The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: They All Laughed

The song of the day for Thursday, March 13, 2014 is “They All Laughed.”

About This Song

“They All Laughed” was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 movie Shall We Dance, which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This is rather charming list song that has had several fine recordings, including those by Astaire, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “They All Laughed” in 1993 for his album Steppin’ Out, which features songs introduced by Fred Astaire. He performs this song regularly in his concerts and always appears to have a lot of fun singing it.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4x3CTTO912EbRIypUxIQBC
“They All Laughed,” as well as the album Steppin’ Out, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: They Can’t Take That Away From Me

The song of the day for Friday, September 13, 2013 is “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

About This Song

Today’s song is, of course, by George and Iran Gershwin. It was written for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. Gershwin died from a brain tumor soon after the film was released. He left a body of work that would be the envy of any composer, though he was only 39 years old when he died.

About This Version

Today’s version of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is from Tony Bennett’s 1993 album Steppin’ Out. I enjoy this version for many reasons, the least of which is that he sings the verse, which is seldom heard. Actually, one of the many reasons I love Tony Bennett’s singing is because he does sing the verse so often.

http://open.spotify.com/track/0O6zqUCiOz7ocTC8DbseXh
“They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” as well as the album Steppin’ Out, is available from iTunes and Amazon.com.

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Song of the Day: They Can’t Take That Away From Me

The Song of the Day for Monday, November 12, 2012 is They Can’t Take That Away From Me.

About They Can’t Take Away From Me

Written by George and Ira Gershwin, They Can’t Take That Away From Me was written for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the film.  It’s been recorded by many artists, including Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall and many others.

About This Version

This version originally appeared on Mr. Bennett’s tribute album to Fred Astaire, Steppin’ Out, released in 1993. All of the songs on this album were arranged by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. The album featured the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Doug Richeson (b) and Clayton Cameron (d).  This version was included on Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett.