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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

January 29, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: They Didn’t Believe Me

The song of the day for Thursday. January 30, 2020, is “They Didn’t Believe Me.”

About This Song

Jerome Kern and Herbert Reynolds wrote “They Didn’t Believe Me” in 1914 for Broadway musical The Girl From Utah. It became Kern’s first major song success.

This song redefined the American love song. Before “They Didn’t Believe Me,” love songs reflected the customary waltz-rhythms of European influence. Kern broke the mold and fitted the new American passion for modern dances such as the fox-trot. The song is also remarkable in its use of ‘everyday’ language in a love song. Theatre historian John Kenrick writes that, until this point, the majority of love songs had relied on flowery vocabulary to express romantic sentiments. The song put Kern in great demand on Broadway and established a pattern for musical theatre love songs that lasted through the 1960s.

“They Didn’t Believe Me” became a standard and was used in several films in the 1930s and 1940s. Significant recordings include those by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dinah Washington, Jeanette MacDonald, Johnny Mercer, Charlie Parker, Elvis Costello, Stan Kenton, Bill Frisell, Bud Powell, Edward Woodward, Harry Belafonte, Leontyne Price, and Marian McPartland.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “They Didn’t Believe Me” with the Bill Charlap Trio for the 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern.

I think that Bennett’s recording of “They Didn’t Believe Me” is remarkable. With quiet and subdued accompanimnet from the Bill Charlap Trio, Bennett sings from his heart. It’s sincere, touching, and as real as can be.

“They Didn’t Believe Me,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Herbert Reynolds, Jerome Kern, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, Tony Bennett

July 13, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Loves Jerome Kern

The playlist of the week for July 14, 2019, is Tony Loves Jerome Kern.

This week’s consists of songs written by Jerome Kern, who wrote some of the most beautiful songs of the 20th century. As Bill Charlap said about Kern:

Jerome Kern is the angel at the top of the tree for American popular songwriters and writers of the theater. He influenced George Gershwin. He influenced Richard Rodgers. He influenced all of the songwriters.

Tony Loves Jerome Kern

This week our playlist explores the songs of Jerome Kern. Tony Bennett has a special feel for Kern's songs, as do I and many of his fans.

The Way You Look Tonight, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, written in 1936
Make Believe, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, written in 1927
All The Things You Are, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, written in 1939
Ol’ Man River, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, written in 1927
I’m Old Fashioned, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, written in 1942
I Won’t Dance, lyrics by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, written in 1934
Nobody Else But Me, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, written in 1946
They Didn’t Believe Me, lyrics by Herbert Reynolds, written 1914
Long Ago and Far Away, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written in 1944
Look for the Silver Lining, lyrics by Buddy DeSylva, written in 1919

Filed Under: Playlist of the Week Tagged With: Buddy DeSylva, Dorothy Fields, Herbert Reynolds, Ira Geshwin, Jerome Kern, Jimmy McHugh, Johnny Mercer, Oscar Hammerstein, Tony Bennett

May 17, 2019 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: They Didn’t Believe Me

The song of the day for Saturday, May 18, 2019, is “They Didn’t Believe Me.”

About This Song

“They Didn’t Believe Me” was written by Jerome Kern and Herbert Reynolds for the 1914 musical The Girl From Utah.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “They Didn’t Believe Me” with The Bill Charlap Trio for the 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. It amazes me that this song is over 100 years old, but with Bennett and Charlap, it doesn’t really show its age at all.

They Didn’t Believe Me

They Didn’t Believe Me, a song by Tony Bennett, Bill Charlap on Spotify

“They Didn’t Believe Me,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Herbert Reynolds, Jerome Kern, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern

July 12, 2018 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: They Didn’t Believe Me

The song of the day for Thursday, July 13, 2018 is “They Didn’t Believe Me.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “They Didn’t Believe Me,” was written in 1914 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Herbert Reynolds. First introduced in the 1914 musical The Girl from Utah it was one of five numbers added to the show by Kern and Reynolds for its Broadway debut at the Knickerbocker Theatre on August 14, 1914. The show had originated in Britain, but impresario Charles Frohman had felt it needed additional material to enliven its U.S. run. It became Kern’s first major song success.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap recorded “They Didn’t Believe Me” for their 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. In addition to Bennett’s beautifully intimate choices in singing today’s song, the piano work by Mr. Charlap and the bass from Peter Washington is just splendid. Thank you all, gentlemen.

You might be saying, “But Suzanne. You played a Jerome Kern song yesterday.” All I can say is that once I get Jerome Kern music in my head, I just can’t let it go.

They Didn"t Believe Me

Listen to They Didn"t Believe Me on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2015.


“They Didn’t Believe Me,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Charlap, Herbert Reynolds, Jerome Kern, Peter Washington, The Bill Charlap Trio, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, Tony Bennett

January 12, 2016 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: They Didn’t Believe Me

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 12, 2016 is “They Didn’t Believe Me.”

About This Song

“They Didn’t Believe Me” was written in 1914 (!) by Jerome Kern with lyrics from Herbert Reynolds for the musical The Girl From Utah. It was Kern’s first big songwriting success. This lovely song became a standard for both singers and instrumentalists, with recordings by Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker, Stan Kenton, Harry Belafonte and Leontyne Price, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song with The Bill Charlap Trio for the 2015 album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern. It’s a beautiful, charming, sweet romantic recording of this wonderful song.

They Didn"t Believe Me

Listen to They Didn"t Believe Me on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2015.


“They Didn’t Believe Me,” as well as The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Charlap Trio, Herbert Reynolds, Jerome Kern, The Girl From Utah

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