The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: There’s No Business Like Show Business

The song of the day for Saturday, May 28, 2016 is “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

About This Song

Riving Berlin wrote “There’s No Business Like Show Business” for the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun, which starred Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton.

About This Version

“There’s No Business Like Show Business” is one of my favorite Irving Berlin songs. However, Tony Bennett has never recorded this song. But even Tony Bennett gets to take a night off every now and again and so I’m turning over the singing chores to two great American singing actresses.

Our featured recording of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” is from the 1954 film of same name, which starred Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor and Marilyn Monroe. The film featured a variety of songs written by Irving Berlin.

There"s No Business Like Show Business

Irving Berlin, Ethel Merman · There"s No Business Like Show Business (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · Song · 1954

About Today

Today being video Saturday, I bring you scenes from Elaine Stritch’s Tony-winning one woman show from 2002: Elaine Stritch At Liberty, directed by George Wolfe. This show features Ms. Stritch, who was 77 at the time this production was originally mounted on Broadway. It was later filmed for television broadcast, where it won an Emmy Award. She opened the show with “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” interspersed with quips about her life in the theatre. Here’s that number:

I’m still in amazement at how fabulous her legs still were at the age of 77. To bring ourselves full circle, I’m featuring another scene from At Liberty, this time about her understudying Ethel Merman in Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam while simultaneously appearing in a revival of Pal Joey. It’s as funny as funny can be.

This video was posted by the Schubert Theater in New Haven, which opted to bleep out certain words. Still funny. Brilliantly. After all, there’s no business like show business.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The song of the day for Thursday, January 7, 2015 is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

About This Song

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” on October 28, 1959 for one of my favorite of his albums, Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961. For this album, Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon went into the studio with a briefcase full of sheet music and recorded sixteen(!) songs in a single day, which must be some kind of record. It was just the two of them: the voice and the piano with no drums or bass. It’s a really wonderful album and this is one of my favorite songs on it.

Bewitched

Tony Bennett · Tony Sings For Two · Song · 1961


“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 3, 2015 is “Bewitched.”

About This Song

Our song of the day, more commonly known today as “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

I have known and loved this song for about as long as I can remember and this version is, far and away, my absolute favorite. The tempo is slightly slower than most versions and that tempo means that the lyric actually makes sense … the singer is bewitched, he’s bothered and is also bewildered. When Tony Bennett sings this song, it’s completely, totally believable.

Bewitched

Tony Bennett · Tony Sings For Two · Song · 1961

“Bewitched,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)

The song of the day for Sunday, December 21, 2014 is “Bewitched.”

About This Song

Bewitched, written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, was one of the hit songs from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, where it was introduced by Vivienne Segal. Notable recordings are by Benny Goodman, Mel Tormé, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Alec Wilder admired the lyric and the verse, but found the song “notey.” In spite of being notey, it’s a cornerstone of the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Bewitched” in 1959 for his wonderful album with Ralph Sharon, Tony Sings For Two, released in 1961.

Bewitched

Tony Bennett · Tony Sings For Two · Song · 1961


“Bewitched,” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Could Write a Book

The song of the day for Thursday, October 9, 2014 is “I Could Write A Book.”

About This Song

“I Could Write a Book” was written for the Broadway musical Pal Joey by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. This has always been an interesting song. Today it’s considered a lovely romantic number, but in the context of the musical, it’s sung as a phony love song in order to woo the innocent ingenue. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Carter, Anita O’Day and Ella Fitzgerald.

About This Version

Bennett recorded “I Could Write a Book” for his 1973 album Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs, released on his own Improv label. For this album, he is backed by the Ruby Braff – George Barnes Quartet, with Braff on cornet, Barnes and Wayne Wright on guitar and John Guiffrida on bass. It’s a remarkably effective sound for these songs.

And yes, I’m not only on a Rodgers and Hart kick, but also a Pal Joey kick. Once I start listening to Rodgers and Hart, it’s very hard for me to stop.

I Could Write A Book

Listen to I Could Write A Book on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

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