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 Waltz

On the 11th day of The Twelve Days of a Tony Bennett Christmas, the song of the day for Thursday, December 24, 2020, is “The Christmas Waltz.”

About This Song

“A Christmas Waltz” was written in 1954 by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. They wrote it for Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on the B-side with “White Christmas.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “A Christmas Waltz” for his 2008 album A Swingin’ Christmas. Playing with him are his quartet: Monte Alexander (piano), Gray Sargent (guitar), Paul Langosch (bass), and Harold Jones (drums).

The Christmas Waltz

Listen to The Christmas Waltz on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2008.

“The Christmas Waltz,” as well as A Swingin’ Christmas, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Time After Time

The song of the day for Friday, July 17, 2020, is “Time After Time.”

About This Song

“Time After Time” was written by Frank Loesser and Sammy Cahn in 1947 for the movie It Happened in Brooklyn. The song was introduced by Frank Sinatra and was a major hit for him. It’s been widely recorded by many artists. In his fine book The Jazz Standards, Al Gioia quotes Jule Styne as saying “It’s a man’s song — ‘Time After Time.’ When a woman sings it, it is drained of all its power, so to speak. The girls can’t do it.” Well, tell that to Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day, and Cyndi Lauper.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded “Time After Time” three times. This year, I’ve already featured his live version from 1964 on Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On and on the 1992 Perfectly Frank. Today is his 1958 recording on the album Long Ago And Far Away, arranged by Frank DeVol.

“Time After Time,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available from Apple Music.

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Tony Live! Time After Time

The song of the day for Sunday, March 29, 2020, is “Time After Time.”

About This Song

“Time After Time” was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn in 1947 for the movie It Happened in Brooklyn. The song was introduced by Frank Sinatra and was a major hit for him.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Time After Time” in 1964 at The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. The recording was released in 2011 on Live At The Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964.

“Time After Time,” as well as Live at The Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Fall In Love Too Easily

The song of the day for Thursday, September 28, 2020, is “I Fall In Love Too Easily.”

About This Song

“I Fall in Love Too Easily” was written in 1944 by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was written for the 1945 movie Anchors Away, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra. It 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 1954 for his album Cloud 7. Chuck Wayne wrote the arrangement.

“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” as well as Cloud 7, is available from iTunes.

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Playlist of the Week: Tony Likes a Jimmy Van Heusen Song

The playlist for the week of October 6, 2019, is Tony Likes a Jimmy Van Heusen Song.

Jimmy Van Heusen was one of the great songwriters in mid-20th-century popular film music. He wrote many songs that are well-known and popular to this day. He is also the person who wrote the song that was my absolute favorite song when I was five years old: “Swinging on a Star.” I was told, as an adult, that I drove my parents crazy by constantly singing, loudly, phrases from this song. “Or would you rather be a pig?” Or a mule or a fish. Well, you get the idea.

Swinging on a Star. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From The Playground.
Darn That Dream. Lyrics by Eddie DeLange. From Cloud 7.
The Second Time Around. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From The Movie Song Album.
Call Me Irresponsible. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From Perfectly Frank.
Here’s That Rainy Day. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From Perfectly Frank.
Nancy. Lyrics by Phil Silvers. From Perfectly Frank.
But Beautiful. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album.
What Makes It Happen. Lyrics by Sammy Cahn. From Tony Makes It Happen!
All My Tomorrows. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From Perfectly Frank.
I Thought About You. Lyrics by Johnny Mercer. From Perfectly Frank.
It Could Happen To You. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From When Lights Are Low.
Oh! You Crazy Moon. Lyrics by Johnny Burke. From When Lights Are Low.

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