Three O'Clock in the Morning was composed by Julian Robledo and first published in 1919 as a piano solo, with a vocal version featuring lyrics by Dorothy Terriss following in 1921 through the Leo Feist publishing house in New York. The composition became one of the most popular dance hits of the 1920s, frequently described as a sensational success on two continents. Robledo, an early twentieth-century composer whose documented output is relatively small, is remembered almost entirely for this single piece, which bears the catalog designation IJR 1 in his works list. The vocal arrangement introduced atmospheric chime effects during the refrain, enhancing the nocturnal mood suggested by the title and Terriss's lyrics about dancing into the small hours. Two distinct versions exist in the published sheet music: version A as a straightforward piano waltz and version B as a waltz song with chimes, the latter becoming the more widely known form. The tune was adopted into the jazz repertoire largely through Dexter Gordon's uptempo treatment on his 1962 album Go!, where he transformed the genteel parlor waltz into a swinging vehicle for improvisation, joined by pianist Sonny Clark. That recording departed radically from the sentimental orchestral renditions that had dominated earlier decades, such as the 101 Strings Orchestra version on their 1976 album 20's Style. The composition's journey from Edwardian-era dance music to hard bop blowing vehicle illustrates the remarkable elasticity of the American popular songbook.
