The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Makin’ Whoopee!

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, is “Makin’ Whoopee!”

About This Song

“Makin’ Whoopee!” was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn for the 1928 musical Whoopee! produced by Florenz Ziegfeld and starring Eddie Cantor.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Cyndi Lauper recorded “Makin’ Whoopee!” in 2003 for Lauper’s album At Last. I love how much fun they had when making this recording.

“Makin’ Whoopee!” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

We have a nice recording of Eddie Cantor singing “Making Whoopee!”

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Song of the Day: My Baby Just Cares For Me

The song of the day for Monday, March 3[0, 2026, is “My Baby Just Cares For Me.”

About This Song

“My Baby Just Cares For Me” was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn for the 1930 film version of Whoopee! with Eddie Cantor. Though recorded by many artists, the song is widely associated with Nina Simone, who recorded it for her 1958 debut album Little Girl Blue.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “My Baby Just Cares For Me” on December 22, 1954, for Cloud 7, released in 1955. Charles Panely wrote the arrangement.

“My Baby Just Cares For Me,” as well as Cloud 7, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Makin’ Whoopee

The song of the day for Saturdayi, November 15, 2025, is “Makin’ Whoopee.”

About This Song

“Makin’ Whoopee” was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn for the 1928 musical Whoopee!, which starred Eddie Cantor and who introduced the song. It does, of course, refer to sexual intimacy and lists all the things that follow from that (wedding, honeymoon, babies, etc.). It has been widely recorded over the years.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Cyndi Lauper recorded “Makin’ Whoopee” in 2003 for Cyndi Lauper: At Last. They were accompanied by Lee Musiker (piano), Gray Sargent (guitar), Paul Langosch (bass) and Clayton Cameron (drums).

“Makin’ Whoopee,” as well as Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 2, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: My Baby Just Cares For Me

The song of the day for Thursday, August 1, 2024, is “My Baby Just Cares For Me.”

About This Song

“My Baby Just Cares For Me” was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn for the 1930 film version of Whoopee! with Eddie Cantor. Though recorded by many artists, the song is widely associated with Nina Simone, who recorded it for her 1958 debut album Little Girl Blue.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “My Baby Just Cares For Me” on December 22, 1954, for his first full-length album Cloud 7. It was arranged by Charles Paneley, who played trumpet on the album.

“My Baby Just Cares For Me,” as well as Cloud 7, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: My Mom

The song of the day for Sunday, May 12, 2024, is “My Mom.”

About This Song

“My Mom” was written in 1932 by Walter Donaldson. It was quite popular at the time, with recordings by George Jessell and Rudy Vallee, among others. In his autobiography The Good Life, Tony Bennett relates that his father used to sing this song to him and his brother and sister when they were children.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “My Mom” in June 1998 for The Playground, his album for children.

“My Mom,” as well as The Playground, is available on Apple Music.