When ASCAP raised its licensing fees for broadcast use, many ASCAP members, including Ellington, could no longer play their compositions over radio, as most music was played live on radio at the time. A seeming natural-born talent, Ellington composed his first ragtime number at age 14. Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G. Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971, The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944, The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947, It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Take_the_%22A%22_Train&oldid=976015998, Articles needing additional references from September 2013, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 August 2020, at 18:22. Ellington turned to Billy Strayhorn and son Mercer Ellington, who were registered with ASCAP competitor BMIto "write a whole ne… Edward Kennedy Ellington was born at the turn of the 20th century in Washington DC in 1899. The title refers to the then-new A subway service that runs through New York City, going at that time from eastern Brooklyn, on the Fulton Street Line opened in 1936, up into Harlem and northern Manhattan, using the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan opened in 1932. "'A' Train" was one of many tunes written by Strayhorn, and was picked to replace "Sepia Panorama" as the band's signature song. Introduced in early 1941 by Duke Ellington, the bandleader made it his theme song the following year, and so it remained for the rest of Ellington's life. Jo Stafford recorded an intentionally inept interpretation of the song under the pseudonym Darlene Edwards. The song brought Ellington and his … Mercer recalled that he found the composition in a trash can after Strayhorn discarded a draft of it because it sounded too much like a Fletcher Henderson arrangement. This article is about the song by Billy Strayhorn. He wanted to own his own music and royalties, ultimately ending his role as victim to the exploitative music industry. But behind the curtain of success stood a young composer and songwriter, Billy Strayhorn, who was a longtime friend and collaborator of Ellington’s. Ellington’s Tempo Music company was formulated after Ellington severed his relationship with agent Irving Mills. "Take the 'A' Train" was composed in 1939, after Ellington offered Strayhorn a job in his organization and gave him money to travel from Pittsburgh to New York City. These plates, unmarked and unsigned, raised a question: was the young Strayhorn denied the credit he deserved for catapulting the band and the publishing company to eternal fame and success? [1], The use of the Strayhorn composition as the signature tune was made necessary by a ruling in 1940 by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Strayhorn was a great fan of Fletcher Henderson's arrangements. The song was performed by Ellington and the band in the 1943 film Reveille with Beverly with vocalist Betty Roche. The song brought Ellington and his … Watch the video for Take The "A" Train from Duke Ellington's The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. In 1941, New York City’s newest subway line – the A train – was bringing people from Harlem into the heart of the city and connecting the long-stretching Manhattan Island. Duke Ellington’s signature composition was “Take the A Train,” written by his frequent collaborator Billy Strayhorn. The vocalist who most often performed the song with the Ellington band was trumpeter Ray Nance, who enhanced the lyrics with numerous choruses of scat singing. Ella Fitzgerald sang and recorded this song many times from 1957 onwards; for a live version with Ella scatting, see her 1961 Verve release Ella in Hollywood. The song would bring huge financial success to a pioneering music publishing venture, Tempo Music Inc., located at 1775 Broadway in New York City and owned by Ellington. His company set the precedent for African American artists that would come after him – Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock – starting their own companies and managing their own wealth. Ellington turned to Billy Strayhorn and son Mercer Ellington, who were registered with ASCAP competitor BMI to "write a whole new book for the band," Mercer recalled. Midwestern Rockers, Chicago added their version in 1995 on their back-to-the-roots-disc, Night & Day Big Band.