I am looking to order a CD by Nancy Hamilton with the song 'How high
the moon' and I can't find it anywhere. Help

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Request for Question Clarification by thx1138-ga on 29 Jul 2002 11:42 PDT

It would seem that Nancy Hamilton/Morgan Lewis were the composors of
"How High The Moon"
which artist/version do you require?

Thanks

THX1138

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Clarification of Question by perkins-ga on 29 Jul 2002 13:44 PDT

I was looking for Nancy Hamilton but actually am looking for the
version done for the movie Biloxi blues.

This is one of my favorite songs of all time! 

I'd like to put in my .00 cents' worth in the form of a few comments.

As THX-1138-ga points out, Nancy Hamilton was the lyricist for "How
High the Moon." The music was written by Morgan Lewis.

The song's debut was in the 1940 Broadway revue "Two for the Show,"
but Hamilton was not a performer in that production, so I doubt that
she ever recorded this song. Oddly, she did appear in the revue's
prequel ("One for the Money") and in its sequel, "Three to Get
Ready.")

Hamilton, in addition to having co-written one of the world's greatest
jazz songs, was also an Academy Award winner for a 1955 documentary
film about Helen Keller.

A bit more info about Nancy Hamilton may be found on the Internet
Broadway Database:

http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=7862

Here are clips from CDs that contain a few of the best-known
recordings of "How High the Moon":

Ella Fitzgerald

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=FITZGERALD%5CHOLIDAY%5CMCRAE/ITEMID=806898

Les Brown & Mary Ford

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/artistid=BROWN*LES+&+HIS+BAND+OF+RENOWN/itemid=300063

Rosemary Clooney

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=CLOONEY*ROSEMARY/ITEMID=459406

Benny Goodman (vocals by Helen Forrest are not in this clip)

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=FORREST*HELEN/ITEMID=411895

Anita O'Day

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=O%27DAY*ANITA/ITEMID=1222278

Sarah Vaughan

http://cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=556720816/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=VAUGHAN*SARAH/ITEMID=344778

Personally, I vote for Ella Fitzerald's elegant rendition, but this
song is so good that you may want to get several versions.

One more comment:

A new version of this song was recorded by Peggy Lee for the film
"Biloxi Blues." I can't find an audio clip, but (like nearly
everything recorded by Miss Lee,)it was a goodie.

thanks so much for the info. The Peggy lee version is actually the one
I am looking for! I actually was trying to find the Biloxi Blues
soundtrack but can't so I am trying to locate the version done for the
movie.
Any thoughts??

Dear perkins-ga,

It appears that the only album containing soundtrack music from
"Biloxi Blues" was released by Varèse Sarabande. Unfortunately, it is
instrumental theme music only; the Peggy Lee version of "How High the
Moon" is not on it.

http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=302%2D066%2D223%2D2

Regarding Miss Lee's recording of the song, I found this reference on
the PeggyLee.com Web site, in an article written in 1988:

"Mike Nichols recently hired her to record 'How High the Moon' to be
used under the titles of the movie of Biloxi Blues."

http://www.peggylee.com/library/880131.html

It sounds as if this recording was made specifically for the film,
which may (and I am just speculating here) have caused licensing
problems for those who might have wished to include this song in a
musical collection of Miss Lee's work. I can't find any evidence that
the Peggy Lee version of "How High the Moon" has ever been released on
CD. Perhaps someone who owns the laserdisc version of Biloxi Blues
might be able to make an MP-3 digital audio recording for you.

I do hope that one of Google's fine sleuths will prove me wrong on
this. I would love to own this recording, too, if it exists!