The Essential Billie Holiday

~ Release by Billie Holiday (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

Subtitled "The Voice of Lady Day", with selected recordings from 1935-1950.

Annotation last modified on 2026-06-03 12:20 UTC.

Tracklist

1▶CD: A Fine Romance
2▼CD: Strange Fruit
#TitleRatingLength
1Strange Fruit
producer:
Milt Gabler
alto saxophone and saxophone:
Tab Smith (on 1939-04-20)
double bass:
John Williams (jazz bassist) (on 1939-04-20)
drums (drum set):
Eddie Dougherty (jazz drummer) (on 1939-04-20)
guitar:
Jimmy McLin (on 1939-04-20)
piano:
Sonny White (on 1939-04-20)
tenor saxophone:
Kenneth Hollon (on 1939-04-20) and Stan Payne (on 1939-04-20)
trumpet:
Frankie Newton (on 1939-04-20)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1939-04-20)
recorded at:
Brunswick World Broadcasting Studio in New York, New York, United States (on 1939-04-20)
part of:
Helsingin Sanomat: 100 maailman parasta laulua (2022-1-15) (number: 1), CBC Music: 10 Songs That Have Changed the World, National Recording Registry (a list of sound recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States”) (number: 1939, inducted: 2002) and Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 21)
recording of:
Strange Fruit (on 1939-04-20)
lyricist and composer:
Lewis Allan
publisher:
Basart Editions, Carlin Music Corporation, Edward B. Marks Music Co. (founded originally as J. Stern & Co. in 1894, renamed in 1919) and Music Sales Corporation (American copyright holder in both popular and classical music)
version of:
Bitter Fruit
33:18
2Fine and Mellow
clarinet:
Irving Fazola (on 1936-09-29)
double bass:
Artie Bernstein (on 1936-09-29)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1936-09-29)
guitar:
Dick McDonough (on 1936-09-29)
piano:
Clyde Hart (on 1936-09-29)
trumpet:
Bunny Berigan (on 1936-09-29)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1936-09-29)
recording of:
A Fine Romance (from “Swing Time”) (on 1936-09-29)
publisher:
Jerome Kern (on 1936-07-24)
lyricist:
Dorothy Fields (American librettist and lyricist) (in 1936)
composer:
Jerome Kern (in 1936)
publisher:
Chappell & Co.
part of:
Swing Time (film)
3:01
3Night and Day
recording of:
Night and Day (Cole Porter; from “The Gay Divorce”)
lyricist and composer:
Cole Porter (composer) (in 1932)
publisher:
Chappell & Co., Inc. (USA), Chappell Music Ltd., Warner Bros. (holding: file NO releases), Warner Bros. Music (publisher; do NOT use as release label), Warner Bros., Inc. (not for release label use!), Warner Bros., Inc. (Warner Bros. Music Division), Warner/Chappell (Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.), WB Music Corp. (1929–2019) (until 2019-05-28) and Harms, Inc. (on 1932-11-18)
part of:
Gay Divorce
3:07
4The Man I Love
recording of:
The Man I Love
lyricist:
Ira Gershwin (in 1924)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer) (in 1924)
publisher:
New World Company, New World Music Corp., Productions et Éditions Cinématographiques Françaises, Warner/Chappell Music Holland BV, WB Music Corp. (1929–2019) (until 2019-05-28) and WC Music Corp. (from 2019-05-28 to present)
included in:
An American in Paris (2015 Broadway musical)
part of:
Lady, Be Good (full musical)
part of:
New York, New York (1977 musical film soundtrack)
2:52
5All of Me
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1941-03-21)
recording of:
All of Me (on 1941-03-21)
writer:
Gerald Marks (in 1932) and Seymour Simons (in 1932)
publisher:
Bourne Co. (not for release label use, this is a music publisher), Bourne, Inc., Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., Marlong Music Corp., Round Hill Songs and Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP)
sub-publisher:
Peermusic and 日音 Synch事業部 (NICHION, INC. Synch Division)
3:02
6Am I Blue?
alto saxophone:
Lester Boone (on 1941-05-09) and Jimmy Powell (Jazz saxophonist, most active 1930s-1950s) (on 1941-05-09)
double bass:
Grachan Moncur II (bassist) (on 1941-05-09)
drums (drum set):
Herbert Cowans (jazz drummer) (on 1941-05-09)
guitar:
Paul Chapman (US jazz guitar player and singer) (on 1941-05-09)
piano:
Eddie Heywood (pianist, composer and bandleader, aka Eddie Heywood Jr.) (on 1941-05-09)
tenor saxophone:
Ernie Powell (on 1941-05-09)
trumpet:
Roy Eldridge (on 1941-05-09)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1941-05-09)
recording of:
Am I Blue? (on 1941-05-09)
lyricist:
Grant Clarke
composer:
Harry Akst
publisher:
EMI Music Publishing (do not use as a release label!), Warner Bros. Music Corp., Warner Bros., Inc. (Warner Bros. Music Division) and WC Music Corp. (from 2019-05-28 to present)
sub-publisher:
ヤマハミュージックエンタテインメントホールディングス (Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings, Inc., holding company – do not use as release label) and ワーナー・チャペル音楽出版 Synch事業部 (Warner/Chappell Music Japan K.K., Synch Division)
cover recording of:
Am I Blue?
lyricist:
Grant Clarke
composer:
Harry Akst
publisher:
EMI Music Publishing (do not use as a release label!), Warner Bros. Music Corp., Warner Bros., Inc. (Warner Bros. Music Division) and WC Music Corp. (from 2019-05-28 to present)
sub-publisher:
ヤマハミュージックエンタテインメントホールディングス (Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings, Inc., holding company – do not use as release label) and ワーナー・チャペル音楽出版 Synch事業部 (Warner/Chappell Music Japan K.K., Synch Division)
2:57
7I Cover the Waterfront
recording of:
I Cover the Waterfront
lyricist:
Edward Heyman
composer:
Johnny Green (composer and conductor, often credited as John Green) and Edward Heyman
publisher:
Harms, Inc., Warner Bros., Inc. (not for release label use!) and Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
3:13
8Gloomy Sunday
alto saxophone:
Hymie Shertzer (on 1941-08-07)
clarinet:
Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1941-08-07)
double bass:
Johnny Williams (jazz bassist) (on 1941-08-07)
drums (drum set):
J.C. Heard (on 1941-08-07)
guitar:
Al Casey (US jazz/soul guitarist) (on 1941-08-07)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1941-08-07)
tenor saxophone:
Irving “Babe” Russin (on 1941-08-07)
trumpet:
Emmett Berry (on 1941-08-07)
lead vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1941-08-07)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (in 1941, on 1941-08-07)
orchestra:
Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra (in 1941, on 1941-08-07)
recording of:
Gloomy Sunday (on 1941-08-07)
lyricist:
Jávor László (Hungarian poet)
composer:
Rezső Seress
translator:
Sam M. Lewis (1930s lyricist)
translated version of:
Szomorú vasárnap
43:05
9My Old Flame
recording of:
My Old Flame
lyricist:
Sam Coslow
composer:
Arthur Johnston (American composer and songwriter)
publisher:
Famous Music Corporation (renamed since 2007‐05 as Sony/ATV Harmony/Melody)
3:10
10I'll Get By
2:41
11He's Funny That Way
recording of:
She’s Funny That Way
lyricist:
Richard A. Whiting (composer) (in 1928)
writer:
Neil Moret and Richard A. Whiting (composer)
composer:
Neil Moret (in 1928)
publisher:
Chappell & Co., EMI April Music Inc., Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., Robbins Music Corp. and Ross Jungnickel, Inc.
3:23
12Lover Man
recording of:
Lover Man (on 1944-10-04)
lyricist:
Jimmy Davis (US songwriter, wrote “Lover Man”) (in 1942), Roger “Ram” Ramirez (Puerto Rican jazz pianist) (in 1942) and Jimmy Sherman (pianist, arranger and songwriter) (in 1942)
composer:
Roger “Ram” Ramirez (Puerto Rican jazz pianist), Jimmy Davis (US songwriter, wrote “Lover Man”) (in 1942) and Jimmy Sherman (pianist, arranger and songwriter) (in 1942)
publisher:
MCA Music (not for release label use! this is a music publisher, ASCAP-affiliated) (ended), MCA Music Publishing (renamed since c. 1996 as Universal Music Publishing Group) (ended) and Universal Music Corp. (USA, affiliated with ASCAP)
2:55
13That Ole Devil Called Love
recording of:
That Ole Devil Called Love
lyricist:
Doris Fisher (in 1944)
composer:
Allan Roberts (songwriter) (in 1944)
publisher:
MCA Records Ltd. (do not use as an imprint; UK subsidiary of MCA Records), Universal Music Ltd. (UK sound recording / publishing company) and Universal/MCA Music Ltd. (not for release label use!)
3:26
14Don't Explain
recording of:
Don’t Explain
writer:
Arthur Herzog, Jr. and Billie Holiday
publisher:
Duchess Music Corporation (BMI-affiliated) and Universal Music Publishing (use ONLY if no country‐specific information is available)
2:44
15You'd Better Go Now
recording of:
You Better Go Now
writer:
Irvin Graham and Bickley Reichner
publisher:
Chappell Music, Inc. (publisher)
3:10
16Good Morning Heartache
recording of:
Good Morning Heartache
lyricist:
Ervin Drake (songwriter)
composer:
Dan Fisher (U.S. songwriter ("Good Morning Heartache"), author, producer) and Irene Higginbotham
publisher:
Fisher Music Corp., Lindabet Music, Inc. and Universal/MCA Music (music publisher; do not use as release label!)
3:10
17Solitude
recording of:
(In My) Solitude
lyricist:
Eddie DeLange (in 1934) and Irving Mills (in 1934)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1934)
publisher:
American Academy of Music, Inc., De Lange Music Co., EMI Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP-affiliated) and J. R. Lafleur & Son Ltd.
2:57
18I Loves You Porgy
recording of:
I Loves You, Porgy (use this for non-operatic performances)
lyricist:
Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
publisher:
Chappell & Co., New Dawn Music, Warner Chappell Music Ltd. (no slash; used 1988–1996), Warner/Chappell Music Holland BV, Warner/Chappell North America and Gershwin Publishing Corp (in 1935)
version of:
Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III. “I loves you, Porgy”
2:57
19Baby Get Lost
recording of:
Baby Get Lost
writer:
Leonard Feather and Billy Moore, Jr. (40s American jazz pianist/arranger/composer)
publisher:
Modern Age Music Co.
3:11
20Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
recording of:
T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do
lyricist:
Porter Grainger
composer:
Porter Grainger and Everett Robbins
publisher:
MCA Music (not for release label use! this is a music publisher, ASCAP-affiliated) and MCA Music Publishing (renamed since c. 1996 as Universal Music Publishing Group)
part of:
American Splendor
3:16
21Them There Eyes
alto saxophone:
George Dorsey (on 1949-08-29) and Johnny Mince (on 1949-08-29)
double bass:
George Duvivier (on 1949-08-29)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1949-08-29)
guitar:
Everett Barksdale (on 1949-08-29)
piano:
Horace Henderson (on 1949-08-29)
reeds:
Eddie Barefield (on 1949-08-29)
tenor saxophone:
Budd Johnson (on 1949-08-29) and Freddie Williams (on 1949-08-29)
trombone:
Mort Bullman (on 1949-08-29) and Henderson Chambers (on 1949-08-29)
trumpet:
Tony Faso (on 1949-08-29), Bernie Privin (on 1949-08-29) and Dick Vance (US jazz trumpeter and arranger) (on 1949-08-29)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1949-08-29)
conductor:
Sy Oliver (on 1949-08-29)
arranger:
Sy Oliver (on 1949-08-29)
recording of:
Them There Eyes (on 1949-08-29)
lyricist:
William Tracey (in 1930)
composer:
Maceo Pinkard (in 1930) and Doris Tauber (in 1930)
publisher:
Bourne Co. (not for release label use, this is a music publisher), Redwood Music Ltd. (Carlin) and Warner Chappell Music Limited (2019–present)
42:51
22Now or Never
recording of:
Now or Never
writer:
Billie Holiday and Curtis Lewis (US songwriter)
3:18
23God Bless the Child
recording of:
God Bless the Child
lyricist:
Billie Holiday
composer:
Arthur Herzog, Jr.
publisher:
Basart Editions (ended) and Edward B. Marks Music Co. (founded originally as J. Stern & Co. in 1894, renamed in 1919)
3:21