The song of the day for Thursday, May 11, 2017 is “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.”
About This Song
Irving Berlin wrote this song for the 1935 film Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; the song was introduced by Mr. Astaire. The film is widely considered to be one of the best of the RKO Astaire and Rogers films; the American Film Institute ranked it 15th on its list of best musicals.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” in 1993 for the album Steppin’ Out, which consisted of songs associated with Fred Astaire. It’s a fun album, just like this song.
“Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available from iTunes.
About Today
Today we honor the memory of Irving Berlin, who was born on May 11, 1888 as Israel Isidore Baline in the town of Tolochin in Belarus, part of the Russian Empire. His father was a cantor and like many other Jewish families, sought refuge in the United States, specifically in New York’s Lower East Side. From these humble beginnings, Berlin grew into one of America’s greatest songwriters.
Happy Birthday, Irving Berlin!
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