Stardust (Song)

Songs / Down Memory Lane


"Stardust" is a popular song composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927 with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. Carmichael first recorded the song, originally titled "Star Dust", at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana. The song, "a song about a song about love", played in an idiosyncratic melody in medium tempo. It became an American standard, and is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, with over 1,500 total recordings. In 2004, Carmichael's original 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

The hit songs then were "Old Man River" and "Bill" from the musical "Showboat." In 1927, Hoagy Carmichael wrote a melody that would become one of the greatest hits of all time, "Stardust."

Along with Nat King Cole's with the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra from 1956, country singer Willie Nelson's take of "Stardust" from one of his albums of jazz and traditional pop songs has also been cited as the best version of this song.

The two videos below: an all-time favourite recordings of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" sung by Nat King Cole, and the other, by Willie Nelson. 

Brief Profile of Hoagy Carmichael

Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (b. November 22, 1899 – d. December 27, 1981), was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He composed numerous songs, including fifty that achieved hit record status. He is best known for composing the music for "Stardust", "Georgia on My Mind" (lyrics by Stuart Gorrell), "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul" (in collaboration with lyricist Frank Loesser), four of the most-recorded American songs of all time. He also collaborated with lyricist Johnny Mercer on "Lazybones" and "Skylark." His "Ole Buttermilk Sky" was an Academy Award-nominee in 1946; "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," with lyrics by Mercer, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951. Carmichael also appeared as a character actor and musical performer in fourteen motion pictures, hosted three musical-variety radio programs, performed on television, and wrote two autobiographies.

(Trivia: The song "Stardust" has been a personal favourite of mine long before my teens. It still is. One thing: my Spanish name, "Estrella" is "star" in English.  For some lovers of "Stardust", it could mean for someone who we can never be with, no matter how much we want to, possibly for the rest of our life; thanks to Hoagy's endearing lyrics: it's "... in my heart it will remain, my stardust melody, the memory of love's refrain."/ Tel)

Video Credit:

Stardust -  Nat King Cole.  Youtube, uploaded by Feeling and Form. Accessed September 11, 2009.

Stardust. YouTube, uploaded by Willie Nelson.  Accessed September 11, 2009.

Resources:

Hoagy Carmichael. en.wikipedia.org. Accessed September 11, 2009

Stardust (Song). en.wikipedia.org. Accessed September 11, 2009



(c) 2009. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.