Claude Thornhill w/ Fran Warren (1947) FIRST RECORDING [FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE]

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The first recording of "For Heaven's Sake", featuring Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra with vocal by Fran Warren. Recorded in December of 1947.

The JGC History series features specifically curated playlists to help trace the lineage of some of the most influential jazz compositions of all time.

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Some notes about the composition as found on
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Composer: Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer, Elise Bretton

Year: 1947

Origin: First recorded by Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra.

Style: Ballad

Form: A-A-B-A (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key: Most commonly played in F Major

Harmony/Overview: The harmony of this composition is very functional. The A sections begin with a minor II - V to the tonic and are followed by a IIImi7 - VI7b9 - IImi7b5 - V7b9 progression. The harmony then arrives back to the tonic in the 4th bar before becoming Dominant; acting as a secondary Dominant to set up the following IV chord. It is very common to use tri-tone substitution in this instance, instead opting for bV7 to precede the IV. The 5th bar resolves to IVmi7 before the common progression of IIImi7 - bIIIdim7 - IImi7 - V7 returns back to the tonic one last time. The B section abruptly modulates to bVI Major, and begins on IImi7 before cycling through a IImi7 - V7 - IMaj7 - VI7 progression. Bar 5 begins on the tonic minor, and it is very common for the harmony to be approached with the minor cliché line of min - min# 5 - min6 - min7. After a brief stay on IVmi7 a II - V of I is used to conclude the section.​

Recordings: This song has been recorded over 130 times to date. It was first recorded by Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra in 1957. Billie Holiday's legendary recording from 1958 was highly influential in establishing this song as a standard, and since it has been recorded by countless notable jazz musicians, both vocalists and instrumentalists alike.

JGC Top Picks:
Bill Evans, Trio 64, 1964
Elvin Jones, Puttin' It Together, 1968
Eric Alexander, Mode for Mabes, 1998

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#ClaudeThornhill #FranWarren #ForHeavensSake