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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

April 12, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: It Amazes Me

The song of the day for Saturday, April 13, 2019, is “It Amazes Me.”

About This Song

“It Amazes Me” was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh in 1958. Liza Minnelli recorded this song when she was only eighteen years old on her first album. It has also been recorded by Bill Evans, George Shearing, and Cleo Laine.

About This Version

Today, we’re featuring Tony Bennett’s version of “It Amazes Me” from his legendary 1962 concert at Carnegie Hall, captured on Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall.

It Amazes Me – Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY – June 1962

It Amazes Me – Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY – June 1962, a song by Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra on Spotify

“It Amazes Me,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

About Today

It’s Video Saturday and today I’ve got two videos today.

First up is Tony Bennett singing today’s song from his MTV Unplugged appearance in 1994.

Tony Bennett – It Amazes Me (from MTV Unplugged)

Music video by Tony Bennett performing It Amazes Me. (C) 1994 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

Next up is a performance at a tribute to Cy Coleman, who passed away in 2004, sung by the great Elaine Stritch. In her introduction to singing this song, she offers one of the funniest quotes I’ve ever heard: “I don’t think people who drink martinis watch The Sound of Music.”

Elaine Stritch, It Amazes Me

It Started With a Dream, Tribute to Cy Coleman

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman, Elaine Stritch, MTV Unplugged, Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall

May 28, 2016 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: There’s No Business Like Show Business

The song of the day for Saturday, May 28, 2016 is “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

About This Song

Riving Berlin wrote “There’s No Business Like Show Business” for the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun, which starred Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton.

About This Version

“There’s No Business Like Show Business” is one of my favorite Irving Berlin songs. However, Tony Bennett has never recorded this song. But even Tony Bennett gets to take a night off every now and again and so I’m turning over the singing chores to two great American singing actresses.

Our featured recording of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” is from the 1954 film of same name, which starred Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor and Marilyn Monroe. The film featured a variety of songs written by Irving Berlin.

There"s No Business Like Show Business

Listen to There"s No Business Like Show Business on Spotify. Irving Berlin · Song · 1954.

About Today

Today being video Saturday, I bring you scenes from Elaine Stritch’s Tony-winning one woman show from 2002: Elaine Stritch At Liberty, directed by George Wolfe. This show features Ms. Stritch, who was 77 at the time this production was originally mounted on Broadway. It was later filmed for television broadcast, where it won an Emmy Award. She opened the show with “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” interspersed with quips about her life in the theatre. Here’s that number:

I’m still in amazement at how fabulous her legs still were at the age of 77. To bring ourselves full circle, I’m featuring another scene from At Liberty, this time about her understudying Ethel Merman in Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam while simultaneously appearing in a revival of Pal Joey. It’s as funny as funny can be.

This video was posted by the Schubert Theater in New Haven, which opted to bleep out certain words. Still funny. Brilliantly. After all, there’s no business like show business.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Elaine Stritch, Ethel Merman, Pal Joey, There's No Business Like Show Business

July 17, 2014 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

RIP Elaine Stritch

We are very sad to learn today that one of the great entertainers of the last 60+ years is no longer with us. Elaine Stritch, aged 89, has passed away at her home in Michigan. Rest in peace, Elaine. The New York Times has this article. We will post her obituary as soon as it becomes available.

#174969687 / gettyimages.com

New York Times obituary
Charles Isherwood article
Guardian obituary
Los Angeles Times obituary
Variety obituary
BBC News

Filed Under: Etcetera Tagged With: Elaine Stritch

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