Moonlight Becomes You (song)

"Moonlight Becomes You"
"Moonlight Becomes You"
Single by Bing Crosby
B-side	"Constantly"
Published	October 2, 1942 by Famous Music Corp., New York
Released	November 19, 1942
Recorded	June 12, 1942
Studio	Decca Recording Studio, Los Angeles, California
Length	3:09
Label	Decca 18513
Composer(s)	Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyricist(s)	Johnny Burke
Bing Crosby singles chronology

"Moonlight Becomes You" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke.^[3] The song was written for the Paramount Pictures release Road to Morocco (1942) and published in 1942 in connection with the film. Vic Schoen (staff arranger for Paramount) wrote the arrangement.

The song has been recorded many times, becoming a standard, but the recording by Bing Crosby on June 12, 1942^[4] is the best known. This topped the Billboard charts in 1942 and spent a total of 17 weeks in the lists.^[5]

Other recordings

Chet Baker covered the tune in his album My Funny Valentine (1980).
Dick Haymes - included in his 1956 album Moondreams.^[6]
Ella Fitzgerald - Verve release Get Happy! (1959), with Herb Ellis on guitar and Lou Levy on piano.
Engelbert Humperdinck on his album The Very Thought of You (1995).^[7]
Frank Sinatra recorded the song for his Moonlight Sinatra album (1966).
Nora Aunor - her winning song in 1967 Tawag ng Tanghalan Championship.
Glenn Miller Orchestra - their 1942 recording reached No. 5 in the Billboard charts the same year.^[8]
Bobby Hackett - 1965 album of the same name.^[9]
Harry James and His Orchestra - their recording reached No. 15 in the Billboard charts in 1942.^[10]
The Hi-Lo's - included in the 1957 album Ring Around Rosie.
Jack Jones - included in his 1961 album Lollipops and Roses.^[11]
Jerry Vale - included in his 1959 album The Same Old Moon.^[12]
Johnny Mathis - included in his 1959 album Heavenly.
Mel Tormé - in his 1994 album A Tribute to Bing Crosby.
Michael Holliday - included in the 1962 album To Bing - From Mike.^[13]
Val Doonican - included in the 1982 album Val Sings Bing.^[14]
Paul Williams recorded this song for his 1979 album A Little on the Windy Side.
Seth MacFarlane - in his 2017 album In Full Swing.

Popular culture

A clip of the song by Julie Morgan was also featured in Star Trek: First Contact, also a Paramount film.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra version of the song. sung by Skip Nelson, is featured in a dance sequence in the New York City immersive theater production Sleep No More.
Becker and an old lady sing it together at the end of the episode "Love! Lies! Bleeding!"
The Caretaker (James Leyland Kirby) samples a cover of the song by Carroll Gibbons in his 2008 album Persistent Repetition of Phrases in the track "Von Restorff Effect"

References

^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1942). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1942 2 Music New Series Vol 37 Pt 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Decca matrix DLA 3034. Moonlight becomes you / Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
^ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 109. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ "Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^ "Discogs". Discogs.com. 1995. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 312. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ "Bobby Hackett with Strings – Moonlight Becomes You (Vinyl)". Discogs. 17 December 2017.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 226. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
^ "Discogs". discogs.com. 1962. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^ "Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^ "Discogs". discogs.com. 1962. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
^ "Discogs". discogs.com. 1982. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

External links

"Moonlight Becomes You" at Jazz Standards

This pop standards-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1942). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1942 2 Music New Series Vol 37 Pt 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.

[session-2] "Decca matrix DLA 3034. Moonlight becomes you / Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-30.

[3] Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.

[4] "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved June 21, 2017.

[5] Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 109. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

[6] "Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[7] "Discogs". Discogs.com. 1995. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[8] Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 312. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

[9] "Bobby Hackett with Strings – Moonlight Becomes You (Vinyl)". Discogs. 17 December 2017.

[10] Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research Inc. p. 226. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

[11] "Discogs". discogs.com. 1962. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[12] "Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[13] "Discogs". discogs.com. 1962. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[14] "Discogs". discogs.com. 1982. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

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v t e Bing Crosby singles
Discography
1920s	"My Blue Heaven" (with Paul Whiteman) "Ol' Man River" (with Paul Whiteman) "Mississippi Mud" (with Paul Whiteman) "Silent Night, Holy Night" (with Paul Whiteman) "Makin' Whoopee" (with Paul Whiteman) "Let's Do It" (with Dorsey Brothers) "Louise"
1930s	"Three Little Words" (with Duke Ellington) "I Surrender Dear" (with Gus Arnheim) "Just a Gigolo" "At Your Command" "Stardust" "Goodnight, Sweetheart" "Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)" (Bing's Theme Song) "Waltzing in a Dream" "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" "Temptation" "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" "June in January" "Love Is Just Around the Corner" "I Wished on the Moon" "It Ain't Necessarily So" "I Can't Escape from You" "Pennies from Heaven" "Silent Night" "Adeste Fideles" "Sweet Leilani" "Blue Hawaii" "Never in a Million Years" "Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon" "My Reverie" "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" "God Bless America" "Ciribiribin (They're So in Love)" (with Andrews Sisters)
1940s	"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" "Only Forever" "It's Always You" "New San Antonio Rose" (with Bob Crosby) "Dolores" "Deep in the Heart of Texas" (with Woody Herman) "Easter Parade" "White Christmas" "Moonlight Becomes You" "Sunday, Monday, or Always" "People Will Say We're in Love" (with Trudy Erwin) "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (with Trudy Erwin) "Pistol Packin' Mama" (with Andrews Sisters) "I'll Be Home for Christmas" "Jingle Bells" (with Andrews Sisters) "Poinciana" "I Love You" "I'll Be Seeing You" "Swinging on a Star" "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" (with Andrews Sisters) "Hot Time in the Town of Berlin" (with Andrews Sisters) "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)" "Amor" "Long Ago (and Far Away)" "Don't Fence Me In" (with Andrews Sisters) "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (with Andrews Sisters) "You Belong to My Heart" "Along the Navajo Trail (with Andrews Sisters) "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" "If I Loved You" "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (with Les Paul Trio) "I Can't Begin to Tell You" "Symphony" "The Bells of St. Mary's" "McNamara's Band" "Sioux City Sue" "South America, Take It Away" "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" (with Andrews Sisters) "Night and Day" "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (with Andrews Sisters) "Galway Bay "Ballerina" "Now Is the Hour" "But Beautiful" "Far Away Places" "Careless Hands" "Riders in the Sky" "Some Enchanted Evening" "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" "Mule Train"
1950s	"Quicksilver" (with Andrews Sisters) "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" (with Andrews Sisters) "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" "Play a Simple Melody" (with Gary Crosby) "Sam's Song " (with Gary Crosby) "La Vie en rose" "All My Love" "Beyond the Reef" "Harbor Lights" "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" "A Marshmallow World" "Sparrow in the Treetop" (with Andrews Sisters) "Gone Fishin'" (with Louis Armstrong) "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (with Jane Wyman) "The Isle of Innisfree" "Zing a Little Zong" (with Jane Wyman) "Silver Bells" (with Carol Richards) "Down by the Riverside" (with Gary Crosby) "Young at Heart" "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" "Stranger in Paradise" "In a Little Spanish Town" (with Buddy Cole Trio) "True Love" (with Grace Kelly) "Now You Has Jazz" (with Louis Armstrong) "Well, Did You Evah!" (with Frank Sinatra)
1970s	"That's What Life Is All About"
1980s	"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" (with David Bowie)

v t e Harry James
Singles	"Goodnight, My Love" "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" "One O'Clock Jump" "It's the Dreamer in Me" "Boo-Woo" "Woo-Woo" "I Found a New Baby" "Ciribiribin" "The Flight of the Bumblebee" "You Made Me Love You" "Misirlou" "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" "Easter Parade" "Sleepy Lagoon" "Skylark" "I Remember You" "But Not for Me" "I Cried for You" "Mr. Five by Five" "I Had the Craziest Dream" "Manhattan Serenade" "I've Heard That Song Before" "Moonlight Becomes You" "All or Nothing at All" "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" "On a Little Street in Singapore" "Memphis Blues" "I'm Beginning to See the Light" "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" "The More I See You" "If I Loved You" "It's Been a Long, Long Time" "I Can't Begin to Tell You" "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" "Who's Sorry Now" "Heartaches" "Jalousie (Jealousy)" "Stella by Starlight" "Mona Lisa" "Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)" "You'll Never Know"
Albums	Boogie Woogie Harry James and His Orchestra 1948–49 Young Man with a Horn Wild About Harry! The New James Harry's Choice!
Related articles	"Everything but You" Louise Tobin Betty Grable