Lunceford was born in Fulton, Mississippi. Little is known about his parents, though his father was a choirmaster in Warren, Ohio, before the family moved to Denver. Lunceford went to high school in Denver and studied music under Wilberforce J. Whiteman, father of Paul Whiteman, whose band was soon to acquire a national reputation. As a child in Denver, he learned several instruments. He played alto saxophone in the band led by the violinist George Morrison. After high school, Lunceford continued his studies at Fisk University. In 1922, he played alto saxophone in a local band led by George Morrison which included Andy Kirk, another musician destined for fame as a bandleader.
In 1927, while an athletic instructor at Manassas High School in Memphis, Tennessee, he organized a student band, the Chickasaw Syncopators, whose name was changed to the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. Under the new name, the band started its professional career in 1929, and made its first recordings in 1930. Lunceford was the first high school band director in Memphis. After a period of touring, the band accepted a booking at the Harlem nightclub The Cotton Club in 1934 for their revue 'Cotton Club Parade' starring Adelaide Hall. The Cotton Club had already featured Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, who won their first widespread fame from their inventive shows for the Cotton Club's all-white patrons. Lunceford's orchestra, with their tight musicianship and the often outrageous humor in their music and lyrics, made an ideal band for the club, and Lunceford's reputation began to steadily grow. Jimmie Luncefords band differed from other great bands of the time because their work was better known for its ensemble than its solo work. Additionally, he was known for using a two-beat rhythm, called the Lunceford two-beat, as opposed to the standard four-beat rhythm. This distinctive "Lunceford style" was largely the result of the imaginative arrangements by trumpeter Sy Oliver, which set high standards for dance-band arrangers of the time.
Though not well known as a musician, Jimmie Lunceford was trained on several instruments and was even featured on flute in "Liza".
Comedy and vaudeville played a distinct part in Lunceford's presentation. Songs such as "Rhythm Is Our Business" (featured in a 1937 musical short with Myra Johnson (Taylor) on vocals), "I'm Nuts about Screwy Music", "I Want the Waiter (With the Water)", and "Four or Five Times" displayed a playful sense of swing, often through clever arrangements by trumpeter Sy Oliver and bizarre lyrics. Lunceford's stage shows often included costumes, skits, and obvious jabs at mainstream white bands, such as Paul Whiteman's and Guy Lombardo's.
Despite the band's comic veneer, Lunceford always maintained professionalism in the music befitting a former teacher; this professionalism paid off and during the apex of swing in the 1930s, the Orchestra was considered the equal of Duke Ellington's, Earl Hines' or Count Basie's. This precision can be heard in such pieces as "Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam)", "Lunceford Special", "For Dancers Only", "Uptown Blues", and "Stratosphere". The band's noted saxophone section was led by alto sax player Willie Smith. Lunceford often used a conducting baton to lead his band.
The orchestra began recording for the Decca label and later signed with the Columbia subsidiary Vocalion in 1938. They toured Europe extensively in 1937, but had to cancel a second tour in 1939 because of the outbreak of World War II. Columbia dropped Lunceford in 1940 because of flagging sales. (Oliver departed the group before the scheduled European tour to take a position as an arranger for Tommy Dorsey). Lunceford returned to the Decca label. The orchestra appeared in the 1941 movie Blues in the Night.
Most of Lunceford's sidemen were underpaid and left for better paying bands, leading to the band's decline.
On July 12, 1947, while playing in Seaside, Oregon, Lunceford collapsed and died from cardiac arrest during an autograph session, aged 45. Allegations and rumors circulated that he had been poisoned by a fish-restaurant owner who was unhappy at having to serve a "Negro" in his establishment. This story is given credence by the fact other members of Lunceford's band who ate at this restaurant were sick within hours of the meal. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
Band members, notably Eddie Wilcox and Joe Thomas kept the band going for a time but finally had to break up the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra in 1949.
In 1999, band-leader Robert Veen and a team of musicians set out to acquire permission to use the original band charts and arrangements of the Jimmie Lunceford canon. 'The Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Orchestra' officially debuted in July 2005 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands.
The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival was founded in 2007 by Ron Herd II a.k.a. R2C2H2 Tha Artivist and Artstorian, with the aim of increasing recognition of Lunceford's contribution to jazz, particularly in Memphis, Tennessee. The Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awards was created by the Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival to honor exceptional musicians with Memphis ties as well as those who have dedicated their careers to excellence in music and music education.
His music continues to have an impact. Most recently the tune "Rhythm is Our Business" was included as track on the compilation set Memphis Jazz Box in 2004 in honor of Lunceford's close ties to Memphis.
On July 19, 2009, a brass note was dedicated to Lunceford on Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee.
Selected discography
Prior to Lunceford's success on Decca (beginning September 1934), he made the following recordings:
"In Dat Mornin'"/"Sweet Rhythm" (Victor V-38141)- recorded Memphis, June 6, 1930
"Flaming Reeds and Screaming Brass"/"While Love Lasts" (Columbia tests - not issued until the late 1960s on LP) - recorded New York, May 15, 1933
"Jazznocracy"/"Chillun, Get Up" (Victor 24522) - recorded New York, January 26, 1934
"White Heat"/"Leaving Me" (Victor 24586) - recorded New York, January 26, 1934
"Breakfast Ball"/"Here Goes" (Victor 24601) - recorded New York, March 20, 1934
"Swingin' Uptown"/"Remember When" (Victor 24669) - recorded New York, March 20, 1934
The Decca recordings
Stomp It Off (1934-1935 Decca recordings) (CD: GRP, 1992)
For Dancers Only (1935-1937 Decca recordings) (CD: GRP, 1994)
Swingsation (1935-1939 Decca recordings) (CD: GRP, 1998)
Like a Ship at Sea (1935-1939 Decca recordings)
Columbia recordings[edit]
Lunceford Special (1939 Columbia recordings) (LP: 1956, expanded issue late 1960s, CD: Columbia Legacy, 2001)
Modern CD compilations from different recording labels[edit]
Rhythm Is Our Business (1933–1940, both Decca and Columbia periods successively) (ASV, 1992)
Jukebox Hits: 1937-1947 (Acrobat, 2005)
Life Is Fine or Quadromania (Membran/Quadromania Jazz, 2006)
Trivia[edit]
The Chickasaw Syncopators made a single 78 record on December 13, 1927 in Memphis (but without Lunceford); it was issued on Columbia 14301-D.
It Had to Be You
Jimmie Lunceford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The lyrics of Jimmie Lunceford's song "It Had to Be You" tell the story of a person who has finally found the one they have been searching for. The singer confesses that they have been wandering around looking for someone who could make them be true and feel blue, and they have finally found that person. Even when thinking of them makes them sad, they are still glad that they have found this person.
The singer compares this person to others they have seen, who might never be mean or bossy, but they wouldn't do because they don't give them the same thrill. Despite their faults, the singer still loves them. The repeated line "it had to be you" emphasizes that this love is inevitable and predestined.
Overall, the song is a romantic declaration of love that recognizes the imperfections of the loved one but still acknowledges the power of their connection. The longing and devotion in the lyrics are complemented by the upbeat jazz style of the music, creating a feeling of joy and celebration.
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
You were destined to be the one for me, there was no other option.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I searched far and wide and finally discovered someone who completes me.
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
Only you have the power to bring out my true self, even if it means feeling sad at times.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
My love for you is so strong that just thinking about you, even when I'm sad, brings me joy.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I have observed other people who are never unkind or cruel.
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
These individuals may never show anger or attempt to control others.
But they wouldn't do.
However, they are not the one for me and cannot fulfill me like you do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
No one else has ever excited me or captured my heart like you have.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Despite your imperfections, I still love you just as much.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
You are the only one for me and I am grateful for your presence in my life.
It had to be you.
There was never any doubt that it was meant to be you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind