Song of the Day: Penthouse Serenade

The song of the day for Sunday, May 25, 2014 is “Penthouse Serenade.”

About This Song

“Penthouse Serenade” was written in 1931 by Will Jason and Val Burton. It is one the classic Depression-era songs with the yearning for the glamorous Manhattan apartment by the poor, yet romantic, couple. The first known use of “Penthouse Serenade” was for the 1933 animated short Betty Boop’s Penthouse, where it was sung by Mae Questel. On a more serious note, “Penthouse Serenade” has had exceptional recordings, including Nat King Cole recording in 1952 as a piano solo for an album of the same name and Tony Bennett’s recording for his 1959 album Hometown, My Town.

About This Version

“Penthouse Serenade” is one of the two long-form arrangements on Hometown, My Town (the other being “Skyscraper Blues”). As with the rest of the album, it was arranged by Ralph Burns. Though it has a relatively short playing time, this album stands as one of the earliest and most cohesive concept albums ever created.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4fqH8vY5L35o48z2H5RAHm
“Penthouse Serenade,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from iTunes.