The song of the day for Monday, October 13, 2014 is “Stranger in Paradise.”
About This Song
“Stranger In Paradise” is the hit song from the 1953 Broadway musical Kismet. The song is based on music from Polovtsian Dances in Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, with lyrics added by Robert Wright and George Forrest. The song was introduced in the production by The Caliph, originally played by Richard Kiley, who would go on to play the title role in The Man of La Mancha.
About This Version
In 1953 as Kismet was preparing to open, New York was in the middle of a big newspaper strike. Television was still new to many households and programming was limited. What everyone did have, of course, was a radio. The producers of Kismet approached Columbia and asked if Tony Bennett could record “Stranger in Paradise” to help generate interest in their new production. The song was a hit for Bennett and helped Kismet become a major hit on Broadway, where it ran for 583 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
About Today
“Stranger in Paradise” was recorded 61 years ago today on October 13, 1953. You can click on the date to read about the recording session, which was held at the famed CBS 30th Street Studio.
“Stranger in Paradise,” as well the album Mr. Broadway, is available from iTunes.
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