The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: You’re All The World To Me

The song of the day for Sunday, May 17, 2015 is “You’re All The World To Me.”

About This Song

“You’re All The World To Me” was written for the 1951 MGM musical Royal Wedding by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics).The film starred Fred Astaire. Astaire performed this song in one of the most famous shots in all of musical film: the dancing on the ceiling number.

About This Version

I really enjoy this recording of “You’re All The World To Me.” The arrangement, especially with the brushes on the drums, does a wonderful job of suggesting the danceability of the number. There is a wonderful airiness to his singing. The more I listen to Steppin’ Out, the more I love the album. Mr. Bennett also sang this song on his MTV Unplugged concert.

You"re All the World to Me

Listen to You"re All the World to Me on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1993.

“You’re All The World To Me,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available from iTunes.

Here is Fred Astaire singing and dancing to “You’re All The World To Me.”

For you film buffs, this video shows the mechanics of how this shot was accomplished:

The person who created this explanation explains it second-by-second on his website Bigfott.com.

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Song of the Day: You’re All the World To Me

The song of the day for Thursday, June 19, 2014 is “You’re All The World To Me.”

About This Song

“You’re All The World To Me” was written in 1950 by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner for the wonderful 1951 Fred Astaire film Royal Wedding. This is the song of Astaire’s famous dancing on the ceiling number.

About This Version

Both of us woke up this morning, independently, thinking about how much we wanted to see Tony Bennett in concert. It was a powerful wish, as at 10:00 am I got an email from the Oregon Symphony letting me know that Tony Bennett, along with his daughter Antonia, would be performing on November 5 here in Portland, Oregon. (Needless to say, I’ve already bought my tickets.) As a result of thinking of this upcoming concert, I have been in a mood for Bennett’s live recorded concerts.

In that frame of mind, I chose “You’re All The World To Me,” from his 1994 MTV Unplugged concert.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5HlMUQuzjkdhv5Y7ix2HZR
“You’re All The World To Me,” as well as the concert recording of MTV Unplugged, is available from iTunes.

Even after I learned how this shot was accomplished, I never cease to wonder at this number. Thanks to YouTube, I’m able to share it today:

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Song of the Day: I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face

The song of the day for Saturday, May 18, 2013 is I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face.

About This Song

This song is, of course, from the very successful 1956 musical My Fair Lady. The music is by Frederick Lowe and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. My Fair Lady was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and won six, including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for Rex Harrison, and Best Direction of a Musical for Moss Hart. The 1956 original cast album became the best-selling album in the US that year. My parents had that album and I know we all listened to it frequently.

I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face is sung by Henry Higgins at the end of show, when the Professor finally recognizes how much Eliza Doolittle (played by Julie Andrews) means to him and how much he will miss her. (Spoiler: she comes back.)

The song has been steadily recorded since 1956, with recordings by Chet Baker, Ruby Braff, Nat King Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face with Count Basie in January, 1958, for the Basie/Bennett album released in 1959.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5wNGLVq6BUm9SXPzosUh55
I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face, as well as the digitally remastered Bennett & Basie Strike Up The Band, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: You’re All the The World To Me

The Song of the Day for August 30, 2012 is You’re All The World To Me.

About You’re All The World To Me

You’re All The World To Me was written in 1950 by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics). It premiered in the 1951 Royal Wedding,starring Fred Astaire, who introduced the song in the famous “dancing on the ceiling” scene.

About This Version

This version is from Tony Bennett’s 1993 Stepping Out, his tribute to Fred Astaire.

A Special Treat

Here’s the famous dance from Royal Wedding. Note that the entire number is done in a single take. The entire set of the room and the camera was attached to an axis  rotated through the number. It was a revolutionary effect that was used in later films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey and most recently, Inception.

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