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Misty (song)

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Wikipedia article




"'Misty'" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format and recorded it for the album 'Contrasts' (1955). Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It became the signature song of Johnny Mathis, appearing on his 1959 album 'Heavenly' and reaching number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. The song has been recorded many times, including versions by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Sarah Vaughan.

Composition



Erroll Garner was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into O'Hare, Garner looked through the window to see a rainbow glowing through a haze, and was moved to begin composing "Misty" on the spot, striking imaginary piano keys on his knees as he hummed the notes he imagined (causing his neighboring passenger to summon a flight attendant to assist the apparently ill Garner).

Johnny Mathis version



Background

Mathis heard Garner play the song, and told him that he would love to sing it if Garner had lyrics for it. Accounts differ as to whether Garner or Garner's business manager, Martha Glaser, was in attendance when Mathis later recorded the song.

Chart performance

Weekly singles



Certifications



'Play Misty for Me'

Although there were already several released versions, the Mathis version inspired Clint Eastwood to use the instrumental in his 1971 film 'Play Misty for Me', a low-budget film that proved to be a box-office success. Eastwood, a fan of Mathis, ended up paying a nominal fee for the Garner recording in his film.

Ray Stevens version



Background and release

In 1975, singer Ray Stevens released an up-tempo country rendition of this song. It is the title track of his twelfth studio album. Stevens recounted that the song was recorded on the second take when experimenting in the studio. His version won a Grammy in the category of Music Arrangement of the Year. This version peaked at number fourteen on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and reached number two in the United Kingdom.

Chart performance



Weekly singles



Year-end charts



Other notable versions



* Count Basie, 'Dance Along with Basie' (1959)

* Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1961 for use on his radio show, and it was included on the album 'With All My Heart' (2012)

* Aretha Franklin, Yeah!!! (1965)

*Groove Holmes hit the Hot 100 with his version (1966)

*Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio 1974 "Misty" Three Blind Mice

References




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