The Year of Tony Bennett

I’m not saying that I was always right. I absolutely hated “Rags to Riches” the first time I heard it in 1953. They really had to tie me down on that one. But Mitch laid down the law. “I don’t care what you hate. You have to record this,” so I went along with him. Thanks to Percy’s innovative arrangement, which included what he called a “double tango” in the instrumental break, I had another colossal hit and a gold record. More importantly, I grew to like the song and to enjoy singing it. Years later “Rags to Riches” was in Martin Scorsese’s hit film Goodfellas and it became popular all over again.

Tony Bennett