The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: She’s Funny That Way

The song of the day for Thursday, August 8, 2013 is “She’s Funny That Way.”

About This Song

“She’s Funny That Way” was written in 1929 by Neil Moret, with lyrics by Richard Whiting, father of the singer Margaret Whiting. It was the only time that Whiting wrote lyrics for any songwriter other than himself. The song was one of the early “crooner” songs and was originally recorded by Gene Austin, who, along with Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards, were two of the first crooners using that new invention of the condenser microphone.

About This Version

Today’s song is from Tony Bennett On Holiday: A Tribute to Billie Holiday, released in 1997. Bennett won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance for this album. The cover features Bennett’s portrait of Billie Holiday.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4vXfn1ld04YZNBLdXKx5l9
“She’s Funny That Way,” as well as the album Tony Bennett on Holiday: A Tribute to Billie Holiday, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Sleepy Time Gal

The song of the day for Thursday, July 18, 2013 is “Sleepy Time Gal.”

About This Song

“Sleepy Time Gal” was written in 1925 by Richard Whiting with lyrics by Raymond Egan, Joseph Alden and Ange Lorenzo. The song concerns a young wife who would rather stay up all night and dance when her husband yearns for nights at home, just the two of them.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1965 for the album A Time For Love, released in 1966. “Sleepy Time Gal” was arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel and features some very nice cornet work from Bobby Hackett and some great ukulele.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5XlapgCDRf5fZkhkQA9zXA
“Sleepy Time Gal,” as well as the album A Time For Love, is available from iTunes.