamont (ts, fl), Danny Moss (ts, cl), Keith Ingham (p), Ron Rubin (b), Derek Hogg (d) |
|
|
1995.??.?? |
Cassandra Wilson (voc), Gib Wharton (g), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Dougie Bowne (d) |
|
|
Ann Hampton Callaway |
1999.??.?? |
Ann Hampton Callaway (voc), Andy Farber (ts), Bill Charlap (p), Peter Washington (b), Lewis Nash (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Skylark' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Torch Song Trilogy |
Trilogía de Nueva York |
1988 |
Marilyn Scott |
|
Rich In Love |
En busca del amor |
1993 |
Anita O'Day (voc), Gene Krupa Orchestra |
|
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil |
Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal |
1997 |
k.d. lang |