Misty (song)

Last updated
"Misty"
Misty - Johnny Mathis.jpg
Artwork for US 7-inch single
Single by Johnny Mathis
from the album Heavenly
B-side "The Story of Our Love"
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1959
RecordedApril 9, 1959
Studio Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City
Length3:38
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner
Producer(s) Mitch Miller, Al Ham [1]
Johnny Mathis singles chronology
"Small World"
(1959)		"Misty"
(1959)		"The Best of Everything"
(1959)

"Misty" is a jazz standard written and originally recorded in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format, and recorded it on July 27, 1954 [2] for the album Contrasts . Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It appeared on Johnny Mathis' 1959 album Heavenly , and this recording reached number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. It has since become Mathis’ signature song.

Contents

The song has been recorded by many other artists, including versions by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Ray Stevens who released a hit country version in 1975. Recordings by both Johnny Mathis and Erroll Garner have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [3] It was ranked number 174 in the list of the Songs of the Century compiled by Recording Industry Association of America and National Endowment for the Arts. [4]

Composition

Erroll Garner was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into O'Hare, Garner looked through the window to see a rainbow glowing through a haze and was moved to begin composing "Misty" on the spot, striking imaginary piano keys on his knees as he hummed the notes he imagined (causing his neighboring passenger to summon a flight attendant to assist the apparently ill Garner). [5]

The lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. Burke was initially reluctant to create lyrics for the tune but was persuaded to do so at the insistence of his pianist, Herb Mesick. [3] It was said that Mesick played the tune every time Burke came into the room, until Burke said: "Alright, give me the damn music, and I'll do it." Burke wrote the lyrics in two to three hours. [6]

Early recordings

Erroll Garner first recorded his rendition of "Misty" on piano on July 27, 1954, accompanied by Wyatt Ruther on bass and Fats Heard on drums. [7] The recording was first released in October 1954 and credited to the Erroll Garner Trio, [8] and it was included in Garner's album Contrasts released in December 1954. [9] Garner later re-recorded the song with an orchestral arrangement by Mitch Miller for his album Other Voices in 1957. [10] Instrumental versions were also recorded by Georgie Auld and Johnny Costa in 1955. [10] Garner's original recording was ranked No. 174 in the list of the Songs of the Century compiled by RIAA and NEA. [4]

After lyrics were written for "Misty", Dakota Staton was the first to record the song in 1957. [6] A number of artists also recorded the song, [10] but it was the recording by Sarah Vaughan that drew greater attention to it. Sarah Vaughan recorded the song in a July 1958 Paris session, with an arrangement by Quincy Jones for her album Vaughan and Violins . [3] [6] It was released backed with "Broken Hearted Melody", and it reached No. 6 on the Bubbling Under chart in July 1959. [11] Those who recorded the song after Sarah Vaughan included Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and most notably Johnny Mathis, who created the best-known version of it. [3]

Johnny Mathis version

Background

Johnny Mathis first heard Erroll Garner play the tune when he was a teenager and told Garner that he would love to sing it if Garner had lyrics for it. [12] A few years later, having heard Sarah Vaughan's version of the song, he chose "Misty" as one of the possible songs for his 1959 album Heavenly and informed Erroll Garner that he would record the song. However, at the recording session for the album, it was scheduled that Johnny Mathis should record a show tune rather than "Misty". Accounts differ as to whether it was Erroll Garner or his business manager, Martha Glaser, who turned up unexpectedly at the recording session, [12] [6] and Johnny Mathis then insisted on recording "Misty" to fulfil his promise to record the song with the unexpected guest in attendance. [6]

Glenn Osser arranged the song at short notice, with Andy Ackers playing the piano. Johnny Mathis revealed that, on the high-pitched note when he first started singing "On my own" after the instrumental break, he used a technique of standing a distance from the microphone and then walked slowly toward it to create a fade in effect. Johnny Mathis said that "Misty" was the song of which he was the most proud, because he recorded the song the way he wanted to, rather than relying on the producer, Mitch Miller. [6]

The song was initially released as a back-to-back single together with Garner's version intended only for those in the broadcasting industry, but due to heavy demand Columbia released Mathis' recording as a commercial single in September 1959. [10] It reached No. 12 on Billboard Hot 100. Although the song is not Mathis' highest charting song, it became his signature song. Mathis received his first Grammy nomination for the song at the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category. [13] Both Mathis' and Garner's recordings were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Garner in 1991 and Mathis in 2002. [14]

Chart performance

Weekly singles

Chart (1959–60)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [15] 12
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [17] 10

Play Misty for Me

Clint Eastwood used the instrumental version in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me , a low-budget film that proved to be a box-office success. Eastwood was said to have paid Garner a $25,000 fee for the right to use the tune in his film. [3]

Ray Stevens version

"Misty"
Misty by ray stevens US single side-A.png
Side A of the US single
Single by Ray Stevens
from the album Misty
B-side "Sunshine"
ReleasedApril 1975
Recordedc. February 1975
Genre Country
Label Barnaby
Songwriter(s) Erroll Garner
Producer(s) Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens singles chronology
"Moonlight Special"
(1974)		"Misty"
(1975)		"Indian Love Call"
(1975)

Background and release

In 1975, singer Ray Stevens released an up-tempo country rendition of this song. It is the title track of his twelfth studio album. Stevens recounted that the song was recorded on the second take when experimenting in the studio. His version won a Grammy in the category of Music Arrangement of the Year. [18] This version peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom.

Chart performance

Other notable versions

Related Research Articles

"Hey There" is a show tune from the musical play The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It was published in 1954. It was introduced by John Raitt in the original production. In the show, Sid sings it to a recording device, telling himself that he's foolish to continue his advances to Babe. He plays the tape back, and after responding to his own comments, sings a duet with himself.

"Pledging My Love" is a blues ballad. It was written by Ferdinand Washington and Don Robey and published in 1954.

"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular country song written by Harlan Howard, and published in 1959. The sheet music was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter Wonderland</span> Original song written and composed by Felix Bernard (music) and Richard B. Smith (words)

"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season.

"Deep Purple" is a song and the biggest hit written by pianist Peter DeRose, who broadcast between 1923 and 1939 with May Singhi as "The Sweethearts of the Air" on the NBC radio network. The British rock band Deep Purple named themselves after the song.

"Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since then. In 2004, it finished at No. 37 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything Is Beautiful</span> 1970 single by Ray Stevens

"Everything Is Beautiful" is a song written, composed and performed by Ray Stevens. It has appeared on many of Stevens's albums, including one named after the song, and has become a pop standard and common in religious performances. The children heard singing the chorus of the song, using the hymn "Jesus Loves the Little Children", are from Oak Hill Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time, this group included Stevens's two daughters, Suzi and Timi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Help Me Make It Through the Night</span> 1970 country song by Kris Kristofferson

"Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album Kristofferson. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album Help Me Make It Through the Night. It has been covered since by many other artists from Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley and Joan Baez.

"It Could Happen to You" is a popular standard with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was written in 1943 and was introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the Paramount musical comedy film And the Angels Sing (1944).

"Embraceable You" is a jazz standard song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named East Is West. It was published in 1930 and included in that year's Broadway musical Girl Crazy, performed by Ginger Rogers in a song and dance routine choreographed by Fred Astaire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?</span> 1942 single by Lucienne Boyer

"Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" is a French popular song, with music by Léo Chauliac and Charles Trenet and lyrics by Charles Trenet. A version of the song with English lyrics entitled "I Wish You Love" is recognizable by the opening line "I wish you bluebirds, in the spring".

"Moonlight Becomes You" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was written for the Paramount Pictures release Road to Morocco (1942) and published in 1942 in connection with the film. Vic Schoen wrote the arrangement.

"Little Green Apples" is a song written by Bobby Russell that became a hit for three different artists, with their three separate releases, in 1968. Originally written for and released by American recording artist Roger Miller, "Little Green Apples" was also released as a single by American recording artists Patti Page and O. C. Smith that same year. Smith's version became a #2 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles charts, while Miller's version became a Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 as well as the UK Singles Chart. Page's version became her last Hot 100 entry. The song earned Russell a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and for Best Country Song. In 2013, "Little Green Apples" was covered by English recording artist Robbie Williams featuring American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, which became a top 40 hit in Mexico.

"Peter Gunn" is the theme music composed by Henry Mancini for the television show of the same name. The song was the opening track on the original soundtrack album, The Music from Peter Gunn, released by RCA Victor in 1959. Mancini won an Emmy Award and two Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Arrangement. In 2005, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<i>Heavenly</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1959 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Heavenly is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on August 10, 1959, by Columbia Records and marked his return to recording ballads with orchestral accompaniment. Along with the material that others had covered before are two new songs: the title track and "I'll Be Easy to Find".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Home for Christmas</span> 1943 Holiday song

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard.

<i>Johnny Mathis in Person: Recorded Live at Las Vegas</i> 1971 live album by Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis in Person: Recorded Live at Las Vegas is a live album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was recorded at Caesars Palace and released on December 22, 1971, by Columbia Records. All but five of the 23 songs performed had appeared on his studio albums, while the five previously unrecorded songs have not appeared on a Mathis studio album since.

<i>Johnny Mathis All-Time Greatest Hits</i> 1972 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis' All-Time Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in the spring of 1972 by Columbia Records and, despite its title, overlooks a good number of his Top 40 hits in favor of his singles that did not make the Billboard Hot 100 and album tracks that were not released as singles.

<i>Live</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1984 live album by Johnny Mathis

Live is a live album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in October 15, 1984, by Columbia Records and includes performances of some of his classics, songs from recent albums, and three selections that have never appeared on a Mathis studio album.

<i>Songs from Mr. Music</i> 1950 studio album by Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Dorothy Kirsten

Songs from Mr. Music is a Decca Records studio 78rpm album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters and Dorothy Kirsten of songs from the film Mr. Music.

References

  1. ↑ (1993) The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records C4K-48932.
  2. ↑ Facebook
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Gioia, Ted (2021). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. pp. 296–297. ISBN   9780190087173.
  4. 1 2 "Songs of the Century". CNN. March 7, 2001.
  5. 1 2 Brown, Mick (2007). Smoketown: the untold story of the other Black renaissance. NYC: Simon & Schuster. p. 226. ISBN   978-1-5011-2239-2.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Making "Misty": The Legendary Johnny Mathis Recording (2010)". Morningsonmaplestreet.com. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  7. ↑ Sullivan, Steve (2017). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings: Volume 3. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 259. ISBN   9781442254497.
  8. ↑ "Reviews of New Jazz Records". Billboard. October 2, 1954. p. 42.
  9. ↑ "The Greatest Name in Jazz - New Releases". Billboard. December 11, 1959. p. 40.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Pubber Hussle on Misty Licensing". Billboard. September 14, 1959. p. 4.
  11. ↑ "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard. July 20, 1959. p. 29.
  12. 1 2 Gilliland, John. "Pop Chronicles - Show 23 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66. [Part 2], The Music Men. [Part 1] - 3. Track3 - Johnny Mathis, Mitch Miller".
  13. ↑ "Johnny Mathis". Grammy Awards.
  14. ↑ Whorf, Michael (2014). American Popular Song Lyricists: Oral Histories, 1920s-1960s. McFarland. p. 36. ISBN   9780786490615.
  15. ↑ "Johnny Mathis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  16. ↑ "Johnny Mathis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ↑ "Johnny Mathis Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ Ray Stevens - About "Misty" and Live Performance on YouTube
  19. ↑ "Ray Stevens – Misty" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  20. 1 2 "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022– via Imgur.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3979." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3996a." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3967." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Misty". Irish Singles Chart.
  25. ↑ "Ray Stevens – Misty". Top 40 Singles.
  26. ↑ "Ray Stevens: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  27. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 229.
  28. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  29. ↑ "Archived copy". Library and Archives Canada . Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1975 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1975-12-31. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  31. ↑ "Britain's best selling records of '75". Record Mirror . London. January 10, 1976. p. 12. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Pop Singles" Billboard December 27, 1975: Talent in Action-8
  33. ↑ Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 269. ISBN   978-0-19-993739-4.
  34. ↑ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Bing Crosby : With All My Heart". AllMusic . Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  36. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (January 11, 2024). "Lesley Gore's 'Misty' Becomes the Oldest Song to Lead TikTok Billboard Top 50". Billboard . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Aretha Franklin : Yeah!!! In Person with Her Quartet". AllMusic . Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  38. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.