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We'll Be Together Again (1945)

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We'll Be Together Again (1998 Digital Remaster) - Frank Sinatra We'll Be Together
Again (1998 Digital Remaster) - Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra We'll Be Together Again - Tony Bennett We'll Be Together Again -
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
We'll Be Together Again - Dianne Reeves We'll Be Together Again - Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves We'll Be Together Again - Anita O'Day We'll Be Together Again -
Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day
We'll Be Together Again - Diane Schuur We'll Be Together Again - Diane Schuur
Diane Schuur We'll Be Together Again - McCoy Tyner We'll Be Together Again -
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
We'll Be Together Again - Ben Webster We'll Be Together Again - Ben Webster
Ben Webster We'll Be Together Again - Billie Holiday We'll Be Together Again -
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
We'll Be Together Again - Benny Carter We'll Be Together Again - Benny Carter
Benny Carter We'll Be Together Again - Ben Webster We'll Be Together Again -
Ben Webster
Ben Webster
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“This song is a great illustration of pop ballad sophistication and its difference
in character from a theater ballad.”
- Alec Wilder

Rank 241
Music Carl Fischer
Lyrics Frankie Laine

Pianist and songwriter Carl Fischer met vocalist Frankie Laine in the early ‘40s
and soon became his pianist and musical director. During the early years of Laine’s
career he performed more jazz material than he did after hitting the big time in
1946 with his recording of “That’s My Desire,” which set the stage for the soulful,
bluesy vocalists who would follow the crooners.
In 1945 Fischer showed Laine a song that he had written and asked Laine to write a
lyric for it. Although they recorded “We’ll Be Together Again” that year, a
rendition by the vocal group the Pied Pipers was released first. While the song
didn’t chart, it has remained a solid favorite over the years.

More on Frankie Laine at JazzBiographies.com

More on Carl Fischer at JazzBiographies.com

Fischer and Laine collaborated on several other songs in the ‘40s and ‘50s,
including “What Could Be Sweeter?” (1948), “Baby, Just for Me” (1949), and “When
You’re in Love” (1952), none of which have enjoyed the longevity of “We’ll Be
Together Again.”.

The reassuring lyric which Laine set to Fischer’s lovely melody is reminiscent of
the war years when lovers and families were torn apart:

No tears, no fears
Remember, there’s always tomorrow
So what if we have to part
We’ll be together again

In his book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 Alec Wilder
says, “This song is a great illustration of pop ballad sophistication and its
difference in character from a theater ballad. For example, can you imagine Kern or
Rodgers or even Gershwin writing such a song? Perhaps Arlen, but no one else.
Berlin wrote a somewhat similar song for a show but not with such sophistication.”

Many jazz musicians have recorded “We’ll Be Together Again,” the title cut of an
album from guitarist Pat Martino. The Adderley brothers, Cannonball and Nat,
recorded it as did vocalists Billie Holiday, Jon Hendricks, Carmen McRae, and Tony
Bennett in his famous duo with pianist Bill Evans. Another duo to record the song
was guitarist Joe Pass with trombonist J. J. Johnson. Since 2000 various artists
have featured the song on CD: drummer Cecil Brooks III, harmonica player Toots
Thielemans, pop singer Rod Stewart, singer/songwriter Bob Dorough, and vocalist
Jimmy Scott.

More information on this tune...

Alec Wilder
American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950
Oxford University Press; Reprint edition
Hardcover: 576 pages

(Author/composer Wilder analyzes the music in his definitive book on American

popular song.)
- Sandra Burlingame