The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 19, 2016 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

“It Had To Be You” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. It is a popular standard with many fine recordings, including those by Paul Whitman, Cliff Edwards and Frank Sinatra. It has also be used in several films, such as Casablanca and Annie Hall.

About This Version

Today’s recording of Tony Bennett singing “It Had To Be You” was made in 1964 for his album with the Ralph Sharon Trio, When Lights Are Low. In addition to Ralph Sharon on piano, the trio features Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

It Had To Be You

Listen to It Had To Be You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“It Had To Be You,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

By 2 Comments

Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Thursday, February 12, 2015 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

It-Had-To-Be-You-1

“It Had To Be You” was written in 1924, with music by Isham Jones and lyrics by Gus Kahn. This song is a popular standard with many fine recordings, including those by Paul Whiteman, Cliff Edwards and Frank Sinatra. It has also be used in several fims, such as Casablanca and Annie Hall.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times, including his second album, Tony in 1956, his 1994 MTV Unplugged Concert and the 2011 duet with Carrie Underwood for Duets II.

Today’s version is from one of my favorite albums: When Lights Are Low, released in 1964. This album features great standards, good jazz, and Tony singing with the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums. It’s a terrific album and this is one of my favorite songs, since childhood, and this recording is really lovely.

It Had To Be You

Listen to It Had To Be You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964


“It Had To Be You,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Saturday, September 6, 2014 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

“It Had To Be You” was composed in 1924 by Isham Jones with lyrics by Gus Kahn. It is a popular standard with many fine recordings, including those by Paul Whiteman, Cliff Edwards and Frank Sinatra. It has also be used in several films, such as Casablanca and Annie Hall. In spite of this song being 90 years old, it speaks to just about everyone who has ever been in love.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “It Had To Be You” in 1956 for his second album, Tony. Today’s version, though, is from 1964 for When Lights Are Low, with the Ralph Sharon Trio featuring Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums.

It Had To Be You

Listen to It Had To Be You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1964

“It Had To Be You,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available from iTunes.

Here’s Tony Bennett singing today’s song from his legendary 1994 MTV Unplugged concert, with Ralph Sharon on piano.

By 2 Comments

Song of the Day: It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Monday, March 10, 2014 is “It Had To Be You.”

About This Song

“It Had To Be You” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song is a standard in the American Songbook and has been widely recorded. Significant recordings include those by Cliff Edwards, Betty Hutton, Doris Day, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s 2011 Duets II, where he sang this song with Carrie Underwood, whose birthday it is today. Happy Birthday, Carrie Underwood!

http://open.spotify.com/track/328dqlTGkTgH5GPrsQusql
“It Had To Be You,” as well as the album Duets II, is available from iTunes.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: One For My Baby/It Had To Be You

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 15, 2013 is a medley of “One For My Baby” and “It Had To Be You.”

About These Songs

“One For My Baby” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit; the song was, of course, introduced by the great Fred Astaire.

“It Had To Be You” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn and has been performed and recorded ever since by singers from Cliff Edwards and Ruth Etting to Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. This song is 90 years old and sounds as fresh, current and meaningful as it ever did. Now that’s a great song.

About This Version

Earlier this week, I picked another song from the Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 1 disc for the song of the day. Following my usual custom, I listened to the remaining songs on the disc while writing the song of the day topic, choosing a quote of the day and doing other basic blog duties. When I heard this medley, I knew I had to feature it soon as the song of the day. In reality, the song is “I Had To Be You” with “One For My Baby” at the beginning and the end.

This medley was recorded in 1970 and features John Bunch at the piano. I love listening to Tony Bennett singing a well-written ballad like this: sweet and soft, with impeccable phrasing and attention to the lyric. It’s a beautiful arrangement and I hope you like it as much as I do.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7I6ab6OcXBwR2k3m0QYdEv
The medley of “One For My Baby” and “It Had To Be You,” as well as all of the cuts on Rarities, Outtakes and Other Delights, Vol. 1, is available from iTunes.