‘Song’ Sung Blue
total of 14 songs have made the cut for “The Great American Songbook: Volume II,” Rod Stewart’s second J Records collection of standards. The follow-up to 2002’s successful “It Had To Be You… The Great American Songbook” was produced by Richard Perry, Phil Ramone and Clive Davis.
Among the highlights of the new album is “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” a duet by Stewart with Cher. The pair recorded the Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart song with the original, somewhat more sordid lyrics, which are loaded with double-entendres.
Other songs Stewart tackles are Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields’ “I’m in the Mood for Love,” John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons and Charles Chaplin’s “Smile,” the Herman Hupfield-penned “As Time Goes By” and a song popularized by the Flamingos’, Al Dubin and Harry Warren’s “I Only Have Eyes for You.” Also covered is the George & Ira Gershwin favorite “Someone To Watch Over Me” and Meredith Wilson’s “Til’ There Was You.”
Although he has thoroughly enjoyed working on these classics, Stewart told Billboard in March that “Volume II” would be his last “American Songbook” album. “Just two will be enough,” he said. “Then I’m going to go write some songs. I’ve got to pay a lot of bills.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news