God Bless America (charity album) performed a new arrangement of "God Bless America" on the telethon "". The recorded version of this, done the day before the telethon in the event something happened and Dion could not appear, became the title track of this compilation. It, along with a live acoustic performance by John Mellencamp, were the only tracks on the album not to have been previously released. The selections ranged over many decades, with recordings being used going back to 1945. The span of material was quite large; the album included "This Land Is Your Land", which Woody Guthrie had written in annoyed reaction
Always (Irving Berlin song) Always (Irving Berlin song) "Always" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1925, as a wedding gift for his wife Ellin McKay, whom he married in 1926, and to whom he presented the substantial royalties. Although legend (and Groucho Marx) claims Berlin wrote the song "Always" for "The Cocoanuts", he never meant for the song to be included in the play. Hit versions have also been recorded by such diverse artists as Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans, Billy Corgan, Leonard Cohen, Phil Collins, Machito and The Ink Spots. Billy