The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Exactly Like You

The song of the day for Monday, May 12, 2025, is “Exactly Like You.”

About This Song

“Exactly Like You” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields in 1930 for Lew Leslie’s International Revue, which also introduced “On The Sunny Side Of The Street.” While the reviewers were not kind to the production, the score was then, and remains still, quite noteworthy. Even though Fields’ lyrics for the song are very fine, the early recordings of the song were mostly instrumentals, such as that by Louis Armstrong. The song became popular again in 1936, with a fine recording by Benny Goodman that featured Lionel Hampton on the vibraphone, followed by the 1937 recording by Count Basie, which included the vocals by Jimmy Rushing. Later notable recordings include those by Carmen McRae (1954), Bing Crosby (1944), Patti Page (1949), Anita O’Day (1975), Nina Simone (1959) and Diana Krall (2006).

About This Version

Tony Bennett and k.d. lang recorded “Exactly Like You” in May 2002 for their album A Wonderful World. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Mathes. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.

“Exactly Like You,” as well as A Wonderful World, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Saturday, April 12, 2025, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 film Swing Time, starring Fred Astaire, who introduced the song. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Lyricist Dorothy Fields remarked:

The first time Jerry played that melody for me, I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.

Fields was the first woman to win an Oscar for songwriting. It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, accompanied by Bill Charlap on piano, recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” in 2015 for The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern. Bill Charlap, who produced the album, wrote the arrangement.

The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern won the 58th Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a couple of videos today:

Official VEVO video for today’s song:

And here’s the scene from Swing Time, where Fred Astaire sings today’s song:

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Song of the Day: The Way You Look Tonight

The song of the day for Monday, January 27, 2025, is “The Way You Look Tonight.”

About Today

Today we are remembering Jerome Kern, who was born on January 27, 1885, in New York City.

About This Song

“The Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields for the 1936 movie Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the year. Dorothy Fields remarked “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” It’s a magnificent love song that has found a strong position as a jazz standard, with recordings by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Mel Tormé, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Way You Look Tonight” with The Ralph Sharon Trio in 1977 for the soundtrack of My Best Friend’s Wedding.

“The Way You Look Tonight,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up

The song of the day for Sunday, January 5, 2025, is “Pick Yourself Up.”

About This Song

“Pick Yourself Up” was written by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern for the 1936 film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. It was used in the early part of the film when Astaire pretends to not be able to dance and asks for Ginger Rogers as his dance instructor just so he could dance with her. This song has been widely recorded, including those by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett, accompanied by The Bill Charlap Trio, recorded “Pick Yourself Up” in 2015 for his album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. In addition to leading the trio (Charlap on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums), Bill Charlap also wrote the arrangements and co-produced the album with Dae Bennett.

The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern won the 58th Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Pick Yourself Up,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got a couple of videos today. First up, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from Swing Time:

This video is a favorite of mine. It was project of the Actors Fund to support entertainers during the COVID pandemic. Huge collection of incredibly talented people, led by Tony DeSare.

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Song of the Day: On The Sunny Side Of The Street

The song of the day for Saturday, January 4, 2025, is “On The Sunny Side Of The Street.”

About This Song

“On The Sunny Side Of The Street” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields in 1930 for Lew Leslie’s International Revue. The song was one of the first in a series of cheerful songs to try to cheer people up over the Great Depression. It has proven popular with singers, who love the wonderful Fields lyrics, and jazz players, who love McHugh’s swingy tune.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” on January 27, 1967, for his album Tony Makes It Happen! The album was arranged and conducted by Marion Evans.

“On The Sunny Side Of The Street,” as well as Tony Makes It Happen! is available on Apple Music.