The song of the day for Wednesday, April 16, 2014 is “Smile.”
About This Song
The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor the composer of “Smile,’ the filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, who was born on this day in 1889 in Walworth, UK. In addition, this year, 2014, marks the 100th anniversary of The Little Tramp. You can read more about Mr. Chaplin at this excellent official website at www.charliechaplin.com.
Chaplin wrote “Smile” for his last silent film, the 1936 masterpiece Modern Times, starring Chaplin and Paulette Goddard. The lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons were added in 1954.
About This Version
This song is a favorite of Tony Bennett’s. He has sung it at each and every concert of his that I have attended. He tells the story, also included in his autobiography The Good Life, that Mr. Chaplain sent him a copy of the end of Modern Times as this song plays in the background.
Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times: a single in 1959, live at his 1962 Carnegie Hall concert and as a duet with Barbra Streisand on the first Duets album. But my favorite is his version for The Movie Song Album, released in 1966.
http://open.spotify.com/track/4VVW7zufMomMHQ3gg6VljG
“Smile,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes.
We leave you with this film clip from Modern Times. Happy birthday, Charlie Chaplin.
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