The song of the day for Monday, April 20, 2015 is “My Old Flame.”
About This Song
“My Old Flame” was written in 1934 by Arthur Johnson (music) and Sam Coslow (lyrics) for the movie Belle of the Nineties, which starred Mae West. Mae West was an ardent Duke Ellington fan and insisted that he and his orchestra be hired to do the film and accompany her when she sang it.
About This Version
Today’s song, “My Old Flame,” is the 11th song from Tony Bennett On Holiday. It features a very nice arrangement with Ralph Sharon backed by Jorge Calandrelli’s orchestra. It starts quite nicely with Bennett singing a cappella, which is always a joy to hear. Even though the tempo is slow, it’s more wistful than sad, and quite lovely.
“My Old Flame,” as well as Tony Bennett On Holiday, is available from iTunes.
About Billie Holiday’s Version
Billie Holiday recorded four versions of “My Old Flame” on March 25, 1944 at the WOR recording studios in New York. All four of these versions would up being released at some point, both as singles on the Commodore label and in various collections. Today’s version is MX A4743-1 and was originally released on Commodore 585.
“My Old Flame,” as well as The Complete Commodore and Decca Masters, is available from iTunes.
Leave a Reply