Tony Bennett

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Lore & Background

Their journey began in 2011 when they met at the Robin Hood Foundation gala, where Bennett asked Gaga to record "The Lady Is a Tramp" for his album *Duets II*. This led to *Cheek to Cheek* (2014), which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 131,000 copies sold. Following its success, they immediately planned a sequel inspired by Porter's 1936 musical *Red, Hot and Blue*. For *Love for Sale*, the duo recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York, navigating delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Gaga's other projects like *A Star Is Born*. The album features ten standard tracks plus two bonus songs, all written by Porter. Sebastian Scotney of The Arts Desk noted the album felt "calmer" than its predecessor, with a unifying thread provided by Porter's compositions.

In Their Own Story

The recording process revealed deepening chemistry; during sessions for "I've Got You Under My Skin," Gaga altered lyrics to sing "like a tattoo under my skin," referencing a sketch Bennett made of Miles Davis' trumpet on her arm. When Bennett sang the line "Then, I see your fabulous face" in "I Get a Kick Out of You," Gaga jokingly asked if he was referring to her. Behind-the-scenes footage showed Bennett appearing detached when not singing, yet Gaga explained that "as soon as the music started, Tony knew exactly where he was." The duo performed at Radio City Music Hall on August 3 and 5, 2021, for *One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga*, marking a final live performance before Bennett's retirement. On the album cover, Bennett holds a sketchbook depicting a profile of Gaga while she fixes his bowtie.

Reader's Guide

Fans can explore two editions of *Love for Sale*: a standard version with ten tracks and deluxe editions adding "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "You're the Top." The title track features a bebop saxophone solo, while "It's De-Lovely" opens the album with drums and brass. To promote the release, Gaga appeared on Apple Music's "First Listen" event since Bennett could not participate due to his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2016. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. It also earned nominations for Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "I Get a Kick Out of You." Bennett broke a Guinness World Record at age 95 years and 60 days as the oldest person to release an album of new material.

Did You Know?

• Tony Bennett broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material at 95 years and 58 days old.
• Gaga changed a lyric in 'I've Got You Under My Skin' to reference a tattoo of a trumpet that Bennett drew on her arm.
• The duo recorded their final collaborative album between 2018 and early 2020 at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
• The title track 'Love for Sale' was chosen as the album name, though Bennett did not explicitly call it his favorite Cole Porter song.
• Bennett and Gaga met in 2011 at the Robin Hood Foundation gala before recording their first duet, 'The Lady Is a Tramp'.