The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Losing My Mind

The song of the day for Sunday, November 26, 2017 is “Losing My Mind.”

About This Song

This song is from Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 musical Follies, about a reunion of the performers from The Weissman Follies, held as the theatre they performed in is about to be demolished and turned into a parking lot. “Losing My Mind” is sung by Sally Durant, who married one of the stage door Johnnies, Buddy (now a salesman), and lives in Arizona. Her friend Phyllis has married Buddy’s friend Ben, who is quite successful. Sally was in love with Ben years ago and still is. She sings this song about this lost love. The song was introduced on Broadway by Dorothy Collins; in the fabled 1985 concert version of Follies, it was sung by Barbara Cook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Losing My Mind” in 1971 for the album Summer of ’42. The arrangement is by Torrie Zito.

I"m Losing My Mind

Listen to I"m Losing My Mind on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1971


“Losing My Mind,” as well as Summer of ’42, is available from iTunes.

About Today

I have two great passions when it comes to music: Tony Bennett and the music of Stephen Sondheim. Tonight I’m off to see the filmed production of Follies, as staged by the National Theatre in London. For my money, it’s Sondheim’s best score and is revered by most Sondheim fans, including me. It is seldom produced, as the cast is quite large and the period costumes of the Follies performers are complex and expensive. I am grateful to the National Theatre for producing this musical and making the film available to viewers from all over the world. I can’t imagine how much it must have cost to mount this production; they even use a full orchestra–all the better for this glorious score that I can never get enough of. Imelda Staunton performs “Losing My Mind” in this production. I hope and pray a cast recording will be made.

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Song of the Day: Coffee Break

The song of the day for Monday, May 22, 2017 is “Coffee Break.”

About This Song

“Coffee Break” was written by James Moody, who joined Dizzy Gillespie’s bebop orchestra after his service in the Air Force ended in 1946. Moody primarily played tenor saxophone, but also played soprano and alto sax and the flute. While a member of various Gillespie groups, he had an active solo and composing career as well. He was named a Jazz Master in 1998 by the National Endowment for the Arts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Coffee Break” in 1967 and features an arrangement by Torrie Zito. The recording was included on one of Bennett’s last albums with Columbia after he ended his contract, Summer of ’42.

More And More

Listen to More And More on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1971


“Coffee Break,” as well as Summer of ’42, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Coffee Break

The song of the day for Tuesday, March 15, 2016 is “Coffee Break.”

About This Song

The composer of “Coffee Break,” James Moody, joined Dizzy Gillespie’s bebop orchestra after his service in the Air Force ended in 1946. Moody primarily played tenor saxophone, but also played soprano and
alto sax and the flute. While a member of various Gillespie groups, he had an active solo and composing career as well. He was named a Jazz Master in 1998 by the National Endowment for the Arts.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Coffee Break” in 1967 for his album Summer of ’42, which was released in 1971. It was arranged by Torrie Zito.

Coffee Break

Listen to Coffee Break on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1971


“Coffee Break,” as well as Summer of ’42, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Shining Sea

The song of the day for Friday, May 23, 2014 is “The Shining Sea.”

About This Song

Our song today, “The Shining Sea,” is from the 1966 film The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming and was written by Johnny Mandel, with lyrics by Peggy Lee.

I had DVRed this film recently (thanks Turner Classic Movies!) and we sat down to watch it the other day. The film has always been a favorite of mine, but my friend had never seen it. The cast is wonderful: Alan Arkin, Eva Marie Saint, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters, Brian Keith and many more film and stage actors. In a nutshell, a Russian submarine accidentally runs aground just offshore from a small New England beach town. A few of the Russians sailors come ashore to find out if there’s a boat they can “borrow” to help move the submarine. Needless to say, hilarity and misunderstandings ensue. And, in the end, a Russian sailor saves a little boy who has fallen out of a church tower and all is well. We had a great time. And, of course, we got to listen to this very lovely song by Mr. Mandel.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Shining Sea” in 1966, but the song was not released until 1971 on the album Summer of ’42. This version was arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel and features Bobby Hackett on cornet.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7CFcpNIFDAW9ZIqwSiQO4k
“The Shining Sea,” as well as the album Summer of ’42, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Theme from “Summer of ’42”

The song of the day for Thursday, December 5, 2013 is “Theme from Summer of ’42.”

About This Song

Also known as “The Summer Knows,” today’s song is from the 1971 movie Summer of ’42. The song was written by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

I spent the summer of 1971 doing summer stock theater at Pennsylvania State University and having the time of my life. On one of our rare evenings off, a group of us went to see this movie and I loved it from the start and still do.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for the album of the same name, released in 1971. There are some wonderful songs on this album in addition to today’s song, including “Walkabout,” “It Was Me” and “The Shining Sea.” Today’s song was arranged and conducted by Torrie Zito and was produced by Teo Macero.

Today’s song was a request from one of our readers. Please don’t hesitate to request any Tony Bennett song that you’d like to hear. You can use the comments box on any page for your request.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4QH3SUgnlRn4FTrdqLDmuI
“Theme from the Summer of ’42,” as well as the album Summer of ’42, is available from iTunes.

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