Happy Valentine's Day

Today being the day, I thought I'd post a few lesser-known and slightly different love songs than we usually hear.  This is one of the more joyous I know.  It's a recording by Louis Armstrong on the same 1964 album that contained his phenomenal hit recording of "Hello, Dolly!"  This is "Be My Life's Companion."

The song was written in 1951 and had two hit recordings that year by Rosemary Clooney and the Mills Brothers.  And as popular as those were, I still like the sheer exuberance of Louis Armstrong's version. It was written by Bob Hilliard and Milton DeLugg.  I remember DeLugg's name for him briefly being the music director on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  Hilliard had a long career as a songwriter and was elected into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  He wrote the songs to the Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland, and several Broadway musicals, including Hazel Flagg with Jule Styne.  (That wasn't successful but included the big hit, "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York.")  Other of his songs include, "Dear Hearts and Gentle People," "Our Day Will Come" and "My Little Corner of the World."

​Besides all that and loving this recording, I especially love his little personal homage at the 2:25 mark.