Moonglow (song)
Encyclopedia
"Moonglow", also known as "Moonglow and Love" is a 1933 popular
song with music by Will Hudson and Irving Mills
and words by Eddie DeLange
.
".
"Moonglow" appears in jazz fake books and lead sheets in the key of G, though it is also thought to originally be in the key of C. It is tonal, however it begins on the IV chord, also referred to as the subdominant
major chord, and the sixth, or submediant
note of the major scale, before resolving onto the tonic.
The melodic riff
of the A section is composed of a repeated minor third interval followed by a major third interval and then a repeated note. Harmonic movement is largely in an ascending [circle of fourths], or with descending chromatic substitutions, but there is also movement between thirds or between major and minor seventh chords. Minor seventh chords are often played in first inversion in this tune, and may therefore be thought of and notated as 6 chords of the relative major.
Rhythmically "Moonglow" is in 4/4 time. It is a foxtrot typically played at a slow tempo, although some performers, notably Art Tatum
, have played it faster. The rhythm is syncopated
. Jazz players will usually swing the eighth notes.
and his Orchestra in 1934, and has since become a jazz standard, performed and recorded numerous times by a wide array of musical talents.
In the 1950s a medley
of this song and George Dunning's "Theme from Picnic" became quite popular, especially in instrumental recordings by Morris Stoloff
, as well as by George Cates
and his Orchestra. Dunning wrote the film's theme to counterpoint "Moonglow."
Les Deux Love Orchestra recorded a new version of the Artie Shaw
arrangement of "Moonglow." It appears on their album, "King Kong." (2008)
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song with music by Will Hudson and Irving Mills
Irving Mills
Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
and words by Eddie DeLange
Eddie DeLange
Eddie DeLange was an American bandleader and lyricist. Famous artists who recorded some of DeLange's songs include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.-Biography:...
.
Musicological Notes
"Moonglow" is a 32 bar tune in the form of AABA, and features a chord progression and starting melody line strikingly similar to Irving Berlin's "RememberRemember (1925 song)
"Remember" is a popular song by Irving Berlin, published in 1925. The song is a popular standard, recorded by numerous artists.In the lyric, Berlin uses an interesting poetic technique by extending the sound of the word "forgot" into "forget me not" then placing the original word and the base form...
".
"Moonglow" appears in jazz fake books and lead sheets in the key of G, though it is also thought to originally be in the key of C. It is tonal, however it begins on the IV chord, also referred to as the subdominant
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It is also the note immediately...
major chord, and the sixth, or submediant
Submediant
In music, the submediant is the sixth scale degree of the diatonic scale, the 'lower mediant' halfway between the tonic and the subdominant or 'lower dominant'...
note of the major scale, before resolving onto the tonic.
The melodic riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
of the A section is composed of a repeated minor third interval followed by a major third interval and then a repeated note. Harmonic movement is largely in an ascending [circle of fourths], or with descending chromatic substitutions, but there is also movement between thirds or between major and minor seventh chords. Minor seventh chords are often played in first inversion in this tune, and may therefore be thought of and notated as 6 chords of the relative major.
Rhythmically "Moonglow" is in 4/4 time. It is a foxtrot typically played at a slow tempo, although some performers, notably Art Tatum
Art Tatum
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
, have played it faster. The rhythm is syncopated
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
. Jazz players will usually swing the eighth notes.
History of Recordings
"Moonglow" was first recorded by Joe Venuti and his Orchestra in 1933, with later recordings by Ethel Waters and Benny GoodmanBenny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
and his Orchestra in 1934, and has since become a jazz standard, performed and recorded numerous times by a wide array of musical talents.
In the 1950s a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
of this song and George Dunning's "Theme from Picnic" became quite popular, especially in instrumental recordings by Morris Stoloff
Morris Stoloff
Morris Stoloff was a musical composer.Stoloff worked as a music director at Columbia Pictures from 1936 to 1962...
, as well as by George Cates
George Cates
George Cates was an American music arranger, conductor, songwriter and record executive known for his work with Lawrence Welk and his orchestra....
and his Orchestra. Dunning wrote the film's theme to counterpoint "Moonglow."
Les Deux Love Orchestra recorded a new version of the Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
arrangement of "Moonglow." It appears on their album, "King Kong." (2008)
Movie Soundtracks
A recording of "Moonglow" by the Benny Goodman Quartet is part of the soundtrack to the movie The Aviator. and the movie The Fabulous Baker BoysThe Fabulous Baker Boys
The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American romantic drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves, and starring real life brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges as two brothers struggling to make a living as lounge jazz pianists in Seattle...