The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Thought About You

The song of the day for Monday, March 24, 2025, is “I Thought About You.”

About This Song

“I Thought About You” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer in 1939. In his biography Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, author Gene Lees quotes Mercer about this song: ‘I can remember the afternoon that we wrote it. He [Van Heusen] played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.’ “I Thought About You” proved quite popular and has been recorded many times by jazz performers including Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Thought About You” in June 1922 for his tribute album to Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank.
For this album, Bennett was accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Trio, featuring Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

“I Thought About You,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Frank Sinatra recorded “I Thought About You” for his 1956 album Songs for Swingin’ Lovers.

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Song of the Day: Swinging on a Star

The song of the day for Friday, March 14, 2025, is “Swinging on a Star.”

About This Song

“Swinging on a Star” was written in 1944 by the songwriting team of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It was written for the movie Going My Way, starring Bing Crosby, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for that year. Crosby recorded a very successful version of the song in 1944. Other recordings include those by Rosemary Clooney, Burl Ives, and Ruby Braff, among many others. The song was a favorite of your author when she was a small child. I actually remember singing it loudly at the breakfast table one morning.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Swinging on a Star” in June 1998 for his children’s album, The Playground. Bennett was accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Quartet, featuring Sharon on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosh on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“Swinging on a Star,” as well as The Playground, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Time After Time

The song of the day for Wednesday, February 5, 2025, is “Time After Time.”

About This Song

“Time After Time” was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn for the 1947 for the movie It Happened in Brooklyn. The song was introduced by Frank Sinatra and was a major hit for him. This song has been widely recorded by many artists, including Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Anita O’Day.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Time After Time” in June 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank, featuring an arrangement by Ralph Sharon. He was accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

“Time After Time,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance

Here’s Frank Sinatra’s recording from 1947:

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Song of the Day: It’s Only a Paper Moon

The song of the day for Thursday, January 34, 2025, is “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”

About This Song

“It’s Only a Paper Moon” was composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose. The song was originally written for an unsuccessful play called The Great Magoo, it song was used in the 1933 movie Take a Chance. Paul Whiteman recorded it that year. There were two very fine recordings in the 1940s by Ella Fitzgerald and Nat “King” Cole, which sealed the popularity of the song. Since that time, it has been a popular jazz favorite that has been widely recorded.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It’s Only a Paper Moon” in June 1998 for his album for children, The Playground. He was accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Quartet, featuring Sharon on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosch on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“It’s Only a Paper Moon,” as well as The Playground, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 22, 2025, is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Harold Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” to be one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song … (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Harburg has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.” All in all, it’s a very beautiful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers. Frank Sinatra included on his album In The Wee Small Hours. It has also been recorded by Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Last Night When We Were Young” in June 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon, who led the Ralph Sharon Trio that accompanied Bennett for Perfectly Frank, featuring Sharon on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Joe LaBarbera on drums.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Yip Harburg spoke about “Last Night When We Were Young” on his 1979 appearance on They Write The Songs: