The song of the day for Thursday, October 30, 2014 is “Autumn Leaves.”
About This Song
Today’s song was originally written in French in 1945, as “Les feuilles mortes,” by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert. Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics in 1947 and the song has been a popular standard ever since.
About This Version
Tony Bennett has recorded “Autumn Leaves” several times: in 1959 for To My Wonderful One (arranged by Frank DeVol) and in 1994 as a medley with “Indian Summer” on the MTV Unplugged television concert. Today’s version, which I truly love, is from the 1964 album Who Can I Turn To, arranged by George Siravo. Unlike the earlier version, this one has a wonderful light touch that I really enjoy. I hope you do too.
About Today
It’s a perfect autumn day here. What more excuse do I need?
“Autumn Leaves,” as well as the album Who Can I Turn To, is available from iTunes.
Please feel free to leave a comment