Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Monday, September 7, 2020, is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Larry (Lorenz) Hart, was one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” in 1959 with Ralph Sharon in a remarkable recording session: just Bennett and Sharon with a briefcase full of sheet music. They would pull out a song and record in one or two takes. They recorded 16 songs that day, 12 of which were released on Tony Sings For Two. The album was released in 1961.

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from Apple Music.