If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set

If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
Studio album by Tony Bennett
Released	April 19, 1965[1]
Recorded	January 4, 1965 (#4, 6, 10) February 18, 1965 (#3, 7, 9) February 19, 1965 (#1–2, 5, 8, 11–12)
Studio	Columbia 30th Street (New York City)
Genre	Jazz
Length	41:35
Label	Columbia CL 2343 CS 9143
Producer	Ernie Altschuler
Tony Bennett chronology
Who Can I Turn To (1964) If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set (1965) The Movie Song Album (1966)

If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set is a 1965 studio album by Tony Bennett, arranged by Don Costa. Bennett dedicated his recording of "Sweet Lorraine" on the album to Nat "King" Cole, who had died a month before the album's release.^[2]

Two singles from the album, "If I Ruled the World" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue dated February 13, 1965, peaking at number 34 during its nine-week stay.^[3] and number eight on the magazine's Easy Listening chart, during its nine-week stay.^[4] number 48 on the Cashbox singles chart during its seven-week stay.^[5] and number 40 in The U.K during its five-weeks stay.^[6] Another Single, "Fly Me to the Moon", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue dated July 23, 1965, peaking at number 84 during a four-week stay,^[3] The song peaked at number 17 on the magazine's Easy Listening chart, during its ten-weeks stay.^[4] and number 60 on the Cashbox singles chart during its seven-weeks stay.^[5]

The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated May 22, 1965, and remained on the chart for 22 weeks, peaking at No. 47^[7] it also debuted on the Cashbox albums chart in the issue dated May 15, 1965, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks, peaking at No. 32^[8]

On November 8, 2011, Sony Music Distribution included the CD in a box set entitled The Complete Collection.^[9]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[10]
Record Mirror	[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[12]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic stated that "There were also two songs from the Richard Rodgers-Stephen Sondheim musical Do I Hear a Waltz?, which was set in Venice. Other sections might not justify the flight theme -- Duke Ellington's "Love Scene" was given a "destination" of Harlem on the back cover, and that neighborhood is on no known flight plan -- but with such high-quality material."^[10]

Billboard notes "Bennett segues into "Fly Me to the Moon", fresh and sparkling ... especially with Don Costa providing the backing."^[13]

Cashbox thought "The material consists basically of recently penned candidates for the “standard” status."^[14]

Variety Believed that "There's excellent backing from some topflight instrumentalists and an incidental chorus".^[15]

Record Mirror described the album as "a marvellous album"^[11]

Track listing

1. "Samba do Avião" ("Song of the Jet") (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Gene Lees) – 3:34
2. "Fly Me to the Moon" (Bart Howard) – 4:00
3. "How Insensitive" (Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel, Jobim) – 4:23
4. "If I Ruled the World" (Leslie Bricusse, Cyril Ornadel) – 3:00
5. "Love Scene" (Marshall Barer, Duke Ellington) – 2:33
6. "Take the Moment" (Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim) – 3:59
7. "Then Was Then and Now Is Now" (Cy Coleman, Peggy Lee) – 3:05
8. "Sweet Lorraine" (Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish) – 3:39
9. "The Right to Love" (Gene Lees, Lalo Schifrin) – 3:41
10. "Watch What Happens" (Jacques Demy, Gimbel, Michel Legrand) – 2:57
11. "All My Tomorrows" (Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 3:19
12. "Two by Two" (Rodgers, Sondheim) – 3:25

Personnel

Performance

• Tony Bennett – vocals
• Al Cohn – tenor sax (#1–3, 9)
• Joe Marsala – clarinet (#8)
• Ralph Sharon – piano
• Carlos Lyra – guitar (#1, 3)
• Bobby Hackett – ukulele (#8)
• Hal Gaylor – bass
• William "Billy" Exiner, Elcio Milito (#1 only) – drums
• Don Costa – arranger, conductor

References

1. Tony Bennett.com
2. If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set at AllMusic
3. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 52. ISBN 0898201551.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8982-0169-7.
5. Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 24–25. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
6. "TONY BENNETT". Official Charts. 1955-04-21. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
7. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's top pop albums : 1955-1996 : compiled from Billboard magazine's pop album charts, 1955-1996. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-8982-0117-8.
8. Hoffmann, Frank W (1988). The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-8108-2005-6.
9. "The Complete Collection - Tony Bennett". allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
10. Ruhlmann, William. "Tony Bennett - If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set: Rating & Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
11. Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (11 September 1965). "Tony Bennett: Songs For The Jet Set" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 235. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
12. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 148. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
13. "Pop Spotlight: If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set". Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 19. May 8, 1965. p. 52.
14. "Cashbox Album Pop Picks Reviews: If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set". Cash Box. Vol. 26, no. 33. May 8, 1965. p. 30.
15. "Record Reviews: Tony Bennett's Jet Set, Sammy Davis, Jimmy Smith's Monster, Peter Brady, Carol Channing, Peter Duchin Top LPs". Variety. Vol. 238, no. 10. April 28, 1965. p. 48.