The song of the day for Wednesday, May 17, 2017 is “The Right To Love.”
About This Song
Today’s song, “The Right To Love,” was written approximately in 1963, with music by Lalo Schifrin and lyrics by Gene Lees.
According to the website filmscoremonthly, this song has an interesting history. It was first recorded, without lyrics, in 1963 on an album called Reflections by Stan Getz and Lalo Schifrin. Tony Bennett liked the song from the beginning and suggested that Gene Lees write the lyrics. The resulting song is an anthem for “forbidden” love. At that time, most people associated the song with interracial relationships; in later years, it has been sung by gay singers. In addition to Bennett’s recording, this song has been recorded by Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and k.d. lang.
“The Right To Love” is the song title most often searched for on this site and our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “The Right To Love” in 1965 for his wonderful album If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set. The very fine arrangement was done by Don Costa.
“The Right To Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.
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