Tonight (1956 song)

Last updated
"Tonight"
Single by Ferrante & Teicher
B-side "Dream of Love"
Released 1961
Genre Broadway musical
Length2:52
Label United Artists
Songwriter(s) Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim
Producer(s) Don Costa
Ferrante & Teicher singles chronology
"Theme from Goodbye Again"
(1961)
"Tonight"
(1961)
"Smile"
(1962)

"Theme from Goodbye Again"
(1961)
"Tonight"
(1961)
"Smile"
(1962)

"Tonight" is a popular song with music written by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and was published in 1956.

Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional or "folk" music. Art music was historically disseminated through the performances of written music, although since the beginning of the recording industry, it is also disseminated through recordings. Traditional music forms such as early blues songs or hymns were passed along orally, or to smaller, local audiences.

Song composition for voice(s)

A song is a single work of music that is typically intended to be sung by the human voice with distinct and fixed pitches and patterns using sound and silence and a variety of forms that often include the repetition of sections. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word "song" may refer to instrumentals.

Leonard Bernstein American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist

Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history."

Contents

History

It was introduced in the Broadway musical West Side Story. The movie version, featuring vocals by Marni Nixon (dubbing Natalie Wood) and Jimmy Bryant (dubbing Richard Beymer), finished at #59 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

<i>West Side Story</i> American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

West Side Story is a musical with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.

Marni Nixon American singer and actress

Margaret Nixon McEathron, known professionally as Marni Nixon, was an American soprano and ghost singer for featured actresses in movie musicals. She is now well known as the real singing voices of the leading actresses in films, including The King and I, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady, although this was concealed at the time from audiences.

Natalie Wood American actress

Natalie Wood was an American actress. Born in San Francisco to Russian immigrant parents, Wood began her career in film as a child and became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she turned 25 years of age. She began acting in films at the age of four and, at age eight, was given a co-starring role in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). As a teenager, she earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). She starred in the musical films West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962), and received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love with the Proper Stranger (1963). Her career continued with films such as Sex and the Single Girl (1964), Inside Daisy Clover (1964), and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969). Wood's films represented a "coming of age" for her and Hollywood films in general. Critics and scholars have suggested that Wood's cinematic career, one of the only to span child roles to middle age, represents a portrait of modern American womanhood in transition.

The song was revived in 1961 on single records in versions by Ferrante & Teicher (#8 pop, #2 easy listening) [1] and Eddie Fisher, whose version narrowly missed the Top 40. [2] Shirley Bassey recorded the song in 1962, where it peaked at #21 on the UK charts, becoming the only recording of this song to chart on the UK charts. Jay and the Americans also released a cover version of the song. Andy Williams released a version on his 1962 album, Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes . Sergio Franchi recorded the song in his 1963 RCA Records Red Seal album, Broadway, I Love You. [3] We Five released the song on their 1966 album, You Were on My Mind . [4]

Ferrante & Teicher

Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes, as well as their signature style of florid, intricate and fast paced piano playing performances.

The Billboard Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales, radio play, and online streaming in the United States.

Eddie Fisher (singer) American entertainer and singer

Edwin John "Eddie" Fisher was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the first half of the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. Fisher divorced his first wife, actress Debbie Reynolds, to marry Reynolds' best friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, after Taylor's husband, film producer Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash. The scandalous affair was widely reported, bringing unfavorable publicity to Fisher. He later married Connie Stevens. Fisher fathered Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher with Reynolds, and Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher with Stevens.

Many of the pieces in "West Side Story" experiment with different melodic tricks. This song is notable for its prominent perfect fourth intervals, and a theme that starts on a pentatonic scale but develops into a western key.

A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the more familiar heptatonic scale that has seven notes per octave.

Gloria Gaynor released a disco version in 1980. Jenna Ushkowitz sang the song on Glee , on the episode Preggers . Tonight was featured again in the fifth episode of the third season of the show, "The First Time," this time sung by Lea Michele and Darren Criss. Billy Eckstine recorded the song in 1961 with Hal Mooney And His Orchestra. Gloria Estefan recorded the song with Dave Grusin from the album "Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story" (1997).

Gloria Gaynor American singer

Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am".

Jenna Ushkowitz South Korean-born American actress, singer, and podcast host

Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz is a South Korean-born American actress, singer, and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as The King and I, and Waitress; and in the role of Tina Cohen-Chang on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee.

<i>Glee</i> (TV series) American musical comedy-drama television series

Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19, 2009, to March 20, 2015. It focuses on the fictitious William McKinley High School glee club, the New Directions, which competes on the show choir competition circuit while its disparate members deal with social issues, especially regarding sexuality, race, relationships, and teamwork. The initial twelve-member cast included Matthew Morrison as club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester, Jane Lynch as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, Jayma Mays as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, Jessalyn Gilsig as Will's wife Terri, and Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, and Jenna Ushkowitz as eight club members. The main cast was altered throughout the series.

See also

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United Artists Records American record label

United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.

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References

  1. Ferrante & Teicher's charting singles Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  2. Eddie Fisher's charting singles Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  3. Sergio Franchi, Broadway, I Love You Retrieved February 6, 2012
  4. We Five, You Were on My Mind Retrieved March 7, 2012.