Between 1938 and 1944, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra released 266 singles on the monaural ten-inch shellac 78 rpm format. Their studio output comprised a variety of musical styles inside of the Swing genre, including ballads, band chants, dance instrumentals, novelty tracks, songs adapted from motion pictures, and, as the Second World War approached, patriotic music.
Non-instrumental songs featured Miller's various vocalists, generally Ray Eberle or Marion Hutton before 1940, with Tex Beneke, vocal group The Modernaires, and Skip Nelson all making studio vocal appearances after the turn of the decade. Beginning with An Album of Outstanding Arrangements in 1945, this collection has been repackaged into various album formats over time with release on 78 rpm, 10 and 12 inch LP, 7 inch 45 rpm, compact cassette, 8-track, compact disc (CD), and digital formats.
Before his popularity, in the late 1920s, Miller played or wrote arrangements for many hot jazz groups, including a stint as a trombonist-arranger for Red Nichols’ famed Five Pennies recordings.
Charted singles and selected discography, 1938–1942 Chart is sorted by order of individual song debut date.
Year Single Peak chart positionTotalweekschartedBackground U.S. 1938 "My Reverie" 11 31939 "Moonlight Serenade"315 "Sunrise Serenade"711 "Wishing (Will Make It So)"114 "The Lady's In Love With You" 2 12 "My Last Goodbye"132 "Runnin' Wild"121 "Stairway To The Stars" 1 13 "Little Brown Jug" 10 7 "Moon Love" 1 16 "Cinderella (Stay In My Arms)" 16 2 "Back To Back" 8 5 "Ain't Cha Comin' Out?" 8 2 "Over The Rainbow" 1 15 "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" 17 2"The Little Man Who Wasn't There" 7 11 "The Man With The Mandolin" 1 10 "Blue Orchids" 1 12 "My Isle Of Golden Dreams" 15 1 "In The Mood" 1 28 "Melancholy Lullaby" 15 3 "My Prayer" 3 7 "Speaking Of Heaven" 8 7 "(Why Couldn't It Last) Last Night" 7 3 "Bluebirds In The Moonlight (Silly Idea)" 9 21940 "Vagabond Dreams" 16 1 "This Changing World" 8 6 "Careless" 2 11 "Indian Summer" 8 10 "Faithful Forever" 5 3 "The Gaucho Serenade" 7 2 "Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)" 17 2 "Ooh! What You Said" 13 6 "Tuxedo Junction" 1 17 "In An Old Dutch Garden (By An Old Dutch Mill)" 8 2 "It's A Blue World" 14 4 "When You Wish Upon A Star" 2 7 "Say "Si Si" (Para Vigo Me Voy)" 14 4 "Starlit Hour" 10 1 "The Woodpecker Song" 1 14 "The Sky Fell Down" 16 2 "Boog It" 7 5 "Alice Blue Gown" 18 2 "I'm Stepping Out With A Memory Tonight" 7 6 "Say It" 7 4 "Imagination" 2 8 "Slow Freight" 9 3 "Hear My Song, Violetta" 9 8 "Shake Down The Stars" 10 1 "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)" 3 7 "Pennsylvania Six-Five Thousand" 5 6 "Devil May Care" 16 2 "The Nearness Of You" 5 8 "Sierra Sue" 17 1 "Blueberry Hill" 2 14 "I'll Never Smile Again" 17 1 "When the Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" 10 1 "Crosstown" 9 1 "Our Love Affair" 8 2 "The Call Of The Canyon" 10 1 "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To A Bar" 15 1 "A Handful Of Stars" 10 2 "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" 2 61941 "Anvil Chorus, Part One / Anvil Chorus, Part Two" 3 10 "Five O'Clock Whistle" 6 2 "Along The Santa Fe Trail" 7 4 "Frenesi" 18 2 "Song Of The Volga Boatmen" 1 8 "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem" 3 4 "Perfidia" 13 4 "Boulder Buff" 19 2 "The Booglie Wooglie Piggy" 7 5 "Adios" 17 4 "You And I" 4 6 "The Cowboy Serenade" 17 2 "Chattanooga Choo Choo" 1 23 "Elmer's Tune" 1 15 "It Happened In Sun Valley" 20 1 "I Know Why" 19 1 "I'm Thrilled" 20 1 "Jingle Bells" 5 21942 "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" 6 7 "A String Of Pearls" 1 18 "Ev'rything I Love" 7 4 "This Is No Laughing Matter" 17 1 "Moonlight Cocktail" 1 10 "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)" 2 13 "Skylark" 7 11 "The Story Of A Starry Night" 19 1 "Always In My Heart" 10 1 "American Patrol" 19 1 "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" 1 18 "Sweet Eloise" 14 8 "Serenade in Blue" 2 15 "At Last" 14 8 "Juke Box Saturday Night" 7 8 "Moonlight Becomes You" 5 8 "Dearly Beloved" 5 41943 "Moonlight Mood" 16 2 "That Old Black Magic" 1 14 "Rhapsody In Blue" 15 6 "Blue Rain" (re-issue) 9 31944 "It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)" 12 8 "Sunrise Serenade" (re-issue) 18 1 "A String of Pearls" (re-issue) 18 1 "Here We Go Again" 20 11948 "Adios" (re-issue) 20 1
Other discographical highlights, radio format
"Sold American" – written by Glenn Miller and Chummy MacGregor, was first recorded on May 23, 1938, as part of the first session for the new, reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra on Brunswick.Flower 14 When Miller signed with Victor he recorded "Sold American" again on June 27, 1939.Flower 72–73 "The Rhumba Jumps!" – Vocal by Marion Hutton and Tex Beneke. "Sometime" – vocal by Ray Eberle, composed by Glenn Miller and Chummy MacGregor in 1939, the song was only performed for radio broadcast; published in 1940 with lyrics credited to Mitchell Parish "Long Tall Mama" – written by Billy May under his first wife's name, "Arletta May". "Measure for Measure" – written by Billy May, recording exists from Sun Valley Serenade sound-on-film sessions. "Daisy Mae" – written by Billy May with Hal McIntyre "Gabby Goose" – written by Billy May "Swinging at the Seance" - composed by Edward Stone, whose real name was Abie Steinfeld. The song was covered by The Moon-Rays in 2008, and the Deep River Boys in 2009. "Yesterthoughts" – vocal by Ray Eberle. "Flagwaver" - written by Jerry Gray. "A Love Song Hasn't Been Sung" - written by Jerry Gray, Bill Conway, and Harold Dickinson. "Are You Rusty, Gate?" – written by Jerry Gray. "Introduction to a Waltz" – instrumental composed by Glenn Miller, Jerry Gray, and Hal Dickinson and performed for radio broadcast only.The song was recorded by the Jack Million Band on the album In the Mood for Glenn Miller, Volume 1. "The Man in the Moon" – Vocal by Ray Eberle. Written by Jerry Gray, Jerry Lawrence, and John Benson Brooks and recorded on September 3, 1941.An unreleased instrumental version was recorded for the Orchestra Wives soundtrack and never used in the release print. See the 1994 compact disc "Glenn Miller in Stereo" and its accompanying liner notes. "Solid as a Stonewall, Jackson" – written by Chummy MacGregor and Jerry Gray "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmicheal and Mitchell Parish. Recorded January 29, 1940 for Bluebird.Flower 124 "Delilah" – Vocal by Tex Beneke and the Modernaires. "Sentimental Me" – Vocal by Dorothy Claire.Flower 266, 272, 276 "Ida! Sweet As Apple Cider" – Vocal by Tex Beneke; Recorded January 17, 1941. Written by Eddie Leonard. Two recordings exist, one a test pressing. Arranged by Billy May.Flower 270 "Down for the Count" - written by Bill Finegan, performed over broadcast. "Conversation Piece" - written by Bill Finegan, performed over broadcast. "Tiger Rag" – composed by Nick LaRocca.Originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 in New York, it became a jazz standard and one of the most covered jazz songs of the twentieth century. "Slumber Song" – written by Chummy MacGregor and Saul Tepper.Flower 379 It was used as Glenn Miller's theme song in 1941 when contractual problems with ASCAP forbade him from using "Moonlight Serenade".Simon 243 "The Spirit is Willing" – written by Jerry Gray. Recorded for the soundtrack, but not used for Sun Valley Serenade. Audio still survives and has been reissued several times.Flower 292 Issued on 78 as Bluebird B-11135-A. "Helpless" – written by Glenn Miller Orchestra; guitarist and vocalist Jack Lathrop "Long Time No See, Baby" – Vocal by Marion Hutton – Jack Lathrop & Sunny Skylar (w&m) "Keep 'Em Flying" – written by Jerry Gray. Glenn Miller changed the song title from "That's Where I Came In" to "Keep 'Em Flying". Recorded December 8, 1941. "Oh! So Good" – written by Jerry Gray "Soldier, Let Me Read Your Letter" – arranged by arranger/trumpeter Billy May; written by Sidney Lippman, Pvt. Pat Fallon and Pvt. Tim Pasma "I Got Rhythm" – Billy May, arranger; January 1, 1942 broadcast Flower, 398 "Boom Shot" – composed by Glenn Miller and Billy May (under his wife's name Arletta May) for Orchestra Wives and arranged by George Williams. "Blues in the Night" — December 18, 1941 broadcast. "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" — Recorded February 18, 1942. "Rainbow Rhapsody" — Recorded July 16, 1942. "Make Believe" — September 9, 1942 broadcast. "Lullaby of the Rain" — Recorded May 20, 1942.
Harry Warren and Mack Gordon songs for Sun Valley Serenade and Orchestra Wives: Harry Warren and Mack Gordon were songwriters under contract with Twentieth Century Fox from 1940 to 1943. During that time period they composed the songs for Miller's movies for Fox.
"The Kiss Polka", used in Sun Valley SerenadeFlower 290, 291 and also appeared as a Bluebird 78.Flower 335 "The World is Waiting to Waltz Again" – vocal by John Payne, cut out of the release print of Sun Valley Serenade. "People Like You and Me" – Vocals by Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke, Ray Eberle, and the Modernaires in Orchestra Wives. Not recorded commercially or performed for broadcast. "That's Sabotage" – vocal by Marion Hutton. Cut out of the release print of Orchestra Wives supposedly by pressure from the United States government about how the war effort was being presented in the song. The 35mm audio survives and has been released many times.Flower 430 Also recorded with Marion Hutton for RCA Victor.Flower 455
Radio format: In sharing air time with the Andrews Sisters for the early Chesterfield Shows, the Miller band had nine minutes to present its music. Miller instituted medleys of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue into the band's broadcasts to enable it to play as much as possible.Simon 199 This medley tradition continued into both later programs and the I Sustain The Wings radio broadcasts of the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra (March 20, 1943 to January 15, 1946).
Sample Glenn Miller medley, June 19, 1940, Cincinnati, Ohio, Chesterfield show with a Jerry Gray arrangement of all tracks:
Old – "The Touch of Your Hand" (Generally an older song)
New – "Basket Weaver Man" (A way to introduce a new song, written by Joe McCarthy and Walter Donaldson)
Borrowed – "The Waltz You Saved For Me" (Themes or songs made famous by other bands/bandleaders; Borrowed from bandleader Wayne King, written by King, Gus Kahn and Emil Flindt)
Blue – "Blue Danube" ("Blue" in title, written by Johann Strauss Jr., 1867)Flower 184
Recordings as sideman, arranger, and leader: 1926–1938 The first authenticated recordings made by Glenn Miller were in 1926. In the fall of 1926, Earl Baker, a cornetist, made recordings on cylinders using the Edison Standard Phonograph recording device, making the first recordings of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Fud Livingston. Miller and Goodman were both in the Ben Pollack and his Californians band at that time. The Ben Pollack band was in Chicago, Illinois, to make studio recordings for Victor. The Baker cylinders are available on the album "The Legendary Earl Baker Cylinders", released by the Jazz Archives record label as JA43 in 1979. The songs performed included "Sleepy Time Gal", "Sister Kate", "After I Say I'm Sorry", and "Sobbin' Blues".
"When I First Met Mary" – recorded on December 9, 1926, in Chicago as part of Ben Pollack and his Californians which featured Benny Goodman on clarinet. The recording was released as Victor 20394. "He's the Last Word" – recorded on December 12, 1926, with Ben Pollack and featuring a solo by Benny Goodman "Room 1411 (Goin' to Town)" – Miller's first known composition, written with Benny Goodman in 1928 and recorded with Miller's peers was released on 78 as Brunswick 4013. "Solo Hop" – composed by Glenn Miller in 1935 when he began recording under his own name which features a trumpet solo by Bunny Berigan. The record reached number seven on the Billboard singles chart in 1935 becoming Miller's first hit record. "Dese Dem Dose" – with the Dorsey Brothers and Ray Noble.