In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes & His Orchestra in 1938.
This article is about the big band-era song popularized by Glenn Miller. For other uses, see In the Mood (disambiguation)."In the Mood"
November 27, 1939 Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., New York[1]
September 15, 1939
August 1, 1939
3:40
Bluebird (US) His Master's Voice (UK)
Wingy Manone (c), Andy Razaf (w), Joe Garland (a)
"Christopher Columbus"
2:29
Wingy Manone (c), Andy Razaf (w), Joe Garland (a)
In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the recording was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
In 1999, National Public Radio (NPR) included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording in its list of "The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century".[2][3]
Glenn Miller's "In the Mood", with "I Want to Be Happy" on the B-side, became the best-selling swing instrumental.[4][5]
Arrangement[edit]
"In the Mood" starts with a saxophone section theme based on repeated arpeggios that are rhythmically displaced; trumpets and trombones add accent riffs. The arrangement has two solo sections: a "tenor fight" or chase solo—in one recording between Tex Beneke and Al Klink—and a 16-bar trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley.[6] At the end of the song, a coda climbs triumphantly, then sounds a sustained unison tonic pitch with a rim shot.[4]
History[edit]
"In the Mood" was an arrangement by Joe Garland based on an existing melody. Lyrics were added by Andy Razaf. The main theme with repeated arpeggios rhythmically displaced appeared under the title "Tar Paper Stomp" and was credited to trumpeter Wingy Manone.[7] Manone recorded "Tar Paper Stomp" on August 28, 1930, in Richmond, Indiana, and released it as a 78 single for Champion Records under the name Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs. It was re-released in 1935 by Wingy Manone's Orchestra.[8]
Horace Henderson used the same riff in "Hot and Anxious", which was recorded by his brother Fletcher Henderson on March 19, 1931, for Columbia under the name the Baltimore Bell Hops. Don Redman recorded "Hot and Anxious" for Brunswick in 1932.
Under copyright laws, a tune that had not been written down and registered with the copyright office could be appropriated by any musician with a good ear. Manone raised the similarity between "Tar Paper Stomp" and "In the Mood" to Joe Garland and to the publisher Shapiro, Bernstein, and Company of New York.[9] Manone also discussed the issue in DownBeat magazine.
"Tar Paper Stomp" was copyrighted on November 6, 1941, as a pianoforte version by Peer International.[10]
The first recording of Joe Garland's version of "In the Mood" was made by Edgar Hayes and his Orchestra in 1938 with Garland participating. It was released as a B side to their recording of "Stardust" for Decca. On this recording there was a baritone saxophone duet rather than a tenor saxophone battle. The riff had appeared in a 1935 recording by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band entitled "There's Rhythm in Harlem", which had been composed and arranged by Garland. Before offering it to Miller, Garland sold it in 1938 to Artie Shaw, who chose not to record it because the original arrangement was too long, but he did perform it in concert.[11]
Artie Shaw's version was over six minutes long and met a lackluster audience response.[9] Jerry Gray arranged Shaw's version. The band later performed a shorter version. The Hayes recording was over three minutes in length to fit on one side of a 78 record.
The song was sold in 1939 to Glenn Miller, who experimented with the arrangement. The author of the final arrangement is unknown. One possibility is Eddie Durham because he wrote other arrangements on the same day that "In the Mood" was recorded. Other possibilities include pianist Chummy MacGregor, who was Miller's chief arranger, John Chalmers, and Miller himself. According to an account by MacGregor, "all they used of the original arrangement were the two front saxophone strains and another part that occurred later on in the arrangement."[12] Both MacGregor and Miller were involved in creating the final arrangement: "MacGregor mentioned that additional solos were added to the original arrangement and he wrote the finishing coda. Miller probably edited some of the arrangement along with MacGregor."[12][13] In its final form, it is an example of Hemiola rhythm.
Two copyrights were filed by Joseph Copeland Garland on June 8 and November 26, 1938,[14] before the song was published by Lewis Music Pub. Co., Inc. on October 31, 1939, with Joe Garland the lone songwriter.[15] Then on November 27, a copyright was filed with both Garland and Razaf by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc. of New York. A final copyright was filed by Shapiro, Bernstein on December 11, 1939, worded as follows: "In the mood; fox-trot, Andy Razaf & Joe Garland, arr. Joe Garland as suggested by Glenn Miller; orch. pts., with w."[16]
Two editions of the sheet music are in circulation. The 1939 publication credited to Garland and Razaf is in A♭ and has lyrics beginning: "Mister What-cha-call-em, what-cha doin' tonight?" The 1960 reprint credited only to Garland (with piano arrangement by Robert C. Haring) is in G and has lyrics beginning: "Who's the livin' dolly with the beautiful eyes?"
On August 1, 1939, Miller's version was recorded at the RCA Victor Studios at 155 East 24th Street in New York City. The personnel on Miller's recording included Al Mastren and Paul Tanner on trombone; Clyde Hurley, Legh Knowles, and Dale McMickle on trumpet; Wilbur Schwartz on clarinet; Hal McIntyre on alto saxophone; Tex Beneke, Al Klink, and Harold Tennyson on tenor saxophone; Chummy MacGregor on piano; Richard Fisher on guitar; Rowland Bundock on double bass; and Moe Purtill on drums.[17]