The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: The Christmas Song

The song of the day for Sunday, December 16, 2018, is “The Christmas Song.”
Today is the third day of The Twelve Days of a Tony Bennett Christmas.

About This Song

“The Christmas Song,” better known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” was written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells. This song was written on a very hot summer day and Tormé and Wells were trying to think cold Christmasy thoughts in an effort to cool off. The entire song was written forty minutes and is one of America’s most classic Christmas songs. The first recording was by Nat King Cole in 1946.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Christmas Song” in 1967 for the album Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album; Robert Farnon did the arrangement.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“The Christmas Song,” as well as Snowfall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Christmas Song

On the fifth day of The Twelve Days of a Tony Bennett Christmas, Monday, December 18, 2017, the song of the day is “The Christmas Song.”

About This Song

“The Christmas Song” was written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells. Sometimes known by its first line ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” this song was written on a very hot summer day and Tormé and Wells were trying to think cold Christmasy thoughts in an effort to cool off. The entire song was written forty minutes and is one of America’s most classic Christmas songs. The first recording was by Nat King Cole in 1946.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded The Christmas Song in 1967 for the album Snowfall, released in 1968. It was arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Listen to The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1968.


“The Christmas Song,” as well as Snowfall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Christmas Song

The song of the day for Thursday, October 29, 2015 is “The Christmas Song.”

About Today

No, you haven’t gone to sleep and woken up during the Annual Twelve Days of a Tony Bennett Christmas, which we will be presenting in December. I committed some weeks ago to advancing through Mr. Bennett’s career year by year and picking a song from that year to present. Today we’re exploring the year 2000 and that year Mr. Bennett recorded Christmas songs and so that is what we have today.

About This Song

Today’s song, The Christmas Song, was written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells. Sometimes known by its first line “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” this song was written on a very hot summer day and Tormé and Wells were trying to think cold Christmasy thoughts in an effort to cool off. The entire song was written forty minutes and is one of America’s most classic Christmas songs. The first recording was by Nat King Cole in 1946.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Christmas Song” on December 21, 2000 in Vienna, Austria, and released it on the album Our Favorite Things the following year. This album also features performances by Charlotte Church, Vanessa Williams and Placid Domingo. The song was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

The Christmas Song - Voice

Listen to The Christmas Song - Voice on Spotify. Mel Tormé · Song · 2001.


“The Christmas Song,” as well as Our Favorite Things, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: When Joanna Loved Me

The song of the day for Saturday, January 17, 2015 is “When Joanna Loved Me.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “When Joanna Loved Me,” was written in 1963 by Jack Segal (music) and Robert Wells (lyrics). As Bennett says in the introduction to today’s video, he enjoys singing this song so much he named his first daughter Johanna. In 1989, when he was working on Astoria, he asked Segal and Wells to write a song for his second daughter, Antonia.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “When Joanna Loved Me” several times. Today’s version is, I believe, the first, recorded in 1963 for the album The Many Moods of Tony, released in 1964. It was arranged by Marty Manning.

When Joanna Loved Me

Listen to When Joanna Loved Me on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1964.

About Today

Today is Saturday and that means it’s Video Saturday at The Year of Tony Bennett. Here’s today’s song, from the 1994 MTV Unplugged concert.

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On the Fourth Day of a Tony Bennett Christmas

On the fourth day of a Tony Bennett Christmas, Wednesday, December 17, 2014, Tony sings for us “The Christmas Song.”

“The Christmas Song” was written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells. Sometimes known by its first line ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” this song was written on a very hot summer day and Tormé and Wells were trying to think cold Christmasy thoughts in an effort to cool off. The entire song was written forty minutes and is one of America’s most classic Christmas songs. The first recording was by Nat King Cole in 1946.

Tony Bennett recorded “The Christmas Song” in 1967 and released it on his 1968 album of Christmas music, Snowfall. This song, as well as all of the Christmas songs on this very fine album, was arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon.

http://open.spotify.com/track/2IncC8fMEs7tY4pFIrS32u
“The Christmas Song,” as well as Snowfall, is available from iTunes.

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