# What Are Your Favorite Recordings of These Old Standards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933 "2014-12-11T12:19:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/21 "2014-12-12T05:21:32Z")
I think “Night and Day” by U-2 is just ravishing. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/22 "2014-12-12T06:50:42Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I know it’s crazy, but Cole Porter might be my favorite songwriter of the 20th Century, “Night and Day” is one of his _most beloved_ songs, and I just have never really liked it. I’d say the same thing about “Love for Sale”: one of his most beloved songs, I love his songwriting … but not these two immensely popular songs. Cole Porter wrote a lot of music. We like what we like. What’s crazy about that? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/23 "2014-12-12T07:30:26Z")
For _Let’s Misbehave_ I like the recording by [Irving Aaronson and His Commanders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po8J4NBdiSc). If instrumentals are allowed, I’ll pick the [Sidney Bechet version of Summertime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po8J4NBdiSc). ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/24 "2014-12-12T07:31:24Z")
For _Miss Otis regrets_, I’d pick Bryan Ferry. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/25 "2014-12-12T07:52:56Z")
Summertime? I’m partial to [Billy Stewart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTVQ4czdUn0) :). ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/26 "2014-12-12T07:58:34Z")
They All Laughed - Bing Crosby seconding these that were already mentioned - Anything Goes - Patti LuPone Let’s Face the Music and Dance - Diana Krall Come Rain or Come Shine - Ray Charles which versions of which songs have you already decided to include? ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/27 "2014-12-12T12:29:39Z")
For **Summertime** , I’d vote for [the Zombies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKu2P8zT_F4) version. It’s a regular feature of their set and it still sound good all these years on from when they first recorded it. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/28 "2014-12-12T14:53:33Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > For **Summertime** , I’d vote for [the Zombies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKu2P8zT_F4) version. It’s a regular feature of their set and it still sound good all these years on from when they first recorded it. I was about to suggest this but worried that it’d be too crude a rendition. I love it though! Summertime is somewhat sampled on the song Summertime (Doin’ Time) by Sublime - check it out ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/29 "2014-12-13T00:43:43Z")
Janis’ version is very…sexy, for lack of a better word. I’m sure that everyone wished she had lived longer. I would dearly love to hear her sing Wagner. Yeah, OK, that is weird. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/30 "2014-12-13T01:45:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*BONUS QUESTION: What is the best operatic recording of “Summertime”? [Maria Callas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alrBe2XF0IA) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/31 "2014-12-13T04:46:57Z")
[Janis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guKoNCQFAFk) Joplin. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933/32 "2014-12-16T19:38:12Z")
> [@from\_a\_to\_z](#): > > Do you know yet when and where we can get the podcast? I recorded the podcast yesterday. I _think_ the episode will be up this weekend, but I’ll update this Thread when I know for sure. The podcast is called [All Time Top Ten](http://alltimetopten.podomatic.com/). Every week, the host and a guest count down their Top Ten lists for whatever that week’s category is. The episode I recorded yesterday is “All Time Top Ten Songs from the Great American Songbook”, previous episodes I’ve guested on include “All Time Top Ten Classic Bubblegum Pop Songs”, “All Time Top Ten T.V. Show Theme Songs”, and “All Time Top Ten Monkees Songs”. The episode currently up as the newest episode is “All Time Top Ten Singing Bass Players” The Host and the Guest each put together a Top Ten list but no repeats are allowed, so while taking turns if the other person plays a song that you have on your list that you haven’t played yet you have to have an alternate ready to plug into that spot. Part of the fun of the show is when someone “steals” a song from the other person. I usually try to have 5 alternates in addition to my Top Ten. This time I took an overabundance of alternates because the Host plays songs during the intro, and breaks, and outro in addition to some snippets played under the conversations sometime. These auxiliary songs never match with any songs that are included in either of the official Top Ten lists. I have a better collection of this category of songs than the host does, so I brought him plenty of extras to make use of. Since **from\_a\_to\_z** has expressed interest in actually listening to the podcast, I’ll but my list up under a Spoiler tag just in case anyone else wants to listen. WARNING: It is going to _look like_ I completely ignored the suggestions in the Thread, but that is not the case. The discussion in this Thread was very helpful as I put together my list. This is just my Top Ten list and the overabundance of alternates that I brought. I did not note down the Host’s Top Ten list (you’ll just have to listen to the podcast to find out!) [SPOILER][ol] [li]I Get a Kick Out of You (Cole Porter) vocals Louis Armstrong with Oscar Peterson[/li][li]I Could Write a Book (Rodgers & Hart) vocals Harry Connick Jr.[/li][li]Summertime (George Gershwin & DuBose Heyward) 1976 Houston Grand Opera recording[/li][li]It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (Duke Ellington and Irving Mills) vocals Ivie Anderson with Ellington’s band[/li][li]Let’s Face the Music and Dance (Irving Berlin) vocals Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga[/li][li]She’s Funny That Way (Richard WHiting and Neil Moret) vocals Nat King Cole[/li][li]Come Rain or Come Shine (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer) vocals Lea DeLaria[/li][li]Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye (Cole Porter) vocals Ella Fitzgerald[/li][li]They Can’t Take That Away From Me (George and Ira Gershwin)[/li][li]Ain’t That a Kick in the Head (Jimmy Van Heusen & Sammy Cahn) vocals Dean Martin[/li][/ol] The alternates I brought along were:[ul] [li]Miss Otis Regrets (Cole Porter) vocals Bette Midler[/li][li]Well Did You Evah! (Cole Porter) vocals Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra[/li][li]Well Did You Evah! (Cole Porter) vocals Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop[/li][li]Anything Goes (Cole Porter) vocals Tony Bennett[/li][li]Blue Skies (Irving Berlin) vocals Willie Nelson[/li][li]I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Irving Berlin) vocals Ella Fitzgerald[/li][li]That Old Black Magic (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer) vocals Louis Prima and Keely Smith[/li][li]Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler) vocals George Harrison[/li][li]I’ve Got the World on a String (Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler) vocals Frank Sinatra[/li][li]Pick Yourself Up (Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields) vocals Nat King Cole[/li][li]The Song is You (Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II) vocals Frank Sinatra[/li][li]Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Jerome Kern & Otto Harback) vocals Eartha Kitt[/li][li]I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store) (Harry Warren and Mort Dixon & Billy Rose) vocals Nat King Cole[/li][li]Crazy He Calls Me (Carl Sigman and Bob Russell) vocals Billie Holiday[/li][/ul] [/SPOILER] I used the Spoiler tag for the benefit of anyone who wants to listen to the podcast, but if you want to comment on any of my choices, there is certainly no need to continue any kind of Spoiler protocol. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-recordings-of-these-old-standards/706933.md?page=1)