The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Old Devil Moon

The song of the day for Sunday, July 11, 2021, is “Old Devil Moon.”

About This Song

“Old Devil Moon” was written in 1947 by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg for the musical Finian’s Rainbow, which also gave us “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” While Alec Wilder was no fan of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, in America Popular Song, he praises “Old Devil Moon” as “a well-written, wholly convincing song. It drives, and its initial intensity is sustained throughout.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Old Devil Moon” in 1967 for the album Tony Makes It Happen!. The entire album was arranged by Marion Evans; this album marks the first time they worked together.

Old Devil Moon

Listen to Old Devil Moon on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1967.

“Old Devil Moon,” as well as Tony Makes It Happen! is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: What Good Does It Do

The song of the day for is “What Good Does It Do.”

About This Song

“What Good Does It Do” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1957 Broadway musical Jamaica, which starred Lena Horne and Ricardo Montálban; the principal dancer was Alvin Ailey. Yarburg had been blacklisted during the McCarthy period and was unable to work in film or TV from 1951 to 1962. Fortunately, producer David Merrick and Broadway welcomed Yarburg. Jamaica was nominated for major Tony Awards, including Best Musical, all the acting nominations and both scenic and costume design, though it lost to The Music Man.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “What Good Does It Do” at his 1962 concert at Carnegie Hall, which was captured on Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall. Bennett had previously recorded the song for his 1960 album Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen.

What Good Does It Do (From "Jamaica") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to What Good Does It Do (From "Jamaica") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1962.

“What Good Does It Do,” as well as Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Wednesday, May 5, 2021, is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

Yesterday I was listening to an interview on the radio and the interviewer asked the guest (sorry, forgot who) if they could only listen to one song for the rest of their life, what would that song be? I pondered this question while trying to get to sleep last night and decided that song would be “Last Night When We Were Young.” Harold Arlen-check. Yip Harburg-check. Lyrics like “Life was so new, so real, so right; ages ago last night.” Checkmate.

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” to be one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song … (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Yip Harburg has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.” All in all, it’s a very beautiful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers. Frank Sinatra included on his wonderful album In The Wee Small Hours. It has also been recorded by Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Last Night When We Were Young” in 1992 for his album Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the very fine arrangement.

Last Night When We Were Young

Listen to Last Night When We Were Young on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1992.

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: April in Paris

The song of the day for Tuesday, April 20, 2021, is “April in Paris.”

About This Song

“April in Paris” was written in 1932 by Vernon Duke and Yip Harburg for the Broadway musical Walk A Little Faster. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it “… a perfect theater song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “April in Paris” for his 1959 album To My Wonderful One. It was arranged by Frank DeVol.

April in Paris

Listen to April in Paris on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1960.

“April in Paris,” as well as To My Wonderful One, is available from Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Over the Rainbow

The song of the day for Thursday, April 8, 2021, is “Over the Rainbow.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is remembering one of America’s great lyricists: Edgar Yipsel “Yip” Harburg on the anniversary of his birth on April 8, 1896. In addition to his work on many memorable songs, including today’s song, he was known for the social commentary of his lyrics, as well as his liberal sensibilities. He championed racial and gender equality and union politics.

About This Song

“Over the Rainbow” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg in 1939 for The Wizard of Oz. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed downed the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song. “Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts. The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland.

In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote:

(the song) has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Over the Rainbow” in 1960 for Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen. Glenn Osser wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra. Unlike many recordings of “Over the Rainbow,” Bennett sings the verse, which is quite beautiful.

Over The Rainbow

Listen to Over The Rainbow on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1960.

“Over the Rainbow,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen, is available from Apple Music.

We can’t close out this post without two other wonderful versions of today’s song from Judy Garland and Yip Harburg.

Here’s Judy from The Wizard of Oz:

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - The Wizard of Oz (1/8) Movie CLIP (1939) HD

The Wizard of Oz movie clips: http://j.mp/1L5gtKPBUY THE MOVIE: http://bit.ly/2cmiEyCDon"t miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prWatch more Fam...

And here is Yip singing today’s song. I love this video. I hope you will too.

Yip Harburg - Over The Rainbow

After many requests, I am uploading this short clip which I use in teaching the basics of songwriting. It is a moving version of "Over The Rainbow" by the ly...

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