| "Days of Wine and Roses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of US single picture sleeves | ||||
| Single byAndy Williams | ||||
| from the albumDays of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests | ||||
| A-side | "Can't Get Used to Losing You" | |||
| Released | March 1963 | |||
| Genre | Easy listening | |||
| Length | 2:45 | |||
| Label | Columbia 42674 | |||
| Songwriters | Henry Mancini,Johnny Mercer | |||
| Producer | Robert Mersey | |||
| Andy Williams singles chronology | ||||
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"Days of Wine and Roses" is apopular song, from the1962film of the same name.[1]
The music was written byHenry Mancini with lyrics byJohnny Mercer.[1] They received theAcademy Award for Best Original Song for their work,[1] as well as the 1964Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[2] In 2004 it finished at #39 inAFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
The song's lyric is notable for consisting of just two complex sentences, each of which forms one of the song's two stanzas.
The best-known recordings of the song were byBilly Eckstine in 1961 andAndy Williams in 1963, but several other recording artists have also recorded the song, includingBill Evans,Dick and Dee Dee,Shirley Bassey,Frank Sinatra,Julie London,Perry Como,Wes Montgomery (1963:Boss Guitar),McCoy Tyner,Jaco Pastorius andLenny Breau.Tony Bennett sang his interpretation on his prestigiousThe Movie Song Album (1966). Pat Boone.Ella Fitzgerald andJoe Pass recorded their version of this song on theirPablo Records albumEasy Living. The song has become a jazz standard.
Williams' version was recorded forColumbia Records. It was released as catalog number 42674. The song reached #9 on theadult contemporary chart and #26 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart,[3] and was the featured track on the album,Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests, which peaked at No. 1 on theBillboard 200 album chart.
Perry Como's version was recorded forRCA Victor Records. The recording was made on March 19, 1963. The record was issued by RCA Victor as a track on the album,The Songs I Love. On theCash Box chart, where all singles were combined, the song reached a peak position of No. 30 in May 1963.
Vince Guaraldi andBola Sete recorded an instrumental version forFantasy Records in 1963. It was released on the albumVince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends, and was a featured single (it did not chart).
In 2000,The Lettermen included the song on theirGreatest Movie Hits album. R&B/soul singerMiki Howard recorded it for her 2008 album,Private Collection.
The phrase "days of wine and roses" is originally from the poem "Vitae Summa Brevis" by the English writerErnest Dowson (1867–1900):
They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.
In 2024,Christian McBride andEdgar Meyer included the song in their albumBut Who's Gonna Play the Melody?.[4]
| Performer | Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Williams | Adult contemporary | 9 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 26 | |
| Henry Mancini | Billboard Hot 100 | 33 |
| Billboard Easy Listening | 10 |
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