The song of the day for Monday, February 29, 2016 is “Out of This World.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “Out of This World,” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1945 movie of the same name. Out Of This World starred Eddie Bracken; however Bing Crosby dubbed the vocals for Bracken and introduced the song. Alec Wilder was a fan of this song, praising its ethereal quality and the excellent lyrics by Mercer.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Out of This World” in 1967 for his album For Once In My Life. The arrangement is from Marion Evans.

“Out of This World,” as well as For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes.

A Few Thoughts

Spending a month with the music of Harold Arlen has been an enormous joy for me. I hope you liked our tour of his wonderful music. Tomorrow is March 1 and our songwriter of the month will be none other than test pilot and composer Jimmy Van Heusen. More great tunes by the great Tony Bennett!

The song of the day for Friday, June 5, 2015 is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

This song was written for the 1945 movie of the same name by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Out Of This World starred Eddie Bracken; however Bing Crosby dubbed the vocals for Bracken and introduced the song. Alec Wilder was a fan of “Out Of This World,” praising its ethereal quality and the excellent lyrics by Mercer.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song three times and I had to listen them all to make up my mind. I decided on the 1967 version from For Once In My Life. The Marion Evans arrangement is superb; Evans conducted as well. There’s an underlying urgency in the arrangement that adds a layer of mystery and even a hint of danger under Bennett’s singing, which is masterful. There were some excellent musicians on this session as well, including Urbie Green on trombone and Joe Soldo on flute. You can find out more about the January 18, 1967 session at our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

“Out Of This World,” as well as For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes.

The song of the day for Thursday, May 29, 2014 is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer wrote “Out Of This World” in 1945 for a movie of the same name. The song was sung in the movie by Bing Crosby, dubbing in for the voice of Eddie Bracken. The first recording of “Out Of This World” was in 1944 by Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and His Orchestra. Other recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Mel Tormé, Rosemary Clooney and, of course, Tony Bennett.

Alec Wilder wrote in American Popular Song that this song is “one of Arlen’s most direct and deliberately unrhythmic melodies, and unlike any of his other lyric ballads. …. It is a very strong song, with splendid lyric support in a John Mercer lyric.”

About This Version

I guess I’m on a Johnny Mercer roll … this is the third Mercer song in three day consecutive days and the second written by Harold Arlen. Today’s song is from Bennett’s 1967 album For Once In My Life. The song was arranged and conducted by the wonderfully talented Marion Evans and was recorded in January, 1967.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1lbNdANp7StpkibXrAMjbi
“Out Of This World,” as well as the album For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes.