“Star Dust” (or “Stardust,” depending on the version) is one of the most prominent jazz standards but more importantly, it is among the top most recorded pop songs in history of music (alongside Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday” and George Gershwin’s “Summertime”,) with over 1,500 total recorded versions. The song has appeared on the recording charts with over fifteen artists. It was composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. On October 31, 1927, Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals recorded “Stardust” at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana. Hoagy’s “pals,” Emil Seidel and His Orchestra, agreed to record the medium-tempo instrumental in between their Sunday evening and Monday matinee performances in Indianapolis, seventy miles away. In 1928 Carmichael offered to re-record “Stardust,” this time with lyrics he had written himself, but the record company turned him down because the original instrumental tune had sold very poorly. It was in 1929, this time with the lyrics written by Parish, that Mills Music published the tune as we know it today. The Mills publication changed the title to “Star Dust” from “Stardust” as it was originally spelled. In 2004, Carmichael's original 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
Irving and Jack Mills were the owners and managers of Mills Music. Irving Mills and His Hotsy Totsy Gang recorded “Star Dust” on September 20, 1929, on the Brunswick label, and the song rose to number 20 on the 1930 pop charts. Shortly after the Mills recording, Isham Jones and His Orchestra recorded “Star Dust” as a romantic ballad, and their recording became a top-selling, number one hit.
According to the songwriter, inspiration struck while visiting his old university campus. Sitting on a wall reminiscing about the town, his college days, and past romances, he looked up at the starlit sky and whistled “Star Dust.” He also stated that his inspiration for the songs form was inspired by the types of improvisations made by Bix Beiderbecke. The song's structure is quite interesting and unusual for a pop song, as well as for a jazz standard. In his analysis of “Star Dust,” Oscar Hammerstein II commented that the tune rambles and roams like a truant schoolboy in a meadow. Its structure is loose, its pattern complex. Yet it has attained the kind of long-lived popularity that few songs can claim. What has it got? I’m not certain. I know only that it is beautiful and I like to hear it.” Clearly, Mitchell Parish’s lyrics are integral to the success of the song, creating an indelible mood. Originally Carmichael’s composition was played at a medium tempo suitable for dancing, but vocalists soon demanded that the tempo be slowed down to a pace in keeping with the dreamy lyrics.
Stardust was covered by almost every prominent band of that era, and the Artie Shaw version of 1941, with memorable solos by Billy Butterfield (trumpet) and Jack Jenney (trombone) is likely one of the most celebrated Big Band versions. Other notable versions have been recorded by jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra on vocals), Harry James, Django Reinhardt, Tex Beneke with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Lester Young, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, and many others.
Read previous articles:
JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.16 - ALONE TOGETHER JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.15 - HOW HIGH THE MOON JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.14 - WATERMELON MAN JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.13 - STRAIGHT, NO CHASER JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.12 - CARAVAN JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.11 - TAKE THE 'A' TRAIN JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.10 - LAURA JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.9 - STELLA BY STARLIGHT JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.8 - ALL THE THINGS YOU AREJAZZ STANDARDS VOL.7 - SUMMERTIME JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.6 - NANCY (WITH A LAUGHING FACE) JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.5 - MY FUNNY VALENTINE JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.4 - AUTUMN LEAVES JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.3 - 'ROUND MIDNIGHT JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.2 - BODY AND SOUL JAZZ STANDARDS VOL.1 - YOU GO TO MY HEAD
