“When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano” – Mission San Juan Capistrano, CA
N 33° 30.122 W 117° 39.760
11S E 438448 N 3707141
"When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano" was written by Leon René and first recorded by The Ink Spots in May 1940.
Waymark Code: WMHBT7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/21/2013
Views: 6
The Ink Spots' recording of the song reached # 4 on the US charts, and a recording by Glenn Miller reached # 2 the same year. Other recordings were made at about the same time by Xavier Cugat and Gene Krupa. The song was later recorded by a number of artists including Guy Lombardo, Pat Boone and Elvis Presley.
René wrote the song as a tribute to the annual springtime return of the Cliff Swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano. A glassed-off room in the mission displays the upright piano on which he composed the tune, several copies of the song's sheet music and some office furniture, which were all donated by René's family.
References:
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Mission San Juan Capistrano Website: (
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