Meglio stasera Meglio stasera "Meglio stasera" (known in English as "It Had Better Be Tonight") is a 1963 song in samba rhythm with music by Henry Mancini, Italian lyrics by Franco Migliacci and English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was composed for the 1963 film "The Pink Panther" where it was performed by Fran Jeffries. In addition to the vocal performance, instrumental portions of the song appear in the film's underscore, sometimes as an introduction to the main "Pink Panther Theme". The beginning of the song, in the original Italian, is here followed by a literal translation and the first two lines
Johnny's Theme Tonight Show" was called "the last widely public big-band forum". Incoming bandleader Branford Marsalis composed a more "funky" theme for successor Jay Leno because "a swing tune doesn't reflect Jay at all [and] jazz doesn't come to mind either." Henry Mancini and his orchestra recorded a arrangement of "Johnny's Theme" in 1972 for the German EP "Theme from Nicholas and Alexandra". A version also appeared as part of Mancini's 2010 compilation "Big Screen, Little Screen". Paul Anka produced a recording by Top Brass for Buddah Records in 1973. Lawrence Welk and his orchestra performed the song for their 1976 album