You May Have Never Heard ‘I’ve Got A Gal in Kalamazoo’ Like This
Around here, we all know Glenn Miller's famous song about the gal from Kalamazoo. Did you know there was another version by the man who sang on the original?
Glenn Miller was the name on the marquee, the conductor of the orchestra, the man who got credit on the vinyl. The "...and His Orchestra" printed on each 78 included Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton and The Modernaires singing on the 1942 #1 smash "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." Beneke later recorded his own version of the song that you may have never heard.
Instead of starting with the familiar "A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H, I got a gal in Kalamazoo" lyric, this version has an extended introduction. In fact, the record is longer overall, clocking in at 4:34 to Miller's 3:14 canonical hit. Also novel to this version, and not to be missed is Tex's whistling. The Modernaires then greet him and he responds,
Hi there, Tex, how's your new romance,
the one you met at the campus dance?
Wait until you see her, you'll agree
my hometown gal's the only one for me
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I got a gal in Kalamazoo
From there, it segues into the song we all know so well, including the "Kalamazoo
Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo" and "K-A-L-A-M-A-Z-O-O, oh oh oh" parts that we love.