"My Old Flame" is a 1934 song composed by
Arthur Johnston with lyrics by
Sam Coslow for the film ''
Belle of the Nineties''. It has since become a jazz standard.
History
"My Old Flame" first appeared in the 1934 film ''
Belle of the Nineties'' when it was sung by
Mae West, backed by the
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...
Orchestra.
Six weeks after filming wrapped with West, Ellington recorded the tune with singer
Ivie Anderson,
released on Commodore 585. It became a No. 7 hit for
Guy Lombardo later that year but it was not until the early 1940s that the tune re-emerged, entering the repertoire of the orchestras of
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
and
Count Basie.
Notable recordings
"My Old Flame" has since become a
jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...
, and sung by the likes of
Billie Holiday,
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
,
Dinah Washington and
Helen Humes, with instrumental interpretations by
Charlie Parker for the Dial label in 1947,
Gerry Mulligan with
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool".
Baker earned much attention and ...
in 1953, trombonist
J.J. Johnson on his 1957 album ''
Trombone Master
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrat ...
'',
Sonny Rollins
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
on his 1993 album ''
Old Flames
''Old Flames'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released on the Milestone label in 1993, featuring performances by Rollins with Clifton Anderson, Tommy Flanagan, Bob Cranshaw and Jack DeJohnette with Jon Faddis, Byron Stripling, ...
'' and many others.
The tune was also recorded by the
Stan Kenton orchestra,
and
Zoot Sims in a "sensitive rendition" according to ''Jazz Improv'' magazine.
Spike Jones recorded a spoof version with vocals by
Paul Frees (imitating
Peter Lorre).
included the song in his
2022 solo album.
Lyrics and structure
The music has an
AABA structure.
It is written in the key of G major, and features a change to B in the 'B' section.
As a vehicle for West, while the lyric contains "characteristically flippant lines – 'My old flame/ I can't even remember his name' – it suggests that her brazen sexuality is the carapace for a lost youthful love": 'But their attempts at love/ Were only imitations of/ My old flame'.
References
{{authority control
1934 songs
1930s jazz standards
Jazz compositions in G major