Probably one of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard, with the original version being stunningly performed by Gino Vanelli. I had actually heard just a piano & vocal version he'd done, and then I heard the studio version and was even more blown away. But there's more about this song than just this cover version.
In the early 80's after I graduated high school, I began singing in some of the local nightclubs in the area around Oak Lawn in Dallas, and was introduced to a man named Paul Allen. Paul was an incredibly talented pianist and we hit it off very well. We performed at a club called "The Blue Mill" for over 2 years on a regular basis and really became close friends. Life happens, you go in other directions, and it was wonderful to be able to pop in where he was playing pretty much anywhere - and he'd always ask me to come up and sing a few songs. He could play literally anything and played for many many people over the years. We still stayed in touch through social media and email, and every once in a while i'd forward a song to him or he'd suggest something to me to learn.
We both sent this song to each other at different points; he was blown away by the piano only version and I was blown away by Vanelli's voice on both. We said we'd make it happen one day.
Well, many years passed, and I got contacted to perform at a memorial for another fabulously talented individual who had played for many many people over the years and was a good friend of Paul's, mine, and many others. Buddy Shanahan. I immediately knew that Paul would be playing and we both knew it was time to work this one up. But we had very little time, no sheet music arrangement, and Paul said he'd just transcribe it out when I got there to rehearse. We had one rehearsal the day before the memorial and there we were, over 30 years from those first days of playing together, to performing a song that we had both been wanting to do for years and years.
It was the last time that Paul and I would see each other or perform together again, as he was tragically taken away from us all in a senseless crime the next year. I still have a hard time watching the video of our performance, knowing he is not here anymore, and the wonderful love of music he shared with anyone he ran into in his life. I hope he rests in peace, and I had promised him at one point I was going to do this in the studio.
I hope his angel gets to hear it because I love how this turned out.
It also marks the first recording I've ever gotten to do in which I was able to get a successful vocoder recording in an arrangement. It's in the 2nd verse, and brings a dreamlike quality to the words, in my opinion.
It's beautiful slow jazz; a song like this comes along once in a lifetime to get to spend time working on and recording. If you like this you should really check out both versions that Gino Vannelli has done - they're both on Youtube.
