The song of the day for Wednesday, July 31, 2014 is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

Today’s song has wonderful story behind it. I’ll let Tony Bennett tell the story, from his autobiography The Good Life:

Another big number from 1962 was “I Wanna Be Around,” a Johnny Mercer song I had the honor of introducing to the world. What a thrill when I found that Johnny said that my version was his favorite interpretations of any song he ever wrote.

“I Wanna Be Around” has a particularly interesting history. The song was originally conceived by a lady in Youngstown, Ohio, named Sadie Vimmerstedt. Sadie wasn’t a professional songwriter, but she was a fan of great songs, especially Johnny’s. One day she came up with two lines: “I wanna be around to pick up the pieces / When somebody breaks your heart.” She thought they sounded like they belonged in a Johnny Mercer song, so she sent them to him along with a letter explaining how she thought the lyrics would make a good song. She had no exact idea where Johnny lived, so she addressed the envelope. “Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, Los Angeles, California,” and somehow the letter got to him.

Johnny agreed that two the two lines made an idea opening for a song, and he proceeded to write one (one of the rare instances when Johnny wrote the music as well as the lyrics), and then asked me to sing it. We recorded it in October 1962.

…

Johnny very generously gave Sadie fifth percent of the publishing rights to the song, and she did very well indeed. For years I got postcards from Paris, Italy and Spain; she was able to leave her job and travel for the rest of her life.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Wanna Be Around” on October 19, 1962 in New York at the CBS 30th Street Studio. The arranger and conductor was Marty Manning. This recording is included on practically every major compilation of Tony Bennett’s best music, including Forty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett (and 50 and 60 years as well).

“I Wanna Be Around” is one of this author’s favorites; she is always delighted when Mr. Bennett sings it in concert.

http://open.spotify.com/track/1smChL3Aq1U9DZA83LuDtp
“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as the album I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 21, 2014 is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

The story of “I Wanna Be Around” is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces, when somebody breaks yours heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer.
Mercer wrote the melody himself and completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959 and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. Tony Bennett recounts in his autobiography The Good Life that she sent him postcards from her travels.

It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

I can hear you now … she’s been playing a lot of Johnny Mercer lately; it’s true–I have been. Mercer, Arlen, Rodgers and Hart, and “The Rules of the Road” are all on the list of songs and songwriters that I just cannot resist.

Today’s version of “I Wanna Be Around” is the original. Tony Bennett recorded this version in 1962; it was released as a single in 1962 and featured for his 1963 album of the same name. This album also contains another of his great hits: “The Good Life” (stayed tuned; this song is coming up soon). It was arranged and conducted by Marty Manning and was produced by Ernie Altschuler.

“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as the album of the same name, is available from iTunes.