The Sandpiper, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor


In 1965 Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in a movie called the Sandpiper, a story about the illicit affair of an Episcopalian Priest (Burton) and the unwed mother (Taylor) of one of the kids at the Orphanage school where the priest is an administrator. "The Shadow of your Smile" was the signature song used in the movie and it won the Oscar for Best song in 1966. The music was written by Johnny Mandel with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. It eventually became a hit for Tony Bennet, but many people recorded the tune including Barbara Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Al Martino, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. American Idol fans will recall the tatooed Carly Smithson performing a spirited bang-up version of the tune last year on season 7.






The inimitable Tony Bennett

In the final analysis there is no one who can phrase a tune like Tony Bennett and in my humble opinion he captured the essence of the song better than anyone else. I'm afraid that my version will pale in comparison so I decided to do the intro as per Tony but the body of the song departs from the Bennett version with the addition of a latin beat. I know most of the people who will receive this email will be familiar with this tune and therein lies the difference between the music of that era 44 years ago and the current crop of musical offerings. You will all remember this melody. Today melody seems to be some quaint forgotten convention of a bygone era.

The Shadow of your Smile

-Brian K. Forrest

You may have a suggestion or a favorite song you'd like to hear. Just email me at briafor@gmail.com