Pretty! Jackie Wilson sang the best-known “pop” interpretation of this familiar operatic aria in 1960, calling it “Night.” It is based upon “My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice” from “Samson and Delilah” by Saint-Saens. The first concerto-styled minute of this arrangement features former big band pianist Milt Raskin.

Though overshadowed in memory by “Sentimental Journey” and some of the other better-known Les Brown-Doris Day tunes, “The Whole World Is Singing My Song” reached as high as #2 on “Your Hit Parade” with this recording a top-10 juke box charter. Other 1946 Les Brown hits include “You Won’t Be Satisfied” “Doctor Lawyer Indian Chief” and “I Got The Sun In The Morning.”

recorded c. October 1945
One of the Rodgers & Hammerstein songs that Haymes performed in the 1945 film musical “State Fair.”

Trumpeter Butterfield was billed as leader of what was really Les Brown’s band on this version of the song hit from the Kay Kyser movie “Carolina Blues.” This was issued on the flip side of Butterfield-Whiting’s better-known “Moonlight in Vermont.”

recorded c. July-August 1942
It’s a HIT label record, which during the early 1940s often indicated less than stellar quality of performance, engineering, and shellac. Nevertheless, this particular HIT may be of some interest as it was the only commercially issued 1942-43 version of the song to be released in competition with the Harry James/Helen Forrest million-seller. The song was composed by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn and sung by Margaret Whiting （dubbing for actress Martha O’Driscoll） in the minor Republic film musical “Youth On Parade.”
The infamous “recording ban” （AFM musicians strike） had already been in effect for several months when in early 1943 the James record （rec. 7/31/42） really began to take off, leaving Victor, Decca, and Capitol no opportunity to jump in with their own big-band contributions. Hazy session documentation indicates that Eli Oberstein, the controversial （or “con man”） owner of HIT, may or may not have violated the union edict by having waxed this tune sometime that previous summer, possibly in some NYC studio, using unidentified musicians, led by someone who was probably not named’Johnny Jones.’

Among the several #1 recordings by Harry James during the decade, this one really stood out….thirteen weeks atop Billboard’s best-sellers chart and the most popular big band hit of the year, thanks in part to the fact that it had the market pretty much to itself…song-wise. It was recorded for Columbia in mid-1942 and didn’t begin its ascent until early’43 when the musicians strike was in effect, thus the other major labels weren’t able to mount any competition by producing new versions of their own. The song was composed by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn and sung by Margaret Whiting （dubbing for actress Martha O’Driscoll） in the minor Republic film musical “Youth On Parade.”
1942 OSCAR-NOMINATED SONG.
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1942 BEST ORIGINAL SONG NOMINEES （10）
White Christmas （”Holiday Inn”） （winner）
（I’ve Got A Gal In） Kalamazoo （”Orchestra Wives”）
I’ve Heard That Song Before （”Youth On Parade”）
Dearly Beloved （”You Were Never Lovelier”）
How About You? （”Babes On Broadway”）
Always In My Heart （”Always In My Heart”）
Love Is A Song （”Bambi”）
Pig Foot Pete （”Hellzapoppin'”） （ineligible nominee…see Dolly Dawn post of the song）
When There’s A Breeze On Lake Louise （”The Mayor Of 44th Street”）
Pennies For Peppino （”Flying With Music”）
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SOME OTHER SONG HITS FROM 1942 FILMS
Abraham （”Holiday Inn”）
Amen （”What’s Cookin'”）
At Last （”Orchestra Wives”）
Be Careful, It’s My Heart （”Holiday Inn”）
Can’t Get Out Of This Mood （”Seven Days’ Leave”）
Der Fuehrer’s Face （”Donald Duck In Nutzi Land”）
Happy Holiday （”Holiday Inn”）
I Don’t Want To Walk Without You （”Sweater Girl”）
I Had The Craziest Dream （”Springtime In The Rockies”）
I Remember You （”The Fleet’s In”）
I Said No （”Sweater Girl”）
I’ll Remember April （”Ride’Em Cowboy”）
I’m Old Fashioned （”You Were Never Lovelier”）
Jingle Jangle Jingle （”The Forest Rangers”）
Mister Five By Five （”Behind The Eight-Ball”）
Moonlight Becomes You （”Road To Morocco”）
Pennsylvania Polka （”Give Out, Sisters”）
Serenade In Blue （”Orchestra Wives”）
Tangerine （”The Fleet’s In”）
There Will Never Be Another You （”Iceland”）
This Is Worth Fighting For （”When Johnny Comes Marching Home”）
Three Little Sisters （”Private Buckaroo”）
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recorded in NYC June 12, 1942.
Movie: “Bambi” （Walt Disney/RKO）, starring （the voices of） Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Peter Behn, Paula Winslowe, etc.
Donald Novis & the chorus performed the song under the opening credits of Disney’s popular animated feature.

Western ballad reached #3 on “Your Hit Parade” with Bing’s version leading the way among record buyers.

English lyrics to the 1936 Austrian song “Hör mein Lied, Violetta,” a tune which would later become closely identified with Irish tenor Josef Locke.

recorded in NYC March 29, 1940
English lyrics to the 1936 Austrian song “Hör mein Lied, Violetta,” a tune which would later become closely identified with Irish tenor Josef Locke.