[78-L] I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT, was EFHJREM

[RAY KILCOYNE]

Can't help you with the James arranger for "LIGHT".  Seems to be a well-kept 
secret.  I have a session list of all the musicians on the date from a CD 
booklet, but no arranger credit.
I believe Don George wrote the lyrics.  Bob Russell did write lyrics for a 
couple of other Ellington tunes which may be the cause of the confusion. 
Russell died early in 1970, so HE AIN'T HEAVY was likely his last big hit.
RayK
>
From: "Taylor Bowie"
>I love the James band as well.  I've always preferred his  version  of I'm
> Beginning To See The Light (with the cool Allen Reuss intro and coda and a
> great Kitty Kallen vocal) to the lumbering  Ellington rendition which was
> issued around the same time...on that one the Ellington reed section just
> sounds like an industrial strength vacuum cleaner.  It is a great song but
> the I think the James arrangement is way better than was Duke's of his own
> tune.  Any of you James fans know who wrote that chart?
>
> I heard James live here in Seattle in '75 with a very good local pick-up
> band...he was still playing great stuff,  both the ballads and the hot
> tunes.
>
> Bob Russell, who wrote lyrics for "Light" and many of Ellington's other 
> best
> melodies in the late 30s and 40s,  was one of the most underrated of the
> time.  I'm not sure how late he was doing song lyrics,  but those are his
> words on the late 60s tune He Ain't Heavy,  He's My Brother,  which was a
> big hit for The Hollies.