Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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ARLEN, Harold

(b Hyman Arluck, 15 February 1905, Bufallo NY; d 23 April 1986, NYC) Songwriter. Alec Wilder admired Arlen as perhaps the most quintessentially American songwriter, for his 'don't-worry-about-the-mud-on-your-shoes' quality: more than any of his contemporaries, he immersed himself in the popular culture of his youth; he was also an arranger, and (unlike Irving Berlin) talked about good songs rather than big hits. He fell in love with jazz, played piano in cafes at 15, led a jazz band; played in the pit band for George White's Scandals of 1928 and had songs published that year ('The Album Of My Dreams' recorded by Rudy Vallee) but never intended to be a songwriter.

Hired by Vincent Youmans to play rehearsal piano for Great Day! '29, he began to write a tune on an introductory vamp, and Will Marion Cook advised him to publish it before somebody stole it; the result was his first big hit 'Get Happy', with words by Ted Koehler (b 14 July 1894, Washington DC; d 17 January 1973, Santa Monica CA). They wrote songs for Cotton Club revues (replacing Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, who were busy on Broadway); they wrote 'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea', 'I've Got The World On A String', 'Kickin' The Gong Around' and 'Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day' (for Cab Calloway), 'Stormy Weather' (always associated with Ethel Waters), 'As Long As I Live' (introduced by Lena Horne at age 16), plus many more, all '31-4. They also wrote 'I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues' for Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1932, 'It's Only A Paper Moon' for a flop show the same year, 'Let's Fall In Love' for their first film (of that title) '34.

Arlen also collaborated with Yip Harburg ('Last Night When We Were Young'), Ira Gershwin, and Johnny Mercer: 'Blues In The Night', 'Come Rain Or Come Shine', 'That Old Black Magic' (for film Star-Spangled Rhythm '42), 'One For My Baby' (for The Sky's The Limit '43). Arlen shows included Bloomer Girl '44 with Harburg, all-black musical St Louis Woman '46 with Mercer, House Of Flowers '54 for Pearl Bailey, Jamaica '57 for Horne. Other films included Here Come The Waves '44 with Mercer ('Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive'); and most unforgettably, Wizard Of Oz '39 with Harburg ('Over The Rainbow' etc) and A Star Is Born '53 with Ira Gershwin ('The Man That Got Away'), both for Judy Garland. Ed Jablonsky's book Harold Arlen: Happy With The Blues '61 was updated as Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbows And Blues '97. His later years were marred by Parkinson's disease.