For the next cover to win a Grammy, we jump ahead to the 1966 ceremony, “The Shadow of Your Smile” also known as “Love Theme from The Sandpiper”, a movie from 1965. The music was composed by Johnny Mandel and the lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The 1963 Record of the Year winner Tony Bennett returns as the cited vocalist but it’s the writers that win the Song of the Year Grammy.
The previous year (1965) “The Shadow of Your Smile” won the Oscar Award for Best Original Song. winning version for the Oscar’s is from the movie soundtrack and sung by one of the writers, Johnny Mandel. His is the original recording, the movie was out in June and the soundtrack released in July of 1965. Peggy Lee also recorded it in June, Astrud Gilberto in July and then Tony Bennett in October of 1965. The song was so popular there were over 60 covers made in 1966 alone. There are now 864 recordings.
Mostly Music Covers 
I didn’t recognize the song until after the intro, not sure why. What an absolutely stunning piece of music; love the smooth, evocative, downtempo vibe. Bennett really brings it. Think I prefer him to Mandel.
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Although he doesn’t come up the awards Andy Williams version is the first to pop up when you search.
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I looked Williams’s up and listened, and still would say I remember Bennett’s more. All are pretty fab though.
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Yes so many songs so many iconic voices, but it’s whatever sticks with you that matters.
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Yes that’s for sure; often the particular version is attached to a memory and I guess that’s what form the attraction.
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I didn’t know the song. While the original recording isn’t terrible, I find it a bit underwhelming compared to Tony Bennett’s rendition. That said, I realize it’s an unfair comparison!
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Yes Tony is unbeatable.
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Another of those movies I should see someday. The song is beautiful, and I’m sure that it’s worthy of such a great theme.
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Yes I am in the same camp I need to see the movie.
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It’s another one that was just a schmaltzy song theme at the time, but now I can appreciate it more. It sets a quiet reflective mood, though I’m sure I’ve never seen the movie. With both Liz and Rich on the set I’m sure it got pretty rowdy behind the scenes.
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A song I overlooked myself and haven’t seen the movie either.
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Grammy voters were so conservative in the early years, and it wasn’t until 1968 that something ‘hip’ or ‘modern’ won, when The Beatles broke through by winning best album of 1967 with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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What do you think of this?
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Ezio Bosso, an Italian composer, pianist, and conductor, died four years ago, at the age of 48 , after a long struggle with a neurodegenerative illness.
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bellissimo!
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🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
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In high school we had a senior elective class that focused on music, radio and television. In our semester on music, the teacher said that The Shadow of Your Smile is one of the most difficult songs to sing. He cited the key, the range a singer had to have, and the phrasing. He played a couple versions for us and Tony Bennett just crushes it. To this day whenever I hear a version, I listen a lot differently.
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That’s very interesting, we non singers tend not to think about these things.
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Beautiful song…like Deke said…yea that is way more than I would have expected.
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When I started counting I thought this might beat “Yesterday” for a one year total. But not quite.
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864 recordings! Holy moly and 60 covers in the first year it came out. I guess everybody wanted a piece of the pie back then.
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Apparently so. Even I was surprised at that number!
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