The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Get Happy

The song of the day for Monday, March 2, 2020, is “Get Happy.”

About This Song

“Get Happy” was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler for the 1930 The Nine-Fifteen Revue, where it was introduced by Ruth Etting. Most people today are more familiar with Judy Garland’s wonderful song and dance performance in the 1950 movie Summer Stock.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Get Happy” in 1968 for his album Yesterday I Heard The Rain. The arrangement was written by Torrie Zito.

“Get Happy,” as well as Yesterday I Heard the Rain, is available from iTunes.

Here’s Judy Garland singing and dancing to “Get Happy” from the 1950 movie Summer Stock.

Summer Stock | Judy Garland Sings Get Happy | Warner Classics

Get Happy - Judy Garland | Summer Stock (1950) #WarnerArchive #WarnerBros #SummerStock About Get Happy (1950): To save Jane Falbury"s (Judy Garland) Connecticut farm, Jane"s sister, Abigail (Gloria DeHaven), convinces Herb Blake (Phil Silvers), the producer of a new Broadway show to rehearse on her farm.

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Song of the Day: Hi-Ho

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 25, 2019, is ” Hi-Ho.”

About This Song

“Hi-Ho” is probably Gershwin’s least known great song. It was one of the first songs the Gershwin brothers wrote in 1936 when they first came to Hollywood and slated for the movie Shall We Dance featuring Fred Astaire dancing in the streets of Paris. The song was cut due to concerns over the costs for filming the sequence. The song faded from then on and was only published in 1967. Tony Bennett’s was the first recording of this song.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Hi-Ho” in 1968 for his album Yesterday I Heard The Rain. It was arranged by Torrie Zito.

“Hi-Ho,” as well as Yesterday I Heard The Rain, is available from iTunes.

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Playlist of the Week: Tony Sings a Hispanic Song Book

The playlist for the week of September 8, 2019, is Tony Sings a Hispanic Song Book.

This week, I’m featuring music written by composers from Mexico and South America and performances with musicians from those regions, as well as the Caribbean. I hope you enjoy.

The songs from this playlist can be found on:

Duets: An American Classic
Duets II
Viva Duets
Yesterday I Heard the Rain
If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
I Wanna Be Around

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Song of the Day: Sweet Georgie Fame

The song of the day for Saturday, September 7, 2019, is “Sweet Georgie Fame.”

About This Song

“Sweet Georgie Fame” was written in 196y, with music by Blossom Dearie and lyrics by Sandra Black. Blossom Dearie told The New York Times in 1981, “I was in London in 1966, when a bass player told me I should go hear the skiffle, rock, blues and jazz singer Georgie Fame, He said I’d like him, and I did – very much. Then I was visiting a friend, where Georgie Fame’s records were on, and her kids were dancing to them. I got a melody from that, and my friend’s sister, Sandra Black (Harris) wrote words to it.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Sweet Georgie Fame” in 1968 for his album Yesterday I Heard The Rain. Torrie Zito wrote the fine arrangement.

“Sweet Georgie Fame,” as well as Yesterday I Heard The Rain, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Yesterday I Heard the Rain

The song of the day for Saturday, March 2, 2019, is “Yesterday I Heard the Rain.”

About This Song

“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” was written in 1968 by Mexican composer Armando Manzanero, with English lyrics by Gene Lees. Entitled “Esta Tarde Vi Llover” in the original Spanish, is one of Manzanero’s most highly regarded songs. Born in 1935, Manzanero studied music in Mexico City and composed his first song at the age of fifteen. At the age of sixteen, he became a professional pianist. His songs, like “Yesterday I Heard The Rain” are beautiful and romantic songs. He is considered to be one of the most successful composers from Latin America.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” in 1968 for the album also titled Yesterday I Heard the Rain. Torrie Zito wrote the very fine arrangement.

Yesterday I Heard The Rain (Esta Tarde Vi Llover) – 2011 Remaster

Yesterday I Heard The Rain (Esta Tarde Vi Llover) – 2011 Remaster, a song by Tony Bennett on Spotify

“Yesterday I Heard the Rain,” as well as the album of the same name, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Tony Bennett and Alejandro Sanz recorded “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” for the 2012 album Viva Duets. Here is a video of the recording of the song.

Yesterday I Heard the Rain (from Duets II: The Great Performances)

Music video by Tony Bennett & Alejandro Sanz performing Yesterday I Heard The Rain. (C) 2011 Sony Music Entertainment