TENDERLY
Music: Walter Gross- Lyrics: Jack Lawrence
Year: 1946
Origin of the song
In the early 1940s, pianist Walter Gross composed a song called 'Walter's Melody,' which he used to perform for his friends. One of these, singer Margaret Whiting, introduced him to Jack Lawrence, who wrote the lyrics. At first, Gross didn't like the title to be 'Tenderly,' arguing that it conditioned the performer, but he finally accepted it.
In 1946, Gross became the director of artists and repertoire for Musicraft, an independent label with which Sarah Vaughan had just signed her first long-term contract. On 2 July 1947, at his suggestion, Sarah Vaughan recorded 'Tenderly', accompanied by George Treadwell's orchestra, who was then her husband and manager. The album was a modest success; on November 15 of that year it entered the charts of popularity, where it remained a single week in the twenty-seventh position.
Other songs written by Gross are 'Your Love', 'I'm in a Fog About You', 'Mexican Moon', 'How Will I Remember You', 'Just a Moon Ago'. None of them can compare to 'Tenderly'.
In 1953, Billboard magazine conducted a survey of the country's disc jockeys on the best songs in the history of popular music. ‘Star Dust’ turned out to be the winner, followed by ‘Tenderly’.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Sarah Vaughan |
1947.07.02 |
1947.11.15 |
1 |
27 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), George Treadwell Orchestra |
|
1950.??.?? |
1950.08.26 |
3 |
19 |
Instrumental: Lynn Hope (ts) |
|
|
1951.11.21 |
1952.03.01 |
6 |
17 |
Rosemary Clooney (voc), Percy Faith Orchestra |
|
|
Bert Kaempfert Orchestra |
1961.??.?? |
1961.03.27 |
7 |
31 |
Instrumental |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1949.07.20 |
Woody Herman (cl, as, dir), Stan Fishelson, Al Porcino, Ernie Royal, Charlie Walp, Shorty Rogers (tp), Bill Harris, Earl Swope, Ollie Wilson, Bart Varsalona (tb), Sam Marowitz (as), Gene Ammons, Buddy Savitt, Jimmy Giuffre (ts), Serge Chaloff (bars), Lou Levy (p), Terry Gibbs (vib), Joe Mondragon (b), Shelly Manne (d) |
|
|
1950.03.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
Don Byas et Ses Rythmes |
1951.11.09 |
Don Byas (ts), Maurice Vander (p), Pierre Michelot (b), Benny Bennett (d) |
|
Bill Coleman et son Ensemble |
1951.11.09 |
Bill Coleman (tp), Bill Tamper (tb), Jay Cameron (as), William Boucaya (bars), Art Simmons (p), Jean-Pierre Sasson (g), Guy de Fatto (b), Gérard 'Dave' Pochonet (d) |
|
1952.03.25 |
Johnny Hodges (as), Emmett Berry (tp), Lawrence Brown (tb), Al Sears (ts), Leroy Lovett (p), Barney Richmond (b), Joe Marshall (d) |
|
|
1953.12.08 |
Ben Webster (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1953.12.11 |
Lester Young (ts), Jesse Drake (tp), Gildo Mahones (p), Gene Ramey (b), Connie Kay (d) |
|
|
1955.11.12 |
Dexter Gordon (ts), Jimmy Robinson (tp), Carl Perkins (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Chuck Thompson (d) |
|
|
1956.10.26 |
Chet Baker, Conte Candoli, Norman Faye (tp), Frank Rosolino (tb), Art Pepper, Bud Shank (as), Bill Perkins, Phil Urso (ts), Bobby Timmons (p), James Bond (b), Lawrence Marable (d) |
|
|
1957.09.09 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Willie Cook (tp), Ray Nance (tp, vn), Clark Terry (tp, fl), Quentin Jackson (tb), John Sanders (vtb), Russell Procope (as, cl), Rick Henderson, Johnny Hodges (as), Jimmy Hamilton (ts, cl), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bars, cl), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d) |
|
|
1958.12.15 |
Bill Evans (p), Sam Jones (b), Philly Joe Jones (d) |
|
|
1960.12.21 |
Eric Dolphy (as) |
|
|
Charlie Shavers Orchestra |
1963.02.?? |
Charlie Shavers (tp), Billy Byers (tb), Jerome Richardson (as), Budd Johnson (ts), Bruce Martin (p), George Bames (g), Tommy Bryant (b), Oliver Johnson (d) |
|
Phineas Newborn Jr. Trio |
1969.02.13 |
Phineas Newborn Jr. (p), Ray Brown (b), Elvin Jones (d) |
|
1996.10.05 |
Gary Burton (vib), Fred Hersch (p), John Scofield (g), John Patitucci (b), Peter Erskine (d) |
|
|
Bud Shank Quartet |
1996.11.21 |
Bud Shank (as), Cyrus Chestnut (p), George Mraz (b), Lewis Nash (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1947.07.02 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), George Treadwell (tp, dir), Ermit V. Perry, Roger Jones, Hal Mitchell, Jesse Drakes (tp), Ed Burke, Dickie Harris, Donald Cole (tb), Rupert Cole, Scoville Brown (as), Budd Johnson, Lowell Hastings (ts), Eddie de Verteuil (bars), Jimmy Jones (p), Al McKibbon (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1952.04.01 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1953.01.27 |
Nat Cole (voc), Milt Bernhart, Jimmy Priddy (tb), John Cave, Vince de Rosa (tpa), Ted Nash, Harry Klee, James Williamson (fl), Buddy Cole (p), John Collins (g), Charlie Harris (b), Lee Young (d), string section, Nelson Riddle (dir) |
|
|
1956.08.16 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1957.01.31 |
Anita O’Day (voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), John Poole (d) |
|
|
1996.04.09 |
Dianne Reeves, Joe Williams (voc), Clark Terry, Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Al Grey (tb), Phil Woods (as), James Moody (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Rodney Whittaker (b), Herlin Riley (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Tenderly' 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 |
La canción de la antorcha |
1953 |
Joan Crawford (dubbed by India Adams) |
|
Fedora |
Fedora |
1978 |
Nat King Cole |
|
Love Hurts |
El rompecorazones |
1990 |
The Floyd Dakil and Larry Randall Band |
|
Scenes From A Mall |
Escenas en una galería |
1991 |
|
|
Vale Abraào |
El valle de Abraham |
1993 |
Don Byas et ses Rythmes |
|
Stealing Beauty |
Belleza robada |
1996 |
Chet Baker Quartet |
|
The Myth of Fingerprints |
Volviendo a casa |
1997 |
Rozz Nash Sextet |
|
Playing By Heart |
Jugando con el corazón |
1999 |
Chet Baker Quartet |
|
Return To Me |
Hechizo del corazón |
2000 |
Jackie Gleason Orchestra |
|
Populaire |
Popular |
2012 |
Jackie Gleason Orchestra |