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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

November 5, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Watch What Happens

The song of the day for Friday, November 6, 2020, is “Watch What Happens.”

About This Song

“Watch What Happens” was written by Michel Legrand for the 1964 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The original French lyrics were written by Jacques Demy, who also directed the film. The English lyrics were written by Norman Gimbel. 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 wrote the arrangement.

Watch What Happens

Listen to Watch What Happens on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1965.

“Watch What Happens,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, is available from Apple Music.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Don Costa, If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, Jacques Demy, Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel, Tony Bennett

September 21, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You Must Believe In Spring

The song of the day for Tuesday, September 22, 2020, is “You Must Believe In Spring.”

Note About Today’s Song

Every weekend I listen to the radio show Radio Deluxe, hosted by John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. This weekend, they featured several songs from Tony Bennett, including today’s song. I was reminded why I love this song and especially this recording of it.

Radio Deluxe is a swell show: part jazz, part cabaret, and all of it excellent. John and Jessica always have something unique and wonderful to say about each of the songs they feature. It’s one of the highlights of my weekend. You can find out more about Radio Deluxe on its website radiodeluxe.com.

About This Song

“You Must Believe In Spring” was composed by the great Michel Legrand. The original French lyrics were written by Jacques Demy (who also wrote and directed the film); the English lyrics were written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The song 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 September 1976 for their second album Together Again, released in 1977 on Bennett’s Improv label.

“You Must Believe In Spring,” as well as , is available from Apple Music and Quboz.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Bergman, Bill Evans, Jacques Demy, Jessica Molaskey, John Pizzarelli, Les Demoiselles de Rochefor, Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Radio Deluxe, Together Again, Tony Bennett

July 2, 2020 By Suzanne 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.

Filed Under: Song of the Day, Tony Live! Tagged With: Jacques Demy, Joe Cocuzzo, John Guiffrida, Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel, Torrie Zito

March 24, 2020 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep The Music Playing

The song of the day for Wednesday, Mar25, 2020, is “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.”

About Today

Today, the Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor the late Aretha Franklin on the anniversary of her birth on March 25, 1942. *-

About This Song

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing” was written in 1982 by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman. This song was written for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman).

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin recorded “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” in 2011 for Duets II.

“How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” as well as Duets II, is available from iTunes.

We are happy to present the video on Tony and Aretha recording today’s song.

Watch that little tear from Tony at the end of the song. Beautiful!

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Bergman, Aretha Franklin, Duets II, Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett

October 1, 2019 By Suzanne 2 Comments

Song of the Day: How Do You Keep the Music Playing

The song of the day for Tuesday, October 2, 2019, is “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.”

About This Song

“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” was written by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman,for the 1982 movie Best Friends, which starred Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. The initial recording was a duet by Patti Austin and James Ingram, which became a hit single in 1983. It was one of three songs with lyrics by then Bergmans that were nominated that year for an Academy Award for Best Song (though the award went to “Up Where We Belong” from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman). The song has become a popular standard and has had many fine recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra (who encouraged Bennett to sing this song), Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and George Michael and, most recently, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” in 1986 for his album The Art of Excellence, featuring an arrangement by Jorge Calandrelli.

The Art of Excellence was Bennett’s first album after his return to Columbia Records in the 1980s. He describes this album in his biography The Good Life:

I decided to make a record featuring state-of-the-art technology with the best digital equipment that was then available. In addition to making a great recording, it also brought the project to the attention of the high-tech enthusiasts.

My new record would the called The Art of Excellence, referring not only to the songs, but also to my demand for quality. From that day forward people would expect nothing less from Tony Bennett.

“How Do You Keep the Music Playing,” as well as The Art of Excellence, is available from iTunes.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Bergman, Jorge Calandrelli, Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, The Art of Excellence, Tony Bennett

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