Johnny Mercer

Johnny Mercer

Source: WBUR

Born in Savannah, Georgia, on 18 November 1909, swing popular songwriter and vocalist, Johnny Mercer, had an attorney and real estate developer for a father whose secretary was his mother. Mercer bought records by such as Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong as a teenager. He headed for New York City to become an actor upon graduating from high school, the vaudeville variety show on its way out about that time as grander Broadway musicals began to more describe night life at the theatre. NYC's musical zeitgeist had meanwhile been dominated by Tin Pan Alley where sales of sheet music contributed to the fortunes of songwriters like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter a generation older than Mercer, and George Gershwin eleven years his senior.

IBDB has Mercer performing in the Broadway play, 'Hero Worship', as early as 11 May 1928. He bummed about as an actor until winning a singing contest in March of 1932 staged by bandleader, Paul Whiteman, who may have doing the earliest radio broadcasting that year sponsored by Pontiac of General Motors. The prize, sought by three hundred contestants, was one radio spot with Whiteman, after which Mercer ended up singing with Whiteman's orchestra for another year. Lord's sessionography of Mercer commences with Frank Trumbauer, also in Whiteman's orchestra, on 5 April 1932 in NYC toward 'Dinah' and 'My Honey's Lovin' Arms' (Columbia 18002).

'Sizzling One Step Medley'   Johnny Mercer & the Nitecaps w Frank Trumbauer & His Orchestra

'Dinah' / 'My Honey's Loving Arms' / 'Nobody's Sweetheart'

Recorded 5 April 1922 in NYC   Columbia 18002-D

Cornet: Andy Secrest   Trumpet: Nat Natoli / Harry "Goldie" Goldfield

Trombone: Hal Matthews / Jack Fulton / Bill Rank

Reeds: Frankie Trumbauer / Charles Strickfaden / Chester Hazlett / John Cordaro

Violin: Kurt Dieterle / John Bowman / Mischa Russell / Matty Malneck

Piano: Roy Bargy   Guitar: Carl Kress   Xylophone: Red Norvo

Bass: Pierre Olker   Drums: Herb Quigley

'Dinah': Harry Akst / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young   1925

'My Honey's Loving Arms': Joseph Meyer / Herman Ruby   1922

'Nobody's Sweetheart': Gus Kahn / Ernie Erdman / Elmer Schoebel / Billy Meyers   1924

Mercer early formed a songwriting partnership with Hoagy Carmichael, 14 months younger than Gershwin, that resulted in 'Lazy Bones' reaching the Top Ten three times in 1933, Ted Lewis topping the charts at #1. Twenty of Mercer's compositions, particularly as a lyricist, were launched to the #1 spot on Billboard by various artists like Bing Crosby. Two of those were issues by himself, 'Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive' and 'On the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe' in 1945:

   1933   Lazybones   Ted Lewis & His Band
      Hoagy Carmichael / Mercer
   1936   Lost   Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians
      Mercer / Phil Ohman
   1937   Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)   Bing Crosby w Connee Boswell
      Bernie Hanighen / Mercer
   1937   Too Marvelous for Words   Bing Crosby
      Richard Whiting / Mercer
   1938   You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby   Bing Crosby
      Harry Warren / Mercer
   Dec 1938   Jeepers Creepers   Al Donahue & His Orchestra
      Harry Warren / Mercer
   1939   Day in, Day Out   Bob Crosby & His Orchestra
      Rube Bloom / Mercer
   1940   Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)   Glenn Miller Orchestra
      Rube Bloom / Mercer
   Jan 1942   Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me)   Woody Herman & His Orchestra
      Harold Arlen / Mercer
   April 1942   Tangerine   Jimmy Dorsey &d His Orchestra featuring Bob Eberly w Helen O'Connell
      Victor Schertzinger / Mercer
   May 1944   G.I. Jive   Louis Jordan
      Mercer
   Jan 1945   Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive   Johnny Mercer
      Harold Arlen / Mercer
   March 1945   Dream   The Pied Pipers
      Mercer
   July 1945   On the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe   Johnny Mercer
      Harry Warren / Mercer
   Sep 1952   The Glow-Worm   The Mills Brothers
      Paul Lincke / Heinz Bolten-Backers / Lilla Cayley Robinson / Mercer
   Aug 1955   Autumn Leaves   Roger Williams
      Joseph Kosma / Jacques Prévert / Mercer
   Oct 1961   Moon River   Henry Mancini
      Henry Mancini / Mercer
   July 1962   I Remember You   Frank Ifield
      Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
   Sep 1966   Summer Wind   Frank Sinatra
      Henry Mayer / Mercer

'Pardon My Southern Accent'   Johnny Mercer & Peggy Healy w Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra

Recorded 18 August 1934 in NYC   Victor 24704

Trumpet: Nat Natoli / Charlie Teagarden / Harry "Goldie" Goldfield

Trombone: Bill Rank / Jack Teagarden / Jack Fulton

Reeds: Benny Bonacio / John Cordaro / Charles Strickfaden / Frank Trumbauer

Piano: Roy Bargy / Ramona Davies   Guitar: Mike Pingitore

Bass: Art Miller   Drums: Herb Quigley

Composition: Matty Malneck / Johnny Mercer

In 1935 Mercer moved to Hollywood to begin composing for film. He was soon back in New York City in 1939 to appear on the 'Camel Caravan' radio program sponsored by Camel cigarettes. Come collaborations with Harold Arlen in the early forties toward such as 'One for My Baby' in 1941 and 'Old Back Magic' in 1942. Arlen and Mercer also partnered on 'Come Rain or Come Shine' in 1946. This was keeping good company as composers go, for Arlen had been behind the music in the film, 'The Wizard of Oz', in 1939 with lyrics by Yip Harburg.

Mercer's was a big name in radio during its golden years before television gained traction. Other of numerous radio programs on which Mercer appeared included 'Command Performance' in association with the AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Network) which aired from 1942 to 1949. NBC aired 'Johnny Mercer's Music Shop' for several months in 1943 which became 'The Chesterfield Music Shop' in 1944 sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes. He featured regularly on 'Your Hit Parade' sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes before appearing on Dinah Shore's 'Call for Music' in 1948.

'G. I. Jive'   Johnny Mercer   Radio

'Command Performance' episode of 20 May 1944

Composition: Johnny Mercer

'Candy'   Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford w the Pied Pipers

Paul Weston & His Orchestra

Recorded 6 December 1944   Capitol 183   Charts: #2 1945

Music: Alex Kramer   Lyrics: Mack David / Joan Whitney   1944

'On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe'   Johnny Mercer w Paul Weston & His Orchestra

Recorded 13 December 1944   Capitol 195   Charts: #1 1945

Trumpet: Donald Anderson / Charlie Griffard / Billy May

Trombone: Allan Thompson / Burt Johnson

Alto sax: Fred Stulce / Arthur "Doc" Rando

Tenor sax: Matty Matlock / Eddie Miller   Baritone sax: Harry Schuchman

Piano: Stan Wrightsman / Ramona Davies   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

Bass: Jack Ryan   Drums: Nick Fatool

Music: Harry Warren   Lyrics: Mercer

Mercer took 'Personality' to #1 on Billboard in January 1946, that composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke.

'Personality'   Johnny Mercer w the Pied Pipers

Recorded 27 Sep 1945 in Los Angeles   Capitol 230   Charts: #1 1946

Paul Weston & His Orchestra

Trumpet: Bruce Hudson / Charlie Griffard / Ray Woods

Trombone: Allan Thompson / Bill Schaefer

Reeds: Fred Stulce / Matty Matlock / Herbie Haymer / Lenny Hartman / Harry Schuchman

Piano: Charles LaVere   Guitar: George Van Eps

Bass: Manny Stein   Drums: Nick Fatool

Pied Pipers: June Hutton / Clarke Yocum / Hal Hopper / Chuck Lowry

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen   Lyrics: Mercer

'Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)'   Johnny Mercer

'Your Hit Parade' radio broadcast of 13 April 1946

Orchestra led by Mark Warnow

Music: Bernie Hanighen   Lyrics: Mercer

'Goofus'   Johnny Mercer

'Call For Music' radio broadcast of 11 May 1948 w Dinah Shore

Orchestra led by Harry Zimmerman

Music: Wayne King / William Harold   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

'Memphis In June'   Johnny Mercer w Billy May

Recorded 27 March 1952 in Hollywood   Capitol 2218

Arrangement / Direction: Billy May

Trumpet: Conrad Gozzo / Tony Facciuto / Bob McKinzie / Stuart Williamson

Trombone: Chuck Etter / Bob Robinson / Bob Reisiger / Karl De Karske

Saxophones: Skeets Herfurt / Ted Freeman / Chuck Deremo / Joe Sprang / Bob Dawes

Piano: Cliff Fishback   Guitar: Ray Pohlman

Bass: Ted Hammond   Drums: John Cyr / Remo Belli

Vocals: Chuck Etter / Bob McKinzie / Ray Pohlman / poss Willie Smith

Music: Hoagy Carmichael   Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster

Excelling in film as well, between 1946 and 1963 Mercer tallied four Academy Awards for Best Original Song in collaborations with Harry Warren, Hoagy Carmichael and Henry Mancini. The first was 'On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe' in the film 'The Harvey Girls'. The next was 'In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening' in 'Here Comes the Groom' in 1951. The latter were for 'Moon River' in 1962 and 'Days of Wine and Roses' in 1963.

'Steve Allen Show' of 28 March 1960   Johnny Mercer   Television

'Bing Crosby Show' of 6 Oct 1960   Johnny Mercer   Television

'Charade'   Johnny Mercer w the Entertainers

Recorded March or April 1964 in Costa Mesa CA

Trumpet: Jack Sheldon    Trombone: Frank Rosolino

Guitar: Howard Roberts / Jack Marshall

Bass: Joe Mondragon   Drums: Shelly Manne

Music: Henry Mancini   Lyrics: Mercer

Mercer had penned above 1500 titles before dying on 25 June 1976 in Bel Air, California, of brain tumor, having made his way abreast some of the greatest composers of 20th century.