When Harry Met Sally... (soundtrack)

Background

Bobby Colomby, the drummer for Blood, Sweat & Tears and a friend of director Rob Reiner, recommended Harry Connick Jr. as the musician to work with on the soundtrack. When Reiner listened to the tape Colomby gave him, he was struck by Connick's voice and how it sounded like a young Frank Sinatra. The movie's soundtrack album was released by Columbia Records in July 1989. The soundtrack consists of standards performed by Harry Connick Jr. with a big band and orchestra arranged by Marc Shaiman. Connick won his first Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance.

Arrangements and orchestrations on "It Had to Be You", "Where or When", "I Could Write a Book" and "But Not for Me" are by Connick and Shaiman. Other songs were performed as piano/vocal solos, or with Connick's trio featuring Ben Wolfe on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Also appearing on the album are tenor saxophonist Frank Wess and guitarist Joy Berliner.

The soundtrack went to #1 in the USA on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Chart and was within the top 50 on the Billboard 200. Connick also toured North America in support of this album. It went on to reach double-platinum status.

Track listing

Performed by Harry Connick Jr. and his trio

1. "It Had to Be You" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn)
2. "Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
3. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, Andy Razaf)
4. "But Not for Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin)
5. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)
6. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (Duke Ellington, Bob Russell)
7. "Autumn in New York" (Vernon Duke)
8. "I Could Write a Book" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)
9. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin)
10. "It Had to Be You (Instrumental Trio)" (Jones, Kahn)
11. "Where or When" (Hart, Rodgers)

Music in the film

The music on the soundtrack is performed by Connick, while the music in the film is by various artists: