The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: You’re All the World to Me

The song of the day for Saturday, August 17, 2024, is “You’re All the World to Me.”

About This Song

“You’re All the World to Me” was written by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner for the 1951 MGM musical Royal Wedding, starring Fred Astaire. Astaire performed this song in one of the most famous shots in all of musical film: the dancing on the ceiling number.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “You’re All the World to Me” in July 1993 for his album Steppin’ Out, consisting of songs made famous by Fred Astaire. Bennett and Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“You’re All the World to Me,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available on Apple Music.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the famous Dancing on the Ceiling number from Royal Wedding.

If you’re interested, this clip shows how this number was filmed.

You can read in more detail about how this was accomplished! It includes a film of how the director of Royal Wedding, Stanely Donan, recreated the number for Lionel Richie and the video of his 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling.

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Song of the Day: Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 14, 2024, is “Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered).”

About This Song

“Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)” was written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart for 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, accompanied only by his pianists and musical director Ralph Sharon. The resulting album, Tony Sings For Two, was released in January 1961. In his autobiography The Good Life, Bennett writes:

I always wanted to be unpredictable, and so for my next project, I decided to go in the opposite direction from the big orchestral albums I’d been doing lately and cut an intimate piano-vocal album with Ralph Sharon. We booked time at the studio and pored through music books, trying one tune after another. The arrangements were spontaneous, and we finished each song in one or two takes. In one afternoon we laid down sixteen tunes—which must be some kind of record—twelve of which made it onto the album, which became 1961’s Tony Sings For Two. Mitch Miller showed up at the start of these sessions, furious that I was really going through with it. When he saw that there was no dissuading me, he turned to Frank Laico and said, “I’m leaving. I can’t support this.” Tony Sings For Two turned out to be one of my finest records ever.

“Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered),” as well as Tony Sings For Two, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

The song of the day for Saturday, July 27, 2024, is “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road).”

About This Song

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. Harold Arlen called this song one of his “tapeworms” as at 48 bars, it was longer than the standard 32 bar popular song. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, says that “the honors must go the lyric. … Just imagine having the acuity and courage to start a song, as Mercer does, with “It’s a quarter to three”!

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” in June 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road),” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie

The song of the day for Wednesday, July 24, 2024, is “It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie.”

About This Song

“It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie” was written by Billy Mayhew in 1936 and was originally introduced by Fats Waller. It’s been recorded by artists from Billie Holiday to Steve Goodman to Slim Whitman to Patti Page. And, of course, Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie” on March 26, 1964, for his album When Lights Are Low. The Ralph Sharon Trio accompanied Bennett on this album, with Sharon on piano, Hal Gaylord on bass, and Billy Exiner on drums. Sharon also wrote the arrangement.

“It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie,” as well as When Lights Are Low, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Lost In The Stars

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 23, 2024, is “Lost In The Stars.”

About This Song

“Lost In The Stars” was written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson for the 1949 musical of the same name, based on the 1948 novel by Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country. Set in South Africa in an era when apartheid seemed as if it would never end, the plot concerns a black priest whose son kills, in a robbery attempt, a white man who is a friend of his father. The priest sings this song at the end of the first act, in a complete crisis of faith.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Lost In The Stars” on December 22, 1958, for his album with Count Basie and His Band, In Person! Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“Lost In The Stars,” as well as In Person!, is available on Apple Music.