The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Tuesday, Match 10, 2015 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” is, of course, from the 1954 film A Star Is Born, starring Judy Garland and James Mason and directed by George Cukor. Originally 181 minutes long, the film was brutally cut at the insistence of the movie theater owners. It’s widely thought that the cut version cost Judy Garland the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress, which instead went to Grace Kelly for A Country Girl.

The song was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin and its performance in the film is extraordinary. It was filmed dozens of times, with several different sets and costumes. That said, the final result is legendary and remains one of the greatest musical performances in film.

I agree with Alec Wilder regarding this song: “This is a true Arlen song. If you are good rememberer, try to think of anyone else who might have written it. I don’t see who it could have been but Arlen.”

About This Version

Today’s version of “The Man That Got Away” is the sixth song from our album of the month, Tony Sings For Two. While many male singers changed the man to the girl or the gal that got away, Bennett records the lyrics as written, which we really appreciate. Other than Judy Garland, I think that Bennett’s recording is the finest of this iconic song.

The Man That Got Away

Listen to The Man That Got Away on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961


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

And even though it’s definitely not Saturday, I have a video of Judy Garland from A Star Is Born. Because, why not?

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Wednesday, December 3, 2014 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

Composed by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, “The Man That Got Away” 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’s recording of “The Man That Got Away” is from one of my favorite of his albums: Tony Sings For Two. Just Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon on piano, singing and playing some of the greatest songs from the American Songbook. What more could you want?

About Today

Nothing special about today, other than I’ve been wanting to hear some Harold Arlen. Which is, of course, not special for me at all. I absolutely adore his songs and today’s song is at the top of my list. Hope you don’t mind a little Harold Arlen today too.

The Man That Got Away

Listen to The Man That Got Away on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1961


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

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 10, 2014 is “The Man That Got Away.”

The Year of Tony Bennett is pleased to feature this song in tribute to the late Judy Garland, who was born on June 10, 1922.

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written in 1953 for the movie A Star Is Born by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin; the song was written specifically for Judy Garland to sing. The filmed version of this song is one the greatest musical numbers ever filmed.

It’s also one of Arlen’s most popular songs and has been widely recorded by both women and men (though often as “The Gal That Got Away”) including Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Man That Got Away” for one of my favorite of his albums: Tony Sings For Two. It’s just Tony Bennett accompanied by Ralph Sharon on piano and it’s about as perfect as can be.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2rmnQNHuDsDExyiWLam3SC
“The Man That Got Away,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

And, because we are honoring Judy Garland today, here she is singing today’s song. From A Star Is Born:

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Saturday, January 25, 2014 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin 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

My friends, especially my co-blogger, know how much I love this song. Tony recorded this song with Ralph Sharon for their 1961 album Tony Sings For Two. I’ve always found it amazing that Tony and Ralph just headed into the studio with a couple of briefcases full of sheet music and, in a single session, chose, arranged and recorded sixteen tracks, twelve of which appear on this album. An album that is not only one of his best albums, but is completely sublime — now and forever.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2rmnQNHuDsDExyiWLam3SC
“The Man That Got Away,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

I spent the afternoon at the office listening to the Judy Garland Carnegie Hall concert on my iPod. To acknowledge not only Judy, but her wonderful performance of this song, our video for YouTube Saturday is Judy Garland from the 1954 A Star Is Born. And, a former professional lighting designer, it’s one of the most beautifully lit scenes I’ve seen in a film. In my humble opinion.

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Song of the Day: The Man That Got Away

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 1, 2013 is “The Man That Got Away.”

About This Song

“The Man That Got Away” is, of course, from the 1954 film A Star Is Born, starring Judy Garland and James Mason and directed by George Cukor. Originally 181 minutes long, the film was brutally cut at the insistence of the movie theater owners. It’s widely thought that the cut version cost Judy Garland the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress, which instead went to Grace Kelly for A Country Girl.

The song was written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin and its performance in the film is extraordinary. It was filmed dozens of times, with several different sets and costumes. That said, the final result is legendary and remains one of the greatest musical performances in film.

I agree with Alec Wilder regarding this song: “This is a true Arlen song. If you are good rememberer, try to think of anyone else who might have written it. I don’t see who it could have been but Arlen.”

About This Version

Today’s version of “The Man That Got Away” is from Tony Bennett’s 1961 album Tony Sings For Two, where he is accompanied by Ralph Sharon. While many male singers changed the man to the girl or the gal that got away, Bennett records the lyrics as written, which we really appreciate. Other than Judy Garland, I think that Bennett’s recording is one of the finest of this iconic song.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2rmnQNHuDsDExyiWLam3SC
“The Man That Got Away,” as well as the album Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes and amazon.com.

And because I love it so, here’s the scene from A Star is Born: