Harry James and His Orchestra feat. Kitty Kallen - "It's Been a Long, Long Time"

Harry Allen is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized and was active again with his band from then until his death in 1983. He was especially known among musicians for his technical proficiency as well as his tone, and was influential on new trumpet players from the late 1930s into the 1940s. He was also an actor in a number of films that usually featured his band.

He was also a pioneer for the big band sound. He transformed the trumpet led band into an orchestra with singers, and he launched a number of singers careers doing so.

Kitty Kallen’s career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, to include the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-WWII pop scene and the early years of rock 'n roll. Kallen performed with popular big band leaders of the 1940s, including Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James, before establishing a solo career.

She is widely known for her 1954 solo recording '"Little Things Mean a Lot", a song that stayed at the U.S. number one spot for nine consecutive weeks, charted in the U.S. for almost seven months, hit #1 on the UK singles chart, and sold more than two million copies. Voted "most popular female singer" in 1954 in both Billboard and Variety polls, Kallen lost her voice at the London Palladium in 1955 at the top of her career and stopped singing before an audience for four years.  After testing her voice under a pseudonym in small town venues, she ultimately returned and went on to achieve 13 top-ten career hits.

Some of her number one hits include “Bésame Mucho (with Jimmy Dorsey & Bob Eberly), "I'm Beginning to See the Light"(with Harry James), today’s pick "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (with Harry James), and "Little Things Mean a Lot" b/w "I Don't Think You Love Me Anymore" (Non-album track).

So today, dreaming of superheroes and slow dances, I choose Harry James and His Orchestra feat. Kitty Kallen’s "It's Been a Long, Long Time" as my, hold me closer, dance with me, let me rest here in the valley by chain around your neck, song for a, words can wait, why not now, kiss me once again, Friday.