“Harlem Nocturne” is a jazz standard written by Earle Hagen (music) and Dick Rogers (lyrics) in 1939 for the Ray Noble orchestra, of which they were members. It was released by Noble and His Orchestra featuring Jack Dumont on Alto Sax. In its musical sojourn, “Harlem Nocturne” became one of those classic and timeless instrumentals that filled the airways and nightclubs over the decades in many cover versions, even to this day. But the original “Harlem Nocturne” has its roots in late 1930s’ jazz and the big band era. By 1941, the song was chosen by the big-band leader Randy Brooks as his theme song.
In 1945, Johnny Otis recorded it as an early single on the Savoy label. In the early 1950s, saxophonist Herbie Fields released “Harlem Nocturne” as a single, then becoming one of the first popular jazz versions. And not long after that came a raft of cover versions by virtually every sax player in the R & B business. According to one source, there may be as many as 500 versions, making it one of the most covered songs in history.
But it was the Viscounts, a New Jersey band, that put the song on the musical map in a new way in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Viscounts were an instrumental quintet consisting of Harry Haller on tenor sax; Bobby Spievak, guitar; Joe Spievak, bass; Larry Vecchio on organ; and Clark Smith on drums. In addition to Harry Haller’s excellent work on the sax, The Viscounts’ 1958 recording of the song added a new twist — an eerie guitar echo effect that’s been retained in many subsequent versions.
The version by the Viscounts has the distinction of being released twice and rising high on the Billboard charts each time: first in 1959, when it peaked at #52, and again in 1966, peaking at #39 on the Billboard chart. “Harlem Nocturne”, in a version with Bud Shank on alto sax, was the theme song of the television series Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer and The New Mike Hammer.
Harold Faltermeyer recorded a version for the soundtrack to the film Tango & Cash. In 1990, the pianist Kofi Wilmot gained popularity in the instrumental world for his cover version from the album of the same name, Harlem Nocturne. Danny Gatton released a version in 1993 on his album Cruisin’ Deuces (Elektra/Rhino). The Sonny Moorman Group released a version on their 2009 Live As Hell album (Atlas Records). Shadow Men on a Shadowy Planet recorded a version on their 1987 7″ single “Schlagers!” (and included it on their 1988 LP Savvy Show Stoppers) entitled “Harlem by the Sea.”
Some singers have recorded “Harlem Nocturne”, adding lyrics. Mel Tormé recorded a version with lyrics for his 1963 album Sings “Sunday In New York” And Other Songs About New York, beginning with “a nocturne for the blues”. Sylvia Brooks recorded a different version, arranged by Jeff Colella, on her album Dangerous Liaisons in 2009, starting with “deep music fills the night”, which has since been covered. Other vocal versions are by Ernestine Anderson, Carla White, Denise Jannah, Bonnie Bramlett, and Jacintha. Brian Setzer does a version loosely based on the theme called “Hollywood Nocturne”.
