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"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, with music written by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James and lyrics by Don George and published in 1944.

1945 recordings

• Duke Ellington recorded the song in New York City on December 1, 1944. Released as RCA Victor 20-1618 in early 1945, the record by Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, featuring a vocal by Joya Sherrill, went to No. 4 on the Harlem Hit Parade chart in Billboard and reached No. 6 on the pop chart.
• A competing recording by Harry James and his Orchestra, with lead vocals by Kitty Kallen, reached No. 1 for two weeks in January 1945. James' version also reached No. 7 on Billboard's Second Annual High School Survey in 1945.
• The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald recorded a version for Decca Records, featuring singer Bill Kenny, that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945 and reached No. 5.
• The Delta Rhythm Boys also recorded a version of the song in 1945.

Other notable recordings

• Oscar Alemán (1946)
• Gerry Mulligan, on Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker (1955)
• Count Basie and Joe Williams, on The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (1956)
• Mel Tormé, on Mel Tormé At The Crescendo (1957)
• Connie Francis (1958)
• Peggy Lee, on Things Are Swingin' (1958)
• Johnnie Ray (1958)
• Joanie Sommers, on Positively the Most! (1960)
• Mary Stallings and Cal Tjader, on Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings Sings (1961)
• Bobby Darin (1962); featured in the 1996 feature film Swingers.
• Frank Sinatra (1962), on "Sinatra And Swingin' Brass"
• Ella and Basie!, a 1963 Verve Records release with arrangements by Quincy Jones.
• Clare Fischer, on Songs for Rainy Day Lovers (1967)
• Bob Dorough with Bill Takas, on Beginning to See the Light (1976)
• Billy Eckstine has recorded the song on several occasions, including versions with Billy May, with Quincy Jones, with Bobby Tucker and with Gil Askey.
• Kate Ceberano, on Kate Ceberano and her Septet (1986)
• Natalie Cole, on Take a Look (1993)
• Peggy Lee, on Spotlight on Peggy Lee (1995)
• Dee Dee Bridgewater, on Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album (1996)
• Rosemary Clooney, on Out of This World (2000)
• The Hi-Lo's, on A Musical Thrill (2006)
• Royce Campbell, on Get Happy (2007)
• Joe Jackson, on his Ellington tribute album, The Duke (2012)
• Karen Souza, on Velvet Vault (2017)
• Seal, on Standards (2017)
• Sutton Foster, on her album Wish
• Chelsea Krombach, on her debut album Look for the Silver Lining
• The SuperJazz Big Band from Birmingham, Alabama, on UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis
• Michael Bublé
• Al Jarreau, on "Accentuate the Positive"
• Kelly Rowland
• Charlotte Perrelli (2023)
• [[Jim Altamore, from the album

“Swingin’ After Dark” 2024]]

References

1. "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
2. RCA Victor Records in the 20-1500 to 20-1999 series
3. "I'm Beginning to See the Light" at Jazz Standards.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 185.
5. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side B.
6. Smith, Kathleen E.R. (28 March 2003). God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 167. ISBN 0-8131-2256-2.

• 1944 songs
• 1945 singles
• Songs with music by Duke Ellington
• Songs with lyrics by Don George
• Songs written by Johnny Hodges
• Songs with lyrics by Harry James
• Lena Horne songs
• Johnnie Ray songs