The song of the day for Thursday, October 3, 2019, is “Old Devil Moon.”
About This Song
“Old Devil Moon” was written by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg for the 1947 musical Finian’s Rainbow, which also gave us “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” While Alec Wilder was no fan of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, in America Popular Song, he praises “Old Devil Moon” as “a well-written, wholly convincing song. It drives, and its initial intensity is sustained throughout.”
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Old Devil Moon” for his first LP album, Cloud 7, released in 1955. Guitarist Chuck Wayne wrote the arrangement. Cloud 7 was jazz album that defined Tony Bennett as the singer he was, not what the studio says it was. It was a remarkable first album for this, or any, singer.
“Old Devil Moon,” as well as Cloud 7, is available from iTunes.