What jazzed up Glenn Miller tune did I hear?

March 6, 2012 5:47 AM

I heard a Glenn Miller tune on a jazz station and I'm trying to find out what album it was from. It was performed by a big band but it was not an original or remastered recording because it started out differently, was "jazzed up" a bit and had a good short solo or two in it. The song may have been "String of Pearls." Any ideas?
posted by 14580 to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

It's a pretty large haystack, but you might check out the Spitfire Band:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spitfire_Band

I mention them mainly because they play a lot of their stuff on the '40s channel on XM/Sirius. About the only band they seem to play that isn't original period recordings. But there are bazillions of tribute bands, neo-swing bands, etc. I'd look up String of Pearls on youtube to confirm that was the tune, and then search through videos to see if you can find it again - odds are you'll find something you like as well or better...
posted by randomkeystrike at 6:32 AM on March 6, 2012

Little Brown Jug?
posted by timsteil at 7:23 AM on March 6, 2012

If you can remember what station you were listening to & when you were listening to it, check the station's website to see if they've posted their playlist online.

You should search Glen Miller on YouTube for your basic song ID, but otherwise (with so little information), you're talking about finding a needle in a haystack the size of Nebraska - Miller's a staple composer of jazz/big band and his tunes have been covered a bazillion times.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:30 AM on March 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I checked the station's playlist but the song was missing from it. I haven't tried YouTube yet but I spent a lot of time on Amazon this morning but didn't find much besides a gadzillion re-releases or remasters of his original songs.

I like Miller's music but I'm sick of hearing fairly standard performance of his songs. At this point I'd just like to hear about artists or albums that interpret them differently.
posted by 14580 at 8:03 AM on March 6, 2012

Could it have been the Jools Holland version? Youtube doesn't have it, but if you have Spotify then this link should take you to it.
posted by jonnyploy at 8:03 AM on March 6, 2012

You checked the station's playlist and didn't see it. Have you tried contacting the station directly to ask them what they played?

As for Glenn Miller's music and wanting something new, is it specifically just Miller that you like or are you into other artists of the era? How about some of Miller's work that isn't mentioned in the first paragraph of his Wikipedia article?
posted by cardioid at 11:55 AM on March 6, 2012

Back in the mid-to-late 90's/early 2000's, during the whatever-you-want-to-call-it Swing Revival/Neo-Swing/Jump Blues movement I heard an awful lot of versions of "Pennsylvania 6-5000." Of course, those were live performances - I have no idea how many of those bands actually recorded any of Miller's music.

That scene isn't what it used to be, but it still exists, especially connected with the swing dance subculture. I'd say poke around for those bands, especially ones that play swing dance events - I'd bet you'll find some different versions of Glenn Miller tunes.
posted by soundguy99 at 3:26 PM on March 6, 2012

As a swing dancer, I can tell you that Glenn Miller is largely shunned, especially on a national level. Regional or local events/bands may give you some Miller action, but many of us aren't interested in him. It's a shame, really. Most of the complaints that can be leveled against him have to do with his work that was actually intended for a different audience. He has great stuff for dancers when you know what to look for.
posted by cardioid at 3:45 PM on March 6, 2012