The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: A Foggy Day

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 31, 2022, is “A Foggy Day.”

About This Song

“A Foggy Day” was written in 1937 by George and Ira Gershwin for the movie A Damsel in Distress, starring Fred Astaire, who introduced the song. It’s been quite popular with many great recordings, including those by Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Foggy Day” on March 15, 1962, for his album On The Glory Road. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.


“A Foggy Day,” as well as On The Glory Road is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Fred Astaire singing today’s song from A Damsel in Distress.

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Song of the Day: Soon It’s Gonna Rain

The song of the day for Sunday, August 21, 2022, is “It’s Gonna Rain.”

About This Song

“Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” written by Jarvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, is from the 1960 off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks, which ran for an astounding 42 years and 17,162 performances at the Sullivan Street Playhouse.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” on March 16, 1962, for On The Glory Road, which was to be released in 1962, but was canceled. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

“It’s Gonna Rain,” as well as On The Glory Road is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Revolvin’ Jones

The song of the day for Saturday, August 20, 2022, is “Revolving’ Jones.”

About This Song

“Revolvin’ Jones” was written in 1940 by Will Robison. Other well-known Robison songs include “A Cottage For Sale” and “Don’t Smoke in Bed.” In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder wrote:

Everybody loved him and many tried to help him, among them John Mercer. Mildred Bailey revered him and sang every song of his she could lay her hands on. I became aware of him in the late twenties when he recorded for Perfect Records. He did manage, during his almost euphoric life, to write a few successful songs … but generally his songs were known only to a few singers and lovers of the off-beat and the non-urban song. He had a special flair for gentleness and childhood, the lost and the religious. I suppose it’s not part of the growth of popular music, nor perhaps were any of Robison’s songs. But if they could so much bolster John Mercer’s conviction that there was more to write lyrics about than city life, that the world of memory, of remembered sayings and scenes, was as evocative as the whispered words of lovers, then he did make a contribution.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Revolvin’ Jones” on March 16, 1962, for On The Glory Road, which was to be released in 1962, but was canceled at the last minute. The song was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

Fortunately, the album was included is Bennett’s 2011 box set: The Complete Collection.

“Revolvin’ Jones,” as well as On The Glory Road is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Revolving’ Jones

The song of the day for Thursday, January 6, 2021, is “Revolving’ Jones.”

About This Song

“Revolvin’ Jones” was written by Will Robison in 1940. Other well-known Robison songs include “A Cottage For Sale” and “Don’t Smoke in Bed.” In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder wrote that:

Everybody loved him and many tried to help him, among them John Mercer. Mildred Bailey revered him and sang every song of his she could lay her hands on. I became aware of him in the late twenties when he recorded for Perfect Records. … He did manage, during his almost euphoric life, to write a few successful songs … but generally his songs were known only to a few singers and lovers of the off-beat and the non-urban song. He had a special flair for gentleness and childhood, the lost and the religious. I suppose it’s not part of the growth of popular music, nor perhaps were any of Robison’s songs. But if they could so much bolster John Mercer’s conviction that there was more to write lyrics about than city life, that the world of memory, of remembered sayings and scenes, was as evocative as the whispered words of lovers, then he did make a contribution.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Revolvin’ Jones” in 1962 for the album On The Glory Road, which was all set to be released but was canceled at the last minute. The album was made available in the 2011 Complete Collection box set and is also available online.

“Revolving’ Jones,” as well as On The Glory Road is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: De Glory Road

The song of the day for Wednesday, June 30, 2021, is “De Glory Road.”

About Today

Today’s marks the end of our deep dive into Tony Bennett’s legendary concert at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. It’s been a pleasure to explore these songs so deeply — I hope you’ve enjoyed it as well.

About This Song

“De Glory Road” was written in 1928, with music by Jacques Wolfe and lyrics by Clement Wood. De Glory Road began as a poem written by a white, socialist, native Alabamian lawyer and writer named Clement Wood, who published the poem in 1928. Wood is also the author of the Clement Wood Rhyming Dictionary, the 1939 edition of which is Stephen Sondheim’s preferred rhyming dictionary.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “De Glory Road” in March 1962 for the album On The Glory Road; however, the release of that album was canceled at the very last minute. Bennett decided to close out his Carnegie Hall concert with this song and invited percussionist Candido to play on this song.

In his autobiography The Good Life, Bennett relates his choice of “De Glory Road” to close the concert.

I needed something really special to close with. I’d start out with old favorites, but I wanted to end with something that nobody had ever heard me sing before, something unexpected. Tony Tamburello suggested the spiritual “Glory Road.” Candido added to the success of “Glory Road” by playing a wonderful solo in the middle of it that drove the crowd wild.

“De Glory Road,” as well as the other songs Tony Bennett sang are captured on Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall.

De Glory Road - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to De Glory Road - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.

“De Glory Road,” as well as Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall is available on Apple Music.

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