My Blue Heaven (song)
"My Blue Heaven" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Sheet music cover featuring Harry Richman, 1927 | ||||
Song by Gene Austin | ||||
B-side | "Are You Thinking Of Me To-night?" | |||
Published | October 10, 1927 by George Whiting Publishing Company, Donaldson Publishing Co[1] | |||
Released | November 4, 1927[2] | |||
Recorded | September 14, 1927 | |||
Studio | Victor Studios, New York City | |||
Genre | Jazz, Pop Vocal | |||
Label | Victor 20964 | |||
Composer(s) | Walter Donaldson | |||
Lyricist(s) | George A. Whiting | |||
Gene Austin singles chronology | ||||
|
"My Blue Heaven" is a
In 1928, "My Blue Heaven" became a huge hit on Victor 20964-A for
Background
The music for "My Blue Heaven" was written in 1924: "Donaldson wrote it one afternoon at the
Austin, unhappy with the Victor Company and "convinced that the best material which he brought to the company’s attention was going to other artists", "gave Nat Shilkret an ultimatum that he wouldn’t do another session unless his interpretation [of "My Blue Heaven"] was commercially released. According to Austin, an agreement was reached for "My Blue Heaven" to be coupled with "Are You Thinking of Me Tonight?", the most highly regarded song among those he was planning to record at that time."
Copyright
Donaldson established his own publishing company in 1928, and his rights in the song were apparently assigned to his company at that time, with the song listed as having been published by George Whiting Music and Donaldson Music.[13]
The song was subject to copyright in 1925 and 1927. These copyrights were renewed in 1953 and 1955, after the death of both composers, at which time the rights in the song were owned by
Film appearances
- 1931: The Neighbor's Wife and Mine
- 1932: The Last Mile
- 1941: Penny Serenade – played on a record and as background music.[15]
- 1943: Never a Dull Moment – sung by Frances Langford[16]
- 1948: Tom & Jerry: Kitty Foiled - whistled by Cuckoo the Canary and Jerry at the short's end
- 1950: My Blue Heaven – sung during the opening credits by Betty Grable, Dan Dailey and chorus. Danced by Betty Grable and Dan Dailey.[17]
- 1955: Love Me or Leave Me – sung by Doris Day.
- 1959: The Five Pennies – played by Bob Crosby and the band in rehearsal.[18]
- 1967: Titicut Follies – trombone rendition by one of the inmates
- 1972: The Ruling Class – sung by Peter O'Toole and Carolyn Seymour
- 1990: My Blue Heaven – performed by Fats Domino
- 1991: Fried Green Tomatoes – performed by Gene Austin and his orchestra
- 1995: Antonia's Line
Loretta Swit also performed a version of the song in the "Dear Dad, Again" episode of the television series M*A*S*H which first aired in February 1973.[19]
CD reissues of Gene Austin recording
The 1928 Victor recording (20964-A) by
- Billboard Pop Memories – The 1920s, compilation, Rhino R2-71575, 1994[20]
- Chart-Toppers of The Twenties, compilation, ASV/Living Era AJA-5292, 1998[21]
- Gene Austin: Singer and Songwriter, Gene Austin, Collectors' Choice CCM-10402, 2002[22]
- Nipper's Greatest Hits – The 20's, compilation, BMG-RCA 2258-2-R, 1990[23]
- They Sold a Million, compilation, Pulse PBX CD 430, 1999
- The Voice of the Southland, Gene Austin, ASV/Living Era AJA-5217, 1996[24]
- Yes, Sir, That's My Baby: The Golden Years of Tin Pan Alley 1920–1929, compilation, New World 80279-2, 2002
Other chart versions
Hit versions were also recorded by
References
- ^ "Gene Austin | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
- ^ Gene Austin – My Blue Heaven / Are You Thinking Of Me To-night? (1927, Shellac), retrieved 2021-08-05
- ^ "Internet Broadway Database". ibdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "Fake Book Index". Music Library. University at Buffalo Libraries. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ "Fake Book Index". Stan Getz Library. Berklee College of Music. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ Public Domain Day 2023
- ^ CD liner notes: Chart-Toppers of the Twenties, 1998 ASV Ltd.
- ^ "Matrix BVE-39179. My blue heaven / Gene Austin". Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ISBN 0-8108-5128-8
- ^ Prentice-Hall.
- ^ Biography of Walter Donaldson Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine; www.songwritershalloffame.org
- ^ a b c Frank Hoffmann. "Gene Austin". Survey of American Popular Music" The Crooners/Tin Pan Alley Pop Tradition. Sam Houston State University. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ Walter Donaldson, "Catalog Highlights", with publishing particulars Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine; www.songwritershalloffame.org. The legal name of Donaldson's publishing company was Donaldson, Douglas and Grumble, Inc.; see Walter Donaldson.
- ^ Teddy Shaw Wilson, My Blue Heaven (Digital Sheet Music) Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine; www.freehandmusic.com.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb,com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638284/
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 167.