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
#TitleRatingLength
1What a Little Moonlight Can Do
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-07-02)
clarinet:
Benny Goodman (clarinetist and bandleader) (on 1935-07-02)
double bass:
John Kirby (jazz bass/trombone/tuba player) (on 1935-07-02)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1935-07-02)
guitar:
John Trueheart (on 1935-07-02)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1935-07-02)
tenor saxophone:
Ben Webster (on 1935-07-02)
trumpet:
Roy Eldridge (on 1935-07-02)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1935-07-02)
orchestra:
Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra (on 1935-07-02)
arranger:
Teddy Wilson
recorded at:
American Record Corporation Studios in New York, New York, United States (on 1935-07-02)
recording of:
What a Little Moonlight Can Do (on 1935-07-02)
lyricist and composer:
Harry M. Woods (American 1920/30s songwriter)
publisher:
Connelly Basart, Warner Bros. Music (publisher; do NOT use as release label) and Warner Brothers Music Inc.
53:00
2Miss Brown to You
recording of:
Miss Brown to You
lyricist:
Leo Robin (US composer, lyricist & songwriter)
composer:
Ralph Rainger and Richard A. Whiting (composer)
3:02
3A Sunbonnet Blue
recording of:
A Sunbonnet Blue (on 1935-07-02)
writer:
Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal
2:54
4I Wished on the Moon
recording of:
I Wished on the Moon
lyricist:
Dorothy Parker
composer:
Ralph Rainger
publisher:
Famous Music Corporation (renamed since 2007‐05 as Sony/ATV Harmony/Melody)
3:05
5Twenty Four Hours a Day
recording of:
Twenty-Four Hours a Day
writer:
James F. Hanley and Arthur Swanstrom
3:04
6These Foolish Things
recording of:
These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) (on 1936-06-30)
lyricist:
Holt Marvell (in 1935)
additional composer:
Harry Link (US vaudeville actor & songwriter)
composer:
Jack Strachey (in 1935)
publisher:
Boosey & Co. (music publisher founded in the 1760s, forebear of Boosey & Hawkes), Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers, Ltd, Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. (USA, publisher; do NOT use as release label), Bourne Co. (not for release label use, this is a music publisher), Bourne, Inc., E.G. Music Inc. and Lafleur Music Ltd.
3:22
7I Cried for You
alto saxophone:
Johnny Hodges (on 1936-06-30)
baritone saxophone and clarinet:
Harry Carney (on 1936-06-30)
double bass:
John Kirby (jazz bass/trombone/tuba player) (on 1936-06-30)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1936-06-30)
guitar:
Lawrence Lucie (on 1936-06-30)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1936-06-30)
trumpet:
Jonah Jones (on 1936-06-30)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1936-06-30)
recording of:
I Cried for You (on 1936-06-30)
lyricist:
Arthur Freed
composer:
Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman
publisher:
Arthur Freed Music, CBS Miller Catalog, Inc. and Miller Music Corp.
3:17
8Summertime
recording of:
Summertime (American songbook standard from 1935 opera Porgy and Bess)
lyricist:
Ira Gershwin (in 1934), Dorothy Heyward (playwright) (in 1934) and DuBose Heyward (in 1934)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer) (in 1934)
publisher:
Chappell & Co., Chappell & Co., Inc. (USA), Chappell Music Ltd., Dubose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund Publishing, George Gershwin Music, New Dawn Music, Warner Chappell Music Ltd. (no slash; used 1988–1996), Warner/Chappell (Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.), Warner/Chappell Music Holland BV, Warner/Chappell North America Limited (formerly incorporated as Marmalade Music Ltd., from 1968/09/19–1999/11/09), Ira Gershwin Music (in 1935), WB Music Corp. (1929–2019) (from 1935 until 2019-05-28) and WC Music Corp. (from 2019-05-28 to present)
version of:
Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I. “Summertime” (Clara)
2:57
9Billie's Blues
clarinet:
Art Shaw (on 1936-07-10)
double bass:
Pete Peterson (jazz bassist) (on 1936-07-10)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1936-07-10)
guitar:
Dick McDonough (on 1936-07-10)
piano:
Joe Bushkin (on 1936-07-10)
trumpet:
Bunny Berigan (on 1936-07-10)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1936-07-10)
recorded at:
American Record Corporation Studios in New York, New York, United States (on 1936-07-10)
recording of:
Billie’s Blues (on 1936-07-10)
lyricist:
Billie Holiday
composer:
Billie Holiday (until 1936-08-01)
publisher:
Basart Editions
2:42
10A Fine Romance
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)
2:55
11The Way You Look Tonight
clarinet:
Vido Musso (on 1936-10-21)
double bass:
Milt Hinton (on 1936-10-21)
drums (drum set):
Gene Krupa (on 1936-10-21)
guitar:
Allan Reuss (on 1936-10-21)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1936-10-21)
tenor saxophone:
Ben Webster (on 1936-10-21)
trumpet:
Irving Randolph (on 1936-10-21)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1936-10-21)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Charly Records (in 1936)
recording of:
The Way You Look Tonight (from “Swing Time”) (on 1936-10-21)
publisher:
Jerome Kern (on 1936-07-24)
lyricist:
Dorothy Fields (American librettist and lyricist) (in 1936)
composer:
Jerome Kern (in 1936)
publisher:
Aldi Music Company, Chappell & Co., Inc. (USA), Chappell Music Ltd., Polygram Music, PolyGram Music Publishing Ltd., Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Ltd., Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., The Songwriters Guild and Universal PolyGram International Publishing, Inc. (existed only since ca. 1998) (in 1936)
sub-publisher:
シンコーミュージック・エンタテイメント (Shinko Music Entertainment Co., Ltd.) and ユニバーサル・ミュージック・パブリッシング Synch事業部 (Universal Music Publishing, Synch Division)
part of:
The 9th Academy Award for Best Original Song (number: 1) and Academy Award for Best Original Song (number: 1936 winner)
part of:
Swing Time (film)
4.653:04
12I Can't Give You Anything but Love
recording of:
I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby (on 1936-11-19)
lyricist:
Dorothy Fields (American librettist and lyricist)
composer:
Jimmy McHugh (songwriter)
publisher:
Aldi Music Company, Cotton Club Publishing and EMI Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP-affiliated)
sub-publisher:
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS‐affiliated), Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Ltd., 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), コンソーシアム音楽出版 C・F事業部 (Consortium Music Publishing, CF Division) (until 2021-06-30) and ソニー・ミュージックパブリッシング CMP外国事業部 (sub‐publisher for foreign (non‐Japanese) works) (from 2021-07-01 to present)
3:31
13Why Was I Born?
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1937-01-25)
clarinet:
Benny Goodman (clarinetist and bandleader) (on 1937-01-25)
double bass [string bass]:
Walter Page (on 1937-01-25)
drums (drum set):
Jo Jones (US jazz drummer) (on 1937-01-25)
guitar:
Freddie Green (on 1937-01-25)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1937-01-25)
tenor saxophone:
Lester Young (saxophonist) (on 1937-01-25)
trumpet:
Buck Clayton (on 1937-01-25)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1937-01-25)
orchestra:
Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra (on 1937-01-25)
recording of:
Why Was I Born? (on 1937-01-25)
lyricist:
Oscar Hammerstein II (of Rodgers & Hammerstein) (in 1929)
composer:
Jerome Kern (in 1929)
2:55
14I Must Have That Man
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1937-01-25)
clarinet:
Benny Goodman (clarinetist and bandleader) (on 1937-01-25)
double bass [string bass]:
Walter Page (on 1937-01-25)
drums (drum set):
Jo Jones (US jazz drummer) (on 1937-01-25)
guitar:
Freddie Green (on 1937-01-25)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1937-01-25)
tenor saxophone:
Lester Young (saxophonist) (on 1937-01-25)
trumpet:
Buck Clayton (on 1937-01-25)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1937-01-25)
orchestra:
Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra (on 1937-01-25)
recording of:
I Must Have That Man (on 1937-01-25)
lyricist:
Dorothy Fields (American librettist and lyricist)
composer:
Jimmy McHugh (songwriter)
2:58
15Moanin' Low
alto saxophone:
Johnny Hodges (on 1937-03-31)
double bass:
John Kirby (jazz bass/trombone/tuba player) (on 1937-03-31)
drums (drum set):
Cozy Cole (on 1937-03-31)
guitar:
Allan Reuss (on 1937-03-31)
piano:
Teddy Wilson (on 1937-03-31)
reeds:
Harry Carney (on 1937-03-31)
trumpet:
Cootie Williams (on 1937-03-31)
vocals:
Billie Holiday (on 1937-03-31)
recording of:
Moanin’ Low (on 1937-03-31)
lyricist:
Howard Dietz (librettist)
composer:
Ralph Rainger
publisher:
Warner Bros., Inc. (Warner Bros. Music Division)
3:09
16Mean to Me
recording of:
Mean to Me
lyricist:
Roy Turk
composer:
Fred Ahlert
publisher:
Crawford Music Corp., Cromwell Music, Inc., Fred Ahlert Mus. Corp. and Pencil Mark Music (ASCAP)
3:12
17My Man
3:05
18I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
recording of:
I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me
lyricist:
Clarence Gaskill
composer:
Jimmy McHugh (songwriter)
publisher:
Mills Music, Inc.
2:55
19When a Woman Loves a Man
recording of:
When a Woman Loves a Man (on 1938-01-12)
lyricist:
Johnny Mercer (in 1938)
composer:
Bernie Hanighen (in 1938) and Gordon Jenkins (in 1938)
publisher:
Anne-Rachel Music Corp.
recording of:
When a Woman Loves a Man (on 1938-01-27)
lyricist:
Johnny Mercer (in 1938)
composer:
Bernie Hanighen (in 1938) and Gordon Jenkins (in 1938)
publisher:
Anne-Rachel Music Corp.
2:28
20I Can't Get Started
recording of:
I Can’t Get Started
lyricist:
Ira Gershwin
composer:
Vernon Duke
publisher:
Chappell & Co., Chappell & Co., Inc. (USA), Chappell’s • Sydney, Music Sales Corporation (American copyright holder in both popular and classical music) and Universal Music Corp. (USA, affiliated with ASCAP)
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)
2:52
21More Than You Know
recording of:
More Than You Know (on 1939-01-30)
lyricist:
Edward Eliscu and Billy Rose (lyricist and Broadway producer)
composer:
Vincent Youmans
publisher:
Anne-Rachel Music Corp., Intersong Music, LSQ Music Co., Miller Music Corp., The Songwriters Guild, WB Music Corp. (1929–2019) (, until 2019-05-28) and WC Music Corp. (from 2019-05-28 to present)
part of:
Great Day!
part of:
Hit the Deck (1955 movie)
3:06
2▶CD: Strange Fruit