In Other Words was written in 1953 by Bart Howard as a ballad. In 1963, Peggy Lee suggested that it be retitled Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) to keep up with the space age times. Who in their right mind wouldn’t listen to Miss Peggy Lee?

Kaye Ballard was best-known as a comic actress with a notably large mouth.  She was the first to record the song under its original title.

Peggy Lee changed the title, not the tempo:

Easily the best-known version came from the Frank Sinatra-Count Basie-Quincy Jones team. Quincy is the one who turned it into an up-tempo song. The album title summed it up best, It Might As Well Be Swing:

Sinatra re-recorded Fly Me To The Moon in 1994 with his Brazilian buddy, Antonio Carlos Jobim:

Bobby Womack souled up Bart Howard’s tune in 1968:

Finally, a 21st Century recording by one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, Smokey Robinson:

What would a Friday Cocktail Hour be without an instrumental rendition of the week’s song? This time around we have two:  Ray Brown with Benny Carter followed by the Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown on bass.

That was bassically a Ray Brown fest.  I should apologize for that base pun, but I won’t. It could have been worse: I nearly made a Count Basie pun as well.

Stock line time: Have I mentioned lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?

That’s it for this week. I hope everyone recognizes both cool cats in the featured image meme thing: Bill Basie and Frank Sinatra. If not, major demerits to you.

I will, however, still let you pour a shot and toast the end of the week. It’s what Bogie, Betty, and Frank would want. Never argue with them.