Origin:

Inspired by Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone With The Wind.

Style:

Taken anywhere ballad to medium-up tempo treatments.

Form:

A-B-A-C (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The harmony of this composition is functional and is very much in line with  other leading standards of its day. The A sections are made up of a  repeated II - V - I progression, beginning in the tonic before  modulating up a Major 3rd in the following 4 bars. The B sections begin  with the common progression of IIImi7 - bIIIdim7 - IImi7 - V7, however  bars 5-6 of this section tend to see a variety of treatments. Put simply  the chords are EbMaj7 - D7b13 - Gmi7b5 - C7b9, however tri-tone  substitution is often used which turns it into EbMaj7 - D7b13 - Db7 -  C7b9 instead. The final C section begins with the dramatic movement of  IImi - VImi before a final series of II - V's meander around the key to  return back to the tonic once again.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 300 times to date. It was first recorded by Horace Heidt and His Brigadiers in 1937, and several other hit recordings were also made during the same year from the likes of Guy  Lombardo and Claude Thornhill. During the years of World War II the tune mostly fell out of circulation, although an All Star recording made in 1946 by the likes of Johnny Hodges and Don Byas helped to revitalize the standard. It has since gone on to be recorded by many other notable musicians and it continues to be performed semi-frequently to this day.

JGC Top Picks:

Julie London, Julie Is Her Name, 1955

Wes Montgomery, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, 1960

Bill Evans, Eloquence, 1976