The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: It Was Me

The song of the day for Monday, June 22, 2020, is “It Was Me.”

About Today

It’s summer and there’s no better summer song than this one.

About This Song

“It Was Me” was written in 1960 by Gilbert Bécaud as “C’etait Moi,” with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come. In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song in an NPR interview.

Tony Bennett"s Summer Song: "It Was Me"

For Bennett, the French song "It Was Me" is the essence of what happens when people fall in love.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Was Me” in 1962 for the album I Wanna Be Around. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

“It Was Me,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: It Was Me

The song of the day for Saturday, July 27, 2019, is “It Was Me.”

About This Song

Today’s song was originally titled “C’etait Moi” was composed by Gilbert Bécaud, with lyrics by Maurice Vidalin, in 1960. The English lyrics were written by Norman Gimbel, with the English title “It Was Me.” It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Was Me” in 1962 for his 1963 album I Wanna Be Around. The excellent arrangement is by Marty Manning.

In 2009, Tony Bennett was interviewed on NPR for a series where people named their favorite summer song. Bennett picked “It Was Me.”

It Was Me

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“It Was Me,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

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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

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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.

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Song of the Day: It Was Me

The song of the day for Monday, May 21, 2018 is “It Was Me.”

About This Song

“It Was Me” was written by Gilbert Becaud as “C’etait Moi,” with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come. In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Was Me” in 1962 for the album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

It Was Me

Listen to It Was Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“It Was Me,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here