The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Tony Live! Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Saturday, July 3, 2020, is “Watch What Happens.”

About Today

Today, our Tony Live! series moves to Buffalo, New York in May 1977. Tony Bennett, Marian McPartland, and a lot more talented musicians did a show at the Statler Hilton’s Downtown Club in Buffalo. Accompanying Tony was Torrie Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass, and Joe Cocuzzo on drums.

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was composed by Michel Legrand for the lovely 1964 French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The film’s director and screenwriter, Jacques Demy, wrote the original lyrics. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. Bennett’s first recording of “Watch What Happens” was made for his 1965 album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. It was the first recording of the song with the Gimbel lyrics.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version in May 1977 in Buffalo, New York; the show also featured Marian McPartland and a fine jazzband, led by cornettist Jimmy McPartland. The show was released on Bennett’s Improv label as Tony Bennett, The McPartlands and Friends Make Magnificent Music and was included as a CD in the 2011 Complete Collection. Currently, it is available on The Complete Improv Recordings.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Playlist of the Week: Tony Goes to the Movies

The playlist of the week for May 19, 2019, is Tony Goes to the Movies.

Tony Bennett has recorded many songs from films. These are some of my favorites.

Tony Goes to the Movies

Tony has recorded many songs from films.

If I Only Had a Brain by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg from The Wizard of Oz
The Shadow of Your Smile by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster from The Sandpiper
Steppin’ Out With My Baby by Irving Berlin from Easter Parade
Days of Wine and Roses by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer from Days of Wine and Roses
Samba De Orfeo by Luiz Bonfá from Black Orpheus
Emily by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer from The Americanization of Emily
Top Hat, White Tie and Tails by Irving Berlin from Top Hat
Smile by Charlie Chaplin, John Turner, and Geoffrey Parsons from Modern Times
Maybe September by Percy Faith, Jay Livingston, and Ray Evans from The Oscar
Watch What Happens by Michel Legrand, Jacques Demy, and Norman Gimbel from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields from Swing Time

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Sunday, April 15, 2019, is “Watch What Happens.”

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” is from the 1964 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The music was written by Michel Legrand. Jacques Demy, who directed the film, wrote the French lyrics; Gene Lees wrote the English lyrics. Tony Bennett’s was the first recording of the song, other than the film soundtrack, and the first in English.

About This Version

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

Watch What Happens

Watch What Happens, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

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

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You Must Believe in Spring

The song of the day for Thursday, March 21, 2019, is “You Must Believe in Spring.”

About This Song

“You Must Believe in Spring” was written by Michel Legrand, with French lyrics by Jacques Demy and English lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. It was written for the 1967 French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, which starred Catherine Deneuve. “You Must Believe In Spring” has been widely recorded by artists including Sylvia Syms, Barbra Streisand, and Bill Evans, in a posthumous release of an album with the same name, featuring sessions with Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “You Must Believe in Spring” in 1976 for their second album Together Again.

You Must Believe In Spring – Album Version – (Alt. Tk4)

You Must Believe In Spring – Album Version – (Alt. Tk4), a song by Tony Bennett, Bill Evans on Spotify

“You Must Believe in Spring,” as well as Together Again, is available from iTunes

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for December 26, 2018, is “Watch What Happens.”

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” is from the 1964 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The music was written by Michel Legrand and the original French lyrics were written by Jacques Demy, who also directed the film. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. Tony Bennett’s was the first recording of the song, other than the film soundtrack, and the first in English.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Watch What Happens” in 1965 and features an arrangement by Don Costa. It was released that same year on the album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set.

Watch What Happens

Watch What Happens, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

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

About Today

It was with great sadness that I learned that lyricist Norman Gimbel passed away, just a few days before Christmas, at the age of 91. He left a rich legacy as a lyricist that will be a part of the American Songbook for many years to come. For today, we remember Mr. Gimbel with this lovely song.

I would also like to acknowledge my friend Jeff Macauley, whose 2016 cabaret show “It Was Me: The Lyrics of Norman Gimbel” brought the lyrics of Norman Gimbel to a whole new audience. The CD of the show is available from Amazon.

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