The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: It Was Me

The song of the day for Sunday, June 23, 2013 is “It Was Me.”

About This Song

If there is a more perfect song to bring summer to life, I don’t know what it is. “It Was Me” was written by Gilbert Becaud  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” for his 1963 album I Wanna Be Around. National Public Radio’s Melissa Block interviewed Tony Bennett about his favorite summer song, “It Was Me,” in 2009. Click here to listen to the story.

http://open.spotify.com/track/27SCZ5Gnb7YxnzoBJo2sZJ
“It Was Me,” as well as the entire I Wanna Be Around album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Are You Havin’ Any Fun?

The song of the day for Saturday, June 22, 2013 is “Are You Havin’ Any Fun?”

About This Song

“Are You Havin’ Any Fun?” was written by Jack Yellen and Sammy Fain for the 1939 revue George White’s Scandals. Please visit our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennet Discography, for more information about Are You Havin’ Any Fun?

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1959 with Count Basie on their terrific swinging album Basie/Bennett. Please visit our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography, for more information about Basie/Bennett, including session information.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2QMkgDxADnazpGUDkipfaK
“Are You Havin’ Any Fun?,” as well as the entire Basie/Bennett album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Friday, June 21, 2013 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

I guess it goes without saying that this wonderful song by the great songwriting pair of Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh is one of my most favorite songs in the world. I can’t get enough of it and can’t go for more than a few months without naming it the song of the day.

So these are the ropes
The tricks of the trade
The rules of the road
I’m just one of the dopes
For whom they were made
I’m a fool of the road

You follow that kiss
And recklessly miss
A bend of the road
Then suddenly this
The end of the road

So love is a hoax
A glittering string
Of little white lies
But these are the jokes
That’s why they bring
The tears to your eyes

Well, love often shows a funny return.
The brighter it glows,
The longer you burn.
And lord only knows
Love has little concern for the fools of the road.

But that’s how it goes,
You live and you learn,
The rules of the road.

About This Version

Well, we’ve established that this is a favorite song of mine. But which version? The great, brassy big band version from I Left My Heart in San Francisco?  The more uptempo live performance from Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall?  I love both those versions dearly.

No, today is the quiet, more introspective with the Ralph Sharon Trio on When Lights Are Low.  So introspective, in fact, that “You’re just one of the dopes” is changed to “I’m just one of those dopes.”  This version is more like an intimate conversation. It’s a lovely arrangement and  touches the heart, with more than a tinge of regret.

The Rules Of The Road

Listen to The Rules Of The Road on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964

“The Rules of the Road,” as well as the entire When Lights Are Low album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me

The song of the day for Thursday, June 20, 2013 is “Nobody’s Heart Belongs to Me.”

About This Song

This touching song is from the from the 1942 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical By Jupiter, where it was introduced by Constance Moore.

For more information about “Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,”  including the lyrics, please view this song topic at our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

About This Version

Today’s song is from one of my favorite Tony Bennett albums: Tony Sings For Two. In what was a very unusual album in 1961, Bennett recorded this album of standards with just the accompaniment of his pianist, Ralph Sharon.  The result was an album of staggering beauty and vocal mastery that showcased Bennett’s voice perfectly.

For more information about Tony Songs For Two, please view this album topic at our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0pNwau3h5Xq9LxwLO58Y9c
“Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me,”  as well as the Tony Sings For Two album, is available from iTunes.