In the Mood
“In the Mood” is a popular big band-era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. It topped the charts for 13 straight weeks in 1940 in the U.S. and one year later was featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. The first recording of “In the Mood” was release by Edgar Hayes and his Orchestra in 1938
In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In 1999, National Public Radio (NPR) included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording on RCA Bluebird on the NPR 100, the list of “The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century”.
In 2004, the 1939 Glenn Miller recording on RCA Victor was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
“In the Mood” opens with a now-famous sax 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 the most famous recording, between Tex Beneke and Al Klink—and a 16-bar trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley. The arrangement is also famous for its ending: a coda that climbs triumphantly, then sounds a simple sustained unison tonic pitch with a rim shot.
The final recording consisted of musical contributions by Joe Garland, Glenn Miller, Eddie Durham, and Chummy MacGregor in what can be termed a “head arrangement”.
“In the Mood” was an arrangement by Joe Garland based on a pre-existing melody. Lyrics were added by Andy Razaf. The main theme, featuring repeated arpeggios rhythmically displaced, previously appeared under the title of “Tar Paper Stomp” credited to jazz trumpeter and bandleader Wingy Manone. Manone recorded “Tar Paper Stomp” on August 28, 1930 in Richmond, Indiana and released it as a 78 single on Champion Records as by Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs, re-released in 1935 as by Wingy Manone’s Orchestra. The recording was re-released in 1937 as a Decca 78 single as by Wingy Manone and his Orchestra. Horace Henderson used the same riff in “Hot and Anxious”, recorded by his brother’s band, Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra, on March 19, 1931, which was released on Columbia Records as by the Baltimore Bell Boys. Don Redman recorded “Hot and Anxious” in 1932 on Brunswick Records.
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. Wingy Manone had brought up the issue of the similarity between “Tar Paper Stomp” and “In the Mood” to Joe Garland and to the publishing company of the song, Shapiro, Bernstein, and Company of New York. Manone also discussed the issue in Down Beat magazine. “Tar Paper Stomp” was copyrighted on November 6, 1941 as a pianoforte version by Peer International.
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, released as a B side to their recording of “Stardust” on Decca Records. In this recording there was a baritone sax duet rather than a tenor sax battle. The riff had appeared in a 1935 recording by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band entitled “There’s Rhythm In Harlem” released on Columbia Records which had been composed and arranged by Garland. Before offering it to Glenn Miller, Garland sold the tune to Artie Shaw in 1938, who chose not to record it because the original arrangement was too long. However, he did perform the song in concert. The initial Artie Shaw performance was over six minutes in length with a lackluster audience response. The arranger of the Shaw version was Jerry Gray, who would join the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1940. The band subsequently performed a shorter version. The Hayes recording was over three minutes in length to fit on one side of a 78 record.
Joe Marsala released a song entitled “Hot String Beans” on Vocalion in 1938 that also featured the riff from “Tar Paper Stomp”.
Wingy Manone recorded a new song entitled “Jumpy Nerves” on April 26, 1939 that incorporated the riff from “Tar Paper Stomp” which was released as a 78 single that year on RCA Bluebird.
The tune was finally sold in 1939 to Glenn Miller, who played around with its arrangement for a while. Although the arrangers of most of the Miller tunes are known, things are a bit uncertain for “In the Mood”. It is often thought[10] that Eddie Durham (who contributed other arrangements on the recording date of “In the Mood”, August 1, 1939 as well), John Chalmers, Chummy MacGregor (the pianist, composer, and arranger in the Glenn Miller Orchestra) and Miller himself contributed most to the final version. According to the 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.” Both MacGregor and Miller were involved in creating the final arrangement of the song: “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.”
Two editions of the sheet music are in common 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?”
Personnel
The personnel on the landmark August 1, 1939 session at RCA studios in New York were: Glenn Miller, Al Mastren, and Paul Tanner, trombones; Clyde Hurley, Lee Knowles, and Dale McMickle, trumpets; Wilbur Schwartz, clarinet; Hal McIntyre, alto sax; Tex Beneke, Al Klink, and Harold Tennyson, tenor saxes; Chummy MacGregor, piano; Richard Fisher, guitar; Rowland Bundock, string bass; and Moe Purtill, drums.
The Glenn Miller 1939 recording on RCA Bluebird, B-10416-A, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1983. It is one of the most recognized and popular instrumentals of the 20th century. A sample of the recording is heard in The Beatles’ #1 1967 single “All You Need is Love”, and in the Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers’ worldwide 1989 hit, “Swing the Mood”.