The song of the day for Thursday, September 5, 2013 is “Old Devil Moon.”
About This Song
“Old Devil Moon” was written for the 1947 musical Finian’s Rainbow by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Yip Harburg. Finian’s Rainbow 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
Today’s version is from Tony Bennett’s legendary 1971 concert with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Robert Farnon.
From the review in The Stage:
“This evening has been the most exciting and greatest episode in my singing career” Tony Bennett told The Stage after the magnificent performance he at the Albert Hall in aid of The London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Nation Appeal Fund.
A great ovation was given to Tony Bennett when he bounced on stage and opened with a snappy number “I Want To Be Happy.”
Nothing fancy — no gimmicks, just excellent singing of many of the songs that have made him world famous.
A wonderful performance that made his ecstatic fans go wild with applause.
http://open.spotify.com/track/5aV8dSbhVggrfNlutQE5G3
“Old Devil Moon,” as well as the Get Happy with The London Philharmonic Orchestra concert recording, is available from iTunes.
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