Battle of the Bands ~ Cold, Cold Heart

It's that day again: the 15th of the month, and that can only mean ONE thing.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS!

I've spent so much time in the last seven days listening to Train that I suspect many of you thought it'd be a Train match-up here today. Can't say the thought didn't cross my mind, but no. (Hand to God: most of the time you lovely folks vote against the version of the song I like best, and I couldn't bear to see my beloved Train lose in one of these things.) So, we're doing something else.

The song is Cold, Cold Heart. Wikipedia actually has some interesting stuffs to say about this song. I'll let you decide how much is true. (I know what you're thinking... if it's on the Internet it MUST be true.) And still... the Internet was created by human beings. Ergo... Moving on to Wikipedia and Cold, Cold Heart.

Cold, Cold Heart" is a country music and popular music song, written by Hank Williams. This blues ballad is both a classic of honky tonk and an entry in the Great American Songbook.

Williams first recorded and released the song in 1951, originally as the B-side (MGM-10904B) to "Dear John" (MGM-10904A). "Dear John" peaked at #8 after only a brief four-week run on Billboard magazine's country music charts, but "Cold, Cold Heart" proved to be a favorite of disk jockeys and jukebox listeners, whose enthusiasm for the song catapulted it to #1 on the country music charts. The song achingly and artfully describes frustration that the singer's love and trust is unreciprocated due to a prior bad experience in the other's past.

That same year, it was recorded in a pop version by Tony Bennett^[1] with a light orchestral arrangement from Percy Faith. This recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 39449. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on July 20, 1951 and lasted 27 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.^[2]

The popularity of Bennett's version has been credited with helping to expose both Williams and country music to a wider national audience. Allmusic writer Bill Janovitz discusses this unlikely combination:

"That a young Italian singing waiter from Queens could find common ground with a country singer from Alabama's backwoods is testament both to Williams' skills as a writer and to Bennett's imagination and artist's ear."

Williams subsequently telephoned Bennett to say, "Tony, why did you ruin my song?" But that was a prank – in fact, Williams liked Bennett's version^[1] and played it on jukeboxes whenever he could. In his autobiography The Good Life, Bennett described playing "Cold, Cold Heart" at the Grand Ole Opry later in the 1950s. He had brought his usual arrangement charts to give to the house musicians who would be backing him, but their instrumentation was different and they declined the charts. "You sing and we'll follow you," they said, and Bennett says they did so beautifully, once again recreating an unlikely artistic merger.

Me Again:
So, it started as a B-side on a country record, became more popular than the A-side, was then recorded as a pop song and charted again. Since then it's been covered by MANY people and we're going to listen to two of them today. No, I didn't choose Hank Williams or Tony Bennett for this battle (though I'm interested in your thoughts on their version if you're familiar and want to share).

One of the first people to cover this song was Louis Armstrong way back in 1951. Yep, the same year that Hank Williams recorded it. Honestly, that says something (to my way of thinking) for the universal appeal of this song.

Here is Louis Armstrong with his take on Cold, Cold Heart:



One of the things that I particularly like about this battle is that both contenders have distinctive voices (and their arrangements are very different... or different enough... whatevs). Up next is  a much more recent recording of this song by Norah Jones. Cold, Cold Heart is the third track on her 2002 album Come Away With Me. If you're unfamiliar, this debut album won five Grammys, though nothing for Cold, Cold Heart.

Here is Norah Jones with her take on Cold, Cold Heart:



For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:

• Far Away Series
• Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
• Tossing it Out
• DiscConnected 
• This Belle Rocks
• Mike's Ramblings
• Curious as a Cathy 
• Book Lover
• The Sound of One Hand Typing
• dcrelief ~ Battle of the Bands
• Alex J. Cavanaugh (sometimes)

If you are participating in Battle of the Bands, and you are not listed here, leave me a note in the comments. Thanks!

Now, is the critical moment. It is time to vote for your favorite version of this song. I even encourage you to leave me long comment explaining all the ins and outs of why you voted as you did! 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS VI

Today is the 15th of the month and that means another Battle of the Bands.  Other blogs featuring battles are Far Away Series, FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS, Tossing It Out, and DiscConnected.  I encourage you to visit their blog and cast your vote for your favorite.  You have a week to get over there and make your voice heard.

The song up for today is It Had To Be You.  I learned a lot about this song when I decided to bring it forth (thank you Wikipedia).  It was originally written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.  That year nine different people recorded it.  The song was sung in the following films: Melody In May (1936), The Roaring Twenties (1939), Casablanca (1942), Incendiary Blonde (1945), I'll See You In My Dreams (1951), Annie Hall (1977), and A League of Their Own (1992).  Harry Connick, Jr. recorded it for the film When Harry Met Sally (1989).  However, it has been recorded by dozens of people including, but not limited to,  Doris Day, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Don McLean, Kenny G, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, and, most recently, Michael Buble.

In other words, there is not a shortage of choice for this song.  I asked my mother who she remembered FIRST singing it and she said "Frank Sinatra."  I predicted that, but wasn't certain.  I suspect that the Sinatra version is what most of you are accustomed to hearing, even though it wasn't the first or last recording.  So, I am not putting it in the battle.  Let's listen instead to two very different recordings of this song.  You will note that one of them begins completely differently than the other.  For the record, I found several recordings that include this introduction.

First up for your consideration... Tony Bennett:



Next up for your consideration... Harry Connick, Jr.:


Cast your vote below in the comments along with all of the reasons why you chose who you did.  Due to a guest post appearing on the 22nd of this month, I will post the winner here on the 20th (one day early).  So, you have until Oct. 20 to get those votes in!!!