Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra

Album: It Might as Well Be Swing (1964)

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This song was written by Bart Howard in 1954 as "In Other Words," and it was introduced on the cabaret circuit by Felicia Saunders. Two years after Kaye Ballard recorded the first commercial version of the song, Johnny Mathis released his rendition as "Fly Me to the Moon."

In 1962 the composer Joe Harnell revived the song, giving it a bossa nova arrangement. His version peaked at #14 in the US and won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Two years later, Frank Sinatra recorded the song with the Count Basie Orchestra arranged by Quincy Jones. Though it was never a hit, his is considered the definitive version.

Other notable versions of this much-recorded standard include ones by Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Connie Francis and Westlife. Connie Francis' Italian version recorded in 1962 under the title "Portami con te" was an international best-seller.
Sinatra was about to marry the 21-year-old Mia Farrow when he put this to disc, which gave his recording an extra spring in the step.
During Apollo 10's lunar mission, a cassette recording of relevant songs befitting a flight to the Moon was played. Sinatra's recording of this song was included along with others such as "Going Back to Houston" and "Moonlight Serenade." Therefore this song was one of the first ever to be played in outer space.
This was featured in the 1991 comedy-drama Once Around, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter.
Tony Bennett often performed this song unamplified, putting his microphone down and singing it loud and clear. He started doing it after meeting a Broadway veteran who explained that they used to perform that way, forcing them to "hit the back of the room." Bennett pulled this off when he went "really unplugged" on his 1994 MTV Unplugged special.
In 1998, Bennett performed a parody on Sesame Street called "Slimey To The Moon" about the character Slimey the Worm's trip to space.

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Comments: 6

Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 23rd 1962, an instrumental version of "Fly Me To The Moon - Bossa Nova" by Joe Harnell & his Orchestra entered the Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 17th, 1963 it peaked 14 (for 1 week) and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
Won a Grammy Award for 'Best Pop Instrumental Performance'...
R.I.P. Mr. Harnell (1924 - 2005).
Ricky from Ohsweken, -This song also appears in the PS3/XBOX 360 game Bayonetta
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOther cover versions: Bobby Womack took it No. 52 in 1968, LaVern Baker to No. 84 in 1965, and a duo by the name of Sam & Bill peaked at No. 98 in 1966!!!
Antonio from San Francisco, CaNot having yet listened to versions of this song made by any other than Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, I frankly disagree with the majority in this case and prefer the latter's version way over the former's one.
Julia from Buenos Aires, ArgentinaThe song it's also featured in the ending credits of the anime series "Evangelion".
Jackryanfan from Moreno Valley, CaI've always been a Sinatra fan, my wedding songs were "Strangers in the Night" & "All the Way". I would sing "Fly me to the Moon" to my daughter when she was a baby and when she started speaking she would finish each verse, "moon", "stars", "Jupiter and Mars". It was our quincenera dance and soon to be our father-daughter dance for her wedding.

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