Great American Songbook Saturday – Blue Skies

Blue Skies is probably my favorite Irving Berlin song. I chose this song because it was on this day in 1976 that the Muppet Show premiered. One of the first times I heard the song was when it was sung by a bunch of Muppet Prairie Dogs on the show.

Berlin composed the song in 1926 as a last-minute addition to the musical Betsy. The show ran for only 39 performances, but “Blue Skies” was an instant success, with audiences on opening night demanding 24 encores of the piece from star Belle Baker according to Wiki. The story goes that during the final encore, Baker forgot her lyrics, prompting Berlin to sing them from his seat in the front row.

In 1927, it became one of the first songs to be featured in a “talkie” when the great Al Jolson performed it in the Jazz Singer. The song was recorded for all of the major and dime store labels of the time.

In 1958, Ella Fitzgerald crossed genres putting her own distinctive “scat” jazz stylings on “Blue Skies” for her album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook. The track was also included in that year’s Ella compilation album, Get Happy! In 1962 the song was released as a single by Johnny Rivers. In 1992, Al Jarreau recorded a version for the movie Glengarry Glen Ross. In 1978, Willie Nelson recorded a version for his Stardust album. It went on to be a #1 country hit.

Here is the Muppet version, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Muppet Show.

Bing Crosby’s version

Scat along with Ella

I love Willie’s simple version

One of my favorite versions is from Bobby Darin.

Finally, a rarely heard version from Mel Torme’

Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do I see

Blue birds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on

Never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right

Noticing the days hurrying by
When you’re in love, my how they fly

Blue days, all of them gone
Nothing but blue skies from now on

Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do I see

Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on