“Prelude to A Kiss” | Stories of Standards

Tune in to First Take with Lando and Chavis – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

 

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra originally recorded “Prelude to a Kiss” in August 1938 as an instrumental piece for the Brunswick label; a few weeks later he recorded it as a vocal number, with lyrics by Irving Mills and Irving Gordon sung by Mary McHugh on the Vocalion label. Duke Ellington had adapted the melody from one by Otto “Toby” Hardwick, a saxophonist who had been a friend since they were boys growing up just a block apart.

 

By the late 30s, Ellington (1899 – 1974) was experimenting with styles more reminiscent of classical music than Tin Pan Alley, leading to Gunther Schuller’s description of “Prelude to a Kiss” as  ”One of Ellington’s finest ballads, although too sophisticated in its weaving melody and chromatic harmonies to gain wide public acceptance.” Nevertheless this rose to rank 46th on the list of Jazz Standards. The vocal rendition went to #13 in the charts, followed by the instrumental, which went to #18.

 

Irving Mills (1896 – 1985) was manager of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1928 to 1939 and is credited as lyricist on songs including “Minnie the Moocher” (1931), “Mood Indigo” (1931) and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (1932). Born in 1896 (either in Odessa, Ukraine or New York City) he became known as a music publisher, orchestra leader, agent, record company owner, lyricist and vocalist and remained active in music until the 1960s.

 

Irving Gordon (1915 – 1996) studied violin as a child and couldn’t study at Juillard, which at the time did not accept Jews. He started writing while working in the Catskills, first writing parodies, then lyrics. His songs include “Prelude to a Kiss”, “Be Anything (But Be Mine)” (1952) and most famously “Unforgettable” which Nat King Cole recorded in 1931. Gordon won a Grammy for Song of the Year (1992) when Natalie Cole re-recorded “Unforgettable”.