Rocks in My Bed
"Rocks in My Bed" is a 1941 song written by Duke Ellington.
Harvey G. Cohen in his 2010 book Duke Ellington's America writes that "Rocks in My Bed" "presents a more honest and adult impression of sexual loneliness than most Swing Era lyrics". The lyrics arose from a conversation between two women that Ellington overheard.[1]
The academic Walter van de Leur theorized in his analysis of several Ellington pieces of the early 1940s that "Rocks in My Bed" may have been partially written by Billy Strayhorn yet solely copyrighted to Ellington without additional attribution.[2] Van de Leur analysed Strayhorn's reharmonisation of the piece for Ivie Anderson's 1941 vocal recording and felt that it marks the moment that Strayhorn "changed from arranger to co-composer".[3]
It was introduced by Big Joe Turner in the 1941 musical revue Jump for Joy.[4][5] Turner said in an interview that he assisted Ellington with the arrangement and composition of "Rocks in My Bed" whilst in preparation for Jump for Joy at the Dunbar Hotel.[6]
"Rocks in My Bed" was included in the 1997 musical comedy Play On! at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre directed by Sheldon Epps.[7]
The song has become associated with female singers. Betty Roché's version has been praised for its "gloriously bluesy scatting" and Sarah Vaughan's for her "earthy styling".[8][9]
Notable recordings
- Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (1958)
- Sarah Vaughan - The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 2 (1979)
- Georgia Carr - Rocks In My Bed (1964)
- Betty Roché - Lightly and Politely (recorded in 1960, released in 1961)
References
- ^ Cohen 2010, p. 180.
- ^ Cohen 2010, p. 309.
- ^ Walter van de Leur (31 January 2002). Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. Oxford University Press. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-19-802885-7.
- ^ Michael Denning (1998). The Cultural Front: The Laboring of American Culture in the Twentieth Century. Verso. p. 316. ISBN 978-1-85984-170-9.
- ^ Franceschina 2017, p. 32.
- ^ Franceschina 2017, p. 36.
- ^ Franceschina 2017, p. 200.
- ^ "Vital Reissues". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 7 February 1998. p. 75.
- ^ The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. (June–July 1990). The Crisis. The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. p. 12.
- Cohen, Harvey G. (15 May 2010). Duke Ellington's America. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-11264-0.
- Franceschina, John (6 July 2017). Duke Ellington's Music for the Theatre. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5026-8.
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- Harlem Jazz, 1930
- Ellingtonia, Vol. One
- Ellingtonia, Vol. Two
- Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year
- The Blanton–Webster Band
- Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
- Smoke Rings
- Liberian Suite
- Great Times!
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- The Duke Plays Ellington
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- Dance to the Duke!
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- Historically Speaking
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- A Drum Is a Woman
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- Such Sweet Thunder
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- Black, Brown and Beige
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- The Cosmic Scene
- Happy Reunion
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- Blues in Orbit
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- Unknown Session
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- Midnight in Paris
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- Afro-Bossa
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- My People
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- Far East Suite
- The Jaywalker
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- ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
- Second Sacred Concert
- Studio Sessions New York, 1968
- Latin American Suite
- The Pianist
- New Orleans Suite
- Orchestral Works
- The Suites, New York 1968 & 1970
- The Intimacy of the Blues
- The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
- Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971
- The Intimate Ellington
- The Ellington Suites
- This One's for Blanton!
- Up in Duke's Workshop
- Duke's Big 4
- Mood Ellington
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- Black, Brown, and Beige
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943
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- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947
- Ellington at Newport
- Dance Concerts, California 1958
- Dance Dates, California 1958
- Newport 1958
- Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II
- Duke Ellington at the Alhambra
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- Hot Summer Dance
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- A Concert of Sacred Music
- In the Uncommon Market
- Soul Call
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- Third Sacred Concert
- Eastbourne Performance
- Blue Rose
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- The Great Summit
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- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
- Money Jungle
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
- Serenade to Sweden
- Ella at Duke's Place
- The Stockholm Concert, 1966
- Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
- Francis A. & Edward K.
- It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
- "African Flower"
- "All Too Soon"
- "Azure"
- "Black and Tan Fantasy"
- "Black, Brown and Beige"
- "C Jam Blues"
- "Come Sunday"
- "Cotton Tail"
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- "Day Dream"
- "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue"
- "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me"
- "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
- "Drop Me Off in Harlem"
- "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"
- "Echoes of Harlem"
- "Everything but You"
- "I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues"
- "I Didn't Know About You"
- "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)"
- "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"
- "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
- "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"
- "In a Mellow Tone"
- "In a Sentimental Mood"
- "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
- "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'"
- "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)"
- "The Mooche"
- "Mood Indigo"
- " Prelude to a Kiss"
- "Rocks in My Bed"
- "(In My) Solitude"
- "Sophisticated Lady"
- Queenie Pie (unfinished opera)
by Billy Strayhorn |
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by Juan Tizol |
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members
- Hayes Alvis
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- Harold Ashby
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- Shorty Baker
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- Joe Benjamin
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- Willie Cook
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- Rolf Ericson
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- Sonny Greer
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- Ernie Royal
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- Willie Smith
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- Rex Stewart
- Billy Strayhorn
- Billy Taylor
- Clark Terry
- Juan Tizol
- Norris Turney
- Ben Webster
- Arthur Whetsel
- Cootie Williams
- Nelson Williams
- Skippy Williams
- Booty Wood
- Jimmy Woode
- Britt Woodman
- Sam Woodyard
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