Billie Holiday—”I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” (1937)

Some of you may have celebrated this Christmas amidst the present Australian heat wave, for others it might have been a cold and rainy holiday season. And maybe you were among the lucky ones who experienced a traditional white Christmas. No matter what the temperature is, always remember “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm.”

Billie Holiday and her Orchestra already recorded Irving Berlin’s newest 1937 composition in New York City on January 12, 1937: Billie Holiday-vocal, accompanied by Jonah Jones-trumpet; Edgar Sampson-clarinet and alto saxophone; Ben Webster-tenor saxophone; Teddy Wilson-piano; Allen Reuss-guitar; John Kirby-double bass; and Cozy Cole-drums.

This session for Vocalion was produced by Nebraska-born songwriter Bernard D. Hanighen (1908-1976). At the time, 21-year old Billie was moving from club to club in Harlem. In her autobiography “Lady Sings The Blues” Billie recalled that of all the big people who come up to hear her sing, she liked the famous songwriter Bernie Hanighen the best.

“Bernie used to stay in a joint for hours, listening to me sing and giving me big tips when I did his tunes.” -- such as “When A Woman Loves A man” or “When The Moon Turns Green.”

“But for him I’d have gladly sung anything for nothing. I loved that guy.”

Bernie had a job as musical director at Columbia, where they also put out Vocalion label records for 35 cents. Billie said that Bernie “really went to bat for me … He finally made them pay me seventy-five bucks for two sides.” No matter how many records the company would sell later “you’d never get another dime.”

Billie explained that Bernie Hanighen almost lost his job at Columbia fighting for her. “He was the cause of me making my first records under my own name -- not as anybody’s damn vocalist, but as Billie Holiday period, and then the list of musicians backing me. Bernie was a great guy.”

Bernie Hanighen might also be known to you as the lyricist who wrote the words to Thelonious Monk’s composition “Round Midnight.”