In the Mood

"In the Mood" is a song popularized by the American bandleader Glenn Miller in 1939, and one of the best-known arrangements of the big band era. Miller's rendition topped the charts one year later and was featured in the 1941 movie "Sun Valley Serenade". The song is an anomaly to chart purists. "In The Mood" was released in the period immediately prior to the instigation of retail sales charts in "Billboard" magazine. While it led the Record Buying Guide (jukebox list) for 13 weeks, it never made the top 15 on the sheet music charts, which were considered by many to be the true measure of popular song success. The popular "Your Hit Parade" program ranked the song no higher than ninth place, for one week only (1940).

It opens with a now-famous sax section theme, and is joined by trumpets and trombones after 13 counts. It has two main solo sections; a "tenor fight" solo -- in the most famous recording, between Tex Beneke and Al Klink -- and a 16-bar trumpet solo. It is also famous for its ending.

Origins

The song, a twelve-bar blues, was composed by Joe Garland and Andy Razaf, and arranged by Eddie Durham. The main theme previously appeared under the title of "Tar Paper Stomp", credited to jazz trumpeter/bandleader Wingy Manone, who recorded it several times in 1929 and 1930. A story says that after "In the Mood" became a hit, Manone was paid by Miller and his record company not to contest the copyright.

Renditions

Other notable big band artists who recorded the song include the Joe Loss orchestra, the Andrews Sisters, Xavier Cugat, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Lubo D'Orio and The Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Non-big band renditions were recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, John Lee Hooker, Chet Atkins, Bill Haley & His Comets, Bad Manners and Ernie Fields, Jr., whose version charted at number 4 in the U.S. in 1959. The song was charted at number 16 in 1953 with Johnny Maddox. Jonathan King scored a UK Top 50 hit with his version of the song in 1976. Bette Midler also recorded this song in 1973 (on the album "Bette Midler").

A version of the song was recorded by country/novelty artist Ray Stevens in 1977. Stevens' version consisted of him performing the song in chicken clucks, and was credited to the "Henhouse Five Plus Too". The single was a Top-40 hit in both America and the UK...in America it was a hit by Stevens in three music genres: It hit the Pop chart, the Country chart, and the Adult-Contemporary chart. A new Glenn Miller Orchestra version (obviously without Miller), made the Easy Listening (later Adult Contemporary) chart on the Buddah label, after the Ray Stevens novelty version had its day. Saxophonist Al Klink specified that this version be played at his memorial service upon his passing. It was.

Composer Curtis Wheeler rearranged In The Mood with another Glenn Miller classic, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree(With Anyone Else But Me) for "Swing!" The Musical. The notes for the main saxophone melody has changed, and the saxes also play the 6 measure trumpet solo at the end with the trumpet. The song is also at a faster tempo than the original.

In 1951 a Ferranti Mark I computer at the University of Manchester played "In the Mood", one of the first songs ever to be played by a computer. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7458479.stm BBC World] ] The recording of it is was the first ever recording of a computer playing music.

In 1999, Elton John, incorporated a bulk of the song in his hit Bennie and the Jets on his tour in Spain. He played in solo on piano without the band during a four-minute instrumental break.

Popular culture

During the coda of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," the saxophones in the background can be heard playing snippets of the song's introduction, at the minute 3'02.

The song is mentioned in the Genesis song "Broadway Melody of 1974" featured on the album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway".

Upon request in his will, "In The Mood" was played at the funeral of Peter Sellers in 1980. It was an ironic joke on Sellers' part; the comedian hated the song, probably from his days as a drummer when it would have been frequently requested.

In 1983, world music pioneer and rock legend Robert Plant recorded a melodic, surreal tune titled "In the Mood" which appeared on his second post Led Zeppelin solo work "The Principle of Moments".

The song was featured in the movies such as "Rookie of the Year", "The Parent Trap", "Swing Girls", Cannery Row (where the protagonists dance to its sound), "Who Slept With Her" (a 2006 Korean comedy) and Derek Yee's 1993 tearjerker "C'est la vie, mon chéri" starring "Anita Yuen". It is also one the tunes nostalgically remembered by Woody Allen in "Radio Days".

Glenn Miller's version is known to many younger people through its use as the instrumental theme in the sampled medley "Swing the Mood", a number 1 hit in many countries in the late 1980s by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers.

It is the song playing during the jitterbug country club scene in 1988's Mystic Pizza starring Julia Roberts.

Many high school and college jazz ensembles continue to play the song today. However, the original score was lost over the years, so all current versions are very similar to, but have slight differences from, the original Glenn Miller recorded version.

Popular radio talk show hosts Opie and Anthony will play this song in the background while Anthony goes into a comedic bit about the 40's, often putting on a "40's radio voice".

It is the song playing during the dance contest in Steven Spielberg's fourth theatrical film, 1941.

The longer movie version of the song by Glenn Miller was played as the theme for a nightly radio show in Massachusetts, featuring songs from the '30s, '40s and '50's.

In an episode of the cartoon Tom & Jerry where Jerry moves to the big city, the song is played as he wanders around town.

In Pool Hall Junkies In the Mood is being played at the office party.

In the thirteenth season episode of The Simpsons, The Old Man and the Key, Grandpa Simpson starts driving again while living with Homer and Marge. Homer gets mad at Grandpa for staying out all night and he takes away the car keys, prompting Grandpa to declare he hates living there. He storms upstairs, slams the door to his room, and begins to play In the Mood on a phonograph, very much like a teenager might do with a CD and a newer song.

J-Urban band mihimaru GT used the opening scale in their 2006 song "いつまでも響くこのMelody".

In 2002, it opened the 50th Gilmore Girls episode, "They Shoot Gilmores, don't they?".

Also in 2002, it was played in the Scrubs episode "My Case Study", where Dr. Bob Kelso is shown dancing in a short musical number in celebration after his anniversary. It also opens the episode "My Last Chance", as JD daydreams about his patients dancing.

In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

In 2005, it was played in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor Dances", in the final scene as the Doctor and Rose danced.

In 2007, the Minnesota Twins used it during their 7th inning tribute to late broadcaster Herb Carneal at all home games.

In 2007, The Wildhearts frontman Ginger, in his 3rd solo album release "Yoni" plays the intro from the song in his song "Can't Drink you Pretty"

ee also

* List of jazz standards

References