Blue Moon

Blue Moon is an American popular song published in 1934, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. Its history is unusually complicated: the melody was originally written for the MGM film Hollywood Party under the title "Prayer", but the number was abandoned. Hart subsequently wrote new lyrics for Manhattan Melodrama (1934), where the melody finally appeared as "The Bad in Every Man", performed by Shirley Ross. At the suggestion of publisher Jack Robbins, Hart rewrote the lyrics once more, creating the romantic ballad "Blue Moon".

Django Reinhardt recorded Blue Moon on March 2, 1935, in Paris, during a remarkable session with American tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and Michel Warlop's orchestra. The recording, matrix OLA 346-1, also featured Stéphane Grappelli on piano rather than his more familiar violin. The international ensemble brought together prominent French jazz musicians and one of the most influential American saxophonists of the swing era.

Musically, Blue Moon combines a memorable, melancholic melody with elegant and accessible harmony. Its classic 32-bar AABA form features recurring I–vi–ii–V progressions, providing a natural foundation for improvisation. The contrasting bridge introduces more adventurous harmonic movement. Originally a romantic ballad, the song can be performed as a slow, expressive piece or transformed into an energetic swing arrangement.

For Manouche jazz musicians, Blue Moon offers an excellent example of how an American popular song can become part of the European jazz tradition. Django's 1935 recording demonstrates the close relationship between Parisian swing and American jazz, while the tune's familiar harmonic progressions work naturally with acoustic guitar accompaniment and la pompe rhythm. Its structure also provides opportunities for chord substitutions, melodic embellishments and improvisation.

Interesting facts:

• Before becoming Blue Moon, the same melody went through several different sets of lyrics, including "Prayer" and "The Bad in Every Man". The latter appeared in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama, but the finished song Blue Moon did not.
• The song became an early hit for dance orchestras, including Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra in 1934.
• In 1961, the doo-wop group The Marcels transformed the romantic ballad into a fast, playful vocal hit that reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
• Three different recordings of Blue Moon, performed by Bobby Vinton, Sam Cooke and The Marcels, were featured in the 1981 horror comedy An American Werewolf in London.
• Since around 1990, Blue Moon has been the anthem of Manchester City Football Club, sung by supporters before and during matches.

From its unusual beginnings in Hollywood to Django Reinhardt's Paris recordings, doo-wop hits and football stadiums, Blue Moon has travelled far beyond its original setting. Its combination of simple melodic beauty and rich harmonic possibilities continues to make it a favourite among jazz musicians, singers and audiences around the world.