The song of the day for Sunday, November 13, 2016 is “Revolvin’ Jones.”

About This Song

“Revolvin’ Jones” was was written in 1940 by Will Robison, who met and collaborated with Jack Teagarden. Other well-known Robison songs include “A Cottage For Sale” and “Don’t Smoke in Bed.”
In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder wrote that “Everybody loved him and many tried to help him, among them John Mercer. Mildred Bailey revered him and sang every song of his she could lay her hands on. I became aware of him in the late twenties when he recorded for Perfect Records. He did manage, during his almost euphoric life, to write a few successful songs … but generally his songs were known only to a few singers and lovers of the off-beat and the non-urban song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Revolvin’ Jones” in 1962 for the album On The Glory Road, though at the last minute Columbia decided to not release the album. Thankfully, this jewel of an album was included in Bennett’s 2011 Complete Collection and now is available for downloading on iTunes.

I adore this song. No matter how bad a mood I’m in, this song always makes me smile and laugh. I hope it does the same for you.

“Revolvin’ Jones,” as well as On The Glory Road, is available from iTunes.

The song of the day for Sunday, August 16, 2015 is “Revolvin’ Jones.”

About This Song

“Revolvin’ Jones” was was written in 1940 by Will Robison, who met and collaborated with Jack Teagarden. Other well-known Robison songs include “A Cottage For Sale” and “Don’t Smoke in Bed.”

In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder wrote that “Everybody loved him and many tried to help him, among them John Mercer. Mildred Bailey revered him and sang every song of his she could lay her hands on. I became aware of him in the late twenties when he recorded for Perfect Records. … He did manage, during his almost euphoric life, to write a few successful songs … but generally his songs were known only to a few singers and lovers of the off-beat and the non-urban song. He had a special flair for gentleness and childhood, the lost and the religious. I suppose it’s not part of the growth of popular music, nor perhaps were any of Robison’s songs. But if they could so much bolster John Mercer’s conviction that there was more to write lyrics about than city life, that the world of memory, of remembered sayings and scenes, was as evocative as the whispered words of lovers, then he did make a contribution.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett’s recording of “Revolvin’ Jones” was made in 1962 for an album titled On The Glory Road. At the very last moment, it was decided to not release the album at all. While some songs recorded for On The Glory Road turned up on other albums, others did not, including “Revolvin’ Jones.” Fortunately for us all, the album was including in the 2011 Complete Collection and is now available for download from iTunes. It’s a charming and funny song and it seems that Bennett has a great time with it. The song was arranged by Ralph Sharon and the album was produced by Ernie Altschuler.

“Revolvin’ Jones,” as well as On the Glory Road, is available from iTunes.