Tailspin is a 1934 song written by Jimmy Dorsey

Jimmy Dorsey

James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...

 and Frankie Trumbauer

Frankie Trumbauer

Orie Frank Trumbauer was one of the leading jazz saxophonists of the 1920s and 1930s. He played the C-melody saxophone which, in size, is between an alto and tenor saxophone...

. The song was released by Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman

Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...

 and His Orchestra featuring Frankie Trumbauer in 1934 on Victor and by The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1935 as a Decca

Decca Records

Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

 single.

The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra recorded the song on February 6, 1935 in New York and released it as a 78 single in 1935 on Decca Records, 560B. The record was re-released in 1942 as Decca
4202B, Matrix # 39342. The song was published in 1934 by Robbins Music in New York.

First Recording

Frankie Trumbauer recorded the first version with Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman

Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...

and His Orchestra on April 17, 1934 in New York which was released as a Victor 78, 24668, Matrix # 82319, backed with "G Blues"..

Sources

• Red Hot Jazz website.
• Stockdale, Robert L. Jimmy Dorsey: A Study in Contrasts. (Studies in Jazz Series). Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1999.
• Arnold, Jay, ed. Jimmy Dorsey Saxophone Method: A School of Rhythmic Saxophone Playing. Warner Bros Pubns, 1999.
• Sanford, Herb. Tommy and Jimmy: The Dorsey Years. (Introduction by Bing Crosby). DaCapo Press, 1980.
• Bockemuehl, Eugene. On the Road with the Jimmy Dorsey Aggravation, 1947-1949. Gray Castle Press, 1996.
• Metronome Magazine, March, 1942: Jimmy Dorsey cover. Metronome Editors. Vol. LVIII, No. 3.
• Down Beat Magazine, October 21, 1946: Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Whiteman cover.

External links

• Online version by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra featuring Frankie Trumbauer.
• Red Hot Jazz website.