There'll Be Some Changes Made
"There'll Be Some Changes Made" is a popular song by Benton Overstreet and Billy Higgins. Published in 1921, the song has flourished in several genres, particularly jazz. The song has endured for as many years as a jazz standard. According to the online The Jazz Discography, "Changes" had been recorded 404 times as of May 2018. The song and its record debut were revolutionary, in that the songwriters, the owners of Black Swan, the opera singer for whom the label was named, and the musicians on the recording led by Fletcher Henderson, were all African American. The production is identified by historians as a notable part of the Harlem Renaissance.
History and popularity milestones
1920s
The debut recording with Ethel Waters was recorded on Black Swan Records and rapidly became a hit. Her rendition features the rarely-heard 6-bar instrumental intro, followed by her singing the 1st verse, then her singing the 1st chorus, then instruments playing 8 bars of the chorus, finishing with her singing the 1st chorus.Variety magazine, in a fifty-year commemorative issue, included Ethel Waters' recording in its "Hit Parade of a Half-Century " list for 1923. A 1924 recording by Marion Harris helped establish it as a standard. Other artists with notable recordings during the 1920s include Josie Miles, Sophie Tucker, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. In jazz discography, which does not include the recordings of Marion Harris or Sophie Tucker, there were 11 recordings of the song during the 1920s.
1930s
Standout recordings from the 1930s include Fats Waller, Pee Wee Russell's Rhythmakers, and Benny Goodman and His Orchestra. In jazz discography, there were 17 recordings of the song during the 1930s, including double takes by Benny Carter and His Swing Quintet, Pee Wee Russell's Rhythmakers, Benny Goodman And His Orchestra, and Eddie Condon And His Chicagoans.1940s
1941 was not a good year for newly published popular music. According to a January 31, 1942, Billboard article, ASCAP members claimed only 2 of the top 13 sellers in sheet music. Five of the remaining 11 were revivals, one of which was "There'll Be Some Changes Made." The 1941 film, Play Girl, gave new life to the song. In 1941, Benny Goodman's 1939 version became a Billboard No. 1 Hit for 4 weeks and peaked at No. 2 on Your Hit Parade. In 1961, BMI published a list, "All-Time Hit Songs, Broadcast Music, Inc., 1940–1960," in Billboard. "There'll Be Some Changes Made" was among the 17 songs listed for 1947. In jazz discography, there were 60 recordings of the song during the 1940s.Notable recordings from the 1940s include Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra, and Peggy Lee.
1950s
In early 1959, Billie Holiday did three sessions with Ray Ellis and orchestra for MGM Records in New York: March 3, 4, and 11. She recorded "Changes" in the final session. That session turned out to be the last studio session of her life. She died later — on July 17. The album — released under various titles, notably, Last Recording — was posthumously released.In jazz discography, there were 42 recordings of "Changes" during the 1950s.
1960s – current
Notable artists who recorded "Changes" include Jaki Byard, and Tony Bennett.Western swing and country western
Outside of jazz, in western swing, Bob Wills recorded it in 1937. In country music, Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler recorded — on their 1990 Grammy award winning album Neck and Neck — a parody version that references the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing"Selected videography, filmography, and stage
Feature films- Use of the song in the 1941 film, Play Girl, helped repopularize the song 20 years after its debut.
- Ida Lupino sang the song in the 1948 film, Road House
- Joan Blondell sang the song in the 1951 film, The Blue Veil
- In the 1972 film Slaughterhouse-Five, a quartet is singing the song when the airplane Billy Pilgrim is traveling in spins out of control and crashes.
- Ann Reinking sings the song to Roy Scheider in one of the hospital fantasy sequences in the 1979 film, All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse.
- The soundtrack of Woody Allen's 1999 film, Sweet and Lowdown, included "There'll Be Some Changes Made," recorded by members of the film's music department: Howard Alden, solo guitar, Bucky Pizzarelli, rhythm guitar, Ken Peplowski, clarinet, Kelly Friesen, bass, and Ted Sommer, drums. In the scene, Emmet Ray, played by Sean Penn in the lead role as a guitarist, is playing the song with his quintet at a club as he is approached by a woman with black hair.
- The 1928 Vitaphone short film, Character Studies, directed by Murry Roth, featured three songs, including "Changes," all sung by Florence Brady '', a comedian, singer, vaudeville actress, and longtime stage partner with her songwriter husband, Gilbert William Wells.
Selected discography
- Ethel Waters, accompanied by Her Jazz Masters
Trumpet, trombone, Garvin Bushell, possibly Charlie Jackson, Fletcher Henderson
Recorded around August 1921, New York
Black Swan 2021
Matrix P147-1 - Josie Miles
With the Choo Choo Jazzers
Josie Miles, Bob Fuller, Louis Hooper
Recorded circa December 1924, New York City
Ajax 17087
Matrix 31749 - Sophie Tucker
Recorded September 3, 1927
Matrix W81314-B
Okeh 40921 - Chicago Rhythm Kings
Red McKenzie, Muggsy Spanier, Frank Teschmacher, Mezz Mezzrow, Joe Sullivan, Eddie Condon, James W. Lanigan , Gene Krupa
Recorded April 6, 1928, Chicago
Brunswick 4001
Re-release: Classic Jazz Masters 31 - Boswell Sisters
Mannie Klein, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Babe Russin, Martha Boswell, Eddie Lang, Artie Bernstein, Stan King :de:Stan King|
Recorded March 21, 1932, New York City
Matrix: 11543-A
Brunswick 6291 - Roy Newman :de:Roy Newman| and His Boys
Recorded October 1, 1935, Dallas
Roy Newman, Jim Boyd , Earl Brown, Ish Erwin, Holly Horton , Walter Kirks, Randall "Buddy" Neal, Thurman Neal
Matrix: DAL-196-1
Vocalion 03325 - Bob Wills
Recorded June 1937, Dallas
03902 Vocalion
Matrix DAL 244-1 - Benny Goodman
Louise Tobin, vocalist
Arrangement by Fletcher Henderson
Recorded August 10, 1939, Los Angeles
Columbia 35210
Matrix LA-1947-A - Eddie Condon
and His Chicagoans
Max Kaminsky, Brad Gowans, Pee Wee Russell, Bud Freeman, Joe Sullivan, Eddie Condon, Clyde Newcombe, Dave Tough
Recorded August 11, 1939, New York City
Matrix – 66072-A: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
Matrix – 66072-B: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
66072-A: Decca 18041
66072-B: Meritt 11 - Art Tatum
Recorded live July 26 or 27, 1941, at Gee-Haw Stables, New York City
Art Tatum, Chocolate Williams
Ollie Potter
Onyx ORI205
Track 8 of 8 - Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra
Recorded January 13, 1941
Marylin Duke
Bobby Nichols
Bluebird B-11025-A
Side A - Peggy Lee
With Frank de Vol's Orchestra
Recorded August 14, 1947, Los Angeles
Matrix:
Capitol 15001-B - Hy-Lo Trio
78 rpm album:
Old Tyme Favourites
Recorded around 1948, Boston
Vinnie "Jimmy Cal" Calderone
Angelo Boncore
Side B, Track 3
Label:
Crystal-Tone
Re-issue:
Family Library of Recorded Music
1007-B - Dinah Washington
On the album:
Dinah!
Recorded November 11, 1955, Los Angeles
Hal Mooney, arranger
Accompanied by Maynard Ferguson, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn, Mannie Klein ; Tommy Pederson, Frank Rosolino, Si Zentner ; Herb Geller, Skeets Herfurt ; Georgie Auld, Babe Russin ; Chuck Gentry ; Wynton Kelly ; Al Hendrickson :de:Al Hendrickson| ; Keter Betts ; Jimmy Cobb ; Harold "Hal" Mooney
Matrix 12401-4
EmArcy MG36065 - Soundtrack
From the 1957 film
Designing Woman
Album title: Miss Dolores Gray:
Legendary Star of Stage and Screen
'
Blue Pear Records 1014 - Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday With Ray Ellis And His Orchestra
Accompanied by Harry "Sweets" Edison, Joe Wilder, Billy Byers, Al Cohn, Danny Bank, Hank Jones, Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, Ray Ellis
Recorded March 11, 1959
59XY445: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
MGM SE-3764
Verve 2304120
- Dave Brubeck
Brubeck and Rushing
Recorded January 29, 1960, New York City
Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Joe Morello, Jimmy Rushing
Matrix: CO64697
Columbia CL1553 - Julie London
Whatever Julie Wants
With orchestra
Felix Slatkin
Recorded in Hollywood, c., July 1961
Track B5: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
Liberty LST 7192 US
Liberty LRP 3192 Australia
7" Reel, 4tr, Stereo, Album, Liberty LT 7192 US
Promo, Whi, Liberty LRP 3192 US
Longon HA-G 2405 UK - Jackie Gleason
Recorded 1961; released 1962
Jackie Gleason's Lover's Portfolio
Capitol SWBO-1619
2 LPs
Track B1 - Tony Bennett
On the album:
Life Is Beautiful
Arranged by Torrie Zito
Recorded 1975
Tony Bennett, Torrie Zito, John Guiffrida, Chuck Hughes, and orchestra
Improv 7112 - Soundtrack
Recorded March 22, 1976, A & R Recording, New York
Original Broadway Cast from:
Bubbling Brown Sugar
H&L HL-69011-698
Act 2, Scene 3
Track B4
Josephine Premice, vocalist
Amherst Records AMH 3310 - Soundtrack
London Cast from:
Bubbling Brown Sugar
Act 2, Scene 3
Released 1977
Elaine Delmar, vocalist
H&L HL-69011-698
Pye - Duke Ellington Orchestra
Mercer Ellington, director
Bruce Miller, arranger
A Tribute To Ethel Waters
Recorded 1978, Hollywood
Diahann Carroll
Orinda ORC4000 - Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
Neck and Neck
Released October 9, 1990
Columbia - Celebrating Mildred Bailey and Red Norvo
Recorded April 21, 22, 23, 1996, Doppler Studios, Atlanta
Audiophile ACD-295
Daryl Sherman, Randy Sandke, Randy Reinhart, Bobby Gordon :de:Bobby Gordon|, John Cocuzzi, Mark Shane, James Chirillo, Greg Cohen, Joe Ascione - Soundtrack
Woody Allen's 1999 film
Sweet and Lowdown
Byron Stripling, Ken Peplowski, Dick Hyman, Howard Alden, Bucky Pizzarelli, Kelly Friesen, Ted Sommer
Recorded in Hollywood, 1999
Track 5: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
Sony Classical SK89019 - Scott Hamilton
Live in Bern: Scott Hamilton & Jeff Hamilton Trio''
Live at Marian's Jazzroom, Bern, Switzerland, May 18, 2014
Scott Hamilton, Tamir Hendelman, Christoph Luty, Jeff Hamilton
Track 7: "There'll Be Some Changes Made"
Capri 74139-2
- Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
Live: June 1, 1957, Sunset Ballroom
Near Carrolltown, Pennsylvania
Shorty Baker, Quentin Jackson, Russell Procope, Duke Ellington, Joe Benjamin, Sam Woodyard
Selected rollography (player pianos)
- MelOdee 1257
Melodee Music Co., Inc. - QRS 7389
February 1941
Fats Waller, piano roll artist - QRS Word Roll 8316
J. Lawrence Cook, piano roll artist - Aeolian 1741
J. Lawrence Cook, piano roll artist
Copyrights
; Original copyright; Subsequent copyrights
; 5 additional choruses by Wilson & Ringle
; Arrangements and renewals
; International versions / editions
; Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3 Musical Compositions, New Series, Library of Congress, Copyright Office
; Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Renewal Registrations-Music, Library of Congress, Copyright Office