The song of the day for Saturday, November 23, 2013 is “The Shadow of Your Smile.”

About This Song

“The Shadow of Your Smile” (also known as the theme from The Sandpiper) was written by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster for the 1965 film The Sandpiper, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The Sandpiper was set in and filmed on location in Big Sur, on the California coast. The song was very popular and won both the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

We choose this song today in honor of the birthday of Johnny Mandel, who was born on November 23, 1925 in New York City. He is quite well-known for his wonderful film scores, including those for Emily, M*A*S*H and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. His popular songs, many recorded by Tony Bennett, also include “Close Enough For Love” and one of my personal favorites, “Where Do You Start?” He is also associated with Tony Bennett as an arranger and conductor on albums including The Movie Song Album and The Art of Romance. Happy Birthday, Mr. Mandel.

On a personal note, today’s song was a favorite of my late mother and I’d like to dedicate today’s song to her as well.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song for what he has often called his favorite of all his albums: the 1966 The Movie Song Album. Today’s song was arranged and conducted by Mr. Mandel. “The Shadow of Your Smile” is a favorite of Tony Bennett: he sings it regularly in his concerts, always to great applause.

http://open.spotify.com/track/66YI4JFp7BcMcepibGprsN
“The Shadow of Your Smile,” as well as The Movie Song Album, is available from iTunes and Amazon.

And no, I haven’t forgotten that it’s YouTube Saturday. Here’s Tony Bennett singing today’s song, from The Andy Williams Show in 1966.

Tip: Never, never, ever trust a spelling checker. The Sandpaper? Really??