The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Shadow of Your Smile

The song of the day for Thursday, September 24, 2015 is “The Shadow of Your Smile.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “The Shadow of Your Smile,” was composed by Johnny Mandel (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the 1965 film The Sandpiper, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It was filmed, beautifully, in Big Sur on the California coastline. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. To this day, Tony Bennett sings this song in his concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Shadow of Your Smile” on September 26, 1965 for the album The Movie Song Album. It was arranged and conducted by the composer, the great Johnny Mandel.

While researching today’s song, I found a very nice and well-written 2010 review of The Movie Song Album by Mark Myers on jazzwax. Highly recommended.

The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper")

Listen to The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper") on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1966


“The Shadow of Your Smile,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Emily

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 26, 2015 is “Emily.”

About This Song

“Emily” was written for the 1964 film The Americanization of Emily by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer.The film starred James Garner and Julie Andrews and takes place in London in 1944. Emily, played by Julie Andrews, lost her husband, brother and father in the war and finds herself attracted to Charlie Madison, played by James Garner. The film was very well received and is a personal favorite of both of the lead actors.

About This Version

How can you possibly top a song with music by Johnny Mandel, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, arranged and conducted by the composer and sung by Tony Bennett? Bennett has said that The Movie Song Album is one of his favorites — no wonder. The selection of songs and his performance of each of them are outstanding.

Emily

Tony Bennett · The Movie Song Album · Song · 1966


“Emily,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Smile

The song of the day for Friday, July 17, 2015 is “Smile.”

About This Song

Charlie Chaplin wrote “Smile” in 1936 for his last silent film, Modern Times, which shows Chaplin and his costar Paulette Goddard, walking hand-in-hand up the road as the sun rises and as this song plays, in one of the most iconic scenes ever filmed.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “Smile” several times, first in 1959. I chose his second studio recording from 1965 for The Movie Song Album. This version was arranged by Al Cohn and conducted by Johnny Mandel. This song is a favorite of Tony Bennett: he sings at virtually all of his concerts. Your author tears up every time. Mr. Chaplin loved Bennett’s singing of his song that he gave Bennett a copy of the film Modern Times.

If you’ve never seen the film (and I encourage you to see it), here’s that final scene with Chaplin and Goddard. Pure genius.

Smile

Tony Bennett · The Movie Song Album · Song · 1966


“Smile,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Where Do You Start

The song of the day for Wednesday, March 11, 2015 is “Where Do You Start.”

About This Song

“Where Do You Start,” written in 1987, is one the great songs from Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with a beautiful melody by Johnny Mandel. This song has had many beautiful recordings: Nancy Lamott, Shirley Horn, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, the Brad Mehldau Trio, Annie Ross and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Where Do You Start” for his 2004 album, The Art of Romance. It was arranged and conducted by the composer, Johnny Mandel.

The Art of Romance is the album that made me the Tony Bennett fan I am today, and mostly because of this song. I had just bought my first iPod and this was one of the first albums I put on it. I listened to it almost obsessively for months — anywhere from two to four times a day. And now, eleven years later, when I introduce Tony Bennett to someone, I always start by giving them this album. And they always wind up loving his music.

About Today

Tonight, just before dinner, we were listening to an airing of the late Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz program on our local jazz station, KMHD. Today’s show featured the Bergmans and I knew at once that I’d be writing up one of their songs for the song of the day.

Tony Bennett, in talking about his song “The Good Life” said that “The conflict between the two ideas makes it exactly the kind of lyric I love to do.” I think the songs of the Bergmans, especially this one, understand that love is complex and multi-dimensional, even when the love affair ends …

I promise there will always be
A little place no on will see
A tiny part within my heart
That stays in love with you

Where Do You Start

Listen to Where Do You Start on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“Where Do You Start,” as well The Art of Romance, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Shadow of Your Smile

The song of the day for Sunday, December 7, 2014 is “The Shadow of Your Smile.”

About This Song

“The Shadow of Your Smile,” written by Johnny Mandel and Paul Webster, was the main love theme from the 1965 film The Sandpiper, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (and was my late mother’s favorite movie). It was filmed, beautifully, in Big Sur on the California coastline. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. To this day, Tony Bennett often sings this song in his concerts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Shadow of Your Smile” in 1965 and released it the following year on The Movie Song Album. As stated above, his recording won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

About Today

I was watching movies on Turner Classic Movies today and The Sandpiper was on. I enjoyed watching the film again; I’m a sucker for any movie with Elizabeth Taylor. I was struck in viewing it today how wonderful Mandel’s soundtrack was for this film. He uses the song throughout the film, but it never intrudes or seems repetitive; it’s always just right for the moment. It completely deserved its Academy Award. If you want to see how well a movie can be scored, you can’t go wrong with Johnny Mandel.

The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper")

Listen to The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from "The Sandpiper") on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1966


“The Shadow of Your Smile,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes.