Frank Sinatra: Autumn Leaves

It is not officially autumn yet, but in the northern states the leaves are already turning. Autumn Leaves started out as the 1945 Les feuilles mortes, music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert (an especially bittersweet song following World War II). Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics in 1947. Gordon Jenkins, not Nelson Riddle, arranged Autumn Leaves on the Capital album Where Are You? in 1957, and Jenkins later arranged the Sinatra Reprise album September of My Years in 1965.  This song is still poignant given the September 11 anniversary and the thoughts of those lost in the years since then.

Mark Steyn had this as his song of the week back in September 2008.  Mark does a fabulous job breaking down and comparing the Prévert and Mercer lyrics.

Here is Yves Montand singing Les Feuilles Mortes:

Nat King Cole did this Japanese version, Kareha:

Mark Steyn has the Bergman's Nice 'N' Easy,  Johnny Green and Edward Heyman's I Cover The Waterfront, and Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn's Just In Time. 

Pundette has Styne and Cahn's Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (with Mark's earlier post) and Joe Bushkin's Oh! Look At Me Now. Pundette had Autumn Leaves at her #78.

Bob Belvedere is into his top ten with Songs #10 through #6: Let's Get Away From It All, One For My Baby, I've Got The World On A Strong, That's Why The Lady Is A Tramp, and The Way You Look Tonight. Bob last week had Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's Come Rain Or Come Shine.  Bob had Autumn Leaves at his #38.

I had September in the Rain, Irving Berlin's Let's Take An Old Fashioned Walk (with the lovely Doris Day doing a duet with Frank) which also has a Jimmy Van Heusen's song Young At Heart. I previously had You Never Had It So Good, September Song, September of My Years, Come Fly With Me, and Frank and Sarah Vaughan with The Nearness of You.

Don’t forget to also keep checking out

Pundette’s Sinatra 100 countdown,

Ms Evi’s Sinatra Celebration,

Dispatches from the Camp of the Saints Sinatra, &

Mark Steyn’s Sinatra Songs Of The Century.

It’s a swingin’ world.