I'm Beginning to See the Light
| "I'm Beginning to See the Light" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1944 by Grand Music Corp |
| Songwriter(s) | Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James[1] |
"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, with music written by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James and lyrics by Don George and published in 1944.
1945 recordings
Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots featuring Bill Kenny recorded a version in 1945, that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945 and reached #5.
A competing recording by Harry James and his Orchestra,[2] with lead vocals by Kitty Kallen, reached No. 1 for two weeks in January of that year. James' version of the song reached No. 7 on the Billboard magazine Second Annual High School Survey in 1945.[3] Duke Ellington released a version, with vocal by Joya Sherrill, which reached the top ten.[4] The Delta Rhythm Boys recorded a version of the song in 1945.
Other notable recordings
- Oscar Alemán (1946)
- Gerry Mulligan, on Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker (1955)
- Count Basie and Joe Williams, on The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (1956)
- Mel Tormé, on Mel Tormé At The Crescendo (1957)
- Connie Francis (1958)
- Peggy Lee, on Things Are Swingin' (1958)
- Johnnie Ray (1958)
- Joanie Sommers, on Positively the Most! (1960)
- Mary Stallings and Cal Tjader, on Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings (1961)
- Bobby Darin (1962); featured in the 1996 feature film Swingers.
- Frank Sinatra (1962), on "Sinatra And Swingin' Brass"
- Ella and Basie!, a 1963 Verve Records release with arrangements by Quincy Jones.
- Clare Fischer, on Songs for Rainy Day Lovers (1967)
- Bob Dorough with Bill Takas, on Beginning to See the Light (1976)
- Billy Eckstine has recorded the song on several occasions, including versions with Billy May, with Quincy Jones, with Bobby Tucker and with Gil Askey.
- Kate Ceberano, on Kate Ceberano and her Septet (1986)
- Natalie Cole, on Take a Look (1993)
- Peggy Lee, on Spotlight on Peggy Lee (1995)
- Dee Dee Bridgewater, on Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album (1996)
- Rosemary Clooney, on Out of This World (2000)
- The Hi-Lo's, on A Musical Thrill (2006)
- Royce Campbell, on Get Happy (2007)
- Joe Jackson, on his Ellington tribute album, The Duke (2012)
- Karen Souza, on Velvet Vault (2017)
- Seal, on Standards (2017)
- Sutton Foster, on her album Wish
- Chelsea Krombach, on her debut album Look for the Silver Lining
- The SuperJazz Big Band from Birmingham, Alabama, on UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis
- Michael Bublé
- Al Jarreau, on "Accentuate the Positive"
- Kelly Rowland
References
- ^ "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side B.
- ^ Smith, Kathleen E.R. (28 March 2003). God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 167. ISBN 0-8131-2256-2.
- ^ "I'm Beginning to See the Light" at Jazz Standards
