"At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US Billboard pop music chart.
In 1960, rhythm and blues singer Etta James recorded an arrangement by Riley Hampton that improvised on Warren's original melody. Etta James' rendition was the title track on her debut album At Last! (1960) and was eventually inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Most recently, Celine Dion and Beyoncé have also had chart successes with the song.
Glenn Miller original renditions
Prior to 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 said: "There are too many big ones in this. Let's save one for the next." The "At Last" vocal by Payne and Bari was thus deleted from the film, although instrumental versions remained, including in the Black Ice Ballet finale. The vocal version was included in the movie Orchestra Wives (1942), which also featured the Glenn Miller orchestra. It was sung by Ray Eberle and Bari, again dubbed by Friday.
Unreleased recordings of the song were made in 1941 by Glenn Miller. A new version was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in Hollywood on May 20, 1942, and released by RCA Victor Records as a 78 single, backed with the A-side "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo". The song entered the US Billboard pop music chart (called "Songs with the Most Radio Plugs" at the time) on August 1, 1942, at number 17 and peaked at number two on August 29, 1942. It spent a total of 17 weeks on the chart and later became a musical standard.
The personnel on the 1942 studio recording of "At Last": 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 the two films, the outtake version of "At Last" from "Sun Valley Serenade" was included, heard for the first time, but the version in Orchestra Wives was not. This latter rendition was eventually on LP in 1958, in the 20th-Fox double-disc (TCF-100-2) Glenn Miller Compilation of His Original Film Soundtracks.
Wartime release
The 1942 RCA Victor studio recording of "At Last" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra featuring Ray Eberle on vocals was released as a U.S. Army V-Disc or Victory Disc by the U.S. War Department during World War II in October 1943 as No. 12A. V-Discs were sent to American soldiers and military personnel overseas.
Later versions
"At Last" has been recorded by many other artists since its original 1940's renditions. Former Glenn Miller Orchestra trumpeter Ray Anthony had the highest charting recording of the song in the U.S. on the pop charts in 1952, peaking at number two on the Billboard pop singles chart and number 20 on the Cashbox chart. A recording by Gene Watson peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1991.
In 2012, Christina Aguilera was invited by Etta James' family to sing "At Last" at James' funeral. At the funeral, Aguilera stated that James was her idol and inspiration, and that in honour of James, she performs "At Last" at every concert.
Etta James version
"At Last" became R&B singer Etta James's signature song and was the third in a string of successful songs from her Argo Records debut album At Last!. In April 1961, it became her second number two R&B hit single and crossed over to pop radio, reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its modest pop chart standing, the song is well-known and is still played regularly on oldies radio stations and has become a musical standard. James' recording also reached number 30 in Cashbox magazine.
James' version, with its passionate vocal and sweeping orchestration, is often used for weddings and wedding receptions.