This is a Tune-Dex professional reference card for the standard "Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All The Time)," issued on July 15, 1943. The card is a product of Tune-Dex Inc., operating from the famed music industry hub at 1619 Broadway in New York City, and it functions as a compact, portable lead sheet designed for the working musician. The front side meticulously documents the song’s commercial and legal framework, crediting lyricist Ted Koehler and composer Harold Arlen, and noting its original 1933 copyright held by Mills Music Inc. It is licensed through ASCAP, firmly situating the work within the Tin Pan Alley publishing system. A key piece of contextual information typed on the card notes that the song was "Being featured in the new 20th Century Musical 'Stormy Weather,'" directly linking this July 1943 issue to the promotional cycle of the major Hollywood film starring Lena Horne. The card also sternly warns that it is "intended for PROFESSIONAL use ONLY," underscoring its role as a tool within the commercial music ecosystem and not for public sale.
The verso contains the functional musical notation, presenting a complete lead sheet in the key of A-flat major, marked as a "slow Lament." The layout efficiently condenses the full song into a performance-ready format, featuring a single-staff melody line with integrated lyrics and chord symbols placed above. The harmonic progression, including chords such as Ab, Eb9, and Eb7-9, provides the essential guide for accompaniment and improvisation, characteristic of the practical needs of bandleaders and sidemen who required quick reference for rehearsals and gigs. This concise presentation of melody, harmony, and lyric on a single card exemplifies the Tune-Dex system's utility as a direct precursor to the later fake book, enabling musicians to maintain a vast, standardized repertoire in a portable filing system. As an artifact, this card captures a specific moment in 1943 when a decade-old standard was revitalized by a major film, and it documents the precise mechanisms—publishing details, licensing, and professional-grade notation—through which music was circulated and performed in the mid-20th century. The physical card shows age-appropriate toning and a central horizontal crease, consistent with handling and storage in a professional environment.