Bing Crosby sang as if he were addressing only one person with his voice.
“What Bing created was the art of intimacy,” says singer Tony Bennett. “He sang very quiet and very understated …. You’re singing to someone’s eyes, you’re singing to someone’s ears, and you don’t have to push.”
In this film excerpt, entertainer Michael Feinstein uses the song “Moonlight Becomes You,” from the film Road to Morocco (1942), to illustrate how Bing would change a song’s phrasing and melody to make it more conversational. Bing’s knack for adding something different to a song was something that songwriters never complained about, says Feinstein.
“Moonlight Becomes You” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics).
American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered, premieres nationwide Tuesday, December 2 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), with a holiday encore on December 26 at 9 p.m.
