Winter Wonderland

PROFILE
Composer	Felix Barnard
Lyricist	Richard B. Smith
Year Written	1934
About Winter Wonderland
The lyricist Richard Smith wrote this song after a snowfall covered his home town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. It is, of course, a beloved holiday song, even though the lyrics do not explicitly mention Christmas.

Lyrics

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song,
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say: Are you married?
We’ll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you’re in town.

Later on, we’ll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we’ve made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he’s a circus clown
We’ll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows, ain’t it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We’ll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Walking in a winter wonderland,
Walking in a winter wonderland.

Session / Album Information

1968

“Winter Wonderland” was recorded on October 1, 1968 and released that year on the album Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album. It was arranged by Robert Farnon.

Winter Wonderland
Tony Bennett · Snowfall - The Tony Bennett Christmas Album · Song · 1968

This recording released on:

1968: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9739 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
1969: CBS LP 12″: 63782 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album (UK)
1971: Columbia Special Products LP 12″: C 10400 — The Joyous Songs Of Christmas
1972: Columbia Special Products LP 12″: P 11406 — Tony Bennett and His Friends “Over The Holidays”
1976: Warwick LP 12″: PR 5021 — The Very Best Of Tony Bennett: 20 Greatest Hits [UK]
1976: Warwick/CBS LP 12″: CBS 5021 — The Very Best Of Tony Bennett: 20 Greatest Hits [UK
1990: Columbia/Legacy CD: CK-40215 — 16 Most Requested Songs
1990: Columbia/Legacy CD: 40215 — 16 Most Requested Songs
1990: Columbia CD: 40215 — 16 Most Requested Songs
1994: Columbia CD: CK 66459 — Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
2001: Sony Music CD: SRCS-9093 — 16 Most Requested Songs
2011: Disc #37 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK36) Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album

2000

“Winter Wonderland” was recorded on December 21, 2000 with Vanessa Williams and released the following year on Our Favorite Things. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

Winter Wonderland - Voice
Listen to Winter Wonderland - Voice on Spotify. Song · Felix Bernard, Plácido Domingo, Tony Bennett, Vanessa Williams, Steven Mercurio, Wiener Symphoniker · 2001

This recording released on:

2011: Disc #66 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK64) Our Favorite Things

2004

“Winter Wonderland” was recorded in 2004 and released in 2008 for A Swingin’ Christmas. It was arranged by Bill Holman.

Winter Wonderland (feat. Count Basie Big Band)
Listen to Winter Wonderland (feat. Count Basie Big Band) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Count Basie Big Band · 2008

This recording released on:

2008: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 732250 — A Swingin’ Christmas
2011: Disc #73 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK71) A Swingin’ Christmas

What a Little Moonlight Can Do

PROFILE
Composer and Lyricist	Harry M. Woods
Year Written	1934
About What a Little Moonlight Can Do
This charming song was written by Harry Woods while he was living and working in temporarily in London for a British film studio as a composer. One of the songs he wrote was “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” for a movie called Road House. Billie Holiday, with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra, recorded the song in 1935.

Lyrics

Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do
Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do to you

You’re in love
Your heart’s a flutter and all day long
You only stutter
Cuz your poor tongue
Just will not utter the words
“I love you”

Ooh, ooh, ooh
Wait a while
Just a little moonbeam comes peepin’ through

You’ll get bold
You can’t resist her
And all you’ll say
When you have kissed her is

Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do

Session / Album Information

1996

“What a Little Moonlight Can Do” was recorded in June 1996 and released in 1997 on the album Tony Bennett On Holiday.

What A Little Moonlight Can Do
Tony Bennett · Tony Bennett On Holiday: A Tribute To Billie Holiday · Song · 1997

This recording released on:

1997: Columbia CD: CK 67774 — On Holiday
2011: Disc #63 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK61) On Holiday

The Very Thought Of You

PROFILE
Composer and Lyricist	Ray Noble
Year Written	1934
About The Very Thought of You
This ballad by the British composer and band leader Ray Noble has been popular since it was written in 1934. Noble recorded it with his own orchestra; Bing Crosby also recorded it that same year. Other significant recordings include those by Frank Sinatra, Carmen McRae and Nat King Cole.

Lyrics

The very thought of you
and I forget to do
those little ordinary things
that everyone ought to do.
I’m living in a kind of daydream,
I’m happy as a king.

And foolish though it may seem, to me that’s everything.
The mere idea of you.
The longing here for you.
You’ll never know how slow
the moments go
till I’m near to you.

I see your face in every flower.
Your eyes in stars above.
It’s just the thought of you,
the very thought of you, my love.

You’ll never know how slow
the moments go
till I’m near to you.

I see your face in every flower.
Your eyes in stars above.
It’s just the thought of you,
the very thought of you, my love.

Session / Album Information

1965

“A Time For Love” was recorded in Fall 1965 and released in 1966 on the album A Time For Love. It was arranged by John Keating and featured Bobby Hackett on cornet.

The Very Thought Of You
Listen to The Very Thought Of You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1966

This recording released on:

1965: CBS 45: BA-221314
1965: CBS 45: 202021
1966: Columbia 45: 4-43715
1966: CBS EP: EP6151 — The Best Of Bennett [UK]
1966: CBS LP 12″: SBPG 62800 — A Time For Love [UK]
1966: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9360 — A Time For Love
1966: Columbia LP 12″: CL 2560 — A Time For Love
1967: Hallmark LP 12″: SHM 769 — The Very Thought Of You
1969: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9891 — Love Story: 20 All-Time Great Recordings
1971: CBS LP 12″: 66297 — Love Songs (UK)
1971: Harmony LP 12″: KH 30758 — The Very Thought Of You
1990: CBS/Sony CD: CSCS-5243 — A Time For Love [Japan]
1991: Columbia CD: CSK 4083 — Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett (Promo)
1991: Columbia CD: C4K 46843 — Forty Years – The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
1993: CBS/Sony CD: SRCS-6641 — Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
1999: Sony International CD: 91207 — The Essential Tony Bennett: A Retrospective
2002: Columbia/Legacy CD: 86634 — The Essential Tony Bennett
2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
2007: Sony Music CD: 715320 — Sings the Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1
2008: Columbia/RPM/Legacy CD: 731397 — The Essential Tony Bennett [Limited Edition 3.0]
2011: Disc #33 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK32) A Time For Love

2006

“The Very Thought Of You” was recorded was recorded in March, 2006 with Paul McCartney and was released that same year on Duets: An American Classic. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

The Very Thought of You (with Paul McCartney)
Listen to The Very Thought of You (with Paul McCartney) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney · 2006

This recording released on:

2006: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 82876809792 — Duets: An American Classic
2006: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 82876887352 — Duets: An American Classic [Target Stores]
2006: Sony BMG CD: 828768858721 — Duets: An American Classic [Australia]
2006: Sony BMG CD: 82876885862 — Duets: An American Classic [UK, Singapore]
2011: Disc #70 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK68) Duets: An American Classic
2013: Columbia/Legacy – Sixty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett

2012

“The Very Thought Of You” was recorded in 2012 with Ana Carolina and released on the deluxe edition of Viva Duets.

The Very Thought Of You (with Ana Carolina)
Listen to The Very Thought Of You (with Ana Carolina) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ana Carolina · 2012

This recording released on:

2012: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 88765400972 – Viva Duets (Target Release)
2012: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 88765402412 – Viva Duets (Deluxe edition)

Solitude

PROFILE
Composer	Duke Ellington
Lyricist	Eddie DeLange, Irving Mills
Year Written	1934
About Solitude
One of his masterpieces, Ellington is said to have written “Solitude” in twenty minutes at the recording session, as they were one number short (Ted Gioia in Jazz Standards). It’s a very strong song for both vocalists and instrumentalists. Ellington made over a hundred recordings of this song. Other great recordings include those by Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine.

Lyrics

In my solitude you haunt me
With reveries of days gone by
In my solitude you taunt me
With memories that never die
I sit in my chair
Filled with despair
Nobody could be so sad
With gloom ev’rywhere
I sit and I stare
I know that I’ll soon go mad
In my solitude
I’m praying
Dear Lord above
Send back my love

Session / Album Information

1958

Solitude was recorded on December 30, 1958 and released in 1959 on the album In Person! . It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

This recording was also released on:

Columbia LP 12″: LE 10125 — In Person! With Count Basie
CBS LP 12″: 35DP159 — In Person! With Count Basie [Japan]
CBS LP 12″: 20AP1418 — In Person! With Count Basie [Japan]
Philips LP 12″: 840059BY — In Person! With Count Basie [UK]
1959: CBS LP 12″: BPG 62250 — In Person! [UK]
1959: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8104 — In Person! With Count Basie
1959: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 1294 — In Person! With Count Basie
1959: Philips LP 12″: BBL 7398/SBBL 542 — In Person! With Count Basie [UK]
1983: CBS LP 12″ (Mono): 32373 — In Person! [UK]
1987: CBS LP 12″: 4504651 — Jazz (UK) (1987)
1987: Columbia LP 12″: C2 40424 — Jazz
1987: Columbia CD: CGK 40424 — Jazz
1994: Columbia CD: CK 64276 — In Person! With Count Basie
1998: Columbia CD: CK 65049 — This Is Jazz #33
1999: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD: UDCD743 — In Person!
2008: Jasmine CD: JASCD482 — Together At Last/A Perfect Combination
2011: Disc #14 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK14) In Person!

1962

“Solitude” was recorded live at Tony Bennett’s concert at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962 and was initially released in 1962 on the album Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall. Ralph Sharon arranged the song.

Solitude - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962
Listen to Solitude - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962

This recording released on:

1962: CBS LP 12″: BPG62116 — At Carnegie Hall – Part 1 (UK)
1962: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8705 — At Carnegie Hall – vol.1
1962: Columbia LP 12″: C2L 23 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
1962: Columbia LP 12″: C2S 823 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
1993: Sony Music Special Products CD: 15056 — Tony Bennett Sings for You
1995: Sony Music CD: WK 75012 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
1997: Columbia CD: C2K 64609 — At Carnegie Hall June 9, 1962: Complete Concert
2011: Disc #25 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK24) Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall

1996

“Solitude” was recorded in June 1996 and released in 1997 on the album Tony Bennett On Holiday. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

Solitude
Tony Bennett · Tony Bennett On Holiday: A Tribute To Billie Holiday · Song · 1997

This recording released on:

1997: Columbia CD: CK 67774 — On Holiday
2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
2011: Disc #63 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK61) On Holiday
2014: 2013: Columbia/Legacy – Sixty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town