TAKE THE "A" TRAIN
Music and lyrics: Billy Strayhorn
Year: 1941
Origin of the song
In early 1941, Duke Ellington's orchestra was hired by the Casa Mañana club in Los Angeles and its performance was broadcast on radio. Due to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers strike, Ellington was unable to perform his own compositions, so he asked Strayhorn and his son Mercer, neither of whom belonged to the American Society of Composers. The first one wrote 'Take the A Train', although he initially dismissed it as old-fashioned; however, Mercer did not think alike and convinced him of its validity.
On 15 January 1941, Duke Ellington's orchestra recorded the instrumental version of the song for the first time at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California. The same orchestra, on February 15 played a different one (Victor 27380-A), which is the one that was commercialized.
On 8 October 1942, Ellington's band, at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles, California, recorded a new version for the film Reveille With Beverley, this time sung by Betty Roché, Ray Nance, Rex Stewart and Harry Carney.
Other notable compositions by Billy Strayhorn include 'Chelsea Bridge' (1941), 'Raincheck' (1942), 'A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing' (1944), 'Passion Flower' (1944),
'Johnny Come Lately' (1944), 'Lotus Blossom' (1947), 'Lush Life' (1949), 'Upper Manhattan Medical Group' (1956) and 'Upper Manhattan Medical Group' (1956) and 'Bllod Count' (1967).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1941.02.15 |
1941.07.26 |
7 |
11 |
Instrumental |
|
|
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |
1941.02.15 |
1943.07.03 |
1 |
19 |
New
entrance in the top charts |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |
1941.02.15 |
Duke Ellington (p, 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 (as), Ben Webster (ts), Harry Carney (cl, as, bars), Fred Guy (g), Jimmy Blanton (b), Sonny Greer (d) |
|
1952.12.01 |
Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
1954.05.?? |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Bob Bates (b), Joe Dodge (d) |
|
|
1955.02.23 |
Clifford Brown (tp), Harold Land (ts), Richie Powell (p), George Morrow (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
Clark Terry Sextet |
1957.09.06 |
Clark Terry (tp), Britt Woodman (tb), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Tyree Glenn (vib, tb), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d) |
|
1958.??.?? |
Wes Montgomery (g), Earl Van Riper (p), Mingo Jones (b), Sonny Johnson (d) |
|
|
Oscar Peterson Trio |
1959.07.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d) |
|
Stuff Smith Quartet |
1959.10.22 |
Stuff Smith (vn), John Eaton (p), Lewis Packer (b), Harry Saunders (d) |
|
Charles Mingus Orchestra |
1960.05.25 |
Charles Mingus (b), Ted Curson (tp), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Joe Farrell, Brooker Ervin (sax), Yusef Lateef, Eric Dolphy (fl), Roland Hanna or Paul Bley (p), Danny Richmond (d) |
|
1960.06.28 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Willie Cook, Fats Ford, Eddie Mullins, Ray Nance (tp), Lawrence Brown, Booty Wood, Britt Woodman (tb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as), Russell Procope (as, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bars), Aaron Bell (b), Sam Woodyard (d) |
|
|
1962.02.05 |
Shelly Manne (d), Coleman Hawkins (ts), Hank Jones (p), George Duvivier (b) |
|
|
Duke Ellington |
1963.02.22 |
Duke Ellington (p), Stéphane Grappelli, Ray Nance (vn), Svend Asmussen (va), Ernie Shepard (b), Sam Woodyard (per) |
|
1964.03.18 |
Charles Mingus (b), Johnny Coles (tp), Eric Dolphy (as, cl, fl), Clifford Jordan (ts), Jaki Byard (p), Dannie Richmond (d) |
|
|
1975.02.05 |
Kenny Burrell (g), Snooky Young (tp), Jerome Richardson (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), Jimmy Smith (org), Stanley Gilbert (b), Jimmie Smith (d) |
|
|
1977.11.24 |
Sun Ra (p)
In La Fenice Theatre, Venice (Italy) |
|
|
The Quadrant |
1980.01.21 |
Milt Jackson (vib), Joe Pass (g), Ray Brown (b), Mickey Roker (d) |
|
Joe Henderson Quintet |
1991.09.06 |
Wynton Marsalis (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Stephen Scott (p), Christian McBride (b), Gregory Hutchinson (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1952.06.30 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry (tp), Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges, Hilton Jefferson (as), Russel Procope (as, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bars), Wendell Marshall (b), Louis Bellson (d), Betty Roché (voc) |
|
|
1956.04.?? |
Betty Roché (voc), Conte Candoli (tp), Eddie Costa (vib), Donn Trenner (p), Whitey Mitchell (b), Davey Williams (d) |
|
|
1957.06.24 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry (tp), Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (tb), John Sanders (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Russell Procope (cl, as), Johnny Hodges (as), Paul Gonsalves, Frank Foster (ts), Harry Carney (cl), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d) |
|
|
1958.04.03 |
Anita O'Day (voc), Marty Paich (p, dir), Bill Catalano, Jules Chaiken, Phil Gilbert, Lee Katzman, Sam Noto (tp), Jim Amlotte, Bob Enevoldsen, Kent Larsen, Archie LeCoque, Ken Shroyer (tb), Lennie Niehaus, Bud Shank (as), Richie Kamuca, Bill Perkins (ts), Jack Dulong (bars), Red Kelly (b), Mel Lewis (d) |
|
|
Ernestine Anderson |
1977.10.11 |
Ernestine Anderson (voc), Bill Berry's Big Band |
|
1981.??.?? |
Chaka Khan (voc), Joe Henderson (ts), Freddie Hubbard (tp, fis), Chick Corea (p), Stanley Clarke (b), Lenny White (d) |
|
|
Mark Murphy |
1986.??.?? |
Mark Murphy (voc), Bill Mays (p, sint), John Goldsby, Steve LaSpina (b), Adam Nussbaum (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Take The A Train' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Reveille with Beverly |
La
canción del amanecer |
1943 |
Betty Roché, Duke Ellington Orchestra |
|
Paris Blues |
Un día volveré |
1961 |
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |
|
In The Mood |
Ellas los prefieren jóvenes |
1987 |
|
|
Radio Days |
Días de radio |
1987 |
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |
|
The Pallbearer |
Mi desconocido amigo |
1996 |
Robert Johnson, Jr., Dale De Marco, Myron Yules, John Ferrara, Midge Pike and Larry Balestra |
|
Catch Me If You Can |
Atrápame si puedes |
2002 |
|
|
Melinda and Melinda |
Melinda y Melinda |
2004 |
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
|
Ginger & Rosa |
Ginger & Rosa |
2012 |
Duke Ellington Orchestra |
|
L´écume des jours |
La espuma de los días |
2013 |
Duke Ellington Famous Orchestra |