The song of the day for Thursday, May 29, 2014 is “Out Of This World.”
About This Song
Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer wrote “Out Of This World” in 1945 for a movie of the same name. The song was sung in the movie by Bing Crosby, dubbing in for the voice of Eddie Bracken. The first recording of “Out Of This World” was in 1944 by Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and His Orchestra. Other recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Mel Tormé, Rosemary Clooney and, of course, Tony Bennett.
Alec Wilder wrote in American Popular Song that this song is “one of Arlen’s most direct and deliberately unrhythmic melodies, and unlike any of his other lyric ballads. …. It is a very strong song, with splendid lyric support in a John Mercer lyric.”
About This Version
I guess I’m on a Johnny Mercer roll … this is the third Mercer song in three day consecutive days and the second written by Harold Arlen. Today’s song is from Bennett’s 1967 album For Once In My Life. The song was arranged and conducted by the wonderfully talented Marion Evans and was recorded in January, 1967.
http://open.spotify.com/track/1lbNdANp7StpkibXrAMjbi
“Out Of This World,” as well as the album For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes.
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