Duke Ellington’s 1940 composition was first released as “Never No Lament.” By 1943 it had been fitted with lyrics by Bob Russell. Once the tune was released as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” it hit the charts:

• Ink Spots (1943, vocal, #2)
• Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (1943, Kenny Sergeant and the LeBrun Sisters, vocal, #7)
• Duke Ellington (1943, instrumental, #8)

Ellington’s 1940 band represented a pinnacle in his 15-year band-leading career. Now referred to as the “Webster-Blanton” band (for tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and string bassist Jimmy Blanton), the group was a tightly-knit unit comprised of some fabulous jazz talent. Ellington’s recordings and compositions from this period are readily acknowledged classics, enlivened by the great playing of musicians like Webster and Blanton but also by Barney Bigard (clarinet), Cootie Williams (trumpet), Harry Carney (baritone sax) and Johnny Hodges (alto sax). Duke’s “Never No Lament” was an instrumental feature for Hodges. But Duke, ever mindful that a hit record would help ease the financial burden of running a big band, was open to suggestions on the commercial possibilities of his compositions. Consequently, several of his instrumentals from this period had lyrics retrofitted to them by Bob Russell, and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” is arguably one of Russell’s best efforts.

Unfortunately, World War II and the A.S.C.A.P and American Federation of Musicians’ recording bans nixed Duke’s plans to get a vocal version recorded. Glen Gray’s Casa Loma Orchestra beat Duke to the punch, recording their version just weeks before the A.F. of M. ban. And because vocal groups were exempt from the ban, the Ink Spots recorded their version, also for Decca, in 1943. Realizing the tune was gaining popularity, RCA Victor re-released Duke’s 1940 recording as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

By the time Ellington recorded a vocal version for Columbia in 1947 (featuring Al Hibbler), much of the momentum of the tune was lost, and it failed to hit the charts.

Russell’s lyric tells the story of a jilted lover who prefers to stay home rather than be haunted by memories of happier times spent at dances and nightspots. An amusing sideline to this song concerns the first line of the lyrics. “Missed the Saturday dance” has been misunderstood as “Mister Saturday dance” or “Mister Saturday night,” much to the amusement of musicians who get these as requests.