Song of the Day: In The Wee Small Hours

The song of the day for Wednesday, February 19, 2020, is “In The Wee Small Hours.”

About This Song

“In The Wee Small Hours” was written by David Mann and Bob Hilliard in 1955. This song is, of course, widely identified with Frank Sinatra, who anchored his well-received concept album In the Wee Small Hours around this song. Interestingly, the song almost didn’t get written. The two songwriters were working in Hilliard’s home in New Jersey. It was well past midnight and Mann was getting ready to leave for home in New York. Hilliard urged him to stay and Mann came up with the tune, to which Hilliard quickly wrote the lyric.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “In The Wee Small Hours” on February 26, 1964 with the Ralph Sharon Trio, consisting of Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums. They recorded a number of songs at that session, some of which wound up on different records and some of which were never released. “In The Wee Small Hours” was released in 1966 on A Time For Love.

“In The Wee Small Hours,” as well as A Time For Love, is available from iTunes.