The Oscar for Best Song in 1965 went to "The Shadow of Your Smile" from *The Sandpiper.* A gauzy, tender, heartfelt little ballad written by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster. One of the other nominees was "What's New Pussycat?" from *What's New Pussycat?* A boisterous, lewd raunchfest by my boys Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
The performances I've chosen illustrate the diva/mensch dichotomy pretty clearly. Tom Jones is full-on diva, it seems like he's made out of swagger. Tony Bennett is a mensch for the ages, singing the song in such an intimate, low-key manner. Love them both!
Diva: "What's New Pussycat?"
Mensch: "The Shadow of Your Smile"
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