My Blue Heaven (song)

My Blue Heaven is the title of a pop song, in 1924 by George A. Whiting (text) and Walter Donaldson ( music) was written. Paul Whiteman had a number -one hit with the piece. Also the version of Gene Austin was a pop hit and became the multiple million-selling. The song is one of the few pieces that were done by two different artists to number one in the charts.

Genesis

My Blue Heaven was founded by George Whithing (text) and Walter Donaldson ( music) composed the only collaboration between the two professional writers already in 1924, therefore, three years before its publication. Walter Donaldson wrote it in an afternoon in the Friars Club in New York, as he had to wait for his cue at billiards. Whiting interpreted the song in his vaudeville acts. 1927, interested Broadcasting singer Tommy Lyman for the piece and took it as his signature tune.

Features of the song

According to Alec Wilder 's music nothing remarkable about the song. The song is in standard AABA song form. The text deals with the theme of home and family and ends in each verse on My Blue Heaven.

First recordings

Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra took My Blue Heaven on July 6, 1927 in New York as the first performer on. That in October 1927 on Victor Records (# 20828 ) published piece won first place in the U.S. pop singles chart for one week. For White Mans Star Orchestra, this was not peculiar, because the band had already recorded 19 top hits can. The next version was recorded on September 9 1927 by Don Voorhees & Orchestra, which only managed a ninth place after its publication in December 1927.

Million Sellers

Only a few days later Gene Austin entered on September 14, 1927 in New York recording studio to record the pop song in a new version. By today's standards, he still belongs to the genre of " crooning ". With the captured two days later B-side Are You Thinking of Me Tonight the piece was again brought out at Victor (catalog # 20964 ) on 17 December 1927, remained for 13 weeks at the top spot of the charts. Austin had five top hits in his repertoire, and the Variety magazine was optimistic: "The biggest plate seller is currently Gene Austin, whose Forgive Me already over 500,000 plates followed it. My Blue Heaven will exceed that. " In fact, this hit the best -selling 5 million copies of all the hits of his repertoire and for a long time in the music industry in general. According to Austin, the song has even 8 million copies sold over the counter .. Gene Austin's version remained for 15 years the best-selling song until it was replaced in 1942 by Chattanooga Choo Choo. RCA Victor has a total sold by Austin's songs more than 86 million records.

Cover versions

Numerous cover versions of My Blue Heaven became a jazz standard; ASCAP registered a total of 63 versions of My Blue Heaven, Walter Donaldson has a total of 271, George Whiting can protect 61 compositions by copyright. Pick out from the wide range of cover versions is the jazz version of Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra, recorded on December 23, 1935 and arranged by Sy Oliver. The on Decca # 712, published in April 1936 with the single Stomp It Off B-side not appeared in the hit parade, but can be classified as a remarkable swing version of the Million Sellers. With the singing trio of Oliver, Willie Smith and guitarist Al Norris ( the here plays the violin ) and Willie Smith's counter melody on the baritone saxophone Lunceford delivers a classic big band performance. Further noteworthy is Fats Domino's version of My Blue Heaven takes on 23 December 1955 in Matassas Cosimo J & M Studio in New Orleans as a B-side of I'm in Love Again. After its publication in March 1956 (Imperial # 5386 ), the B-side achieved a fifth place in the R & B charts and # 19 Pop. Produced by Dave Bartholomew, the song was recorded in typical Fats Domino's boogie piano style.

More Jazz versions were recorded by Benny Carter, Cozy Cole 's Big Seven, Coleman Hawkins, Ernst Höllerhagen, Helen Humes, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Lena Horne, Joe Newman, Red Norvo, Oscar Peterson, Artie Shaw, Stuff Smith and Art Tatum.