Peggy Lee

'Elmer's Tune'   Peggy Lee backed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

15 Aug 1941 in Chicago   Matrix CCO-3950-2   Columbia 36359

Composition: Elmer Albrecht / Sammy Gallop / Dick Jurgens

'I See a Million People (But All I Can See Is You)'

Peggy Lee backed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

20 Aug 1941 in Chicago   Matrix CCO-3982-1   Columbia 36379

Trumpet: Billy Butterfield / Jimmy Maxwell / Cootie Williams / Al Davis

Trombone: Lou McGarity / Cutty Cutshall   Clarinet: Goodman

Alto sax: Clint Neagley / Skippy Martin

Tenor sax: George Berg / Vido Musso   Baritone sax: Chuck Gentry

Piano / arrangement: Mel Powell   Guitar: Tom Morgan   Drums: Sid Catlett

Composition: Una Mae Carlisle / Robert Sour

The next month in September of 1941 Goodman and Lee began broadcasting from the Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Helen's first such transcription going down on 11 September for 'When the Sun Comes Out' eventually issued on 'Benny And Sid "Roll 'Em' (Honeysuckle Rose HR 5004/5005) with 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' transcribed on 16 September. Come a session on the 25th to yield several tracks among which 'That's the Way It Goes' was issued on Columbia GL523, and two takes of 'Let's Do It' were released on Columbia P6-14538 and Okeh 6474.

'How Long Has This Been Going On?'

Peggy Lee backed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

13 Nov 1941 in NYC   Matrix 31743-2   Okeh 6544

Trumpet: Billy Butterfield / Jimmy Maxwell / Al Davis

Trombone: Lou McGarity / Cutty Cutshall   Clarinet: Goodman

Alto sax: Julie Schwartz / Clint Neagley

Tenor sax: Vido Musso / George Berg   Baritone sax: Chuck Gentry

Piano / arrangement: Mel Powell   Guitar: Tom Morgan

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Sid Catlett

Composition: Gershwin Brothers

'Not a Care in the World'   Peggy Lee backed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

10 Dec 1941 in NYC   Matrix 31945-2   Columbia GL-523

Music: Vernon Duke   Lyrics: John La Touche

'Blues In the Night'   Peggy Lee backed by the Benny Goodman Sextet

24 Dec 1941 in NYC   Matrix 32051-1   Okeh 6553 / Jazum 67

Trombone: Lou McGarity (vocal) / Cutty Cutshall   Clarinet: Goodman

Piano: Mel Powell   Guitar: Tom Morgan

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Ralph Collier

Music: Harold Arlen   Lyrics: Johnny Mercer

Lee was also a songwriter, her first work, 'Little Fool', published in 1941. In latter 1942 she performed 'Why Don't You Do Right' in her first film with Goodman, 'Stage Door Canteen', which saw release in 1943. Lee would perform or compose for several more films, some of them shorts.

'Why Don't You Do Right'   Peggy Lee backed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra

From the film 'Stage Door Canteen' directed by Frank Borzage   Released 12 May 1943

Composition: Joe McCoy

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In 1945 Lee issued 'Waitin' for the Train to Come In' which rose to #4 on Billboard. Listed below is a kind of "Top Ten" for Lee over the years:

   Waitin' for the Train to Come In   Nov 1945   #4
   I Don't Know Enough About You   May 1946   #7
   It's All Over Now   Nov 1946   #10
   Chi-Baba Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)   June 1947   #10
   Golden Earrings   Nov 1947   #2
   Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)   Jan 1948   #1   (best selling issue overall)
   Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)   May 1949   #2
   Fever   July 1958   #8
   Big Spender   Jan 1966   #9 AC
   I Feel It   Sep 1967   #8 AC
   Is That All There Is?   Sep 1969   #1 AC

'Waitin' For the Train to Come In'   Peggy Lee backed by the Dave Barbour Orchestra

30 July 1945   Matrix 739-3   Capitol 218   #4 on Billboard

Possibly:

Trumpet: Billy May / Harold Lawson   Clarinet: Heinie Beau

Tenor sax: Maurice Stein

Piano: Milt Raskin   Guitar: Barbour

Bass: Artie Shapiro   Drums: Nick Fatool

Composition: Martin Block / Sunny Skylar   1945

In 1948, Lee issued her first album on 10", a collection of issues titled 'Rendezvous With Peggy Lee' on Capitol CC 72, released again on LP in 1955 per Capitol T-151 with four additional tracks including 'Manana'.

'Manana (Is Soon Enough For Me)'   Peggy Lee backed by the Dave Barbour Orchestra

25 Nov 1947 in Los Angeles   Matrix 2609-4   Capitol 15022   #1 on Billboard

See also the 1955 reissue of 'Rendezvous With Peggy Lee' on Capitol T-151

Backing vocals: The Brazilians

Composition: Barbour / Lee

'Riders In the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)'   Peggy Lee backed by Dave Barbour

18 April 1949 in Los Angeles   Matrix 4215-5   Capitol 57-608   #2 on Billboard

Backing vocals: Jud Conlon Singers

Composition: Stan Jones   1948

Lee's first appearance on television was in 1951 on 'The Frank Sinatra Show'. The next year she starred opposite Danny Thomas in the 1952 version of 'The Jazz Singer'.

'Danny Boy'   Peggy Lee   Television

2 Jan 1951   'Steve Allen Show' for CBS

Composition: Lyrics by Frederic Weatherly set to the traditional 'Londonderry Air' in 1913

'Just the Way You Are'   Peggy Lee   Radio

21 Feb 1951   'Bing Crosby Chesterfield Show' for CBS Radio

Backing vocals: The Rhythmaires w orchestra led by John Scott Trotter

Composition: Lyrics by Frederic Weatherly set to the traditional 'Londonderry Air' in 1913

'This Is a Very Special Day'   Peggy Lee w Danny Thomas   Film

From the film 'The Jazz Singer' directed by Michael Curtiz   Released 30 Dec 1952 in Beverly Hills

Backing vocals: The Rhythmaires w orchestra led by John Scott Trotter

Composition: Lee

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A Republican, Peggy supported Eisenhower's bid for President in 1952. Her performance as an alcoholic blues singer, Rose Hopkins, in 'Pete Kelly's Blues' in 1955 was nominated for an Academy Award. Jack Webb plays the role of trumpeter, Pete Kelly. Peggy began research in 1962 for 'The Jazz Tree', an examination of the roots of jazz presented in 1963 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Her album, 'Mink Jazz', arrived in 1963. A decade later she became the inspiration for the Muppet character, Miss Piggy, which made its debut in 1974.

'Somebody Loves Me'   Peggy Lee w Matty Matlock's Dixielanders   Film

From the film 'Pete Kelly's Blues' directed by Jack Webb   Released 31 July 1955

Music: George Gershwin   Lyrics: Buddy DeSylva / Ballard MacDonald

Classic Film Noir   John Flaus   IMDb   Letterboxd   Peggy Lee Website   TCM   Wikipedia

'He Needs Me' / 'Sugar'   Peggy Lee w Matty Matlock's Dixielanders   Film

From the film 'Pete Kelly's Blues' directed by Jack Webb   Released 31 July 1955

'He Needs Me': Arthur Hamilton

'Sugar': Maceo Pinkard / Sidney D. Mitchell / Edna Alexander

Classic Film Noir   John Flaus   IMDb   Letterboxd   Peggy Lee Website   TCM   Wikipedia

'Things Are Swingin''   Peggy Lee w Jack Marshall (conducting)   Album

19-30 May 1958   Capitol Records T-1049

Trumpet: Uan Rasey / Pete Candoli / Don Fagerquist / Conrad Gozzo / Manny Klein

Trombone: Milt Bernhart / Bob Enevoldsen (valve)

Reeds: Justin Gordon   Piano: Joe Harnell

Guitar: Howard Roberts / Barney Kessel

Bass: Joe Mondragon   Drums: Shelly Manne

Discogs   Wikipedia

'Fever'   Peggy Lee   Television

Oct 1961 on the 'Big Night Out' television specisl for BBC

Composition: Eddie Cooley / Otis Blackwell as John Davenport

'Please Don’t Rush Me'   Peggy Lee w the Benny Carter Orchestra

29 March 1962  Unissued

See the 60th anniversary expanded edition of 'I'm a Woman'   2023

Trumpet: Jack Sheldon   Flute: Harry Klee   Alto sax: Carter (arrangement)

Piano: Lou Levy   Guitar: Herb Ellis / Al Hendrickson

Bass: Max Bennett   Drums: Mel Lewis

Composition: Lee

'It's a Big Wide Wonderful World'   Peggy Lee

From the album 'Mink Jazz' recorded 28-30 March 1962 / 5/7 Feb 1963

Composition: John Rox