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[AT LAST]{1} Written by: Mark Gordon & Harry Warren Produced by: Philip Chess & Leonard Chess{2} Performed by: Etta James{3}{4} First released:{5} Single: April 1961 Album: December 1960

{1}"At Last" became Etta James's signature song and was the third in a string of successful songs from her debut album, also named At Last!. Upon the song's single release in 1961, it became her second #2 R&B hit and crossed over to pop radio, reaching #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its rather low pop chart standing, the song is well known and is still played regularly on oldies radio stations. James' version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song was a favorite of composer Harry Warren's and he would occasionally draw the melody of the first two bars of the song when signing an autograph. On January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama danced to various renditions of the song at each of the 10 official balls honoring his inauguration.

{2}Leonard and Phil Chess ran Chess Records, a company that produced and released many important singles and albums, which are now regarded as central to the rock music canon. Based in Chicago, Illinois, it specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases. In 1947, Leonard bought a piece of a record company called Aristocrat Records; in 1950 he brought his brother Phil into the operation and they became sole owners and renamed it Chess Records. In 1956 they launched a jazz label called Marterry, which was quickly renamed Argo Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet Records to end the confusion with an older British classical music label named Argo, however there is sometimes still confusion as to whether a song was first issued by the Chess or Argo label belonging to the Chess brothers.

An interesting side note: In 1952 the brothers started Checker Records, as an alternative label for radio play because radio stations would play only a limited number of records for any one label.

{3}"At Last" was written in 1942 for the musical film, Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was first performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday. The record reached #14 on the Pop charts. Also covered by (partial list): Christina Aguilera Ray Anthony The BBC Big Band Chet Baker Richard "Chuck" Berry Beyoncé Michael Bolton Eva Cassidy Petula Clark Nat King Cole Randy Crawford Bing Crosby Miles Davis Doris Day Céline Dion Fatback & the Fatback Band Ella Fitzgerald The Four Freshmen Aretha Franklin Russ Freeman & the Russ Freeman Trio Kenny G Marvin Gaye Connie Haines Gene Harris Ted Heath & His Orchestra The Hit Crew Walter Jackson Norah Jones E. G. Knight Ben E. King Frances Langford Cyndi Lauper League of Decency Brenda Lee Al Martino Joni Mitchell Tina Moore Barbara Morrison Jason Mraz Stevie Nicks The Oak Ridge Boys Aubrey O'Day Joan Osborne Houston Person The Philosopher Kings Lou Rawls Red & the Red Hots The Rolling Stones Diane Schuur Little Jimmy Scott Anne Shelton T. G. Sheppard Don Shirley Simply Black Phoebe Snow The Spitfire Band Charlie Spivak & His Orchestra Carol Stevens Sonny Stitt The Temptations Toni Tennille Richard "Cookie" Thomas Caterina Valente Art Van Damme Mary Wells Lavelle White Nikki Yanofsky et al.

{4}Appears on:{*} Single(s): (1) Etta James: A-side: "At Last" B-side: "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (a) Argo, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm, #5380, US-1961.

Album(s): (a)Etta James: At Last! (1) Argo, 10-Track, Mono LP, #LP-4003, US-1960. (2) Chess, 10-Track, Mono LP, #CH-9266, US-1987. (3) MCA, Remastered, 14-Track, CD, #CHD-12017, US-1999.

(b)Etta James: Her Best The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection (1) Chess, 20-Track, Remastered, Stereo CD, #CHD-9367, US-1997{5}. (2) Chess, Alternate Cover, Remastered, 20-Track, CD, #CHSD-9367, Canada-1997. et al. {*}The albums and records listed here may have different versions of the song than the one that was transcribed. Also, this list is not intended to be the complete discography on which this song appears.

{5}Transcribed from the track on this album.