The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: What Makes It Happen?

The Song of the Day for Tuesday, November 26, 2013 is “What Makes It Happen?”

About This Song

“What Makes It Happen?” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn for the 1966 musical Walking Happy. Van Heusen and Cahn were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist, but lost to Kander and Ebb for Cabaret.

About This Version

Forty-seven years ago today, November 26, 1966, Tony Bennett recorded three songs, all arranged by Marion Evans: My Inamorta, Country Girl and today’s song of the day, What Makes It Happen. Today’s song is the question that the name of the album it appears on answers: Tony Makes It Happens! Ernie Altschuler produced the album, which was released in 1967.

What Makes It Happen

Listen to What Makes It Happen on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1967

“What Makes It Happen?,” as well as the album Tony Makes It Happen!, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Out Of This World

The song of the day for Monday, November 18, 2013 is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

“Out Of This World” was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was introduced in the 1945 movie Out Of This World, where Bing Crosby dubbed the voice Eddie Bracken for the singing of this song. This song is favorite of singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney and Jo Stafford.

Alec Wilder, in his book American Popular Song, notes that this song is somewhat unusual, as it has no verse, as was customary for most popular songs written at that time. He says that “it is a very strong song, with splendid support in a John Mercer lyric.”

We choose this song today to celebrate the birth of John Herndon Mercer, on this day in 1909. Mercer is, without a doubt, one of America’s finest lyricists and his work, especially that with Harold Arlen, is beyond compare.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded Out of This World twice: first in 1960 for the album Alone Together and again in 1967 for For Once In My Life. Both are versions are outstanding. Today’s version is from 1967, arranged and conducted by Marion Evans.

Our hat is off to the great Johnny Mercer and all of the wonderful songs he gave us.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1lbNdANp7StpkibXrAMjbi
“Out Of This World,” as well as the album For Once In My Life,” is available from iTunes and Amazon.

Note: All links are to The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

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Song of the Day: I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

The song of the day for Thursday, October 31, 2013 is “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart.”

About This Song

“I Let a Song Go Out Of My Heart” was written by Duke Ellington in 1938. The lyrics were written by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo and John Redmond. The Ellington recording charted at #1 in 1938 and was followed by a successful Benny Goodman recording. It has also be recorded by Dinah Washington, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine and Stan Getz, among many others.

In 1952, Ellington named “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart” as one of his favorite of 11 recordings. The website jazzstandards.com ranks this song at 152.

About This Version

Today’s version is from the 1967 album Tony Makes It Happen! This song, as well of all of the songs on this album, was arranged and conducted by Marion Evans. Mr. Evans did the arrangements for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s upcoming jazz album that will be released in January, 2014. As we get closer to January, we’ll be featuring more information about the great Marion Evans. He does big band arrangements are really fantastic and this song is an excellent example.

http://open.spotify.com/track/72GRwENAjiE7aY8FD5ORwy
“I Let a Song Go Out Of My Heart,” as well as the album Tony Makes It Happen!, is available from iTunes and Amazonc

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Song of the Day: Out Of This World

The song of the day for Sunday, September 15, 2013 is “Out Of This World.”

About This Song

If there is anything better than a Harold Arlen song, it’s a Harold Arlen song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. And so, today’s song of the day is Arlen’s and Mercer’s 1944 song “Out Of This World,” written for the film of the same name. The film starred actor Eddie Bracken, but the song was sung by Bing Crosby.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “Out Of This World” twice: once in 1960 for the album Alone Together (arranged by Frank DeVol) and again in 1967 for the album For Once In My Life, arranged by Marion Evans. Both versions have their strong points, but for today I chose the 1967 version. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I only wish the hardest decisions I had to make involved making me choose between two superb versions of the same wonderful song by two great songwriters sung by Tony Bennett.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1lbNdANp7StpkibXrAMjbi
“Out Of This World,” as well as the album For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.

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Song of the Day: I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 11, 2013 is “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart.”

About This Song

Duke Ellington wrote “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart” in 1938, with lyrics by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo and John Redmond added later (as is not uncommon for many of Duke Ellington’s songs).

Ellington recorded the song that same year and soon thereafter it was recorded by Benny Goodman and Mildred Bailey. Dinah Washington recorded the song in 1954 as well.

About This Version

Today’s version is from Bennett’s 1967 album Tony Makes It Happen! This song, as well as the entire album was arranged by Marion Evans and has a great, swingy big band sound.

http://open.spotify.com/track/72GRwENAjiE7aY8FD5ORwy
“I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart,” as well as the album Tony Makes It Happen! is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.