My Shining Hour
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"My Shining Hour" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the 1943 film The Sky's the Limit, where it was introduced by Sally Sweetland - who dubbed for Joan Leslie - backed by Freddie Slack and his orchestra.[1] It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. The song became a hit, in a version recorded by Glen Gray with Eugenie Baird as vocalist, but only slowly, taking four months to achieve recognition on Your Hit Parade having entered the charts on January 22, 1944 (the film was premiered on September 2, 1943). The song's title, and opening line: "This will be my shining hour", is believed to have been a reference to Winston Churchill's famous rallying call to British citizens during the war: "This will be our finest hour".[1]
[edit] Notable recordings
- Glen Gray - vocal Eugenie Baird (1944)
- Betty Carter - 'Round Midnight (1969)
- John Coltrane - Coltrane Jazz (1961)
- Sammy Davis, Jr. - Our Shining Hour (1965)
- Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (1961)
- Peggy Lee - Love Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen (recorded 1988, released 1993)
- Liza Minnelli - recorded 1960's
- Frank Sinatra - Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980)
- Barbra Streisand - Streisand Live in Concert (released 2007)
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Mueller, John (1986). Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films. London: Hamish Hamilton, p.229. ISBN 0-241-11749-6.

