THE EUROPEAN COVER SONG

"Autumn Leaves"
Music by Joseph KosmaFrench words by Jacque PrevertEnglish words by Johnny Mercer "A French chanson about dead plants"--Will Friedwald.
Ironically, while it's considered by many to embody the worst of easy-listening music, Roger Williams' 1955 version of "Autumn Leaves" was first number one instrumental recording of the rock-and-roll era.
Yes, that epitome of ersatz, its tinkling arpeggios haunting countless dentist offices, elevators, and supermarkets. "Autumn Leaves."
Surprisingly, "Autumn Leaves" had been around quite a while before Roger Williams made it a hit. It began in France in 1948 as "Les Feuilles Mortes," (literally, "The Dead Leaves"), with music by Joseph Kosma and words by the poet Jacques Prevert. Prevert was a little like the French Rod McKuen--a poet with great popular success, many of whose poems were turned into songs. Except that unlike McKuen, Prevert was held in some measure of esteem by critics and serious readers.
Someone with Capitol Records heard it in late 1949 and suggested to Johnny Mercer, songwriter and partner in Capitol, that he add English lyrics to the tune. One of Capitol's top female vocalists, Jo Stafford, recorded it soon after, but the record didn't sell. Bing Crosby cut it for Decca with the same results. It took piano prodigy Roger Williams to make it a hit.
Williams was discovered in 1953 by Dave Kapp, founder of Kapp records, playing in the lounge of the Madison Hotel in New York. Light classical and cocktail lounge piano trios were at the height of their popularity. Recordings by Liberace, Norman Paris, and Shura were all selling well, and Kapp obviously wanted to get a piece of the market. He encouraged Williams to emphasize his virtuosity but avoid the bathos of light classical pianists such as Eddy Duchin. And, most importantly for sales, he convinced Williams to dump his birth name, Louis Weertz, in favor of the solidly WASP-ish "Roger Williams."
Williams' recording of "Autumn Leaves" debuted as a Kapp single in late October, 1955 and stayed in the number one position on Billboard's Top 40 pop chart for the next 4 weeks. Early the next year, "Autumn Leaves" was taken as the title for one of Joan Crawford's great spinster melodramas, with Nat "King" Cole singing it over the opening and closing credits.

For all its sappiness, "Autumn Leaves" has been among the most popular of the exotica standards. All the greats of exotica--Les Baxter, Esquivel, Enoch Light--recorded it. So did virtually all the top instrumental artists, from The Melachrino Strings to Billy Vaughn and Lawrence Welk. Johnny Mercer's lyrics were good enough to stand up to renditions by most of the mainstream pop singers. But, surprisingly, a good number of serious jazz artists recorded it as well, including Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley, on their great LP, "Something Else."
Williams even cashed in on it again ten years later, with "Autumn Leaves 1965," which added a Ray Conniff-like chorus to Roger's cascading keys