The song of the day for Wednesday, February 7, 2018 is “Lullaby of Broadway.”
About This Song
“Lullaby of Broadway” was written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Al Dubin, for the 1935 movie Gold Diggers of 1935; it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is one of the great show biz anthems. The 1980 musical 42nd Street featured Jerry Orbach singing the song, a performance of which your much-younger blogger got to see right after it opened on Broadway.
About This Version
Today, I’m featuring the very first song on the 1962 Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album. This album is, for me, as good as it gets. I love the energy of this opening number: the announcement, the excitement of the audience, and Tony Bennett singing the first song in a very long, two-act set. The energy from this opening is wonderful. The concert took place on June 9, 1962. In addition to the very fine orchestra assembled and conducted by Ralph Sharon, the concert was directed by two show business greats: Arthur Penn from the film industry (Bonnie and Clyde, he Miracle Worker) and Gene Says from the Broadway stage (Mame, The Odd Couple). The concert was a huge smash. In addition, the concert recording is widely considered to be one of the finest recordings of a live concert ever made.
“Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.
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