Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Saturday, October 5, 2013 is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

Today’s song is from two of America’s greatest songwriters: Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. “The Way You Look Tonight” was written for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The lyricist Dorothy Fields said that “the first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” I agree with Ms. Fields: it’s one of the most beautiful songs in the American Songbook.

“The Way You Look Tonight” has been widely recorded since its release by both jazz and popular performers. Tony Bennett first recorded this song for his 1958 album Long Ago and Far Away.

About This Version

For today’s version, we are returning to Rarities discs from the Complete Collection, this time volume 2. Bennett recorded this version with the Ralph Sharon Trio for the film My Best Friend’s Wedding, which was released in 1997. I love this arrangement and hope you do as well.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7yED4n2U8RR5LKZVmisiev
“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as all of the songs on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Volume 2, is available from iTunes.

As today is Saturday and we hope you have a little more spare time than usual, here’s a video of Tony Bennett singing this song accompanied by his wonderful guitarist Gray Sargent: