The song of the day for Thursday, June 4, 2015 is “Blue Moon.”
About This Song
“Blue Moon” was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart sometime in 1932 or 1933. Its first title was “Prayer” and was written for Jean Harlow to sing for a film called Hollywood Revue of 1933, which was never produced. New lyrics were added and so the song became known as “The Bad In Every Man” and was sung by Shirley Ross in the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama. Finally, in 1934 the lyrics were written once again, this time the ones we know so well, “Blue Moon.”
The song has been popular from then to now, though not so much to critic Alec Wilder, who wrote in his wonderful book American Popular Song that, “It certainly is one of the most performed of the Rodgers and Hart songs. I have never been attracted to it, though I recognize it to be competently written.”
Well, I think it’s a very nice song.
About This Version
Though some feel that the song is a bit too precious to take seriously, Tony Bennett sings it with great respect and charm. And, once again, he sings the verse!
“Blue Moon,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.
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