The song of the day for Sunday, April 30, 2017 is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Aint’ Got That Swing).”
About This Song
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. This song was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and to listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett and Thelonious Monk.
About This Version
Today’s version of ” It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Aint’ Got That Swing)” was recorded in 2014 by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for their album Cheek To Cheek.
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Aint’ Got That Swing),” as well as Cheek To Cheek, is available from iTunes.
About Today
Since I missed yesterday, I thought I’d share two extras today. The first is the original 1931 Ellington recording with the great Ivie Anderson. The second is a video of Ellington and His Orchestra from 1943 playing this song.
What movie was this song used in