Wednesday, 29 May 2013

THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE-ANOTHER JOHNNY MANDEL CLASSIC

The Shadow of Your Smile-Another Johnny Mandel Classic:  Like" Emily" from the  1964 film The Americanization of Emily, " The Shadow of Your Smile" was written for the 1965 film  The Sandpiper.
Mandel has consistently proven that he has marvellous melodic and harmonic gifts and this song is no exception. Mandel has also written independent songs like " Where Do You Start" and  " You Are There", both of which are featured in earlier posts on this blog.
The Sandpiper features excellent lyrics  by Paul Francis Webster who has made a major career of writing lyrics for movie themes written initially without lyrics. The verse or introductory segment sets the stage for the story of the film which ultimately suggests that the memory of the smile may last longer than doomed love affair between the characters played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Tony Bennett sings ever so eloquently and evokes the feeling of sadness inherent in both the music and lyrics. The arrangement was fashioned by Johnny Mandel himself, yet another one of his superb musical talents.

LINK: http://youtu.be/fdtcItLjPPU


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