Friday Fun: Third Mood

For our final “mood” song in this series, we jump to 1942 for the lovely ballad Can’t Get Out of This Mood, written by Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh for the RKO picture Seven Days’ Leave. It’s one of those wartime songs that manages to be both dreamy and grounded - a little escapism wrapped in a melody that lingers longer than you expect.

The Hit: Kay Kyser and His Orchestra (1942)

Let’s spin Kay Kyser's hit version on Columbia. The vocalists are only credited by their first names on the label -a homey touch - but the lineup is Harry Babbitt supported by Julie Conway, Trudy Erwin, Jack Martin, and Max Williams.

The song was introduced in the film by former Kyser vocalist Ginny Simms, though she never made a commercial recording of it. 

Fun Fact: Trudy Erwin’s real first name was actually Virginia, but after Ginny Simms left the band, Kay didn’t want another "Virginia" on the roster - so Trudy she became!

The Flipside: Moonlight Mood

If we flip that 78 over, we find out exactly what kind of mood they were talking about: Moonlight Mood:

The label just lists the Glee Club as the vocalists, but that’s definitely Harry singing lead again, probably with the same four backup singers - more or less! And a nice solo from tenor sax star Herbie Haymer to boot!

By this point, the Kyser band was far less formulaic than it had been in the late 1930s, when every song came with a singing song title. They still turned out plenty of fun material, but they could also deliver beautiful ballads like these two.

And it certainly didn’t hurt to have the wonderful Harry Babbitt still around. (Did I mention that he’s my favorite male band vocalist of the entire big band era?)

You know, I originally thought that I would do a quick little post here, sharing the two sides of the Kay Kyser record with “mood” in the title and calling it a day. But, that’s not the way I work, though, is it?

In the Moonlight Mood

Let’s hear another version of Moonlight Mood. It was probably inevitable that a song with both "moonlight" and "mood" in the title would get Glenn Miller's attention and, indeed, he recorded the song for Victor in 1942:

That’s Skip Nelson singing with The Modernaires, although he’s oddly not credited on the label. Skip was Ray Eberle’s replacement with the Miller band and I think he fits right in, but he only got to record a few songs with the band, as the recording band kicked in, then Glenn broke up the band to join the Army Air Force.

It’s a fleeting little chapter in the Miller story, but a lovely one.

The Mood Gets Long-er

Now we’ll swing back to Can’t Get Out of this Mood with another 1942 recording. Here’s Johnny Long on Decca:

I know I’m partial to Johnny Long due to his first name and his appearance with his band in the 1943 Abbott & Costello movie Hit the Ice (coincidentally also co-starring Ginny Simms), but I think he had a solid band!

The Divine Take

Moving to 1950, we find Sarah Vaughan -“The Divine One” - taking the song to a whole new level of cool on Columbia:

This is one of those performances where you can practically hear the air change temperature. She stretches the melody, reshapes the phrasing, and turns the tune into something sleek, modern, and unmistakably hers!

The Modern Touch: Samara Joy (2022)

Now to show that the spirit of Sarah Vaughan is in capable hands and to prove that I’m not totally stuck in the 1940s, here’s a gorgeous contemporary take on Can’t Get Out of This Mood by the phenomenal Samara Joy. This was the lead-off track from her 2022 Verve album Linger Awhile, which swept the Grammys and helped her take home Best New Artist.

She’s certainly keeping us in that mood!

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So… who wins the Mood Crown?

Does Harry Babbitt’s mid‑century charm still hold the crown for you,
or has Samara Joy’s modern classicism - by way of Sarah Vaughan - won you over?

Either way, it’s been a joy wandering through these moods with you this week!

Threaded Thursday: Second Mood

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:

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Does the movie version with the beat the original Bluebird disc for you, or do those Razaf lyrics actually add something to the experience?

Word Association Wednesday: First Mood

As we move from Mood Indigo into Word Association Wednesday, my head is spinning a little - there are so many songs with “mood” in the title! But I’ve settled on a few favorites, and we’ll visit them over the next couple of days.

The Original: Frances Langford (1935)

Today we start with the great Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields standard I’m in the Mood for Love, introduced in the 1935 Paramount picture Every Night at Eight. 

Frances Langford introduced the song in the film and recorded it for Brunswick.

Very Nice! Here is a clip of her from the movie:

It’s interesting that Frances got to sing the hit song and play George Raft’s love interest, especially with the higher-billed Alice Faye in the cast. But Hollywood had its own logic: Alice would soon become a major star at Fox, while Frances carved out a long, successful career on radio. 

The Satchmo Touch: Louis Armstrong (1935)

As a contrast, here’s a contemporary cover by Louis Armstrong on Decca:

Satchmo is absolutely the whole show here - trumpet solo, vocal, and a final trumpet solo - all riding over those vaguely Lombardo-esque saxophones!

The Evolution: James Moody (1949)

If we jump ahead to 1949, we find a very different use of a saxophone: an alto in the hands of James Moody. He recorded this brilliant improvisation in Sweden, which was issued in the U.S. on the Prestige label:

This version caused such a sensation that it earned its own nickname: “Moody’s Mood for Love.” It’s a great example of how a musician can find a completely new architecture within a familiar melody.

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Which version puts you in the mood for love? Are you partial to the classic Langford vocal, Satchmo's trumpet, or the bebop brilliance of the Moody mood?

Monday Side-Session: The Many Moods of Indigo

Yesterday, we basked in the original instrumental glory of Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo. Today, we’re flipping the script to listen to how the vocalists took over!

The song acquired lyrics almost immediately. They were ostensibly written by Irving Mills, Duke’s manager, though I always wonder how much actual lyric‑writing he did. My hunch is that he sometimes subcontracted the words while still sharing composing credit with Duke (and in this case, Barney Bigard).

We have a bunch of vocal versions, so let's get started!

The Early Pioneers (1931–1933)

The first vocal version appeared in 1931, when Lee Morse and her Blue Grass Boys recorded it for Columbia:

That's great! And of course, “Blue Grass” didn’t mean “Bluegrass” in 1931 - no fiddles or banjos!

Next came Gene Austin (of “My Blue Heaven” fame), who recorded the song for Victor:

Is that perhaps the first time a Duke Ellington number was recorded as an out‑and‑out pop song?

Also in 1932, The Three Keys cut “Mood Indigo” for Columbia:

The label notes that “Bon Bon” is one of the group members - that’s the great George Tunnell, later featured with Jan Savitt’s band, and an early example of a Black singer starring with a white band.

It’s no surprise that the jazz‑leaning Boswell Sisters got their hands on an Ellington tune, and indeed they recorded “Mood Indigo” for Brunswick in 1933:

The Bozzies always sound great and how can you beat having the Dorsey Brothers for backup?

The Duke & The Divas (1940–1941)

As we move to 1940, we come to Duke Ellington himself, who recorded a vocal version with Ivie Anderson for Columbia:

I believe that’s Duke’s first session with the brilliant Jimmy Blanton on bass and Ben Webster on tenor sax. We’ll be hearing plenty from the Blanton/Webster band as we go forward.

Moving to 1941, we have a terrific version by Dinah Shore, from a Victor album tied to the radio show NBC’s Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street.

This was early in Dinah's long and successful career, but she already had the goods!

The Mid-Century Moderns (1950s)

Now we hit the 1950s with The Four Blazes on the small United label in 1952:

So nice and smooth!

Next comes another independent label entry: The Norman Petty Trio on Nor‑Va‑Jak in 1954.

RCA Victor’s subsidiary Vik picked up that recording for national distribution, and it became a hit. Norman Petty is, of course, better known as a producer - especially for Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

Also in 1954, The Modernaires teamed with fellow big band vet Georgie Auld for this version on Coral Records:

The Mods’ doo‑wops and Georgie’s tenor sax give it a distinctly mid‑’50s flavor!

Also in 1954, Billy Eckstine (himself a big band veteran) recorded the song for MGM:

It fits Mr. B like a glove!

Then perhaps the most famous big‑band alumnus of all, Frank Sinatra, included a terrific version on his 1955 Capitol album In the Wee Small Hours:

Frank and arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle are an unbeatable combination!

The Mills Brothers finally got around to "Mood Indigo" in 1958, recording it for their album Mmmm... on Dot Records:

That really does make you go Mmmm...

Next up in 1959 is the incomparable Nat "King" Cole. who included the song on his Welcome to the Club album for Capitol:

Just great! I understand that Dave Cavanaugh is conducting the Count Basie band there!

Also in 1959, Perry Como included the song in his RCA Victor album Como Swings:

I know I've said it before, but Perry was a sneaky-hip square!

Another long-time popular singing star, Doris Day, included the tune on her 1960 album What Every Girl Should Know for Columbia:

I think Doris is underrated as a vocalist these days, since she’s best remembered as a movie star - but at least she’s remembered.

We've really only scratched the surface of this song's life. Do you prefer the early, torchy 1930s takes, or the "Wee Small Hours" sophistication of the 1950s?

Sundays with Duke #13: Setting the Mood

As we hit 1931 with Duke Ellington, we arrive at one of the crown jewels of his entire output: Mood Indigo. Few pieces announce the Ellington sound so completely — the colors, the poise, the sly melancholy, the sense that the band is painting with air.

The discography gets a little twisty right out of the gate. The first recording seems to be this Okeh release credited to the Harlem Footwarmers:

But the waters get muddy, because there’s also this Brunswick recording under the Jungle Band name:

Dreamy Blues was the original title — and only appeared on the very first run — before the tune became Mood Indigo forever after.

Whatever the case, the Victor version from 1931 is the one that became famous, and it still sounds magnificent:

This is the first Ellington original that inspired a zillion cover versions and remakes almost immediately. Everyone wanted a piece of that mood.

Early Covers (1931–1934)

Clyde McCoy returns with this 1931 Columbia recording:

Despite Clyde’s reputation as a corn‑shucker, his style actually works beautifully here — the wah‑wah gives the tune a kind of swampy ache.

A more predictable candidate to cover Ellington was Jimmie Lunceford, whose band cut this terrific version for Decca in 1934:

A lovely arrangement by alto sax man Willie Smith, who always had a knack for elegance.

The Tune Travels (1940s–1950s)

Here’s a fascinating Hawaiian‑style take from Felix Mendelssohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders, recorded for British Columbia in 1942:

I really like this one — it’s dreamy in a completely different way

From 1945, we get Andre Kostelanetz with a lush orchestral version on American Columbia:

The classy “Masterworks” imprint meant 12‑inch discs, so the maestro got two extra inches of groove to play with.

Jumping to 1955, here’s a mambo version by Pérez Prado on RCA Victor:

I'm pretty much a sucker for any Prado mambo take on a standard!

From 1956, Marty Gold gives us a bachelor‑pad arrangement on his Vik album Wired for Sound:

Dig it, cats - it’s pure hi‑fi lounge charm!

Also from 1956, pianist Johnny Maddox tones down the honky‑tonk for this Dot Records 45:

Surprisingly tasteful — it works.

The Co‑Composer Speaks (1957)

Barney (Don't call me 'Albany') Bigard, Duke’s longtime clarinetist and co‑composer of Mood Indigo, recorded his own extended version for his 1957 Liberty album Jazz Hall of Fame:

Pretty cool to hear him stretch out on the tune he helped create.

A Country Twist (1961)

One more before we wrap: in 1961, country piano master Floyd Cramer released this version as the flipside of his RCA Victor hit “On the Rebound”

Nice touch — it’s simple, warm, and unmistakably Cramer.

Tomorrow’s side session will explore vocal versions, and there are some beauties waiting in the wings as Mood Indigo becomes a whole different shade of blue!

Friday Fun: Play Ball!

Now that the 2026 Major League Baseball season is underway, the Hoosier Hot Shots return for some Friday Fun with their version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Let's spin their 1936 record:

Good fun! That's another one that made the rounds of the various budget labels.

Go, Red Sox!

Threaded Thursday: Rural Rhythm

We just enjoyed the animated antics of The Old Man of the Mountain, so today we’re picking up the “mountain” thread to enjoy the equally animated antics of The Hoosier Hot Shots.

The boys had a couple of mountain-themed records in the mid-thirties on the various budget labels that perfectly capture their "Rural Rhythm," so we’ll be giving them a spin.

Are you ready, Hezzie?

The Sentiment: I Like Mountain Music (1938)

Can’t argue with that sentiment - especially when the Hot Shots deliver it with their usual blend of precision, mischief, and controlled mayhem.

The Parody: Them Hill-billies Are Mountain Williams Now (1936)

It’s interesting to note that by 1936, country music was already commercialized enough to be ripe for parody. The Hot Shots were masters at poking fun at whatever Americana trope was floating through the airwaves, and this one is a prime example of their wit.

Serious Musicianship, Unserious Material

As a fan of novelty records and 1930s music, I find the Hoosier Hot Shots endlessly fascinating. I sometimes wonder how clarinetist Gabe Ward might have sounded in an alternate universe where he played straight jazz instead of novelty. He’s a bit like Clyde McCoy in that sense - serious musicianship devoted to unserious material.

And of course… Hezzie is awesome! There’s just no other way to put it. Between the washboard, the bells, and the whistles, he’s the heartbeat of the whole operation!

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Do the Hot Shots make you want to grab a washboard and join the band, or is their brand of "controlled mayhem" best enjoyed from a safe distance?