Fly Me to the Moon: The musical soul of America's space program

---

The song "Fly Me to the Moon," originally titled "In Other Words," was written by Bart Howard in 1954. Originally a jazz waltz, it became a huge hit and a classic after Frank Sinatra covered it in 1964. The song is closely associated with the American space program, particularly the Apollo missions.

Music from the Apollo missions

During the Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, astronauts didn't just travel in silence. NASA actually provided astronauts with tape recorders so they could listen to music. These tape recorders were specially modified to prevent the tapes from loosening in zero gravity and were secured to the spacecraft with Velcro straps.

Mickey Kapp, son of the founder of Kapp Records, worked with NASA to create mixtapes for the astronauts. He would spend time with the astronauts to learn what they liked to hear and then use his connections to find the songs they wanted.While detailed records of the songs chosen by all astronauts are unavailable, reports indicate that the Apollo 11 astronauts particularly favored songs by Glen Campbell and Frank Sinatra.

The Connection Between "Fly Me to the Moon" and the Apollo Mission

Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" has a deep connection to NASA's Apollo program. In fact, the song was played during the Apollo 10 mission, while Apollo 10 was orbiting the moon, and before Apollo 11's first lunar landing. Buzz Aldrin reportedly heard Sinatra's version in lunar orbit, making "Fly Me to the Moon" the first piece of music played in space.

In 2008, at NASA's 50th anniversary celebration, Grammy Award-winning artist Quincy Jones presented a platinum record of "Fly Me to the Moon" to Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong. Furthermore, Diana Krall performed the song at the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, and it was also performed at Armstrong's memorial service.

Popular Culture Influence

"Fly Me to the Moon" is more than just a song about space travel; it has become a pop culture classic. It frequently appears in various films and television programs, and has been covered by numerous musicians.

In 2024, a film called "Fly Me to the Moon" will be released, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. The story revolves around the Apollo 11 mission and tells the story of a marketing executive who is asked to fake the moon landing story in order to prevent the mission from failing.

Summary

The enduring appeal of "Fly Me to the Moon" truly demonstrates not only the beauty of its melody and lyrics, but also its historical significance. It continues to inspire others to pursue their dreams and explore the unknown, just as the brave Apollo astronauts did. This is truly admirable. I hope that in the future, more people will pursue their own journeys into the stars in their own way!

HONG KONG SMOOTH JAZZ LIVE BAND RECOMMENDATION

FATI LIVE BAND

Email:

infofatiproduction@gmail.com 

Enquiry Hotline: +852 6502 9650

Enter the art world of FATI