New song: "Tess's Torch Song"

Old description:

ORIGINAL

Title: "Tess's Torch Song"

(sometimes a/k/a "I Had a Man")

Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.

https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185136/

"First performance" and "first release" are not securely established. First performance is often given as being by Dinah Shore (uncredited) in the 1944 movie Up In Arms (in which she also sings a "jive" duet based on the song with Danny Kaye; clip here: ).

IMDB reports that Up In Arms was released on March 27, 1944. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037420/

However, Stanley Green in his book Hollywood Musicals Year by Year reports a February, 1944 release date.

https://books.google.com/books?id=XD2xNKSN3E8C&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=%22tess's+t…=onepage&q=%22tess's%20torch%20song%22%20first%20release&f=false

The earliest commercial recording of the song I have found (other than from the film) is by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra with vocal by Pearl Bailey, released as HIT 7075B. 78discography project reports a January 4, 1944 recording date, jazzdisco reports a January 6, 1944 recording date, while 45worlds lists a February, 1944 date (I don't know if release or recording).

Compare,

http://www.78discography.com/Hit7000.htm

http://www.jazzdisco.org/bud-powell/discography/

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/7075us

Here's a clip:

Discogs does not list an original release of this.

Discogs does list a recording by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians from 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Fred-Waring-And-His-Pennsylvanians-Now-I-Know-Tesss-Torc…

78discography reports a February 10, 1944 recording date for this one.

http://www.78discography.com/Dec18500.htm

I have not found a clip of this performance.

The first "hit" recording was by Ella Mae Morse with Dick Walters' Orchestra, released in March, 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Ella-Mae-Morse-Milkman-Keep-Those-Bottles-Quiet-Tesss-To…

http://www.78discography.com/Capitol100.htm

Dinah Shore released a performance of the song on Columbia (37506) which 45worlds dates as June 16, 1947.

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/37506

78discography has Shore singing the song (with the Sonny Burke Orchestra) on Columbia 37854 dated July, 1947.

http://www.78discography.com/COL37500.htm

Discogs lists neither of these in original formats. It does list Shore singing the song on two different compilations, and therein lies a puzzle, as one compilation includes a 3:00 performance and the other includes a 3:40 performance.

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-16-Most-Requested-Songs/release/9393949

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-Deed-I-Do/release/7511573

Here's clips of each:

The shorter performance:

The longer performance: (My guess is that the shorter performance was the "common" release. it's the one I was familiar with; I hadn't heard the longer, more raucus, performance until doing this research.)

There are several other covers.

Here's one by Ruth Olay from 1959:

https://www.discogs.com/Ruth-Olay-Easy-Living/release/5448998

And here's one by Susie Arioli Band Featuring Jordan Officer from 2004.

https://www.discogs.com/Susie-Arioli-Band-Featuring-Jordan-Officer-Thats-For-Me/…

The song has also been performed on other commercial recordings, including by Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, Etta Jones, Marilyn Maxwell, Count Basie, Rochester& Horne, Ina Ray Hutton and Her Orchestra, Libby Morris, Mila Ilieva, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocal by Georgia Gibbs (originally on V-disc).

New description:

ORIGINAL

Title: "Tess's Torch Song"

(sometimes a/k/a "I Had a Man")

Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.

https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185136/

"First performance" and "first release" are not securely established. First performance is often given as being by Dinah Shore (uncredited) in the 1944 movie Up In Arms (in which she also sings a "jive" duet based on the song with Danny Kaye; clip here: ).

IMDB reports that Up In Arms was released on March 27, 1944. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037420/

However, Stanley Green in his book Hollywood Musicals Year by Year reports a February, 1944 release date.

https://books.google.com/books?id=XD2xNKSN3E8C&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=%22tess's+t…=onepage&q=%22tess's%20torch%20song%22%20first%20release&f=false

The earliest commercial recording of the song I have found (other than from the film) is by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra with vocal by Pearl Bailey, released as HIT 7075B. 78discography project reports a January 4, 1944 recording date, jazzdisco reports a January 6, 1944 recording date, while 45worlds lists a February, 1944 date (I don't know if release or recording).

Compare,

http://www.78discography.com/Hit7000.htm

http://www.jazzdisco.org/bud-powell/discography/

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/7075us

Here's a clip:

Discogs does not list an original release of this.

Discogs does list a recording by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians from 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Fred-Waring-And-His-Pennsylvanians-Now-I-Know-Tesss-Torc…

78discography reports a February 10, 1944 recording date for this one.

http://www.78discography.com/Dec18500.htm

I have not found a clip of this performance.

The first "hit" recording was by Ella Mae Morse with Dick Walters' Orchestra, released in March, 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Ella-Mae-Morse-Milkman-Keep-Those-Bottles-Quiet-Tesss-To…

http://www.78discography.com/Capitol100.htm

Dinah Shore released a performance of the song on Columbia (37506) which 45worlds dates as June 16, 1947.

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/37506

78discography has Shore singing the song (with the Sonny Burke Orchestra) on Columbia 37854 dated July, 1947.

http://www.78discography.com/COL37500.htm

Discogs lists neither of these in original formats. It does list Shore singing the song on two different compilations, and therein lies a puzzle, as one compilation includes a 3:00 performance and the other includes a 3:40 performance.

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-16-Most-Requested-Songs/release/9393949

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-Deed-I-Do/release/7511573

Here's clips of each:

The shorter performance:

The longer performance: (My guess is that the shorter performance was the "common" release. it's the one I was familiar with; I hadn't heard the longer, more raucus, performance until doing this research.)

There are several other covers.

Here's one by Ruth Olay from 1959:

https://www.discogs.com/Ruth-Olay-Easy-Living/release/5448998

And here's one by Susie Arioli Band Featuring Jordan Officer from 2004.

https://www.discogs.com/Susie-Arioli-Band-Featuring-Jordan-Officer-Thats-For-Me/…

The song has also been performed on other commercial recordings, including by Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, Etta Jones, Marilyn Maxwell, Count Basie, Rochester& Horne, Ina Ray Hutton and Her Orchestra, Libby Morris, Mila Ilieva, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocal by Georgia Gibbs (originally on V-disc).

Old description:

ORIGINAL

Title: "Tess's Torch Song"

(sometimes a/k/a "I Had a Man")

Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.

https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185136/

"First performance" and "first release" are not securely established. First performance is often given as being by Dinah Shore (uncredited) in the 1944 movie Up In Arms (in which she also sings a "jive" duet based on the song with Danny Kaye; clip here: ).

IMDB reports that Up In Arms was released on March 27, 1944. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037420/

However, Stanley Green in his book Hollywood Musicals Year by Year reports a February, 1944 release date.

https://books.google.com/books?id=XD2xNKSN3E8C&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=%22tess's+t…=onepage&q=%22tess's%20torch%20song%22%20first%20release&f=false

The earliest commercial recording of the song I have found (other than from the film) is by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra with vocal by Pearl Bailey, released as HIT 7075B. 78discography project reports a January 4, 1944 recording date, jazzdisco reports a January 6, 1944 recording date, while 45worlds lists a February, 1944 date (I don't know if release or recording).

Compare,

http://www.78discography.com/Hit7000.htm

http://www.jazzdisco.org/bud-powell/discography/

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/7075us

Here's a clip:

Discogs does not list an original release of this.

Discogs does list a recording by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians from 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Fred-Waring-And-His-Pennsylvanians-Now-I-Know-Tesss-Torc…

78discography reports a February 10, 1944 recording date for this one.

http://www.78discography.com/Dec18500.htm

I have not found a clip of this performance.

The first "hit" recording was by Ella Mae Morse with Dick Walters' Orchestra, released in March, 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Ella-Mae-Morse-Milkman-Keep-Those-Bottles-Quiet-Tesss-To…

http://www.78discography.com/Capitol100.htm

Dinah Shore released a performance of the song on Columbia (37506) which 45worlds dates as June 16, 1947.

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/37506

78discography has Shore singing the song (with the Sonny Burke Orchestra) on Columbia 37854 dated July, 1947.

http://www.78discography.com/COL37500.htm

Discogs lists neither of these in original formats. It does list Shore singing the song on two different compilations, and therein lies a puzzle, as one compilation includes a 3:00 performance and the other includes a 3:40 performance.

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-16-Most-Requested-Songs/release/9393949

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-Deed-I-Do/release/7511573

Here's clips of each:

The shorter performance:

The longer performance: (My guess is that the shorter performance was the "common" release. it's the one I was familiar with; I hadn't heard the longer, more raucus, performance until doing this research.)

There are several other covers.

Here's one by Ruth Olay from 1959:

https://www.discogs.com/Ruth-Olay-Easy-Living/release/5448998

And here's one by Susie Arioli Band Featuring Jordan Officer from 2004.

https://www.discogs.com/Susie-Arioli-Band-Featuring-Jordan-Officer-Thats-For-Me/…

The song has also been performed on other commercial recordings, including by Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, Etta Jones, Marilyn Maxwell, Count Basie, Rochester& Horne, Ina Ray Hutton and Her Orchestra, Libby Morris, Mila Ilieva, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocal by Georgia Gibbs (originally on V-disc).

New description:

ORIGINAL

Title: "Tess's Torch Song"

(sometimes a/k/a "I Had a Man")

Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.

https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200185136/

"First performance" and "first release" are not securely established. First performance is often given as being by Dinah Shore (uncredited) in the 1944 movie Up In Arms (in which she also sings a "jive" duet based on the song with Danny Kaye; clip here: ).

IMDB reports that Up In Arms was released on March 27, 1944. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037420/

However, Stanley Green in his book Hollywood Musicals Year by Year reports a February, 1944 release date.

https://books.google.com/books?id=XD2xNKSN3E8C&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=%22tess's+t…=onepage&q=%22tess's%20torch%20song%22%20first%20release&f=false

The earliest commercial recording of the song I have found (other than from the film) is by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra with vocal by Pearl Bailey, released as HIT 7075B. 78discography project reports a January 4, 1944 recording date, jazzdisco reports a January 6, 1944 recording date, while 45worlds lists a February, 1944 date (I don't know if release or recording).

Compare,

http://www.78discography.com/Hit7000.htm

http://www.jazzdisco.org/bud-powell/discography/

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/7075us

Here's a clip:

Discogs does not list an original release of this.

Discogs does list a recording by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians from 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Fred-Waring-And-His-Pennsylvanians-Now-I-Know-Tesss-Torc…

78discography reports a February 10, 1944 recording date for this one.

http://www.78discography.com/Dec18500.htm

I have not found a clip of this performance.

The first "hit" recording was by Ella Mae Morse with Dick Walters' Orchestra, released in March, 1944:

https://www.discogs.com/Ella-Mae-Morse-Milkman-Keep-Those-Bottles-Quiet-Tesss-To…

http://www.78discography.com/Capitol100.htm

Dinah Shore released a performance of the song on Columbia (37506) which 45worlds dates as June 16, 1947.

http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/record/37506

78discography has Shore singing the song (with the Sonny Burke Orchestra) on Columbia 37854 dated July, 1947.

http://www.78discography.com/COL37500.htm

Discogs lists neither of these in original formats. It does list Shore singing the song on two different compilations, and therein lies a puzzle, as one compilation includes a 3:00 performance and the other includes a 3:40 performance.

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-16-Most-Requested-Songs/release/9393949

https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Shore-Deed-I-Do/release/7511573

Here's clips of each:

The shorter performance:

The longer performance: (My guess is that the shorter performance was the "common" release. it's the one I was familiar with; I hadn't heard the longer, more raucus, performance until doing this research.)

There are several other covers.

Here's one by Ruth Olay from 1959:

https://www.discogs.com/Ruth-Olay-Easy-Living/release/5448998

And here's one by Susie Arioli Band Featuring Jordan Officer from 2004.

https://www.discogs.com/Susie-Arioli-Band-Featuring-Jordan-Officer-Thats-For-Me/…

The song has also been performed on other commercial recordings, including by Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, Etta Jones, Marilyn Maxwell, Count Basie, Rochester& Horne, Ina Ray Hutton and Her Orchestra, Libby Morris, Mila Ilieva, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocal by Georgia Gibbs (originally on V-disc).