That Old Black Magic

Infobox Single
Name = That Old Black Magic


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Artist = Glenn Miller
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Writer = Harold Arlen (music), Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
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"That Old Black Magic" is a popular song. The music was written by Harold Arlen, with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was published in 1942 and has become an often-recorded standard with versions by Glenn Miller, the singers Margaret Whiting, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mercer himself, and others.

The Glenn Miller recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 1523. It charted in 1943, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard magazine charts, peaking at position #1. cite book
last = Whitburn
first = Joel
authorlink = Joel Whitburn
title = Top Pop Records 1940-1955
publisher = Record Research
year = 1973 ]

The Margaret Whiting recording (with the Freddie Slack Orchestra, which got top billing on the label) was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 126. It charted in 1943, spending 1 week at #10 on the Billboard chart.

The Frank Sinatra recording originally appeared on the album "Frank Sinatra Remembers the Movies". This album seems to have disappeared, but the recording is on several "Greatest Hits" compilations of his Capitol recordings.

A 1950 recording on Mercury Records by Billy Daniels gave him the moniker "The Old Black Magic Man" for the rest of his career.

The Sammy Davis, Jr. recording was released by Decca Records as catalog number 29541. It charted in 1955 and spent 6 weeks on the "Billboard" charts, peaking at position #16. . Sammy Davis, Jr. performs "That Old Black Magic" during a guest appearance on the television series I Dream of Jeannie.

Marilyn Monroe famously sang the song in her film "Bus Stop", in 1956. Her character Cheree is singing the song (somewhat out of key) to an audience who is not listening and talking loudly, until Don Murray quiets them all down.

The duet recorded by Louis Prima and Keely Smith was released as a single in 1958 on the Capitol label. It reached a peak of eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100.

Bobby Rydell had his version released as a single on Cameo in 1961. It reached number twenty-one on the Hot 100.

Johnny Mercer recorded his version in 1974 for his album "My Huckleberry Friend".

The tune was featured as background music in the movie, "."

It was featured twice on . It was sung by Seven of Nine during a simulation of World War II on the first part of the Episode The Killing Game. The second time it was performed by The Doctor and Harry Kim and his jazz band called 'Harry Kim and the Kimtones' in the episode .

Recorded versions

* Larry Adler
* Ray Anthony
* Harold Arlen
* Charlie Barnet
* Tony Bennett
* Earl Bostic
* Les Brown and his Band of Renown
* Dave Brubeck
* Cab Calloway
* Rosemary Clooney
* Holly Cole
* Ray Conniff
* Bing Crosby
* Billy Daniels
* James Darren
* Miles Davis
* Sammy Davis Jr.
* Doris Day
* Buddy DeFranco
* Jula de Palma
* Tommy Dorsey
* Ray Eberle and his Orchestra
* Billy Eckstine
* Percy Faith
* Ella Fitzgerald
* Judy Garland
* Erroll Garner
* Carroll Gibbons
* Dizzy Gillespie
* Stéphane Grappelli
* Lionel Hampton
* Dick Haymes
* Shirley Horn
* Spike Jones and his City Slickers
* Stan Kenton
* Peggy Lee
* Jerry Lewis (in the movie the Nutty Professor)
* Henry Mancini and his Orchestra
* The Marcels
* Tony Martin
* Johnny Mathis
* Carmen McRae
* Johnny Mercer
* Glenn Miller and his Orchestra
* Marilyn Monroe (in the movie "Bus Stop")
* Marion Montgomery
* Van Morrison
* Oscar Peterson
* The Platters
* André Prévin
* Louis Prima
* Red Norvo Quintet
* Lita Roza
* Bobby Rydell
* David Seering (with Tommy Newsom and the L.A. Big-Band All Stars)
* Allan Sherman ("That Old Back Scratcher")
* Janis Siegel
* Frank Sinatra
* Keely Smith
* Kevin Spacey
* Toni Tennille
* Mel Tormé
* Caterina Valente
* Sarah Vaughan
* Margaret Whiting
* Widespread Panic (live)
* Robbie Williams

References