Orange Colored Sky
Encyclopedia
"Orange Colored Sky" is a popular
song
, written by Milton DeLugg
and Willie Stein
and published in 1950
.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole
(with Stan Kenton
's orchestra), but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie
.
The recording by Nat King Cole
was recorded on August 16, 1950 and released by Capitol Records
as catalog number
1184. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on September 22, 1950 and lasted 13 weeks on the chart, peaking at #11. (Some sites list a 1945 date for this recording, but this is apparently in error.)
The first known recording was on July 11, 1950 on KING records catalog number 15061, with Janet Brace singing and Milton Delugg conducting the orchestra.
The recording by Jerry Lester was released by Coral Records
as catalog number 60325. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on November 24, 1950 and lasted 1 weeks on the chart, peaking at #30. Jerry Lester was the host of the late-night NBC
series Broadway Open House
, on which co-writer DeLugg was musical director. Because of the exposure that the song received on that show, Orange Colored Sky has been said to be one of the first songs to become a hit through television exposure.
Danny Kaye
and Patty Andrews recorded the song on September 28, 1950, in a version released by Decca Records
as catalog number 27261. Doris Day
recorded the song with the Page Cavanaugh Trio on August 21, 1950, in a version released by Columbia Records
as catalog number 38980 for the 78rpm version and 6-811 for the 45rpm version. A version of this song was recorded by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
. An Australia
n recording of the song was made by Larry Stellar, with Les Welch and his orchestra, in January, 1951
and released by the Australian company, Pacific Records, as catalog number 10-0052.
Actor Burt Ward
of Batman's
fame recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa
in 1966. One of the songs was Orange Colored Sky. The song was released as a 7" single (MGM K 13632). German songwriter and composer Bert Kaempfert
released a 1971 album entitled Orange Colored Sky. This song was sung by Wonder Woman
actress Lynda Carter
with various Muppets in a Season 4 episode of The Muppet Show
.
Tony-nominated actress, Alison Fraser
sang the song on her solo album, A New York Romance.
Richard Thompson covered the song on his album 1000 Years of Popular Music
. Japanese jazz singer Meg covered Orange Colored Sky on her 2006 album Grace. In that same year, a version of the song by Paul Anka
was included on the soundtrack of the film Confetti. Michael Bublé
recorded a version of this song as a bonus track on his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible
.
Lady Gaga
covered this song during a surprise appearance at The Oak Room in New York City on September 29, 2010 (wearing a dress made of hair) and again on January 5, 2011. Brian Newman served as a guest performer on trumpet for performances at the Robin Hood Gala on May 9, 2011 to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation
and at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, England on May 15, 2011. She then performed it as several other dates, including the ABC
special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. She then recorded the song as a track for her very first Christmas
EP
"A Very Gaga Holiday".
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
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, written by Milton DeLugg
Milton DeLugg
Milton DeLugg is an American composer and arranger.-Biography:A talented accordionist, he appeared in short Soundies musicals and occasional movies . He quickly became a successful arranger and composer...
and Willie Stein
Willie Stein
Willie Stein was an American television producer and songwriter.In 1950, Stein and Milton DeLugg cowrote the song "Orange Colored Sky", which became a hit for Nat King Cole, and later his daughter Natalie....
and published in 1950
1950 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.*August – Herbert Howells' Hymnus Paradisi is premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.*Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra....
.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
(with Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
's orchestra), but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
.
The recording by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
was recorded on August 16, 1950 and released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
1184. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on September 22, 1950 and lasted 13 weeks on the chart, peaking at #11. (Some sites list a 1945 date for this recording, but this is apparently in error.)
The first known recording was on July 11, 1950 on KING records catalog number 15061, with Janet Brace singing and Milton Delugg conducting the orchestra.
The recording by Jerry Lester was released by Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
as catalog number 60325. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on November 24, 1950 and lasted 1 weeks on the chart, peaking at #30. Jerry Lester was the host of the late-night NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Broadway Open House
Broadway Open House
Broadway Open House, network television's first late-night comedy-variety series, was telecast live on NBC from May 29, 1950 to August 24, 1951, airing weeknights from 11pm to midnight...
, on which co-writer DeLugg was musical director. Because of the exposure that the song received on that show, Orange Colored Sky has been said to be one of the first songs to become a hit through television exposure.
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
and Patty Andrews recorded the song on September 28, 1950, in a version released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number 27261. Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
recorded the song with the Page Cavanaugh Trio on August 21, 1950, in a version released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number 38980 for the 78rpm version and 6-811 for the 45rpm version. A version of this song was recorded by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Jalacy Hawkins , best known as Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an American musician, singer, and actor...
. An Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n recording of the song was made by Larry Stellar, with Les Welch and his orchestra, in January, 1951
1951 in music
-Events:*January 29 – Nilla Pizzi wins the first annual Sanremo Music Festival with "Grazie dei fiori".*February – The first complete performance of Charles Ives's Second Symphony is given in Carnegie Hall by the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.*March – Alan...
and released by the Australian company, Pacific Records, as catalog number 10-0052.
Actor Burt Ward
Burt Ward
Burt Ward is an American television actor and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin in the television series Batman and its theatrical film spin-off.-Early life:...
of Batman's
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
fame recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
in 1966. One of the songs was Orange Colored Sky. The song was released as a 7" single (MGM K 13632). German songwriter and composer Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
released a 1971 album entitled Orange Colored Sky. This song was sung by Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
actress Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter
Lynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
with various Muppets in a Season 4 episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
Tony-nominated actress, Alison Fraser
Alison Fraser
Alison Fraser is an American actress and singer who has appeared in concert at such venues as Carnegie Hall, The White House, Town Hall, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Tisch Center for the Arts, The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Wilma, The Emelin, Joe's Pub and Symphony space.Fraser is a two...
sang the song on her solo album, A New York Romance.
Richard Thompson covered the song on his album 1000 Years of Popular Music
1000 Years of Popular Music
1000 Years of Popular Music is a live album by Richard Thompson.The album was originally conceived after Thompson was ignored by Playboy magazine; initially meant simply as a list to be printed by the magazine, it was subsequently published into CD format. The songs comprising the tracklist cover a...
. Japanese jazz singer Meg covered Orange Colored Sky on her 2006 album Grace. In that same year, a version of the song by Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
was included on the soundtrack of the film Confetti. Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
recorded a version of this song as a bonus track on his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible
Call Me Irresponsible (album)
Call Me Irresponsible is the third studio album released by Grammy Award-winning Canadian jazz singer Michael Bublé. The album was released on May 1, 2007.-Release:...
.
Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
covered this song during a surprise appearance at The Oak Room in New York City on September 29, 2010 (wearing a dress made of hair) and again on January 5, 2011. Brian Newman served as a guest performer on trumpet for performances at the Robin Hood Gala on May 9, 2011 to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation
Robin Hood Foundation
The Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization, which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York, United States.-History:Founded in 1988, Robin Hood was the brainchild of hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones...
and at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, England on May 15, 2011. She then performed it as several other dates, including the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. She then recorded the song as a track for her very first Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
"A Very Gaga Holiday".