The Year of Tony Bennett

Song of the Day: Falling In Love With Love

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The song of the day for Wednesday, June 28, 2017 is “Falling In Love With Love.”

About This Song

“Falling In Love With Love” was written in 1938 by Richard Rodgers for the Broadway musical The Boys of Syracuse. The song pairs a beautiful Rodgers waltz melody with the adult and rather somber lyric by Hart: in other words, a perfect Rodgers and Hart song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Falling In Love With Love” in 1965, featuring an arrangement by Don Costa. It was to be included on the album If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set, but wasn’t released until 1997 when the album was released on CD.


“Falling In Love With Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett remembers composer Richard Rodgers, who was born on June 28, 1902. In his long career he wrote over 900 songs for 43 Broadway musicals. Rodgers had long and fruitful relationships with lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. Richard Rodgers was truly one of the great American songwriters.

Song of the Day: I’m Just A Lucky So And So

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The song of the day for Tuesday, June 27, 2017 is “I’m Just A Lucky So And So.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington wrote “I’m Just A Lucky So And So” in 1945; the lyrics were written by Mack David. A favorite song of Tony Bennett, “I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So” has also been recorded by Billy Eckstine, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “I’m Just A Lucky So And So” in 1956 for his album Tony and included it in his legendary 1962 concert at Carnegie Hall. Today’s version, though, is from 1999 for the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool.

Ralph Burns, our musical collaborator of the month, did the arrangement and it’s really spectacular. Burns has a special feel for the jazz band: there is nothing timid about this arrangement. It’s bold and muscular without stepping on the vocalist. That band is so solid and has a great forward-moving energy. This collaboration of Burns and Bennett doing Duke Ellington is why I love this album so.


“I’m Just A Lucky So And So,” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, is available from iTunes.

Song of the Day: Keep Smiling at Trouble

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The song of the day for Monday, June 26, 2017 is “Keep Smiling at Trouble.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Keep Smiling at Trouble (Trouble’s a Bubble),” was written in 1924. Lewis Gensler wrote the music and Al Jolson and Buddy DeSylva wrote the lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Keep Smiling at Trouble” in 1963 for the album This Is All I Ask. Ralph Burns, our musical collaborator of the month, wrote the arrangement.


“Keep Smiling at Trouble,” as well as This Is All I Ask, is available from iTunes.

Song of the Day: It Was Me

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The song of the day for Sunday, June 25, 2017 is “It Was Me.”

About This Song

“It Was Me” was written by Gilbert Becaud in 1960 as “C’etait Moi,” with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Was Me” in 1962 for his great album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963. This recording was also used on the 1971 album Summer of ’42. Marty Manning did the arrangement.


“It Was Me,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here.

Song of the Day: Old Devil Moon

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The song of the day for Saturday, June 24, 2017 is “Old Devil Moon.”

About This Song

“Old Devil Moon” was written in 1947 by Burton Lane (music) and Yip Harburg (lyrics) for the Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow, which also gave us “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” While Alec Wilder was no fan of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, in America Popular Song, he praises “Old Devil Moon” as “a well-written, wholly convincing song. It drives, and its initial intensity is sustained throughout.”

About This Version

I found myself returning to Cloud 7 for another song for Saturday.

Tony Bennett recorded “Old Devil Moon” in 1954 for his album Cloud 7. The arrangement is from Chuck Wayne, who arranged most of the album.


“Old Devil Moon,” as well as Cloud 7, is available from iTunes.

About Today

For our Saturday YouTube video, here’s Tony singing “Old Devil Moon” from his 1994 MTV Unplugged live televised concert. Playing with Bennett is Ralph Sharon (piano), Doug Richeson (bass) and Clayton Cameron (drums).