THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

281-Anne Shelton-Blues in the Night.

1942-It has never charted in the UK, there was no UK chart until 1952.

Best Bit-At 0.12. Another of the classic songs from the ‘Great American Songbook.’

The ‘Great American Songbook’ is an imaginary list of songs written and recorded between 1920-1960, often referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ of American music. The genre is created from songs that were popular in Hollywood Musical film, musical theatre, and Broadway theatre. To read about the other 30 songs from the ‘Great American Songbook’ in this countdown see the list at the end of this article.

‘Blues in the Night’ was co-written by the legendary song writing team of Harold Arden, (1905-1986) (see also best songs 934-634 and 68) who wrote the music, and Johnny Mercer, (1909-1976) (see also best songs 45) who wrote the lyrics. Harold Arden and Johnny Mercer had been commissioned to write the entire score for the 1941 American Musical film provisionally called ‘Hot Nocturne,’ based on a play of the same name, but after the success of the song ‘Blues in the Night,’ the film was renamed after the song. Arden and Mercer had been told that the main requirement was to write a ‘Blues’ song which was to be sung in a jail cell, as usual with the way Johnny Mercer worked, he would have the music presented to him, and from there he would write the lyrics. In the film the song is performed by the African/American baritone William Gillespie, (1908-1968) whose appearance at that time was not credited, he later went on to serve in the army in World War II.

‘Blues in the Night’ is considered by some music critics to be a ground breaking moment. The American composer and author Alec Wilder (1907-1980) has said of the song, ‘Blues in the Night’ is certainly a landmark in the evolution of American popular music, lyrically as well as musically.’ The title ‘Blues in the Night’ describe the narrator’s romantic loneliness and frustration, recalling his mother’s warning from childhood, ‘A woman’s a two-face, a worrisome thing, who’ll leave you to sing the blues in the night.’ Harold Arlen has said, ‘The whole thing just poured out. And I knew in my guts, without even thinking what Johnny would write for a lyric, that this was strong, strong, strong! When Mercer wrote Blues in the Night I went over his lyric and I started to hum it over his desk. It sounded marvellous once I got to the second stanza but that first twelve was weak tea. On the third or fourth page of his work sheets I saw some lines, one of them was ‘My momma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you try that?’ It was one of the very few times I’ve ever suggested anything like that to John. Legend has it that once the song was finished Johnny Mercer called a friend, the singer Margaret Whiting, (1924-2011) and asked if they could come over and play it for her. She suggested they come later because she had dinner guests, Mickey Rooney, (1920-2014) Judy Garland, (1922-1969) (see also best songs 68) Mel Tormé, (1925-1999) and Martha Raye (1916-1994.) Instead, Arlen and Mercer went right over. Margaret Whiting remembered what happened then. ‘They came in the back door, sat down at the piano and played the score of ‘Blues in the Night.’ I remember forever the reaction. Mel got up and said, ‘I can’t believe it.’ Martha couldn’t say a word. Mickey Rooney said, ‘That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.’ Judy Garland said, ‘Play it again.’ We had them play it seven times. Judy and I ran to the piano to see who was going to learn it first. It was a lovely night.’

‘Blues in the Night’ has been recorded on numerous occasions down the years, and was a hit on ‘Billboard Magazine’ five times in 1942, for Woody Herman, (Number 1) Dinah Shore, (Number 4) Jimmy Lunceford, (Number 4) Cab Calloway, (Number 8 and Artie Shaw (Number 10.) The other hit version was in 1952 for Rosemary Clooney, which reached Number 29, the song has never charted in the UK. The version of the song I have chosen is the 1942 recording by Anne Shelton OBE. Anne Shelton was born Patricia Jacqueline Sibley on November 10th, 1923, in Dulwich, London, England, she died of a heart attack on July 31st, 1994, at the age of 70. Anne Shelton is remembered for providing inspirational songs for soldiers, in radio broadcasts, and also for making personal appearances at British military bases during World War II. In 1990 she was awarded the OBE for her work with the ‘Not Forgotten Association,’ a charitable organisation for disabled former service personnel from all wars. Anne Shelton got her breakthrough in 1940 at the age of 16, when appearing on the BBC talent radio show ‘Monday Night at Eight.’ The Polish dance-band leader Bert Ambrose (1896-1971) heard her performance, and signed her to sing with his prestigious and popular ‘Ambrose Orchestra.’ She made her first broadcast with Ambrose in June 1940, and then soon after she recorded her first solo record for ‘Rex Records,’ called ‘I Can’t Love You Any More,’ In January 1941 she commenced weekly radio broadcasts with Jack Payne (1899-1969) and his Orchestra. As well as singing and recording, Anne Shelton appeared in several films, including ‘Miss London Ltd.’ (1943), ‘King Arthur Was a Gentleman,’ (1942) and ‘Bees in Paradise’ (1943.) From 1958–1959 she starred in ‘The Anne Shelton Show,’ on ATV, for 11 episodes, and this was followed in 1961 by Ask Anne,’ for BBC TV, which also ran for 11 episodes. The discography of Anne Shelton includes numerous compilation Albums. She has also had two hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, ‘Be Mine,’ (1949-Number 25) and ‘Galway Bay,’ (1949-Number 25) while in the UK, five of her singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Lay Down Your Arms’ peaking the highest at Number 1 in 1956.

‘My mama done told me, when I was in pigtails. My mama done told me, uuhm. A man’s gonna sweet talk and give you the big eye, but when the sweet talkin”s done, a man is a two face, a worrisome thing, who’ll leave you to sing the blues in the night.’

Here is the list of all 31 songs from the ‘Great American Songbook’ in this ‘1000 Best Songs’ list. (see also best songs 944-934-887-842-808-775-706-687-651-634-567-457-396-385-370-343-321-295-286-277-259-252-231-226-185-100-82-68-73-68 and 45.)