Song #28: "Glow Worm"--The Mills Brothers (1952)

The origins of this song go back 115 years to the start of the 20th Century, from an German operetta from Paul Lincke. Five years later, the song is translated to English and debuts in a Broadway musical entitled, "The Girl Behind The Counter".

Fast forward another half-century, and the great songwriter Johnny Mercer takes the song, works it, reworks it, and creates a masterpiece for the Mills Brothers, who, with the Hal McIntyre Orchestra, turned "Glow Worm" into a number one song, spending three weeks atop the charts in the final year of the Presidency of Harry S. Truman.

I discovered this song on the large reel to reel tapes provided to us at WUHN Radio in Pittsfield, Massachusetts by "The Music Of Your Life", a former radio format belonging to Al Ham which was used by mainly AM stations across the country back in the 1980's and 1990's. "MOYL" continues to this day, especially online, changing its format to feature later standards and music that my generation grew up with.

The Mills Brothers, John, Senior, John, Junior, Herbert, Harry and Donald, began as a quartet that was hired by WLW Radio in Cincinnati back in 1928. They eventually sold over 50 million records.

For my money, one of the greatest songs from the "Big Band/Adult Standards" golden era of music from the Great Depression to the Eisenhower years. Don't know it? Invest 2:40 now and push play below. You'll be singing along the rest of the day.  :)

You're welcome.  :)