On February fifth, 1940, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "Tuxedo Junction" for RCA Victor's Bluebird label.
Per Wiki: "Tuxedo Junction" is a song co-written by Birmingham, Alabama composer Erskine Hawkins and saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson. Julian Dash is also credited for the music. The song was introduced by Hawkins's orchestra. Lyrics were by Buddy Feyne. This original version, by the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra (the new name for the college dance band known as the Bama State Collegians) rose to number 7 on the national hit parade.
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra had the most successful recording of the song in a best-selling (Billboard Number 1) record, RCA Bluebird B-10612-A, in 1940 in an arrangement by Glenn Miller which slowed down the tempo and added trumpet fanfares. The Glenn Miller recording sold 115,000 copies in the first week alone. It was featured in the 1953 Glenn Miller biopic The Glenn Miller Story starring James Stewart and Harry Morgan."
There really is a Tuxedo Junction, Alabama! The song is about a jazz and blues club in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Ensley. The area is referred to as "Tuxedo Junction", even though the building is called the "Nixon Building" (built in 1922). This is due to the location of a streetcar crossing at Tuxedo Park, hence "Tuxedo Junction".
The song was originally written as an instrumental. When it was given to Lewis Music Publishing, they farmed it out to several prospective lyricists to see who could write the best words that matched the song. Buddy Feyne asked Erskine Hawkins why he titled it as such. Erskine mentioned that it was a whistle stop on the "Chitlin' circuit", which led to Feyne's lyrics. Hawkins selected his above the other candidates. Once the song had been published, then the white bands added it to their playlist.
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