[Photo: Tony Bennett with Elvis Costello. Don’t worry, today’s song is a solo.]
Tony Bennett was 82 years old when he appeared, in 2008, on Elvis Costello’s talk-and-music program, Spectacle. His performance of this old standard, at close to the beginning of the episode, greatly moved me.
I’ve had a Frank Sinatra cover for years. But his version “swings,” flirting (I guess) with the object of the song’s affection. Here, Bennett takes his time with it, even free-form vocalizing softly — and a very little — down towards the end.
In this recording of the performance, you’ll hear two distinct bursts of applause at the beginning. The first occurs when Bennett agreed to Costello’s request to sing something by Jerome Kern. Bennett didn’t announce which Kern he’d choose, though, just began singing — the second round of applause greets the specific selection. At the piano is Bill Charlap, whom Bennett had introduced as “the finest jazz pianist today,” but I’d never heard of him before. Charlap certainly did nothing during this performance (including a sweet and tender solo of his own) to make me question Bennett’s wisdom.
About the song: Kern composed the music, but the lyrics were by Dorothy Field. It was introduced in Fred Astaire’s Swing Time of 1936, where Astaire croons it to Ginger Rogers. Wikipedia quotes Field: “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.”
[Below, click Play button to begin The Way You Look Tonight. While audio is playing, volume control appears at left — a row of little vertical bars. This clip is 5:00 long.]
[Lyrics]
John says
It just occurred to me that the difference between Sinatra’s and Bennett’s versions is this: Sinatra sings to the “you,” just as Fred Astaire did to Ginger Rogers; Bennett treats the song more as a stream-of-consciousness monologue — something a guy would be thinking to himself, say, when sitting across a dinner table from his love. Or even just when glancing at her out of the corner of his eye while they sit in the living room, watching TV.
The point being, Sinatra makes it about the admirer as well as the admired; Bennett is all thoughtful, wistful generosity. No wonder this moved me.
Hyocynth says
Ah, John, you hit the triple crown: Sinatra, Astaire and Bennett. In Swing Time Astair is singing to Rogers and she’s supposedly washing her hair. She comes out of the bathroom all Dewey-eyed and when he trails off she’s standing there with shampoo in her hair and on her hand and he looks almost horrified. It’s a great moment, I still smile at it. Bennett phrases things so subtlely, doesn’t he? When he sings The Blue Pajama song (I guess I’ll have to change my plan, I should’ve realized there be another man), he’s all self effacing. Others sing it with a sting in it, which I don’t think the lyricist meant. And Sinatra, well…always had his own way…thanks for a lovely Wednesday break.
John says
I was hoping you’d see this! (It’s the main reason why I grabbed the audio for the performance, rather than simply embedding the YouTube video… You do know the old RAMH right-bracket trick, right?)
In Swing Time, I remember the scene with Ginger Rogers. Specifically, I remember how she has to sort of walk a line between shy and embarrassed on one hand, and pleased and flattered on the other. Much stage business with the hairbrush, I seem to recall.
Never heard Tony Bennett’s version of “I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan”; the only recording of it I’d ever heard was Astaire’s, on the That’s Entertainment soundtrack. I bet Bennett kills it, exactly as you describe.