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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

June 9, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Monday, June 10, 2019 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, was written for Judy Garland for the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, with James Mason. Her performance of the song is legendary in film history, with 27 takes in three days, three separate sessions, and two different directors. The filmed scene is brilliant and made the song a huge hit for Garland, who sang it in most of her concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon recorded “The Man That Got Away” on October 28, 1959, released in 1961 on the album Tony Sings For Two. It was a remarkable session, as Bennett relates in his autobiography, The Good Life:

We booked time in the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes–which must be some kind of record–twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings For Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw there no dissuading me, he turned to Frank Laico and said, “I’m leaving. I can’t support this.” Tony Sings For Two turned out to be one of my finest records ever.

The Man That Got Away – Remastered

The Man That Got Away – Remastered, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Man That Got Away,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Judy Garland, born as Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on June 10, 1922. In her short life of just 47 years, she left us with a body of work that will never be forgotten. Her performance in 1954’s A Star Is Born was legendary, as shown in this clip of her singing “The Man That Got Away.”

The Man That Got Away – A Star Is Born (1954)

Of course this is the original version that was written for Judy by Harold Arlen for the film A Star Is Born in 1954. Judy Garland is 32 years old here.

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Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: A Star Is Born, Frank Laico, Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Tony Sings for Two

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