Les Brown and His Band of Renown had been performing the song, but were unable to record it because of the 1942–44 musicians' strike. When the strike ended, the band, with Doris Dayas vocalist, had a hit record with the song,[1] Day's first #1 hit, in 1945. The song's release coincided with the end of WWII in Europe and became the unofficial homecoming theme for many veterans.[1] The recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36769, with the flip side "Twilight Time".[2] The record first reached the Billboard charts on March 29, 1945 and lasted 23 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.[3] The song actually reached the charts after the later-recorded "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time".
About
this same time, the Merry Macs had
a recording following Brown and Day which featured a bouncy arrangement where
the group modulates (or augments) the verse eight times in the last half of the
song. A vocal feat for any group attempting to record a song in one take
without the benefit of tape editing in that era of modern recording.
The
song later became something of a standard with jazz artists and was recorded,
among others, by Buck Clayton with Woody Herman and
by Ben Sidran. Frank Sinatra recorded his version of the song in
1961. Rosemary Clooney issued an album Sentimental
Journey (2001)
which included the song.
Doris Day- Sentimental Journey
https://youtu.be/BgRgExUMEis
Doris Day & Les Brown - rare 1985 reunion video of "Sentimental Journey"
The Platters - Sentimental Journey (1963)
Ken Griffin –
Sentimental journey
Mike Reed plays "Sentimental Journey" on the
Hammond Organ
Lyrics
The song describes someone about to take a train to a place they have a great emotional attachment for. It describes their mounting anticipation and they wonder why they ever roamed away.
Doris Day – Sentimental Journey Lyrics
Gonna take a sentimental
journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories
Got my bag, got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that "All aboard"
Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven
I'll be waitin' up for heaven
Countin' every mile of railroad track
That takes me back
Never thought my heart could be so 'yearny'
Why did I decide to roam?
Gotta take that sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home,
Sentimental journey!
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories
Got my bag, got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that "All aboard"
Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven
I'll be waitin' up for heaven
Countin' every mile of railroad track
That takes me back
Never thought my heart could be so 'yearny'
Why did I decide to roam?
Gotta take that sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home,
Sentimental journey!
Songwriters: PRIMA,
LOUIS/BUTERA, SAM /
Sentimental Journey lyrics © Sony/ATV Music
Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.PS
A very popular LP record by Ken Griffin, played in the Medical Students Common room, Kynsey road, Colombo, in the early 1960s.
