Deep Night
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2015}}
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| title = "Deep Night"
| description = Performed by Rudy Vallée and his Connecticut Yankees in 1929
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"Deep Night" is a song and jazz standard with a melody composed in 1929 by Charles E. Henderson and lyrics written by Rudy Vallee.{{cite book|author=Don Tyler|title=Hit Songs, 1900–1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA409|date=April 2, 2007|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-2946-2|pages=409–}} The tune is written in a minor key.{{cite book|author=Jack Gottlieb|title=Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish: Comparative Studies of Domestic Labor and Self-Employment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_VqNbDvC5XgC&pg=PA44|date=February 1, 2012|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-8502-6|pages=44–}}
History
The song was first recorded in 1929 by Vallee with The Connecticut Yankees,{{cite book|author=Warren W. Vaché|title=The Unsung Songwriters: America's Masters of Melodies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zCMKAQAAMAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-3570-2|page=507}} as the B side of his song "Weary River". These were the first recordings Vallee made for RCA Victor.{{cite book|author1=Michael Pitts|author2=Frank Hoffmann|author3=Dick Carty|author4=Jim Bedoian|title=The Rise of the Crooners: Gene Austin, Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby, Nick Lucas, Johnny Marvin and Rudy Vallee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Deb9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA188|date=December 22, 2001|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-1-4617-0712-7|pages=188–}} Popular recordings in 1929 were those by Vallee and by Ruth Etting.{{cite book |last1=Whitburn |first1=Joel |title=Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 |date=1986 |publisher=Record Research Inc. |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |isbn=0-89820-083-0 |page=491}}
Recorded versions
It has been covered by many jazz musicians{{cite book|author1=Michael Pitts|author2=Frank Hoffmann|author3=Dick Carty|author4=Jim Bedoian|title=The Rise of the Crooners: Gene Austin, Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby, Nick Lucas, Johnny Marvin and Rudy Vallee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Deb9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA188%7Cdate%3D22+December+2001%7Cpublisher%3DScarecrow+Press%7Cisbn%3D978-1-4617-0712-7%7Cpages%3D188%E2%80%93%7D%7D%3C%2Fref%3E|date=December 22, 2001|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-1-4617-0712-7|pages=188–}}{{cite book|author=Robert C. Kriebel|title=Blue Flame: Woody Herman's Life in Music|url=https://archive.org/details/blueflamewoodyhe0000krie|url-access=registration|year=1995|publisher=Purdue University Press|isbn=978-1-55753-073-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/blueflamewoodyhe0000krie/page/1 1]–}} notably:
- Sonny Clark in his album Cool Struttin'
- Bud Powell
- Art Tatum
- Buddy DeFranco.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-8/deepnight.htm|website=www.jazzstandards.com|accessdate=December 20, 2014|title=JazzStandards.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/5/3/art-tatum-deep-night |website=www.jazz.com |accessdate=December 29, 2014 |title=Jazz.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060352/http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/5/3/art-tatum-deep-night |archivedate=March 4, 2016 |df=mdy }}
It has also been recorded by vocalists, including:
- Frank Sinatra with Harry James in 1951 on Columbia 39527,{{cite book|author=Richard Grudens|title=Jukebox Saturday Night: More Memories of the Big Band Era and Beyond|url=https://archive.org/details/jukeboxsaturdayn0000grud|url-access=registration|year=1999|publisher=celebrity profiles publishing|isbn=978-1-57579-142-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/jukeboxsaturdayn0000grud/page/107 107]–}}
- Tony Martin on his 1949 album You, and the Night, and the Music ...{{cite web|title=Discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tony-Martin-3-With-Earle-Hagen-And-His-Orchestra-You-And-The-Night-And-The-Music-/master/457715|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=February 19, 2018}}
- Vic Damone for his 1962 album Linger Awhile with Vic Damone{{cite web|title=Discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/Vic-Damone-Linger-Awhile/master/508015|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=February 19, 2018}}
- Ann Richards on her 1958 album I'm Shooting High
- Barbara Rosene on her album of the same name.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/deep-night-mw0001212419|website=www.allmusic.com|accessdate=December 29, 2014|title=AllMusic.com}}
Popular culture
Deep Night was also part of the sound track of the films My Own Private Idaho, "Tomorrow Is Another Day" and Bonnie and Clyde.{{cite book|author=Mario Falsetto|title=Conversations with Gus Van Sant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wFRuBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA19|date=March 12, 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-4767-3|pages=19–}} and features in the Score of Matthew Bourne's 2021 dance theatre work 'The Midnight Bell'.