• Home
  • About
    • About This Blog
    • About the Authors
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
    • Tony Live!
    • Music
      • Viva Duets
      • Songs
      • Albums
    • Art
  • And More
    • Collaborator of the Month
    • Songwriter of the Month – 2016
    • News
      • Cheek To Cheek
      • Bennett & Brubeck -The White House Sessions Live 1962
      • Life is a Gift
      • Viva Duets
      • Zen of Bennett
      • Other News
    • About His Collaborators
    • Musings
    • Extras
      • Books
      • Interviews
      • Media
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

December 31, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You’re All The World To Me

The song of the day for Sunday, January 1, 2023, 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 and was released that year on Steppin’ Out. It was arranged by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon.

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

And here’s that famous sequence of Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling in Royal Wedding:

As a special treat, this video explains how this was filmed.

For more explanation, see the timeline and more information from the person who figured this out!

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Jay Lerner, Burton Lane, Fred Astaire, Ralph Sharon, Royal Wedding, Steppin' Out, Tony Bennett

May 17, 2015 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You’re All The World To Me

The song of the day for Sunday, May 17, 2015 is “You’re All The World To Me.”

About This Song

“You’re All The World To Me” was written for the 1951 MGM musical Royal Wedding by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics).The film starred 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

I really enjoy this recording of “You’re All The World To Me.” The arrangement, especially with the brushes on the drums, does a wonderful job of suggesting the danceability of the number. There is a wonderful airiness to his singing. The more I listen to Steppin’ Out, the more I love the album. Mr. Bennett also sang this song on his MTV Unplugged concert.

You"re All the World to Me

Listen to You"re All the World to Me on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1993.

“You’re All The World To Me,” as well as Steppin’ Out, is available from iTunes.

Here is Fred Astaire singing and dancing to “You’re All The World To Me.”

For you film buffs, this video shows the mechanics of how this shot was accomplished:

The person who created this explanation explains it second-by-second on his website Bigfott.com.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Jay Lerner, Burton Lane, dancing on the ceiling fred astaire, Fred Astaire, Royal Wedding

June 19, 2014 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

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

The song of the day for Thursday, June 19, 2014 is “You’re All The World To Me.”

About This Song

“You’re All The World To Me” was written in 1950 by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner for the wonderful 1951 Fred Astaire film Royal Wedding. This is the song of Astaire’s famous dancing on the ceiling number.

About This Version

Both of us woke up this morning, independently, thinking about how much we wanted to see Tony Bennett in concert. It was a powerful wish, as at 10:00 am I got an email from the Oregon Symphony letting me know that Tony Bennett, along with his daughter Antonia, would be performing on November 5 here in Portland, Oregon. (Needless to say, I’ve already bought my tickets.) As a result of thinking of this upcoming concert, I have been in a mood for Bennett’s live recorded concerts.

In that frame of mind, I chose “You’re All The World To Me,” from his 1994 MTV Unplugged concert.

http://open.spotify.com/track/5HlMUQuzjkdhv5Y7ix2HZR
“You’re All The World To Me,” as well as the concert recording of MTV Unplugged, is available from iTunes.

Even after I learned how this shot was accomplished, I never cease to wonder at this number. Thanks to YouTube, I’m able to share it today:

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Jay Lerner, Burton Lane, MTV Unplugged, Royal Wedding

August 30, 2012 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: You’re All the The World To Me

The Song of the Day for August 30, 2012 is You’re All The World To Me.

About You’re All The World To Me

You’re All The World To Me was written in 1950 by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics). It premiered in the 1951 Royal Wedding,starring Fred Astaire, who introduced the song in the famous “dancing on the ceiling” scene.

About This Version

This version is from Tony Bennett’s 1993 Stepping Out, his tribute to Fred Astaire.

A Special Treat

Here’s the famous dance from Royal Wedding. Note that the entire number is done in a single take. The entire set of the room and the camera was attached to an axis  rotated through the number. It was a revolutionary effect that was used in later films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey and most recently, Inception.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Alan Jay Lerner, Burton Lane, Fred Astaire, Royal Wedding

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites

  • Song of the Day: The Right To Love
  • Song of the Day: The Song Is Ended
  • Duke Ellington and the Harlem Renaissance
  • Song of the Day: Yesterday I Heard The Rain
  • Song of the Day: You Must Believe in Spring
  • Song of the Day: Maybe This Time
  • Home
  • About
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
  • And More
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

Copyright © 2023 The Year of Tony Bennett · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress