The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Thought About You

The song of the day for Saturday, November 18, 2023, is “I Thought About You.”

About Today

We are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of one of America’s finest lyricist: Johnny Mercer. John Herdon Mercer was born on November 18, 1909, in Savannah, Georgia. He was a prolific lyricist, with credits from 1933 until 1973. He also composed, including “I Wanna Be Around.” He was a fine singer and released several albums as a vocalist.

Happy Birthday to Johnny Mercer.

About This Song

“I Thought About You” was written in 1939 by Jimmy Van Huesen and Johnny Mercer. In the biography Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, author Gene Lees quotes Mercer about this song:

I can remember the afternoon that we wrote it. He [Van Heusen] played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.

“I Thought About You” proved quite popular and has been recorded many times by jazz performers including Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Thought About You” in June 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement. The Ralph Sharon Trio backed Tony for this album with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

“I Remember You,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Out Of This World

The song of the day for Wednesday, November 18, 2020, is “Out Of This World.”

About Today

Today we are celebrating the birthday of one of the great songwriters — John Herndon Mercer, born on November 18, 1909, in Savannah, Georgia. I think the Great American Songbook might not have been as great if Johnny Mercer hadn’t become a songwriter. We’ll be featuring songs written by Johnny Mercer for the next week or so.

About This Song

“Out Of This World” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the film 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 1964 with a world-class jazz quartet: Herbie Hancock (piano), Stan Getz (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums). This recording, as well as others recorded with this quartet, was not released on an album. However, these songs were included in the 2011 Complete Collection box set on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1.

Out of This World

Tony Bennett · Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1 · Song · 2012

“Out Of This World,” as well as the other recordings on Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Around

The song of the day for Saturday, November 18, 2017 is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

“I Wanna Be Around” was written in 1959 by Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt.

The story of “I Wanna Be Around” is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces, when somebody breaks yours heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer. Mercer wrote the melody himself and completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959 and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

Today I’m featuring the best of the best: Tony’s original 1962 recording of “I Wanna Be Around,” arranged by Marty Manning. It was released on the album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963. This is a superlative recording of a great song.

I Wanna Be Around...

Listen to I Wanna Be Around... on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as the album I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

About Today

The great Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, Georgia on November 18, 1909. Please me in remembering one of America’s greatest lyricists on the anniversary of his birth.

As it’s Saturday, I have, of course, a video for you. Here’s Tony singing today’s song on a beautiful afternoon at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2002.

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Song of the Day: Out Of This World

The song of the day for Monday, November 18, 2013 is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

“Out Of This World” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was introduced in the 1945 movie Out Of This World, where Bing Crosby dubbed the voice Eddie Bracken for the singing of this song. This song is favorite of singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney and Jo Stafford.

Alec Wilder, in his book American Popular Song, notes that this song is somewhat unusual, as it has no verse, as was customary for most popular songs written at that time. He says that “it is a very strong song, with splendid support in a John Mercer lyric.”

We choose this song today to celebrate the birth of John Herndon Mercer, on this day in 1909. Mercer is, without a doubt, one of America’s finest lyricists and his work, especially that with Harold Arlen, is beyond compare.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded Out of This World twice: first in 1960 for the album Alone Together and again in 1967 for For Once In My Life. Both are versions are outstanding. Today’s version is from 1967, arranged and conducted by Marion Evans.

Our hat is off to the great Johnny Mercer and all of the wonderful songs he gave us.

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

Note: All links are to The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.