The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The song of the day for Saturday, June 15, 2013 is “Fly Me To The Moon.”

About This Song

“Fly Me To The Moon” was written in 1954 by Bart Howard and it was a huge hit for him. There are other people that have sung this song, but as far as I am concerned, Tony Bennett owns this song and has owned it since the first moment he sang it.

We have written about this song before: Tony Bennett and the Moon and an early article (now slightly outdated) Fly Me To The Moon. Yes, I really love this song.

Originally, the song was called “In Other Words,” but so many people called it “Fly Me To The Moon” that the name was officially changed.

About This Version

Today’s version is from the 1994 MTV Unplugged concert.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0qUiWrxMh7n5Db1EADZt5R
“Fly Me To the Moon,” as well as the entire MTV Unplugged album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

As we feature the best of Tony Bennett’s live recordings, the song of the day for Monday, January 21, 2013 is Fly Me To The Moon.

About Fly Me To The Moon

Originally titled In Other Words, Fly Me to the Moon was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. It was first recorded in the same year by Kaye Ballard. Tony Bennett first recorded the song in 1965 on If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set.

About This Version

There is nothing I love better than hearing Mr. Bennett sing this song without a microphone in a concert hall; it’s truly remarkable. This live version from the MTV Unplugged concert helps me recreate the memory of that sound.

Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) - Live Version

Listen to Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) - Live Version on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1994

Fly Me To The Moon, as well as the full MTV Unplugged Album, is available from iTunes. A DVD of the program is available from Amazon, as well as other retailers.

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The song of the day for Tuesday, December 11, 2012 is Fly Me To The Moon.

About Fly Me To The Moon

Originally titled In Other Words, Fly Me to the Moon was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. It was first recorded in the same year by Kaye Ballard. Tony Bennett first recorded the song in 1965 on If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set.

About This Version

There is nothing I love better than hearing Mr. Bennett sing this song without a microphone in a concert hall; it’s truly remarkable. This live version from the MTV Unplugged concert helps me recreate the memory of that sound.

Fly Me To The Moon, as well the If I Ruled The World album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The Song of the Day for September 23, 2012 is Fly Me To The Moon.

About Fly Me To the Moon

Fly Me to the Moon was written in 1954 by Bart Howard.

About This Version

Tonight, I’ll be in San Diego listening to Tony Bennett sing at Humphrey’s By The Bay, in a lovely outdoor setting. Fly Me to the Moon sounds like the perfect song for a warm southern California evening.

 

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The Song of the Day for September 4, 2012 is Fly Me To The Moon.

About Fly Me To The Moon

Fly Me To the Moon, originally known as In Other Words, was written by Bart Howard in 1954. Recorded first by Kaye Ballard in 1954, it was first introduced by cabaret singer Felicia Sanders.  This song has been recorded by more top popular, jazz, and cabaret singers than we can possibly list here, including Johnny Mathis, Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, and, of course, Frank Sinatra. Tony Bennett first recorded the song in 1965 for his If I Ruled The World: Songs of the Jet Set (a much-loved album at The Year of Tony Bennett).

On the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, held  July 2009 at the Kennedy Center, Diana Krall performed Fly Me To The Moon.

In her concert on August 26, 2012 at the Hollywood Bowl, she sang it memory of Neil Armstrong, the first astronaut to set foot on the moon, who passed away on August 25, 2012 at the age of 82.

About This Version

Sunday night as I was driving back to Portland after seeing Tony Bennett and the Quartet at the Bumbershoot Festival, the just-past-full blue moon was low in sky and filling the eastern skyscape. I didn’t even need to turn on the iPod to hear him singing this beautiful song as we drove.

Today’s version is from the 1994 MTV Unplugged concert.

According to the wishes of the Armstrong family, as quoted on the Global Post website:

Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

Driving home last night, I did just that.