Bob Dylan pays tribute to Tony Bennett

Bob Dylan just recorded a song for a forthcoming NBC special where various artists pay tribute to Tony Bennett.
Why did Bob Dylan pay a visit to Birmingham's WorkPlay on Friday? »

 

I hope Bob's "Tony tune" is Rags to Riches.

 

Been watching the Tony Bennett turns 90 concert. Dylan just performed a great standard but I can't figure out what song it is. He sings a refrain of 'once upon a time' and it sounds familiar.

Bunch of great guests - Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Billy Joel, Elton John, his pal Lady Gaga. Dylan was very good, beautiful song and he had a nice crooning vocal for it like he's been using lately. It just ended now -the 2-hour premiere on NBC.

 

Typical. Dylan doing "Name That Tune!"

 

Normally I'd agree, but no, it's just my lack of knowledge of his standards albums and it sounds like it comes from that but it's not on the Bennett CD release from last Friday. No name was listed on screen either. But he keeps singing 'once upon a time'. I googled it with quotes but nothing.

 

Pretty sure that was "Like A Rolling Stone".

 

The song title is "Once Upon a Time." Famous standard sung by Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, among many others. No relation to Dylan's lyrics to "Like a Rolling Stone."

 

Gotta say (as a middle-aged guy), THAT'S a great song!

 

My favorite version of "Once Upon A Time" is by Frank Sinatra from his September Of My Years album. I was a little surprised that Dylan didn't record the song for his last two albums. Was Dylan lip-synching to a pre-recorded track? Tony's 90th birthday celebration was another event I wish Dylan had the time to attend...

EDIT: I just saw Bob F.'s post above of Sinatra's version.

 

That's correct. The taped Dylan performance probably came too late to be included on the CD. It actually replaced one of Tony's songs from the Radio City Music Hall program. I would also bet that the televised track was edited down for time. Lots of discussion in the Tony Bennett thread: Tony Bennett:The Complete Albums »

 

Fabulous song and performance by Bob!
The musical backing was sublime, was way more on the Dylan end of the spectrum of The musical scale.

Zimmerman was looking very Blonde on Blonde , stylistically from a cosmotology perspective. LOL

Best thing I've seen on commercial network TV in eons, great music/tributes , Tony- great man, Stevie Wonder, slayed, also



Once upon a time, a girl with moonlight in her eyes
Put her hand in mine and said she loved me so
But that was once upon a time, very long ago

Once upon a time, we sat beneath a willow tree
Counting all the stars and waiting for the dawn
But that was once upon a time; now the tree is gone

How the breeze ruffled up her hair
How we always laughed as though tomorrow wasn't there
We were young and didn't have a care
Where did it go?

Once upon a time, the world was sweeter than we knew
Everything was ours; how happy we were then
But, somehow, once upon a time never comes again

Songwriters
CHARLES STROUSE, LEE ADAMS

Published By
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Song Discussions is protected by U.S. Patent 9401941. Other patents pending.


Read more: Tony Bennett - Once Upon A Time Lyrics | MetroLyrics



Once Upon a Time (Charles Strouse and Lee Adams song)
Page issues
"Once Upon a Time"
From the musical All American
Song
Published 1962
Composer(s) Charles Strouse
Lyricist(s) Lee Adams
Language English
"Once Upon a Time" is a song with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams from the 1962 musical All American.[1]

In the musical, the song was performed by Ray Bolger and Eileen Herlie, and their version appears on the Broadway Cast recording. It has been sung by Eddie Fisher, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Tony Bennett among others.


Recorded versionsEdit

• Ann Austin
• Scott Bakula
• Christine "Chris" Bennett
• Tony Bennett
• Ray Bolger
• Diahann Carroll
• Perry Como
• Vic Damone (1962)
• Bobby Darin
• Peter Duchin (1973)
• Duke Ellington
• Percy Faith
• Ferrante & Teicher
• Eddie Fisher
• Sutton Foster
• The Four Tops
• John Gary
• Robert Goulet
• Jason Graae
• Ahmad Jamal

• Jack Jones
• Tom Jones
• Howard Keel

 

Well thanks guys it was a beautiful performance and I knew I heard the song somewhere but I don't know my standards well. I like Tony Bennett a lot more today than I did yesterday. He's one of the last of a great lost era.

 

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Tony Bennett Honored With Statue for 90th Birthday in San Francisco ..

 

I can't currently find a video of Bob's performance, perhaps it's too early, but someone who is expert at this stuff- please find/post it it- it's wonderful.

 

I'm sure it will show up by tomorrow. I also expect a DVD/Blu-ray to appear. The Japanese deluxe edition drops today (i.e. Dec. 21), with descriptions which appear to say, "Blu-spec 3CD+DVD."

http://amzn.com/B01M9G42PN
http://amazon.co.jp/dp/B01M9G42PN

 

So I'm watching the pacific coast broadcast which started at 9pm. When does Dylan go on?

 

Re: "Once Upon a Time"

As much as I love Sinatra and Bennett, I'm partial to this version by Jay McShann, as featured in the Walter Matthau/Diane Keaton/Meg Ryan film, 'Hanging Up' :

 

Sometime after 90 minutes in. He follows Leslie Odom, Jr. singing "Autumn Leaves." Last song before Tony starts to sing.

EDIT: My DVR pegs it at exactly 10:37 pm.

 

BTW, over in the Tony Bennett thread, at least one Dylan fan, unfamiliar with Tony's catalog, was confused by the listing of "Once Upon a Time (Live)" on disc 3 of the 3-CD deluxe edition. That is NOT the Dylan version from yesterday's show. If you'll forgive yet another YouTube song video, this is that track:

 

Those were the days of SERIOUS reverb. Columbia made heavy use of it on just about everything in the very late '50's and early '60's.

 

Perry Como did a great version of "Once Upon A Time" on his "By Request" album.

Bobby Darin recorded it on his "In A Broadway Bag" LP and "live" on the "Something Special" UK only LP. Video of the concert exists.

Vic Damone also recorded it on Capitol for single release.

 

I thought Bob held his own,.great song too.

I thought the sound was harsh,a bit over-cooked but I guess that's the live edge and room and my crappy speakers. Most of it really bored me except Tony and the Gaga songs.She put some flash n trash into it. After all,that lady is a tramp. My wife looked at me a few times when Diana Krall was playing and she finally said..Is she off on that song? I was just about to say that myself. She seemed like she might have had a cold,didn't seem to be at her best. Anybody else think that about DK?

 

who knows how long this will be up...