1920s, Jazz

Body and Soul

November 19, 2018

First recorded by Jack Hylton (Feb 1930).
Hit versions by Libby Holman (US #3 1930), Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (US #1 1930), Louis Armstrong (US #7 1930), Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse (US #87 2011).
Also recorded by Coleman Hawkins (1939), Billie Holiday (1957).

From the wiki: “The popular jazz standard, ‘Body and Soul’, was written in 1930 by Johnny Green (music) with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. It was composed in New York City for the British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced it first on stage to London audiences. ‘Body and Soul’ would also be first recorded in London by the orchestra of Jack Hylton, the ‘British King of Jazz’, on February 7, 1930.

“In the US, the song was first performed on stage by Libby Holman in 1930 Broadway revue, Three’s a Crowd. The tune grew quickly in popularity and, by the end of 1930, at least 11 American bands had recorded it, including a release by Holman with the Brunswick Records studio orchestra. The Paul Whiteman Orchestra, featuring Jack Fulton on vocals, recorded the most popular version; Louis Armstrong would the first jazz musician to record ‘Body and Soul’, in October 1930.

What Kind of Fool Am I?

July 31, 2017

First recorded by Anthony Newley (1961).
Hit versions by Sammy Davis, Jr. (US #17/MOR #6 1962), Shirley Bassey (UK #47 1963).
Also recorded by Tony Bennett (1962), James Brown (1970).

From the wiki: “”What Kind of Fool Am I?” is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical Stop The World – I Want To Get Off. Bricusse and Newley received the 1961 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

“This song was recorded while Newley was on the road with the touring company of ‘Stop the World …’ in the United States, after its hugely successful run in the United Kingdom. By the time the cast reached New York, Tony Bennett had recorded a cover of ‘What Kind of Fool Am I?’ but was unenthusiastic about it*. So, the song became a hit for Sammy Davis Jr., peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at #6 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. It also won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, with songwriters Bricusse and Newley becoming the first Britons to do so. In 1963 Shirley Bassey released the song as a Columbia Record single in the U.K. and her version reached #47 on the U.K. Singles chart.

“James Brown covered ‘What Kind of Fool Am I?’ for his 1970 album, Soul on Top.

“The song was also the inspiration for a Gary Larson cartoon (see below).

* “Publisher Harold Richmond related an amusing story about Bennett and ‘What Kind of Food Am I?’:

‘When I was in England to see Oliver! and I heard ‘What Kind of Fool Am I?’, Tony was my first choice for the song. (Sammy Davis, Jr. found the song by himself.) Tony had had ‘San Francisco’ out for six or eight weeks and he said, ‘Howie, I’m going to stick with ‘San Francisco’ for a while. I like ‘What Kind of Fool’ but –.’ I said to him, ‘Tony! ‘San Francisco’ has been out a couple of months and nothing’s happening with it!’ Tony said, ‘Well, I’m still going to stick with it for a while.’ Well, we all know how that turned out.'”

– Billboard magazine, Nov. 30, 1968

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

July 4, 2016

First performed by Claramae Turner (1954).
Hit version by Tony Bennett (US #19/MOR #7 1962 |UK #25 1965).

From the wiki: “‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ was written in the fall of 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, by George Cory and Douglass Cross, two amateur writers nostalgic for San Francisco after moving to New York. The song was originally written for opera singer Claramae Turner, a personal friend of Cross, who often used it as an encore. However, she never got around to formally recording it for distribution.

“The song then found its way to Tony Bennett through Ralph Sharon, Bennett’s longtime accompanist and friends with the composers. Sharon brought the music along when he and Bennett were on tour and on their way to San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel.

“Prior to Bennett hearing it, though, the song was first pitched to Tennessee Ernie Ford, who Turner first suggested Cross take it to. Ford turned the song down (but, in a coincidental turn of events, later purchased a ranch in Lake County, California, north of San Francisco, owned by Cross’s family).

Till

January 30, 2015

First recorded by The Percy Faith Orchestra (US #63 1957).
Other hit versions by Roger Williams (US #22 1957), Tony Bennett (UK #38 1961), The Angels (US #14 1961), The Vogues (US #27/MOR #5 1968), Tom Jones (UK #2 1971).

From the wiki: “Since there are many songs with ‘Till’ in the title, let it be clear that this is the one that starts: ‘Till the moon deserts the sky’, with music by Charles Danvers and English lyrics by Carl Sigman, and adapted from the French song ‘Prière Sans Espoir’ recorded in 1956. The Percy Faith Orchestra (with chorus) charted first, in April 1957. Later the same year, Roger Williams released a similarly mostly-instrumental recording that reached into the US Top 40. In 1961, Shirley Bassey and Tony Bennett each recorded all-vocal covers of ‘Till’, with Bennett’s version reaching #38 on the UK Single chart. Girl-group The Angels originated in New Jersey as The Starlets. After a failed attempt at record deal, producer Gerry Granahan (‘Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu‘) heard some hit potential with a song The Starlets had performed for him in their audition, ‘Till’. ‘Till’ became the group’s first single under their new name, The Angels, and also their first hit (US #14) released by Granahan’s Caprice label in 1961.

Cold, Cold Heart

December 13, 2014

Written and first recorded by Hank Williams (C&W #1 1951).
Other hit versions by Dinah Washington (R&B #3 1951), Tony Bennett (US #1 1951).

From the wiki: “Hank Williams wrote ‘Cold Cold Heart’ after visiting his wife, Audrey, in the hospital where she was recovering from an illegal abortion. The flowers he brought her were thrown back in his face. ‘You sorry son of a bitch,’ she is claimed to have said. ‘It was you that caused me to suffer this.’ Hank went home and said his wife had a ‘cold, cold heart.’ Audrey shut him out of her life, and filed for divorce on January 10, 1952. The melody to ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ was taken from ‘You’ll Still Be In My Heart’ (1945), by T. Texas Tyler (who also wrote ‘My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It’). The copyright case was settled out-of-court, after Hank’s passing, in 1955. Dinah Washington and Tony Bennett both recorded adaptations of ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ in 1951, helping Country music out of its rural isolation with additional success on both the R&B and Pop charts.”

I’ve Gotta Be Me

December 9, 2014

First recorded (as “I’ve Got to Be Me”) by Steve Lawrence (MOR #6 1968).
Also recorded (as ‘I Gotta Be Me’) by Della Reese (1968).
Other hit versions by Sammy Davis, Jr. (US #11/MOR #1 1968), Tony Bennett (MOR #29 1969).

From the wiki: “‘I’ve Gotta Be Me’ appeared in the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow, which starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. The musical opened in New York City at the Shubert Theatre on February 4, 1968. The music and lyrics for the musical were by Walter Marks and were composed in 1967. (song was listed in the musical as ‘I’ve Got to Be Me’.) Lawrence released the song as a single in 1967, ahead of the show opening, and the following year it hit #6 on the Billboard MOR chart, with little or no support from traditional Top 40 radio.

“Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded the song in 1968 while the musical was still running on Broadway, altering the title slightly to ‘I’ve Gotta Be Me’ and releasing it as a single late in the year. This version of the song was a surprise hit for Davis, since the musical was not among the more successful shows on Broadway that season. It became Davis’ third-highest charting single in his career on the Hot 100.

Tagged: Tony Bennett