THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

Music: Jerome Kern- Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

Year: 1936

The way you look tonight-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

Fred Astaire performed 'The Way You Look Tonight' in the film Swing Time, produced by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by George Stevens, which premiered on 27 August 1936 in New York. The song won that year's Oscar award, beating 'I've Got You Under My Skin', 'Pennies From Heaven', 'Did I Remember?' and 'A Melody From The Skies'. Swing Time was a gold mine for Astaire, which recorded five of the seven songs included in the soundtrack, and all of them became hits. In addition to 'The Way You Look Tonight' (number one for six weeks), 'A Fine Romance' was number one for five weeks, 'Pick Yourself Up' came in number seven, 'Never Gonna Dance' in number five and 'Bojangles Of Harlem' in number seventeen.

After collaborating with McHugh and Kern, Dorothy Fields returned to New York, where she participated as a librettist in three Cole Porter musicals: Let's Face It! (1941), Something for the Boys (1943) and Mexican Hayride (1944). He also worked with Irving Berlin on Annie Get Your Gun (1946) and wrote the lyrics of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951). In later years, he successfully participated in the musicals Redhead (1959), Sweet Charity (1966), and Seesaw (1973).


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians

1936.07.24

1936.09.12

10

3

Carmen Lombardo (voc)

Fred Astaire

1936.07.26

1936.08.29

17

1

(six weeks)

Fred Astaire (voc), Johnny Green Orchestra

Billie Holiday

1936.10.21

1936.11.14

5

3

Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson Orchestra

Benny Goodman Sextet

1942.03.10

1942.06.27

1

21

Peggy Lee (voc)

The Lettermen

1961.??.??

1961.09.04

13

13

Tony Butala, Jim Pike, Bob Engemann (voc), Jimmie Haskell Orchestra

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Dave Brubeck Octet

1950.07.??

Dave Brubeck (p), Dick Collins (tp), Bob Collins (tb), Bill Smith (cl, bars), Paul Desmond (as), David Van Kreidt (ts), Jack Weeks (b), Cal Tjader (d)

Erroll Garner Trio

1951.01.11

Erroll Garner (p), John Simmons (b), Shadow Wilson (d)

Stan Getz Quintet

1952.12.12

Stan Getz (ts), Jimmy Raney (g), Duke Jordan (p), Bill Crow (b), Frank Isola (d)

Art Blakey Quintet

1954.02.21

Art Blakey (d), Clifford Brown (tp), Lou Donaldson (as), Horace Silver (p), Curley Russell (b)

Lionel Hampton Quintet

1954.04.13

Lionel Hampton (vib), Buddy De Franco (cl), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b),

Buddy Rich (d)

Dave Pell Octet

1955.06.15

Dave Pell (ts), Don Fagerquist (tp), Ray Sims (tb), Bob Gordon (bars), Paul Smith (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Jack Sperling (d)

Jimmy Smith Trio

1956.02.18

Jimmy Smith (org), Thornel Schwartz (g), Bay Perry (d)

Johnny Griffin Quartet

1956.04.17

Johnny Griffin (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Curly Russell (b), Max Roach (d)

Johnny Griffin Septet

1957.04.06

Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Blakey (d)

Tina Brooks Quintet

1958.03.16

Tina Brooks (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Sonny Clark (p), Doug Watkins (b), Art Blakey (d)

Ramsey Lewis Trio

1959.04.22

Ramsey Lewis (p), Eldee Young (b), Red Holt (d)

Arnett Cobb Quartet

1960.11.30

Arnett Cobb (ts), Red Garland (p), George Tucker (b), J.C. Heard (d)

Paul Desmond- Gerry Mulligan Quartet

1962.06.26

Paul Desmond (as), Gerry Mulligan (bars), John Beal (b), Connie Kay (d)

Barry Harris Trio

1962.08.23

Barry Harris (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Clifford Jarvis (d)

Tete Montoliu

1990.01.28

Tete Montoliu (p)

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Billie Holiday

1936.10.21

Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Irving Randolph (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Vido Musso (cl), Allan Reuss (g), Milton Hinton (b), Gene Krupa (d)

Benny Goodman Sextet

1942.03.10

Benny Goodman (cl), Lou McGarity (tb), Tom Morgan (g), Sid Weiss (b), Mel Powell (p), Ralph Collier (d), Peggy Lee (voc)

Fred Astaire

1952.12.??

Fred Astaire (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d)

Mel Tormé

1956.11.10

Mel Tormé (voc), Marty Paich (p, dir), Pete Candoli, Don Fagerquist (tp), Bob Enevoldsen (vtb), Vince DeRosa (tpa), Herb Geller (as), Jack Montrose (ts), Jack Dulong (bars), Albert Pollan (tu), Max Bennett (b), Alvin Stoller (d)

Johnny Pace with Chet Baker Quintet

1958.12.29

Johnny Pace (voc), Chet Baker (tp), Herbie Mann (fl), Joe Berle (p), Vinnie Burke (b), Ed Thigpen (d)

Anita O'Day

1959.04.08

Anita O’Day (voc), Jimmy Giuffre Orchestra

Frank Sinatra

1964.01.27

Frank Sinatra (voc), Nelson Riddle Orchestra

On cinemas

 The song 'The Way You Look Tonight' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Swing Time

En alas de la danza

1936

Fred Astaire; George Metaxa; instrumental

Chinatown

Chinatown

1974

 

Hannah And Her Sisters

Hannah y sus hermanas

1986

Carrie Fisher

Alice

Alice

1990

Erroll Garner Trio

Father Of The Bride

El padre de la novia

1991

Steve Tyrell

Peter’s Friends

Los amigos de Peter

1992

Kenneth Branagh, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton and Emma Thompson

Son in Law

Menudo yerno

1993

Joey Scarburi & The Ribbs Pickers

Father Of The Bride, Part 2

Vuelve el padre de la novia

1995

Steve Tyrell

The Leading Man

Un hombre de éxito

1996

Peter Skellern

Mrs. Winterbourne

Con cariño desde el cielo

1996

 

Deconstructing Harry

Desmontando a Harry

1997

Erroll Garner Trio

My Best Friend’s Wedding

La boda de mi mejor amigo

1997

Tony Bennett

Vegas Vacation

Vacaciones en Las Vegas

1997

Gary LeMel

Black and White

Black and White

1999

The Jaguars

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Trabajos de amor perdidos

2000

Geraldine McEwan and Richard Briers

The Family Man

The Family Man

2000

Mr. Big

Catch Me If You Can

Atrápame si puedes

2002

The Lettermen

Anything Else

Todo lo demás

2003

Billie Holiday

What A Girl Wants

Un sueño para ella

2003

Oliver James

First Daughter

Una hija diferente

2004

Matt Dusk

Ice Age 2

Edad de hielo 2. El deshielo

2006

 

New York I Love You

New York I Love You

2008

Michael Rose Orchestra

Valentine’s Day

Historias de San Valentín

2010

Maroon 5

Barney’s Version

El mundo según Barney

2010

The Directors

Edwin Boyd

El gánster

2011

Scott Speedman

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