• Home
  • About
    • About This Blog
    • About the Authors
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
    • Tony Live!
    • Music
      • Viva Duets
      • Songs
      • Albums
    • Art
  • And More
    • Collaborator of the Month
    • Songwriter of the Month – 2016
    • News
      • Cheek To Cheek
      • Bennett & Brubeck -The White House Sessions Live 1962
      • Life is a Gift
      • Viva Duets
      • Zen of Bennett
      • Other News
    • About His Collaborators
    • Musings
    • Extras
      • Books
      • Interviews
      • Media
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

May 26, 2017 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: If I Ruled The World

The song of the day for Saturday, May 27, 2017 is “If I Ruled The World.”

About This Song

“If I Ruled The World” was written by Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse for the 1963 West End musical Pickwick, based on Dicken’s The Pickwick Papers. Harry Secombe, the British actor, originated the role of Pickwick and his version of this song charted at #18 in the UK. The production opened in New York in 1965 on Broadway. Tony Bennett’s was one of the earliest American recordings and the song reached #34 on the US pop singles charts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “If I Ruled The World” in 1965 for his terrific album If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set. Don Costa did the arrangement.

If I Ruled the World

Listen to If I Ruled the World on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1965.


“If I Ruled The World,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Our video this Saturday is Tony Bennett singing today’s song inthe garden at Buckingham Palace, during the ‘Party at the Palace’ concert for the Queens Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Cyril Ornadel, Don Costa, If I Ruled the World, Leslei Bricusse, Tony Bennett

March 29, 2014 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The song of the day for Saturday, March 29, 2014 is “Fly Me To The Moon.”

About This Song

“Fly Me To The Moon” was written by Bart Howard in 1954. It was originally titled “In Other Words,” but the song was not doing that well, in spite of several recordings. In 1962, Howard renamed the song to “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the song began to catch on. There have been many recordings of the song, including those by Frank Sinatra, Kaye Ballard and many more. However, Bart Howard told Bennett that his 1965 recording was “the definitive performance of this song.”

About This Version

Today’s version is Bennett’s first recording: in 1965 for If I Ruled The World: Song For The Jet Set. This same version appears on the 40/50/60 Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett box sets.

I think it’s interesting that other than the live MTV performance, Tony Bennett has not re-recorded the song with another arrangement. But how do you improve on perfection?

That said, my favorite version of this song has never been recorded. It was the version that Mr. Bennett sang at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington on September 14, 2007. This was my first Tony Bennett concert. By the time I bought my tickets, there were no orchestra seats left and I could only get tickets in what was (optimistically) called the mezzanine. At that time, I didn’t know that at certain concert halls, Mr. Bennett sometimes sings this song a capella, without a microphone. Towards the end of the concert, he put down his microphone and started to sing “Fly Me To The Moon.” Even in back of the house, his voice filled the auditorium. All of us hung on every note, never wanting this beauty to ever end. I’ve since heard him do the song without a microphone, but nothing could have prepared me for that first moment. It was, and remains, a moment of pure magic.

http://open.spotify.com/track/6AjznBCgVaYESh8UHsHpDz
“If I Ruled The World,” as well as the album If I Ruled The World: Song For The Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

The Year of Tony Bennett is happy to present this video of Mr. Bennett singing this beautiful song:

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bart Howard, If I Ruled the World

July 10, 2013 By Suzanne 1 Comment

Song of the Day: Then Was Then And Now Is Now

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 10, 2013 is “Then Was Then And Now is Now.”

About This Song

“Then Was Then And Now is Now” was written in 1964, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Peggy Lee. Miss Lee recorded this song for her album of the same name, released in 1965. In addition to recordings by Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett, Jack Jones also recorded this song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Then Was Then And Now is Now” for his masterful 1965 album If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set. This album is one of Bennett’s best and well worth a listen.

Then Was Then And Now Is Now

Listen to Then Was Then And Now Is Now on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1965.

“Then Was Then And Now is Now,” as well as the entire If I Ruled The World album, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Cy Coleman, If I Ruled the World, Peggy Lee

June 29, 2013 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Saturday, June 29, 2013 is “Watch What Happens.”

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was written in 1964 by Michel Legrand with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel for the film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s masterful 1965 album If I Ruled the World – Songs For the Jet Set.

Tony Bennett has opened every concert of his that I have attended with this song, which makes me very happy because I love this song very much and never tire of hearing him sing it. (And yes, this dates back to seeing The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the tender age of fifteen. I think my parents took me because I was taking French in school at the time.)

http://open.spotify.com/track/6J1m1Bse56jNnCy7opDbXb
“Watch What Happens,” as well as the If I Ruled The World – Songs For the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: If I Ruled the World, Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites

  • Duke Ellington and the Harlem Renaissance
  • Song of the Day: The Right To Love
  • Song of the Day: Pick Yourself Up
  • Review: Viva Duets
  • Collaborator of the Month: Marion Evans
  • Song of the Day: Growing Pains
  • Home
  • About
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
  • And More
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

Copyright © 2023 The Year of Tony Bennett · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress