At Last (1960)

"At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 musical film Sun Valley Serenade. Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, and a 1942 version reached number two on the US Billboard pop chart.

In 1960, rhythm and blues singer Etta James recorded an arrangement by Riley Hampton that expanded on Warren's original melody. Her rendition served as the title track of her debut album At Last! and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has since been recorded by many artists, with later chart successes by Celine Dion and Beyoncé.

Glenn Miller original renditions

Before the release of Sun Valley Serenade, "At Last" was performed in the film by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by John Payne and Lynn Bari, dubbed by Pat Friday. Studio head Darryl Zanuck reportedly objected that the film contained "too many big ones" and decided to hold the song for a later production. As a result, the Payne–Bari vocal was removed from the final cut, although instrumental versions remained, including in the Black Ice Ballet finale. The vocal arrangement was later used in Orchestra Wives (1942), again with Miller's orchestra, sung by Ray Eberle and Bari, with Friday dubbing Bari's part.

Unreleased recordings of the song were made by Miller in 1941. A new studio version was recorded in Hollywood on May 20, 1942, and issued by RCA Victor as a 78 rpm single, backed with the A-side "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo". The song entered the US Billboard pop chart (then titled "Songs with the Most Radio Plugs") on August 1, 1942, at number 17, and peaked at number two on August 29, 1942. It remained on the chart for 17 weeks and later became a standard.

The personnel on the 1942 studio recording were: Ray Eberle (vocals); Billy May, John Best, Steve Lipkins, R.D. McMickle (trumpet); Glenn Miller, Jim Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo (trombone); Lloyd "Skip" Martin, Wilbur Schwartz (clarinet, alto saxophone); Tex Beneke, Al Klink (tenor saxophone); Ernie Caceres (baritone saxophone); Chummy MacGregor (piano); Bobby Hackett (guitar); Edward "Doc" Goldberg (string bass); and Maurice Purtill (drums). The arrangement was by Jerry Gray and Bill Finegan.

When RCA Victor issued two 10-inch LP soundtracks to Sun Valley Serenade and Orchestra Wives in 1954, to coincide with the theatrical reissue of both films, the outtake version of "At Last" from Sun Valley Serenade was included for the first time. The Orchestra Wives version did not appear until 1958, when it was released on the 20th-Century Fox double-disc set Glenn Miller: Compilation of His Original Film Soundtracks (TCF-100-2).

Wartime release

The 1942 RCA Victor studio recording of "At Last" by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with Ray Eberle on vocals, was issued as a U.S. Army V-Disc (Victory Disc) in October 1943 as No. 12A. V-Discs were distributed to American soldiers and other military personnel stationed overseas.

Later versions

"At Last" has been recorded by many artists since its original 1940s renditions. Former Glenn Miller Orchestra trumpeter Ray Anthony achieved the highest‑charting US version in 1952, reaching number two on the Billboard pop singles chart and number 20 on the Cashbox chart. A 1991 recording by Gene Watson peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

In 2012, Christina Aguilera was invited by Etta James' family to perform "At Last" at James' funeral. Aguilera described James as her idol and inspiration, stating that she performs "At Last" at every concert in her honor. She also recorded a studio version of the song, registered with American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), although the cover remains unreleased.

Etta James version

"At Last" became R&B singer Etta James's signature song and was the third in a series of successful singles from her Argo Records debut album At Last!. In April 1961, it became her second number two R&B hit and crossed over to pop radio, reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although its pop chart position was modest, the recording became widely known, remains a staple of oldies radio, and is regarded as a musical standard. It also reached number 30 in Cashbox magazine.

James's version, noted for its vocal delivery and orchestral arrangement, is frequently used at weddings and wedding receptions.

After one of James's other singles, "Something's Got a Hold on Me", was sampled in two major 2011 releases (Avicii's "Levels" and Flo Rida's "Good Feeling"), "At Last" entered the UK Singles Chart for the first time, reaching number 69. Following James's death in 2012, the song re-entered the charts and rose into the top 40.

In 2009, James's recording was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

In 2021, it was ranked at number 115 on the Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.