The song of the day for August 31, 2015 is “Penthouse Serenade.”

About This Song

“Penthouse Serenade” was written in 1931 by Will Jason and Val Burton. The song is one the classic Depression-era songs with the yearning for the glamorous Manhattan apartment by the poor, yet romantic, couple. The first known use of “Penthouse Serenade” was for the 1933 animated short Betty Boop’s Penthouse, where it was sung by Mae Questel. On a more serious note, “Penthouse Serenade” has had exceptional recordings: Nat King Cole recorded it in 1952 as a piano solo for an album of the same name and Tony Bennett’s recording.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Penthouse Serenade” in 1958 for the album Hometown, My Town, which was released in 1959. This album, which is probably not known to some of Bennett’s fans, is one of my favorite of all of his albums. This song, as well as the rest of the album, was arranged by Ralph Burns.

About Today

I’d like to dedicate this song of the day to my good friend Ben Farmer and his wife Megan Carver. Ben and Megan are both actors and are leaving Portland this week to move to New York, where I’m convinced they will shine. They are each very talented and have each gained an excellent reputation here in Portland for their work on stage, film and television. Even though I’ll miss seeing Ben at work, I’m thrilled for them and their move to the big city. Break a leg, you guys!

“Penthouse Serenade,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from iTunes.

The song of the day for Sunday, May 25, 2014 is “Penthouse Serenade.”

About This Song

“Penthouse Serenade” was written in 1931 by Will Jason and Val Burton. It is one the classic Depression-era songs with the yearning for the glamorous Manhattan apartment by the poor, yet romantic, couple. The first known use of “Penthouse Serenade” was for the 1933 animated short Betty Boop’s Penthouse, where it was sung by Mae Questel. On a more serious note, “Penthouse Serenade” has had exceptional recordings, including Nat King Cole recording in 1952 as a piano solo for an album of the same name and Tony Bennett’s recording for his 1959 album Hometown, My Town.

About This Version

“Penthouse Serenade” is one of the two long-form arrangements on Hometown, My Town (the other being “Skyscraper Blues”). As with the rest of the album, it was arranged by Ralph Burns. Though it has a relatively short playing time, this album stands as one of the earliest and most cohesive concept albums ever created.

http://open.spotify.com/track/4fqH8vY5L35o48z2H5RAHm
“Penthouse Serenade,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from iTunes.