The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: There’ll Be Some Changes Made

The song of the day for Tuesday, June 2, 2015 is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”

About This Song

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” was written in 1921, with music by Benton Overstreet and lyrics by Billy Higgins, two African-American vaudeville performers. Ethel Waters had a hit recording of this song in late 1921; other early recordings include those by Marion Harris, Josie Miles, Fats Waller, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. Later recordings include those by Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett. Even western singers have been drawn to the song, with recordings by artists including Chet Atkins, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and Pee Wee Russell’s Rhythmakers.

About This Version

When you listen to this song, it’s hard to believe that it was written in 1921; it sounds as current as if it were written today. The excellent arrangement is by Torrie Zito. Tony Bennett recorded it for his first album on his new label, Improv: Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful. What with leaving Columbia and starting his own label, I’d say that the choice of this song is perfect.

About Today

Just a few little changes in store prompted this song. I have some movers come over tomorrow to help me set up my home office, which entails taking my desk apart and removing all the doors between where the desk is now to its new home.

There"ll Be Some Changes Made

Listen to There"ll Be Some Changes Made on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“There’ll Be Some Changes Made,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: There’ll Be Some Changes Made

The song of the day for Tuesday, May 13, 2014 is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”

About This Song

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” was written in 1921, with music by Benton Overstreet and lyrics by Billy Higgins, two African-American vaudeville performers. Ethel Waters had a hit recording of this song in late 1921; other early recordings include those by Marion Harris, Josie Miles, Fats Waller, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. Later recordings include those by Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett. Even western singers have been drawn to the song by artists including Chet Atkins, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and Pee Wee Russell’s Rhythmakers.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” in 1975 for his album Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful. The really great arrangement is by Torrie Zito; Chuck Hughes on drums and John Guiffrida on bass rounded out the trio with Zito on piano.

http://open.spotify.com/track/10d0wvVE4nBjltj0K26gni
“There’ll Be Some Changes Made,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: There’ll Be Some Changes Made

The song of the day for Friday, January 24, 2014 is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”

About This Song

“There’ll Be Some Changes Made” was written in 1921, with music by Benton Overstreet and lyrics by Billy Higgins, two African-American vaudeville performers. Ethel Waters had a hit recording of this song in late 1921; other early recordings include those by Marion Harris, Josie Miles, Fats Waller, and the Chicago Rhythm Kings. Later recordings include those by Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee and Tony Bennett. Even western singers have been drawn to the song by artists including Chet Atkins, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and Pee Wee Russell’s Rhythmakers.

About This Album

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1975 album Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful, recorded on his own Improv label. Bennett was accompanied by the Torrie Zito Trio, with Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass and Chuck Hughes on drums. All songs on the album were arranged and conducted by Mr. Zito. Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful, as well as of the other Improv recordings are collected on The Complete Improv Recordings, a 4-CD set.

http://open.spotify.com/track/10d0wvVE4nBjltj0K26gni
“There’ll Be Some Changes Made,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes and Amazon as a 4-CD box set, which includes an excellent booklet.

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Song of the Day: As Time Goes By

The song of the day for Sunday, January 12, 2014 is “As Time Goes By.”

About This Song

“As Time Goes By” was written for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome by Herman Hupfeld. It was a modest hit, with recordings by Rudy Vallee and Binnie Hale. All that changed in 1942, when it was sung by Dooley Wilson in the film Casablanca. Not only was “As Time Goes By” sung; it was a major point plot, as Rick (Humphrey Bogart) had told his pianist Sam (Dooley Wilson) to never ever play that song. Until Rick’s long-lost love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) comes to Casablanca and Rick’s American Bar and asks Sam to play the song. The song provides one of the most misquoted lines in all of film. Bogart never says “play it again, Sam.” He says “if she can stand it, so can I. Play it Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’” The American Film Institute named “As Time Goes By” the second most important song in film, second only to “Over The Rainbow.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “As Time Goes By” from his 1975 album Life Is Beautiful. Note that Tony Bennett sings the verse for this song, which has seldom been heard, especially since the release of the film Casablanca. The lovely arrangement is by Torrie Zito and Bennett accompanied by the Torrie Zito Trio, with Zito on piano, John Guiffrida on bass and Chuck Hughes on drums. The songs from this album, as well as Bennett’s two Rodgers and Hart albums, the two albums with Bill Evans (including many alternate takes) and a live performance with Jimmy and Marian McPartland are collected in The Complete Improv Recordings.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7J8cyzumDB2CJpfAFsO1hp
“As Time Goes By,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings,” is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: There’s A Small Hotel

The song of the day for Friday, November 8, 2013 is “There’s A Small Hotel.”

About This Song

“There’s A Small Hotel” was written in 1935 by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. It was originally intended to be used in the musical extravaganza Jumbo, but was not used; it did get use the next year in On Your Toes. Several small hotels that once had Mr. Rodgers as a guest claimed that their hotel was the inspiration for the song. I believe that we all have an image and memory of a small hotel, whether we actually stayed there or not. You can read more about There’s A Small Hotel, as well as read the lyrics, at our sister site, The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

About This Version

Todays version is from the work that Tony Bennett did The Ruby Braff / George Barnes Quartet in 1973 and was released originally on Tony Bennett Sings More Great Rodgers and Hart. The two albums of Rodgers and Hart songs that Bennett did are among my very favorites. The quartet of cornet, two guitars and bass is rather extraordinary.

The writer Whitney Balliet wrote an essay about Tony Bennett titled “A Quality That Lets You In” that was published in the New Yorker Magazine on January 7, 1974. This essay has been collected in several of Balliet’s books, including American Singers: Twenty-Seven Portraits in Song. You can read the essay at no charge on Google Books. (Your opinionated author only wishes she could write a paragraph to compare with Balliet’s first paragraph in this essay). Subscribers to The New Yorker can sign up to read all back issues of the magazine online. The essay covers a few days when Tony Bennett was appearing in New York and singing Rodgers and Hart songs with the quartet.

http://open.spotify.com/track/6tme59SeCHTlavnDUWrZys
“There’s a Small Hotel,” as well as The Complete Improv Recordings, is available from iTunes.

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