Composer Duke Ellington introduced his composition on a Victor recording date in January, 1934. Duke’s second recording of the tune from September, 1934, this time for Brunswick Records, hit the chart the following year:

• Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1935, #2)
• Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1935, #8)

The music to “Solitude” bears the names of Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills as lyricists. Mills was Ellington’s agent and naturally he cut himself in on anything “Ellingtonian” while he managed the Duke. DeLange was employed by Mills as a staff arranger and lyricist for Mills Music Publishing and by 1936 would be co-leader, along with Will Hudson, of the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra, managed by, of course, Irving Mills.

Another of Mills’ properties was the Blue Rhythm Band whose recording of “Solitude” hit the charts in 1935. The Blue Rhythm Band was a fine jazz ensemble that formed in 1931, and, although never quite as highly regarded as Ellington’s band, they did have some formidable jazz talent (trumpeters Henry “Red” Allen and Harry “Sweets” Edison and trombonist J.C. Higginbotham). But their recording of “Solitude” is pretty standard, mid-1930s dance music.

Duke Ellington’s autobiography, Music is My Mistress, relates the tale of how “Solitude” was created. “We had arrived in a Chicago recording studio [Victor Records]...with three numbers ready and a fourth needed. The band ahead of us went into overtime...so, standing up, leaning against the studio’s glass enclosure, I wrote the score of ’Solitude’ in 20 minutes.”

It’s interesting to note that the session which produced the first recording of “Solitude” was done over two days, December 9 and 10th, 1934. Duke’s band cut two masters on each day, highly unusual for that time when the norm was to cut three to four masters at a session. “Solitude” was recorded on the second day. In listening to the recording, it’s evident that it was a quickly yet cleverly assembled arrangement and could easily have been a basic “head” arrangement.

According to Ellington’s reminiscences, it was trumpeter Artie Whetsol who gave the tune its title. One of the soloists on the 1934 recording, trumpeter Cootie Williams, attested to the fact that it was totally an Ellington composition and not something “contributed” by another band member.

The number went on to be Duke’s most successful song at the time, both in record and sheet music sales.