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| Whether you believe that Louis Armstrong was born in the year 1900 or, as most jazz experts say, in 1901, the real reason to celebrate this master of jazz is because of his outstanding body of work.
A supreme trumpeter and extremely individual vocalist, Louis Armstrong was simply one of the greatest musicians of all time. As Dizzy Gillespie pointed out: "One of the significant factors in his art was the ability to sing exactly as he played".
Born in New Orleans, Armstrong began playing for King Oliver and then Kid Ory. In 1924, pianist Fletcher Henderson sent for Louis to come to New York and join his band and by the end of the following year, the young trumpeter was in Chicago making his first recordings under his own name.
His career as a solo artist was unbeatable and both his recording output and his performing schedule were prolific, virtually up until the day he died in July 1971. He appeared in a whole string of movies over the years including MGM's 1951 drama "The Strip" in which he appeared with Kay Brown singing the unforgettable ballad A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON.
We publish this and many other compositions recorded by 'Satchmo' as he became universally known. The following is a list of the key EMI songs of which Armstrong versions exist and, where possible, I've indicated the current master owner as well as the chart positions of the songs as they appeared on the hit parade:
AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' (Waller/Brooks/Razaf)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1929) US #7 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1938)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Victor/BMG: 1947)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1955)
ALL THAT MEAT AND NO POTATOES (Waller/Kirkeby)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1955)
AUNT HAGAR'S BLUES (Handy)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1954)
BLACK AND BLUE
See under: (WHAT DID I DO TO BE SO) BLACK AND BLUE
BLUE AGAIN (McHugh/Fields)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1931)
BOURBON STREET PARADE (Barbarin)
by Louis Armstrong & The Dukes Of Dixieland
(Audio Fidelity: 1958)
CHRISTMAS NIGHT IN HARLEM (Scott/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong with Benny Carter & His Orchestra
(Decca/UMG: 1955)
THE CIRCLE OF YOUR ARMS (Leigh/Segal)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Mercury/UMG: 1965)
COQUETTE (Lombardo/Green/Kahn)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1942)
DEAR OLD SOUTHLAND (Creamer/Layton)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1930)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Victor/BMG: 1947)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1957)
DON'T BE THAT WAY (Sampson/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (Verve/UMG: 1957)
DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM (Ellinngton/Kenny)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
DUKE'S PLACE (Ellington/Roberts/Thiele/Katz)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
EVERYTHING'S BEEN DONE BEFORE (Adamson/Knopf/King)
by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven (Decca/UMG: 1941)
FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU (Young/Neuman/Kahn)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1935)
GONE FISHIN' (Kenny/Kenny)
by Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong (Decca/UMG: 1951) US #19 Pop
HEP CAT'S BALL (Armstrong/Palmer)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1940)
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME (Gaskill/McHugh)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1930)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1956)
I CRIED FOR YOU (Freed/Arnheim/Lyman)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1947)
I LOVE JAZZ (Shaw)
by Louis Armstrong
I SURRENDER DEAR (Barris/Clifford)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1931)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1950)
I WONDER, I WONDER, I WONDER (Hutchins)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Victor/BMG: 1947)
(I'LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD) YOU RASCAL YOU (Theard)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1931)
US #13 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Columbia/Sony: 1932)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1941)
by Louis Armstrong w/Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
(Decca/UMG: 1950)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1957)
I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME (Malneck/Signorelli/Kahn)
by Louis Armstrong & The Oscar Peterson Trio (Verve/UMG: 1957)
I'M A DING DONG DADDY (FROM DUMAS) (Baxter)
by Louis Armstrong & His New Sebastian Cotton Club Orchestra
(OKeh/Sony: 1930) US #19 Pop
I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (McHugh/Fields)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1935) US #3 Pop
I'M SHOOTING HIGH (McHugh/Koehler)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1935)
INDIAN CRADLE SONG (Wayne/Khan)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1930)
IT DON'T MEAN A THING (IF IT AIN'T GOT THAT SWING)
(Ellington/Mills)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
IT TAKES TIME (Korb)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (RCA/BMG)
IT'S WONDERFUL (Goodman/Smith/Wells/Johnson/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1938)
JEANNINE (I DREAM OF LILAC TIME) (Gilbert/Shilkret)
by Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
(Decca/UMG: 1951)
JUST SQUEEZE ME (BUT DON'T TEASE ME) (Ellington/Gaines)
by Louis Armstrong & His All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1951)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
JUST YOU, JUST ME (Klages/Greer)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1951)
KEYHOLE BLUES (Wilson)
by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven (OKeh/Sony: 1927)
US #16 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven (Vocalion: 1936 reissue)
US #19 Pop
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON (Kalmar/Ruby/Hammerstein II)
by Louis Armstrong with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra
(Decca/UMG: 1952) US #16 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Kapp/UMG: 1964)
MOOD INDIGO (Ellington/Bigard/Mills)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
OLE MISS BLUES (Handy/Hirsch)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1954)
ON MY WAY (Carroll/Chapman)
by Louis Armstrong with Sy Oliver's Orchestra & Chorus
(Decca/UMG: 1958)
RAMONA (Gilbert/Wayne)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1953)
RED CAP (Armstrong)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1937)
SOLITUDE (Ellington/Delange/Mills)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1935)
by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Roulette/EMI: 1961)
STAR DUST (Carmichael/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Columbia/Sony: 1931)
US #16 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1951)
STARS FELL ON ALABAMA (Perkins/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1947)
by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (Verve/UMG: 1956)
ST. JAMES INFIRMARY (Primrose)
by Louis Armstrong & His Savoy Ballroom Five (OKeh/Sony: 1929)
US #15 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Victor/BMG: 1947)
STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY (Goodman/Sampson/Webb/Razaf)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1955)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Pablo/UMG: 1957)
by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (Verve/UMG: 1957)
SUN SHOWERS (Freed/Brown)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1937)
SWEET AS A SONG (Gordon/Revel)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1938)
SWEET LORRAINE (Burwell/Parish)
by Louis Armstrong & The Oscar Peterson Trio (Verve/UMG: 1957)
TALK TO THE ANIMALS (Bricusse)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Brunswick: 1968)
THANKS A MILLION (Johnston/Kahn)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1936)
US #17 Pop
THAT LUCKY OLD SUN (JUST ROLLS AROUND HEAVEN ALL DAY)
(Gillespie/Smith)
by Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins' Orchestra & Chorus
(Decca/UMG: 1949) US #19 Pop
THAT RHYTHM MAN (Waller/Brooks/Razaf)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1929)
THAT'S MY DESIRE (Loveday/Kresa)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1947)
by Louis Armstrong & His All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1956)
by Louis Armstrong (Tomato/Atlantic/Rhino)
by Louis Armstrong with Dick Jacobs & His Orchestra
(Brunswick: 1967)
WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD (Barry/David)
Recorded for the soundtrack of UA's "On Her Majesty's
Secret Service"
by Louis Armstrong (UA: 1969)
(WHAT DID I DO TO BE SO) BLACK AND BLUE
(Waller/Brooks/Razaf)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1929)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Decca/UMG: 1947)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Columbia/Sony: 1955)
WHEN DID YOU LEAVE HEAVEN (Bullock/Whiting)
by Louis Armstrong with Sy Oliver's Orchestra & Chorus
(Decca/UMG: 1957)
WHEN IT'S SLEEPY TIME DOWN SOUTH (Muse/Rene/Rene)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (OKeh/Sony: 1931)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1941)
by Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
(Decca/UMG: 1952) US #19 Pop
WHEN YOU'RE SMILING (Goodwin/Fisher/Shay)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Okeh/Sony: 1929)
US #15 Pop
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1956)
THE WHIFFENPOOF SONG (BAA! BAA! BAA!)
(Galloway/Minnigerode/Pomeroy/Vallee/Hart)
by Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra
(Decca/UMG: 1954)
WHISPERING (Coburn/Rose/Schonberger)
by Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (Pablo/UMG: 1957)
YOU ARE MY LUCKY STAR (Freed/Brown)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1935) US #6 Pop
YOU CAN HAVE HER (Cook)
by Louis Armstrong with The Nashville Rhythm Section
(Avco: 1970)
YOU CAN'T LOSE A BROKEN HEART (Johnson/Miller)
by Louis Armstrong & Billie Holiday (Decca/UMG: 1949)
YOU RASCAL YOU
See: (I'LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD) YOU RASCAL YOU
YOURS AND MINE (Freed/Brown)
by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (Decca/UMG: 1937)
ROCK ON !
Alan Warner
© 2005 by EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING. 1290 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10104. All Rights Reserved. This Information, or Part Thereof, May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Permission. |
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