Song of the Day: I Thought About You

The song of the day for Friday, March 7, 2014 is “I Thought About You.”

About This Song

“I Thought About You” was composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer in 1939. The lyrics are said to have been inspired by a train trip. Gene Lees, author of Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, quotes Mercer:

I can remember the afternoon that he wrote it. He (Van Heusen) played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Thought About You” for his 1992 album Perfectly Frank. The song was arranged by Ralph Sharon, with the Ralph Sharon Trio (Paul Langosch on bass, Joe LaBarbera on drums) accompanying Bennett.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3ly3nRfuPcNWEpHRv1AOJ7
“I Thought About You,” as well as the album Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes.