The song of the day for Friday, August 3, 2013 is “One For My Baby.”
About This Song
“One For My Baby” is at the top of any list of favorite Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer songs; it certainly is at the top of mine. It was written for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit, starring Fred Astaire who introduced the song.
Harold Arlen called this song one of his “tapeworms” as at 48 bars, it was longer than the standard 32- bar popular song. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, says:
In One For My Baby, marvelous as is the musical setting, I believe the honor must go to the lyric, I’ve lived this story too many times, in too many towns, with too many long, long roads outside those doors, not to be hooked. Just imagine having the acuity and courage to start a song, as Mercer does, with “It’s a quarter to three”!
About This Version
As Tony Bennett will be performing live this August evening at the Hollywood Bowl (and may very likely sing this particular song), we chose this version, recorded live on another warm August evening in 1962. Today’s version is from the recently released Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Live 1962, with the Ralph Sharon Trio, including Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.
http://open.spotify.com/track/4OEbmpeKICcKyNapON0vas
“One For My Baby,” as well as the entire Bennett/Brubeck The White House Sessions Live 1962, is available from iTunes.
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