For our next “mood” song, we land on perhaps the best-known title of the entire swing era to feature the word—Glenn Miller’s massive 1939 instrumental hit In the Mood.
The Juggernaut: Glenn Miller (1939)
Let’s spin that original Bluebird record:
It holds up no matter how many times you hear it—the
build-up, the false endings, and that precision-drilled reed section.
The tune became so closely associated with the Miller band
that it was featured prominently in the 1941 Fox film Sun Valley Serenade.
Here’s a clip:
It’s great fun seeing Tex Beneke and Al Klink recreate their
famous tenor‑sax “duel.” And that’s Billy May taking the trumpet solo —
stepping in for Clyde Hurley, who played it on the 1939 recording.
I’m so glad the band got to perform the whole number without
any overdubbed dialogue that I don’t even mind the closeups of Sonja Henie
mooning over co‑star John Payne, who plays the band’s pianist in the movie!
The Lyrics: Al Donahue feat. Paula Kelly
As with many popular instrumentals, “In the Mood” acquired lyrics, written by the prolific Andy Razaf. Here’s a 1939 Vocalion recording by Al Donahue, featuring future Miller vocalist Paula Kelly singing those lyrics:
It’s a fun record, and Paula is great, but you still can’t
top the excitement stirred up by Glenn’s instrumental arrangement.
The Evolution: Ernie Fields (1959)
To show the tune had legs, let’s jump ahead to 1959 for this updated version by Ernie Fields on the Rendezvous label:
It’s a snappy little record that brings a bit of a shuffle
beat to the proceedings, but we all know who’s still the champ of this
particular mood:
Does the movie version with the beat the original Bluebird disc for you, or do those Razaf
lyrics actually add something to the experience?
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