He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas, where James began playing with local dance bands.
He joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935 but at the start of 1937, left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941. He toured with the band into the 1980s.
His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich.
He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
He was second only to Glenn Miller as the most successful recording artist of 1942.
James was married three times. On May 4, 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1943. That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time in 1968 to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.
James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse."
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at the Bunkers Eden Vale Memorial Park in Las Vegas.
Sleepy Time Gal
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'd babaret until the break of day
I'll bet we've danced many a mile
I'll like to see a movie once more
They don't keep people staying up until four
Wouldn't it be a pleasant novelty to tumble in early once more?
Sleepy time gal, you've danced the ev'ning away
Before each silvery star fades out of sight
Please give me one little kiss
Then let us whisper 'goodnight'
It's getting' lat and dear your pillow's waitin'
Sleepy time gal, when all your dancin' is through
Sleepy time gal I'll find a cottage for you
You'll learn to cook and to sew
What's more you'll love it I know
When you're a stay-at-home , play-at-home
Eight o'clock sleepy time gal.
Wouldn't it be a pleasant sight to see a kitchenette only for you?
Wouldn't it be a pleasant sight to see a table set only for two?
I'd get a big victrola and then
We'll start in dancing ev'ry new dance again
Then it will be a pleasant novelty to tumble in just about ten.
Sleepy time gal, you're turning night into day
Sleepy time gal, you've danced the ev'ning away
Before each silvery star fades out of sight
Please give me one little kiss
Then let us whisper 'goodnight'
It's getting' lat and dear your pillow's waitin'
Sleepy time gal, when all your dancin' is through
Sleepy time gal I'll find a cottage for you
You'll learn to cook and to sew
What's more you'll love it I know
When you're a stay-at-home , play-at-home
Eight o'clock sleepy time gal.
The song "Sleepy Time Gal" by Harry James depicts a longing for a change of pace from the fast-paced lifestyle of nightlife and clubbing. The singer expresses a desire to stay at home and enjoy simple pleasures with his partner, such as cooking, sewing, and listening to music on a victrola. The lyrics paint a picture of a peaceful domestic life that is a stark contrast to the excitement and thrill of dancing the night away.
The repetition of the phrase "sleepy time gal" as a term of endearment highlights the singer's affection for his partner and his desire for a more intimate and settled relationship. The song reflects a cultural shift in the post-World War II era when traditional gender roles were reinforced, and the concept of the nuclear family became more prevalent.
The lyrics of "Sleepy Time Gal" are simple yet evocative, and the melody has a laidback and romantic vibe that makes it a timeless classic. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, and Dean Martin.
Line by Line Meaning
Wouldn't it be a change for you and me to stay at home once ina while?
Wouldn't it be great if we did something different and stayed home once in a while?
We'd babaret until the break of day
If we stayed home, we could have a good time dancing until dawn.
I'll bet we've danced many a mile
We've danced a lot, haven't we?
I'll like to see a movie once more
I'd like to go out again and see a movie.
They don't keep people staying up until four
Movies don't keep people up late anymore.
Wouldn't it be a pleasant novelty to tumble in early once more?
Wouldn't it be nice to go to bed early for a change?
Sleepy time gal, you're turning night into day
You like to stay up late and party all night long.
Sleepy time gal, you've danced the ev'ning away
You've danced all night and now it's time to go home and get some sleep.
Before each silvery star fades out of sight
Before the end of the night, while there are still stars in the sky,
Please give me one little kiss
Please give me a goodnight kiss.
Then let us whisper 'goodnight'
Then let's say goodnight to each other quietly.
It's getting' lat and dear your pillow's waitin'
It's getting late and it's time for you to go to bed.
Sleepy time gal, when all your dancin' is through
When you're done dancing and it's time to go home,
Sleepy time gal I'll find a cottage for you
I'll find a nice home for you to settle down in.
You'll learn to cook and to sew
You'll learn how to cook and take care of the home.
What's more you'll love it I know
And I know you'll love it.
When you're a stay-at-home , play-at-home
When you stay at home, you can have just as much fun.
Eight o'clock sleepy time gal.
And you can go to bed at a reasonable hour, sleepy time gal.
Wouldn't it be a pleasant sight to see a kitchenette only for you?
Wouldn't it be nice to have a small kitchen just for you?
Wouldn't it be a pleasant sight to see a table set only for two?
Wouldn't it be nice to have a romantic dinner for just the two of us?
I'd get a big victrola and then
I'd get a big record player and then
We'll start in dancing ev'ry new dance again
We can dance to all the latest tunes again.
Then it will be a pleasant novelty to tumble in just about ten.
Then it will be a nice change to go to bed around 10 o'clock.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANGE LORENZO, JOSEPH ALDEN, RAYMOND B EGAN, RICHARD A. WHITING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BubbaTex
Harry James recorded quite a few versions of "Sleepy Time Gal." Listen to his other versions here:
1948: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW0TWxWu60w
1950: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsljcw_Ccro
1955: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-73P7HbqEs
1956: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giq1kYl8V0w
1961: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1Q2mUvIIlw
Debbie Scott
BubbaTex you have outdone yourself restoring this great song. I happen to be a sleepy time gal.❤️
Swingman 56
Thanks for this great one,Bubba Tex! It had been a gem from my collection,until it met with a crashing demise,years ago.
BubbaTex
@Swingman 56 As always, thanks for the kind feedback. This transfer was a doozy - I worked on it for about the past 5 months. I bought a copy of the 78 rpm shellac on Discogs.com. Though my copy was in pretty good shape, the original master is apparently not very clean, and the software tools only went so far in cleaning it up, so I spent a lot of time manually scrubbing it. I realized when I posted that it was not recorded in either of the two primary Columbia studios (NY or LA), but rather in Chicago, and I have a hunch Chicago's recording equipment was not up to the same standards as the equipment on the coasts. Columbia re-issued it on CD in the late 80's/early 90's, but that re-master is atrocious and virtually unlistenable. I consider the tune a classic, so it was worth the time invested. Thanks again!
BubbaTex
@Swingman 56 One sad note. Two of the the software tools I use, Click Repair and DeNoise, were created by a mathematician in Australia, Brian Davies. He apparently became very ill in November, and responded that he did not expect to recover. His website is dormant and there apparently are no more licenses being sold for the software. This is a big loss because those are two invaluable tools for amateur creators like me. I'll have to take extra care to preserve my laptop. Too bad he did not make arrangements to continue selling the software after he is no longer able.
Swingman 56
@BubbaTex 5 months? My gosh,I had no idea that much time and devotion could be spent on one side,to deliver such near pristine results. I so appreciate all of your painstaking work!
Swingman 56
@BubbaTex Sorry to hear of the loss of your software. Will you be searching for a viable replacement?
BubbaTex
@Swingman 56 I have the licenses for the software installed on my laptop, so I can continue using it without interruption. I just can't ever lose the licenses or the software installer in case the laptop crashes and I have to re-install. Another potential problem would be if the continuous upgrades to Windows and Java cause the software to suddenly stop working.
Vincent LaVorgna
The Benny Goodman of the trumpet!
James Marshall
Bubba - This sounds great!