The song of the day for Monday, April 7, 2025, is “These Foolish Things.”
About Today
We are honoring the great Billie Holiday, who was born on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
About This Song
“These Foolish Things” was written by Jack Strachey and Eric Maschwitz (as Holt Marvell). Although written and first performed in 1936, “These Foolish Things” was not an immediate hit. In fact, Maschwitz’s agent refused to publish the song, and so Maschwitz himself did. There were several fine recordings in the 1930s, including ones by Billie Holiday with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra and Benny Goodman. In the 1950s, the song became even more popular, with recordings by Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Art Pepper, and Johnny Hartman. “These Foolish Things” ranks #28 on jazzstandards.com and is still widely played and recorded.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “These Foolish Things” in June 1996 for Tony Bennett On Holiday, released in 1997. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement.
Tony Bennett On Holiday won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.
“These Foolish Things,” as well as Tony Bennett On Holiday, is available on Apple Music.
Here’s the 1936 recording of “These Foolish Things” by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson:
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