“Fly Me to the Moon” is one of the most enduring songs of modern times. Written by Bart Howard, the first recording was made by Kaye Ballard in 1954 as a highly sentimental waltz. Many of the early versions were in 3/4, but producer, arranger, and all-around music icon Quincy Jones changed how the world heard it.
His arrangement would be made famous by crooning megastar Frank Sinatra, whose rendition was even played by Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. It was an early win for Jones.
“I recorded it with Count Basie in four-four time,” Jones told Billboard. “When he wrote it originally, he wrote in three-four. You can’t swing in three-four. Sinatra said, “I like it the way you did it with Basie, the four-four. Would you consider doing that with me and him? I said, ‘Hell to the yeah!’ So I had to sit in my hotel room in San Remo, and overnight I had to write that arrangement. No piano, nothing, just write it. Frank died when he heard it, man. I was so happy because, really, that was my first thing for him. I was 29, you know? Those guys were in their 50s and 60s.”
Jones died on November 3, 2024, at 91 years old after a full life of music. The Recording Academy paid tribute to his life and legacy at the 67th GRAMMY Awards with a performance of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo handling the lyrics. She begins a sultry rubato section with pianist Herbie Hancock before a curtain reveals an entire big band to support her belting vocals.
The combination of staggering talents on stage brought the song back to life 70 years after its origin, proving that good music is timeless.
Get the sheet music for ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and start creating your own powerful arrangement.
