Fly Me to the Moon

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“Fly Me to the Moon”
Song by Frank Sinatra
Album	It Might as Well Be Swing
Released	1964
Recorded	June 9, 1964
Genre	Traditional pop
Length	2:30
Label	Reprise Records
Writer	Bart Howard
Composer	Bart Howard
Producer	Sonny Burke
It Might as Well Be Swing track listing
“Fly Me to the Moon” (1) "I Wish You Love" (2)

"Fly Me to the Moon" is a pop standard song written by Bart Howard in 1954. When introduced by Felicia Sanders on the cabaret circuit, it was originally titled "In Other Words". The song became popularly called "Fly Me to the Moon" from its first line, but it took a few years for the publishers to change the title officially.

[edit] History

It was first recorded in 1954 by Kaye Ballard, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 29114. In 1956 it was recorded by Portia Nelson for her album, Let Me Love You. The same year, Johnny Mathis recorded the song, this was the first time the title "Fly Me to the Moon" appeared on a record label.

The original singer of "Fly Me to the Moon", Felicia Sanders, recorded the song in 1959. It was released on Decca Records as catalog number 30937.

In 1962, an instrumental version was recorded as "Fly Me to the Moon – Bossa Nova" by Joe Harnell, which became the biggest chart hit version of the song, reaching #14 on the U.S. pop singles charts.

Frank Sinatra recorded the song on his 1964 album It Might as Well Be Swing, accompanied by Count Basie, in an arrangement by Quincy Jones. This became the rendition that many people identified the song with. Sinatra's recording was played by the astronauts of Apollo 10, on their lunar mission. ^[1] Sinatra also performed the song with Basie on 1966's Sinatra at the Sands, and on 1994's Duets II, his final recording of "Fly Me to the Moon" and his final collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim. He also performed this song in 1969 TV-show "Sinatra", there he dedicated it to the astronauts "who made the impossible possible".

Tony Bennett recorded the song in 1965 and had a minor hit with it. In subsequent years through the 2000s, he often performed the song in concert without using any amplification or sound system. Oscar Peterson recorded the song on his album Tristeza On Piano in 1970 which sort of imitated Count Basie and his band. The track had to be deleted on the Three Originals compilation because there was not enough room for it to fit.

The song is included on the Tribute album of Westlife, Allow Us to Be Frank.

The song has been covered by a large amount of artists for the ending theme of the Japanese anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion^[2] and the feature films based on the series.^[3]. The artists include Claire Littley, Yoko Takahashi, Kotono Mitsuishi, Utada Hikaru, Yuko Miyamura, Megumi Hayashibara and many others.^[4][5] The anime even includes Japanese, instrumental, and techno versions of the song.^[6]

Yi So-yeon, a spaceflight participant from South Korea who flew aboard Soyuz TMA-12 reported in a post-mission news conference that she had sung "Fly Me to the Moon" for the other crew members while in space.

The song is popular in Germany and has been recorded by Tom Gaebel on his album The Unknown (2003) and by Roger Cicero as "Schiess mich doch zum Mond" on his album Männersachen (2006).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "Fly Me to the Moon" in MIDI format