"Beyond the Blue Horizon" is a 1930 song composed by Leo Robin, Richard A. Whiting, and W. Franke Harling, and was first performed by Jeanette MacDonald in the 1930 film Monte Carlo. It was released that November as a single on a 78 rpm disc along with the song "Always, in All Ways" on Victor Records.[1] Four takes[2] were recorded on August 4 at the Hollywood Recording Studio,[3] conducted by LeRoy Shield,[3] with MacDonald and the vocal group The Rounders;[2] the second take was chosen for release.[2]

The song reached #9 in the United States[4] and became MacDonald's signature song, selling over 12,000 copies;[1] it was re-released in 1944.[1] MacDonald commonly performed it in concerts and on tours would also perform it in the movie Follow the Boys in 1944,[5] and frequently performed it on tours.[6] She also re-recorded the song for the albums Favorites[7] and Favorites in Hi-Fi (1959).[8]

Cover versions

• George Olsen and His Orchestra released a version in 1930. The song reached #5 in the United States.[9]
• Phil Spitalny and His Orchestra released a version in 1930. The song reached #18 in the United States.[10]
• Vincent Lopez released a version in 1932.[11]
• Artie Shaw and His Symphonic Swing Orchestra recorded an instrumental version on 3 September 1941
• Clifford Jordan released a version on his 1957 album Cliff Jordan.
• Jack Pleis, His Piano, Chorus and Orchestra released a version in 1957 on his album Strings and Things.
• Jane Morgan - from her album Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue (1958).[12]
• Frankie Laine - included in his album Call of the Wild (1962).[13]
• Johnny Mathis released a version on his 1964 album The Wonderful World of Make Believe.[14]
• Michael Nesmith released a version on his 1970 album Magnetic South and featured on his 1993 album Complete First National Band Recordings.
• In 1974, Lou Christie released a version. The song reached #80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the adult contemporary chart.[15] It also reached #57 in Canada.[16]
• Miharu Koshi released a version on her 1987 album Echo De Miharu.

In popular culture

• A version of this was the lead-in theme song for the old radio talk show Tex and Jinx (1948-1952).
• The boxing venue The Blue Horizon was renamed in 1961 after the song by Jimmy Toppi Sr.^{[citation needed]}
• The song featured in The Godfather Part III.^{[citation needed]}
• The song is listed on the Great American Songbook as one of the best songs written from the 1920s through the 1950s.^{[citation needed]}
• Alexander Courage stated he received inspiration from "Beyond the Blue Horizon" when writing "Theme from Star Trek".[17]
• The song is heard in a 1978 TV commercial for the United States Virgin Islands Tourism Bureau.
• The song as recorded by Lou Christie was featured in the 1988 film Rain Man, and the 1991 film Dutch.

Book source

• Turk, Edward Baron (1998). Hollywood Diva: Biography of Jeanette MacDonald. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22253-3.

References