Pop Goes the Orchestra-Part V

Today's blog continues our discussion of Leroy Anderson, one of music history's greatest composers of light symphonic music.

Anderson was a reserve Army officer and was recalled to active duty for the Korean War. During the war, in 1951, Anderson wrote his first hit, Blue Tango. 

Although Mitchell Parish added lyrics, the instrumental version recorded by Anderson (Decca Records, with the flip side Belle of the Ball) reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1952. It first reached the Best Seller chart on December 21, 1951 and lasted 38 weeks on the chart. It was the first instrumental recording ever to sell one million copies.


Parish's lyrics:

Here I am with you, in a world of blue,
While we're dancing to the tan-go we loved when first we met.
While the music plays, I recall the days,
When our love was a turn that we couldn't soon forget.
As I kiss your cheek, we don't have to speak,
The vio-lins like a choir ex-press the de-sire,
We used to know, not long ago.
So just hold me tight, in your arms to-night,
And the blue tan-go will be our mem-o-ry of love.

Listen to Anderson's million-selling, number one hit!