The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I’m Through With Love

The song of the day for Thursday, April 13, 2023, is “I’m Through With Love.”

About This Song

“I’m Through With Love” was written in 1931 by Fud Livingston, Matty Malneck and Gus Kahn. The song has been popular since it was written, with recordings by Nat Cole, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan, among others. Marilyn Monroe sang the song in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’m Through With Love” on October 28, 1959, with just Ralph Sharon on piano. The resulting album, Tony Sings For Two, was released in 1961.

“I’m Through With Love,” as well as Tony Sings For Two is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Fly Me To The Moon

The song of the day for Wednesday, April 12, 2023, is “Fly Me To The Moon.”

About Today

On April 12, 1994, 29 years ago today, Tony Bennett taped his legendary performance on MTV Unplugged. Not only were the ratings very good, the resulting album, Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged won not only the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance but the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

About This Song

“Fly Me To The Moon,” written in 1954 by Bart Howard, was originally titled “In Other Words,” but the song was not doing that well despite several recordings. In 1962, Howard renamed the song “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the song began to catch on. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording for If I Ruled The World was a big hit for Bennett. There have been many recordings of the song, including those by Frank Sinatra, Kaye Ballard, and many more. However, Bart Howard told Bennett that his 1965 recording was “the definitive performance of this song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Fly Me To The Moon” on April 12, 1994. Mr. Bennett was backed by his trio: Ralph Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“Fly Me To The Moon,” as well as MTV Unplugged is available on Apple Music.

Here’s the video of Bennett’s performance of “Fly Me To The Moon” from the MTV Unplugged program:

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Sunday, April 9, 2023, 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. 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.”

Yip 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 wonderful 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. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

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

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Song of the Day: I Fall In Love Too Easily

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 4, 2023, is “I Fall In Love Too Easily.”

About This Song

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn for the 1945 movie Anchors Away, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song but lost to “It Might As Well Be Spring” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is a well-respected jazz standard, with recordings by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day, and Johnny Hartman.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Fall In Love Too Easily” in June 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank. The very fine arrangement was written by Ralph Sharon.

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

“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” as well as Perfectly Frank is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I’ve Got Just About Everything

The song of the day for Sunday, April 2, 2023, is “I’ve Got Just About Everything.”

About This Song

Written by the marvelous jazz pianist and composer Bob Dorough, this song is a true joy to listen to. In his liner notes for Forty/Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett, Bennett says that “this one explains how a singer feels when he sings a song everyone likes.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’ve Got Just About Everything” on March 27, 1964, for the album When Lights Are Low. Sharon’s arrangement and his piano are just great.

“I’ve Got Just About Everything,” as well as When Lights Are Low is available on Apple Music.