Sing, Sing, Sing

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"Sing, Sing, Sing" is a 1936 song written by Louis Prima that has become one of the definitive songs of the big band and Swing Era. Although written by Prima, it is often most associated with Benny Goodman. The song has since been covered by numerous artists.

On July 6, 1937 "Sing, Sing, Sing" was recorded in Hollywood with Benny Goodman on clarinet; Harry James, Ziggy Elman, and Chris Griffin on trumpet; Red Ballard and Murray McEachern on trombone; Hymie Schertzer and George Koenig on alto saxophone; Art Rollini and Vido Musso on tenor saxophone; Jess Stacy on piano; Allan Reuss on guitar; Harry Goodman on bass; and Gene Krupa on drums. The song was arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Unlike most big band arrangements of that era, which were limited in length to about 3 minutes so that they could be recorded on one side of a standard 10-inch 78-rpm record, the Goodman band's version of "Sing, Sing, Sing" was an extended work. The 1937 recording lasted 8 min 43 seconds, and took up both sides of a 12-inch 78. Mundy's arrangement incorporated "Christopher Columbus", a piece written by Chu Berry for the Fletcher Henderson band, as well as Prima's work.

Benny Goodman is quoted as saying, "'Sing, Sing, Sing' (which we started doing back at the Palomar on our second trip there in 1936) was a big thing, and no one-nighter was complete without it...." Many swing afficionadoes consider the definitive performance of "Sing, Sing, Sing" to be from Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert, in a performance that was very different from both the previous year's commercial release and from subsequent performances with the Goodman band. The personnel of the Goodman band for the Carnegie Hall concert was the same as for the 1937 recording session, except that Vernon Brown had replaced Murray McEachern on trombone, and Babe Russin had replaced Vido Musso on tenor sax.

In the decades since, "Sing, Sing, Sing" has gone on to be one of the most visible symbols of the swing era. Easily accessible to rock audiences due to its big beat and showy drum breaks structure, it is heard everywhere from television commercials to high school marching bands. In 2005, Anita O'Day's version was remixed by RSL and was included on the Verve Remixed 3 compilation.

[edit] Uses in popular culture

In the Martin Scorsese movie Gangs of New York.
An episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Susan Stroman's original production "Contact" on Broadway using pop music with dance
A popular Peruvian TV program about films and movies, Cinescape, has this song as its introduction.
A 1993 commercial for the Nabisco 'Chips Ahoy!' cookies
In the 1993 Thomas Carter movie Swing Kids (film)
A 1994 episode of The Simpsons: "Lady Bouvier's Lover"
In the 1997 made-for-tv movie Tower of Terror
In the Ken Burns documentary Baseball: The Sixth Inning.
In Gilmore Girls episode They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They? the song is played during the dance-off.
In the 2004 Japanese film by Shinobu Yaguchi, Swing Girls.
In the submarine ghost movie Below.
During the hell scene of Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry
In the opening titles of Stephen Fry's 2003 movie Bright Young Things
A challenge song on the Nintendo Gamecube game Donkey Kong