I'm Beginning to See the Light explained

I'm Beginning to See the Light
Published:	1944 by Grand Music Corp

"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, with music written by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James and lyrics by Don George and published in 1944.

1945 recordings

• Duke Ellington recorded the song in New York City on December 1, 1944. Released as RCA Victor 20-1618^[1] in early 1945, the record by Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, featuring a vocal by Joya Sherrill,^[2] went to No. 4 on the Harlem Hit Parade chart in Billboard and reached No. 6 on the pop chart.^[3]
• A competing recording by Harry James and his Orchestra, with lead vocals by Kitty Kallen, reached No. 1 for two weeks in January 1945. James' version also reached No. 7 on Billboards Second Annual High School Survey in 1945.^[4]
• The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald recorded a version for Decca Records, featuring singer Bill Kenny, that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945 and reached No. 5.
• The Delta Rhythm Boys also recorded a version of the song in 1945.

Other notable recordings

• Oscar Alemán (1946)
• Gerry Mulligan, on Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker (1955)
• Count Basie and Joe Williams, on The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (1956)
• Mel Tormé, on Mel Tormé At The Crescendo (1957)
• Connie Francis (1958)
• Peggy Lee, on Things Are Swingin' (1958)
• Johnnie Ray (1958)
• Joanie Sommers, on Positively the Most! (1960)
• Mary Stallings and Cal Tjader, on Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings (1961)
• Bobby Darin (1962); featured in the 1996 feature film Swingers.
• Frank Sinatra (1962), on "Sinatra And Swingin' Brass"
• Ella and Basie!, a 1963 Verve Records release with arrangements by Quincy Jones.
• Clare Fischer, on Songs for Rainy Day Lovers (1967)
• Bob Dorough with Bill Takas, on Beginning to See the Light (1976)
• Billy Eckstine has recorded the song on several occasions, including versions with Billy May, with Quincy Jones, with Bobby Tucker and with Gil Askey.
• Kate Ceberano, on Kate Ceberano and her Septet (1986)
• Natalie Cole, on Take a Look (1993)
• Peggy Lee, on Spotlight on Peggy Lee (1995)
• Dee Dee Bridgewater, on (1996)
• Rosemary Clooney, on Out of This World (2000)
• The Hi-Lo's, on A Musical Thrill (2006)
• Royce Campbell, on Get Happy (2007)
• Joe Jackson, on his Ellington tribute album, The Duke (2012)
• Karen Souza, on Velvet Vault (2017)
• Seal, on Standards (2017)
• Sutton Foster, on her album Wish
• Chelsea Krombach, on her debut album Look for the Silver Lining
• The SuperJazz Big Band from Birmingham, Alabama, on UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis
• Michael Bublé
• Al Jarreau, on "Accentuate the Positive"
• Kelly Rowland
• Charlotte Perrelli (2023)

References

1. http://www.78discography.com/RCA201500.htm RCA Victor Records in the 20-1500 to 20-1999 series
2. http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-2/imbeginningtoseethelight.htm "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 185.
4. Book: Smith, Kathleen E.R. . 28 March 2003. God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War . The University Press of Kentucky . 167 . 0-8131-2256-2.