"Blue Room" is a show tune from the 1926 Rodgers and Hart musical The Girl Friend,[1] where it was introduced by Eva Puck and Sammy White.[2] It is also a jazz standard.
Early recordings
- It was recorded by The Revelers on June 8, 1926, and originally released by Victor as catalog number 20082B, with the flip side "Valencia";[3] it was re-released by Victor as catalog number 24707, with the flip side "Dancing in the Dark".[4]
- In June 1927, while the Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce were on tour in England, they recorded two versions of this song: one with The Savoy Orpheans, and the other with Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra.
- Another recording was made on October 17, 1933, by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, and released by Brunswick Records as catalog number 6722, with the flip side "Fidgety Feet".[5]
- Another recording was made on July 16, 1934, by Isham Jones and his orchestra, and released by Victor Records as catalog number 24701A, with the flip side "Georgia Jubilee".[4]
- Another recording was made on December 15, 1936, by Jan Garber and his orchestra, and released by Brunswick Records as catalog number 7870, with the flip side "Moonlight and Roses".[6] The same recording was later released by Vocalion Records as catalog number 5484 and by Conqueror Records as catalog number 9496, both with the flip side "Home on the Range".[7][8]
- Another recording was made on January 16, 1938, by Benny Goodman and his orchestra, as part of the live Carnegie Hall jazz concert; but it was re-released as a 45 rpm record by Columbia Records as catalog number 39312, with the flip side "Swingtime in the Rockies".[9]
- A recording of the song in a medley with "Am I Blue?" was made on July 14, 1942, by Eddy Duchin and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36746, with the flip side a medley of "Sometimes I'm Happy" and "Pretty Baby".[10]
- Another recording was made by Mark Warnow and released by MGM Records as catalog number 30040, with the flip side "Bess, You Is My Woman".[11]
Use in films and television
- It was featured in the 1948 film Words and Music,[1] where it was sung by Perry Como, who played Eddie Lorrison Anders. Como would later record it twice in 1948: the first on May 29;[1] the second, with Henri René conducting, on December 17.[1] The first recording was included on the soundtrack album of Words and Music;[1] while the second, released as a single, (RCA Victor Records catalog numbers 20-3329-A on 78 rpm[1][12] and 47-3329-A on 45 rpm,[1] with the flip side "With a Song in My Heart"[1][12]) reached the position of #18 on the charts.[1] It was also released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number BD 1280.
- In 1946, it was featured in a scene in The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
- In 1950, it was used in Young Man with a Horn when it was played by Kirk Douglas (dubbed by Harry James).[13]
- In 1970, Cass Elliot covered the song on The Ed Sullivan Show (salute to Richard Rodgers).[14]
Later recordings
- It was recorded in 1952 by Blue Barron and released by MGM Records as catalog number 30687, with the flip side "Blue Moments."[15]
- Bing Crosby recorded the song on his 1956 album Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings.
- Another 1956 recording was made by Ella Fitzgerald as part of her Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book album.
- Another recording was made by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, released by Decca Records as catalog number 29057, with the flip side "Liza Jane."[16]
- Notable small group recordings of "Blue Room" include Miles Davis (1951), Thad Jones (1956), Jimmy Smith (1957), Hank Jones (1958), Gene Ammons (1960), The Jazztet (1961), and Bill Charlap (1999)
- Eliane Elias included the song on her 2013 album I Thought About You.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Perry Como discography entry for "Blue Room"
- ^ Nolan, Frederick (1994). Lorenz Hart: A Poet on Broadway. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 0-19-506837-8.
- ^ Victor Records in the 20000 to 20499 series
- ^ a b Victor Records in the 24500 to 24900 series
- ^ Brunswick Records in the 6500 to 6999 series
- ^ Brunswick Records in the 7500 to 7999 series
- ^ Vocalion Records in the 5000 to 5499 series
- ^ Conqueror Records in the 9000 to 9499 series
- ^ "Columbia Records in the 39000 to 39499 series". Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
- ^ Columbia Records in the 36500 to 36999 series
- ^ MGM Records in the 30000 to 30499 series
- ^ a b RCA Victor records in the 20-3000 to 20-3499 series
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "The Girlfriend / Blue Room By Cass Elliot". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
- ^ MGM Records in the 30500 to 30887 series
- ^ US Decca Records in the 29000 to 29499 series
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