I'm Making Believe

"I'm Making Believe" is a 1944 song composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song first appeared in the film Sweet and Low-Down; the performance by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The version recorded by the Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald topped The Billboard's National Best Selling Retail Records chart for two weeks in 1944. Their version had sold over one million copies by the time of Fitzgerald's death in 1996.[2]

"I'm Making Believe"
Single by the Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald
A-side"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall"
ReleasedOctober 1944 (1944-10)
RecordedAugust 30, 1944[1]
LabelDecca
Composer(s)James V. Monaco
Lyricist(s)Mack Gordon
Producer(s)Milt Gabler

Composition and appearance in Sweet and Low-Down

"I'm Making Believe" was composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Mack Gordon. It first appeared in the 1944 film Sweet and Low-Down, in which it is performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.[3][4] Their rendition earned the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.[3][5]

The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald recording

On August 30, 1944, Ella Fitzgerald and the vocal group the Ink Spots recorded the vocals for "I'm Making Believe" and "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" in New York City for producer Milt Gabler.[6][7] "I'm Making Believe" was recorded with two opposing choruses by Fitzgerald and Ink Spots member Bill Kenny.[8] The single was released in November 1944 as a 78-rpm disc by Decca Records.[9][6]

Other versions

"I'm Making Believe" was also recorded by the Three Suns, Hal McIntyre and Mark Warnow.[10] In 2023, Orville Peck and King Princess contributed a version of the song to the soundtrack of the National Geographic biographical drama miniseries A Small Light.

Reception

The Billboard praised the pairing of Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots, predicting the song would be popular among both jukebox and phonograph listeners.[11][12] DownBeat wrote of it: "[Fitzgerald] really tears this one apart … She's never done anything like it, and her vocal is actually thrilling."[8]

Chart performance

The Ink Spots' and Fitzgerald's recording of "I'm Making Believe" topped The Billboard's National Best Selling Retail Records chart for two consecutive weeks in December 1944.[13][14] It also peaked at number three on the magazine's Most Played Jukebox Records chart.[15] In 1945, their version peaked at number two on the Harlem Hit Parade[16] and number five on the Records Most Played on the Air chart, both published by The Billboard.[17] Hal McIntyre's cover of the song peaked at number 14 on the magazine's Records Most Played on the Air chart.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Decca matrix 72371. I'm making believe / Ella Fitzgerald - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  2. Holden, Stephen (16 June 1996). "Ella Fitzgerald, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 79". The New York Times. New York. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. Johnson, J. Wilfred (2001). Ella Fitzgerald: An Annotated Discography; Including a Complete Discography of Chick Webb. Jefferson, North Carolina; London: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-4690-2. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. Tyler, Don (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-rock Era. McFarland. p. 275. ISBN 978-0786429462. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. "The 17th Academy Awards | 1945". Oscars.org. AMPAS. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  6. Fritts, Ron; Vail, Ken (2003). Ella Fitzgerald: The Chick Webb Years & Beyond. Laxham, Maryland; Oxford, England: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4881-3. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. Gilliland, John (January 15, 1972). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #11". UNT Digital Library.
  8. Nicholson, Stuart (1993). Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz (Reprint ed.). C. Scribner's Sons. p. 81. ISBN 0684196999. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  9. Nicholson, Stuart (2004). Ella Fitzgerald: The Complete Biography. New York, London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-97119-5. Retrieved 15 May 2017. Released as two sides of a 78 disc…
  10. "Records Most Played on the Air". Billboard. 17 February 1945. p. 20.
  11. "Popular Record Reviews". 28 October 1944. p. 21. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  12. "Popular Record Reviews". 30 December 1944. p. 13. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  13. "Best Selling Retail Records". The Billboard. Cincinnati, Ohio. 9 December 1944. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  14. "Best Selling Retail Records". The Billboard. Cincinnati, Ohio. 16 December 1944. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. "Most Played Juke Box Records". The Billboard. Cincinnati, Ohio. 23 December 1944. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  16. "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. 13 January 1945. p. 17.
  17. "Records Most Played on the Air". Billboard. 3 February 1945. p. 18.
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