“I’ve Heard That Song Before” (1942) Harry James with Helen Forrest/(1970) Billy May with Joe Graves and Eileen Wilson

“I’ve Heard That Song Before”

Composed by Jule Styne (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyric); arranged by Dave Matthews.

Recorded by Harry James and His Orchestra for Columbia on July 31, 1942 in Hollywood.

Harry James, trumpet, directing: Nick Buono, Alex Cuozzo and Claude Bowen, trumpets; Dalton Rizzotto, Hoyt Bohannon and Harry Rodgers, trombones; Willard Culley, French horn; Sam Marowitz, first alto saxophone; Clint Davis, alto saxophone; Claude Lakey and Corky Corcoran, tenor saxophones; John McAfee, baritone saxophone; Leo Zorn, Sam Caplan, Abraham Hochstein, Ray Martinez, Jack Lee, Cyril Towbin, violins; Elias Friede, cello; Al Lerner, piano; Ben Heller, guitar; Thurman Teague, bass; Mickey Scrima, drums.

The story:

By the time Harry James and his band made the recording presented with this post, they were on the cusp of massive popular success. Harry started his first band in early 1939, and basically struggled for the next two years to keep it together. A turning point was reached in 1941. (The story of that is told in the post here at swingandbeyond.com on his recording of “Strictly Instrumental.”)(1) By early 1942, James began seeing one success follow another at an ever-quickening pace. The biggest success he achieved in the autumn of that year was him following Glenn Miller as the band featured on the CBS Chesterfield radio show. That show presented him, his band and his vocalist Helen Forrest three times a week. Consequently, his earlier successes were magnified and multiplied as they were broadcast over and over again on that sponsored network radio show. New Jamesian musical successes were made in large measure because of the reach and frequency of his Chesterfield radio shows. Not incidentally, the money Harry earned from appearing on that show basically covered all of the expenses he accrued each week by operating his band. Whatever he was able to earn in addition to his income from the Chesterfield show would in large measure be profit.

Helen Forrest was a major reason for the success of the James band. She had spent the years 1939 through much of 1941 as the featured singer, first with Artie Shaw’s very popular band, and then with Benny Goodman’s. During that time, Ms. Forrest went from being a very good band singer to becoming an excellent singer, who could and did add greatly to the quality of the performances of the James band. In fact, her singing was central to the success of quite a few James recordings, certainly including “I’ve Heard That Song Before.”

Before her tenure with Harry James, which ran from roughly from October or November of 1941 through 1943, Helen focused on become an ever better singer. But as she saw the success of the James band leap from substantial to gigantic, she began to think about other aspects of her presentation. Here is how Helen herself later summarized what she was thinking about: “I think you had to be attractive to be a successful singer with the big bands. I don’t care how good a singer you were, your appearance was a part of the package. …I was always self-conscious about my looks. I had a pretty good figure, …but I was no raving beauty. I didn’t like my nose, or my chin. And I had dark circles under my eyes. …I went to several doctors who wouldn’t do anything for me. One in New York said, ‘Look, you’re Helen Forrest, you’re successful and you’re famous. Why change?’ Another, a Jewish doctor in Chicago said, ‘Helen, you’re a nice Jewish girl and you look like a nice Jewish girl. You shouldn’t change the way you look.’ And I said to him, ‘I don’t mind being Jewish. I’m happy being Jewish. …But I don’t want to look like a nice Jewish girl. I don’t want my nice Jewish nose.” (2) In late 1942, Helen had the first of her cosmetic surgeries, on her nose and chin. She also had her teeth capped. Not surprisingly, the popular music press rushed to report this to their readers: In January of 1943, Down Beat ran a feature with the headline: “Helen Forrest’s new nose clicks.”(3)

Above left – Helen before; above – Helen after.

In addition to Ms. Forrest undergoing a change in her appearance, she fell in love with Harry James. This situation was fraught for many reasons, including that both parties were married to other people: Harry to the lovely singer Louise Tobin; Helen to a drummer she met before her climb to national prominence, Al Spieldock. In addition, to say that Harry was sexually promiscuous would be an understatement. Helen was well aware of all of this, but still loved Harry. It is said that love is blind, and that seems to have been true with Helen when it came to her relationship with Harry James. Soon, another woman, the film actress Betty Grable, began seeing Harry, and Helen became aware of it. She seriously considered jumping out of the window of a Manhattan high-rise after that, but didn’t, thankfully. Harry and Betty married eventually, and Helen left the James band, but still carried a torch for Harry.

The music:

“I’ve Heard That Song Before” is a song composed in 1942 with music by Jule Styne and lyric by Sammy Cahn. It was introduced by Martha O’Driscoll (dubbed by Margaret Whiting) in the Republic Pictures film Youth on Parade. That film was released on October 24, 1942. Even though Republic was a “poverty row” Hollywood film studio, the song was nominated for the Academy Award for best original song in a 1942 movie, so someone somewhere was flexing promotional muscle on its behalf. Nevertheless, it lost to Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” Its composers however began a meteoric rise in Hollywood and Broadway over the next two decades.(4)

The most notable version of the song was recorded by Harry James with Helen Forrest singing on July 31, 1942 (the last day of recording before the Musician Union’s ban), and released by Columbia Records on December 4, 1942. That recording soon became a number one hit.  Another version of this song, which was recorded by Harry James and Helen Forrest in 1955, can be heard in Woody Allen’s 1986 feature film Hannah and Her Sisters.(5)

Harry James’s recording of “I’ve Heard That Song Before” is cast in a straight-ahead, swinging arrangement by Dave Matthews. The little riff that begins this performance continues on into the first chorus as a background as Harry plays the melody on his open trumpet for the first sixteen bars. The eight bar bridge is played by the saxophone quintet, then the brass. Harry returns to finish the chorus.

A brassy interlude which ends with a modulation sets up Helen Forrest’s entry nicely.

The vocal chorus is handled superbly by Ms. Forrest. Helen always sang well, but here, there is a bit of extra sparkle in her singing. Notice backgrounds Helen sings against: first the strings and rhythm; then the saxophones and brass on the bridge; then back to the strings and rhythm.

The out-chorus has Harry leading the brass with verve, a bit of Corky Corcoran’s tenor saxophone, then the riffy bright finale.

 

“I’ve Heard That Song Before”

Composed by Jule Styne (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyric); arranged by Dave Matthews.

Recorded by Billy May and the Swing Era Orchestra for Capitol on September 28, 1970 in Hollywood.

Billy May directing: John M. Best, first trumpet; Clarence F. Sherock, Uan Rasey and Pete Candoli, trumpets; Joe Graves, solo trumpet; Francis Howard, Lloyd Ulyate, Dick Noel and Dave Wells, trombones; Les Robinson, first alto saxophone; Abe Most, alto saxophone; Justin Gordon and Jules Jacob, tenor saxophones; Chuck Gentry, baritone saxophone; Darrell Terwilliger, John de Voogdt, Irving Geller, Harold Dicterow,  Assa Drori, Leonard Malarsky, Jack Gootkin, Spiro Stamos, Leonard Atkins, Miran Kojian, violins; Sam Boghossian, Alan Harshman, Lou Kievman, violas; Ray Kramer, Anne Goodman, Nino Rosso, celli; Ray Sherman, piano; Jack Marshall, guitar; Rowland Bundock, bass; Nick Fatool, drums. Eileen Wilson, vocal.

More story and  music:

When Billy May was chosen to be the leader of the rotating group of Hollywood free-lance musicians who made up the Swing Era Orchestra, the producer of the Swing Era series, Dave Cavanaugh, knew very well of Billy’s qualifications and experience. May had started his big-time career writing arrangements for Charlie Barnet, including Barnet’s biggest hit, “Cherokee,” in 1939. Sometime in 1939, May also began playing trumpet in the Barnet band, and he proved to be a capable section man and jazz soloist whose playing was influenced by Rex Stewart of Duke Ellington’s band. Billy’s arrangements were a very strong part of the Barnet band’s presentation in the 1939-1940 period.

In mid-1940, Glenn Miller was leading a band that was becoming more successful by the day. In the middle of that year, he and his jazz trumpet soloist, Clyde Hurley, had an argument, the result of which was that Hurley left the Miller band. For the next several months, Miller basically had a succession of trumpeters temporarily cover that vacant chair in the trumpet section. Miller nevertheless was on the lookout for a jazz trumpeter who could also fit into his four-man trumpet section. Eventually, in mid-October of 1940, Miller finally found someone who would fulfill his needs: Billy May. May joined the Miller band in early November and remained with that ensemble until their last gig, which was in late September of 1942. Billy’s major contribution to the Miller band through that time was his excellent trumpet playing. However, on occasion, he also contributed arrangements to the Miller book. The experience May gained while working with Glenn Miller’s band was invaluable in many ways. He also made a lot of money, which he saved and used to get started in Hollywood as a free-lance trumpeter/arranger post-Miller. (Above right: trumpeter Billy May in 1941 as a member of Glenn Miller’s band. L-R: Frankie D’Annolfo, Moe Purtill, Miller and Willie Schwartz.)

Billy continued playing trumpet through the balance of the 1940s and indeed into the 1950s. But the major emphasis of his work increasingly was in writing arrangements, first as a ghost-writer for other arrangers who were overloaded, then on his own. He also had a fling as a bandleader in the early 1950s, an experience that convinced him that working in Hollywood as a free-lance arranger and conductor was much more to his liking. He had established relationships with various producers at Capitol Records in Hollywood in the 1940s that continued into the 1970s. One of the producers Billy knew well and worked with during all of this time was Dave Cavanaugh. (Above left: Billy May and Dave Cavanaugh at a Swing Era recording session – 1970.)

The recording of “I’ve Heard That Song Before” by Billy May and the Swing Era Orchestra presents it in brilliant high-fidelity sound performed by master musicians. The details that are not to heard in the original Harry James/Helen Forrest recording are present here. Trumpeter Joe Graves, who could imitate the James sound and style very well, captures the spirit of the original performance. Singer Eileen Wilson was much valued in the Hollywood recording studios: she sang on pitch, with excellent voice quality and range, she read music fluently, and she did swing. The out-chorus is highlighted by the fiery playing of lead trumpeter John Best, with tenor saxophonist Justin Gordon playing solo and adding contrast for a couple of bars.

The recordings presented with this post were digitally remastered by Mike Zirpolo.

Notes and links:

(1) Here is a link to the James recording of “Strictly Instrumental”: https://swingandbeyond.com/2023/03/12/strictly-instrumental-1941-harry-james-1942-jimmie-lunceford/

(2) I Had the Craziest Dream …Helen Forrest and the Big Band Era (1982), by Helen Forrest and Bill Libby, 138-139.

(3) Ibid.

(4) The number of songs Jule Styne wrote that became standards is staggering. Here are a few:

• “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (from Funny Girl)
• “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)
• “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (from Gypsy)
• “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”
• “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You“
• “I Fall in Love Too Easily” (from Anchors Aweigh)
• “I Still Get Jealous” (High Button Shoes)
• “I’ll Walk Alone“
• “It’s Been a Long, Long Time“
• “It’s Magic” (from Romance on the High Seas)
• “I’ve Heard That Song Before“
• “Just in Time” (from Bells Are Ringing)
• “Let Me Entertain You” (from Gypsy)
• “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!“
• “Long Before I Knew You”
• “Make Someone Happy” (from Do Re Mi)
• “The Party’s Over” (from Bells Are Ringing)
• “People” (from Funny Girl)
• “Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)” sung by Frank Sinatra
• “Small World”, from Gypsy, which became a moderate hit when sung by Johnny Mathis in 1959
• “Sunday” with Ned Miller
• “The Things We Did Last Summer“
• “Time After Time” (from It Happened in Brooklyn)
• “Three Coins in the Fountain“, Oscar-winning song from the film of the same name
• “Together (Wherever We Go)” (from Gypsy)
• Here is a partial list of Sammy Cahn’s successes:

  Academy Award winners

  • 1954 – “Three Coins in the Fountain” (music by Jule Styne) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film Three Coins in the Fountain.
  • 1957 – “All the Way” (music by Jimmy Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film The Joker Is Wild.
  • 1959 – “High Hopes” (music by Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges in the film A Hole in the Head.
  • 1963 – “Call Me Irresponsible” (music by Van Heusen) introduced by Jackie Gleason in the film Papa’s Delicate Condition.

  Academy Award nominees

  • 1942 – “I’ve Heard That Song Before” (music by Styne) from the film Youth on Parade.
  • 1944 – “I’ll Walk Alone” (music by Styne) from the film Follow the Boys.^[18]
  • 1945 – “Anywhere” (music by Styne) from the film Tonight and Every Night.
  • 1945 – “I Fall in Love Too Easily” (music by Styne) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film Anchors Aweigh.
  • 1948 – “It’s Magic” (music by Styne) introduced by Doris Day in the film Romance on the High Seas.
  • 1949 – “It’s a Great Feeling” (music by Styne) introduced by Doris Day in the film It’s a Great Feeling.
  • 1950 – “Be My Love” (music by Nicholas Brodszky) introduced by Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson in the film The Toast of New Orleans.
  • 1951 – “Wonder Why” (music by Brodszky) introduced by Jane Powell and Vic Damone in the film Rich, Young and Pretty.
  • 1952 – “Because You’re Mine” (music by Brodszky) introduced by Mario Lanza in the film Because You’re Mine.
  • 1955 – “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” (music by Brodszky) introduced by Doris Day in the film Love Me or Leave Me.
  • 1955 – “(Love Is) The Tender Trap” (music by Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film The Tender Trap.
  • 1956 – “Written on the Wind” (music by Victor Young) for the film Written on the Wind.
  • 1958 – “To Love and Be Loved” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Some Came Running.
  • 1959 – “The Best of Everything” (music by Alfred Newman) for the film The Best of Everything.
  • 1960 – “The Second Time Around” (music by Van Heusen) for the film High Time.
  • 1960 – “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Ocean’s 11
  • 1961 – “Pocketful of Miracles” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Pocketful of Miracles.
  • 1964 – “Where Love Has Gone” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Where Love Has Gone. (Also Golden Globe nominee)
  • 1964 – “My Kind of Town” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Robin and the 7 Hoods.
  • 1967 – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Thoroughly Modern Millie. (Also Golden Globe nominee)
  • 1968 – “Star” (music by Van Heusen) for the film Star!. (Also Golden Globe nominee)
  • 1973 – “All That Love Went to Waste” (music by George Barrie) for the film A Touch of Class. (Also Golden Globe nominee)
  • 1974 – “Now That We’re In Love” (music by Barrie) for the film Whiffs. (Also Golden Globe nominee)

(5) The information about Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn and their song “I’ve Heard That Song Before,” and the information in  endnote 4 comes from the Wikipedia articles on them.