The song of the day for Saturday, December 3, 2016 is “Lullaby of Broadway.”

About This Song

“Lullaby of Broadway” was written by our songwriter of the month Harry Warren with lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was introduced in the 1935 movie Gold Diggers of 1935; it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is one of the great show biz anthems. The 1980 musical 42nd Street featured Jerry Orbach singing the song, which your author had the great privilege to see on Broadway.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has made several recordings of “Lullaby of Broadway,” starting in 1957 on The Beat of My Heart up to 2006 with the Dixie Chicks on Duets: An American Classic. Today’s recording is my favorite, from Bennett’s legendary Carnegie Hall concert in 1962, released on the Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall album.

“Lullaby of Broadway,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The Busby Berkeley production number of “Lullaby of Broadway” lasted over 13 minutes in Gold Diggers of 1935. Today I have a shorter video of the amazing tap dancing sequence from the number. It’s a really remarkable exhibit of tap dancing. Your author must confess that her first goal in life, determined at the age of four, was to be a tap dancer. As a result of that, I was sent to ballet school with nary a tap shoe in sight. Oh well.