The song of the day for Friday, July 8, 2016 is “The Right To Love.”

About This Song

According to the website filmscoremonthly, this song has an interesting history. It was first recorded, without lyrics, in 1963 on an album called Reflections by Stan Getz and Lalo Schifrin; Schifrin composed the music. Tony Bennett liked the song from the beginning and suggested that Gene Lees write the lyrics. The resulting song is an anthem for “forbidden” love. At that time, most people associated the song with interracial relationships; in later years, it has been sung by gay singers. In addition to Bennett’s recording, this song has been recorded by Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and k.d. lang.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Right To Love” in 1965, with an arrangement by Don Costa. It was released that same year on If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. “The Right To Love” is one of the most often used search strings for a Tony Bennett song on this website.

“The Right To Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available from iTunes.