ReCovered: "Where or When"

One of the most romantic of all the ballads in the Great American Songbook, from Rodgers and Hart's 1937 musical Babes in Arms, is the haunting "Where or When."  Why "haunting?"  Apart from the simple beauty of its melody, the song has universal appeal: almost everyone has experienced a moment of recognition such as the song describes.  But what, exactly, is that recognition?  Is it déja vu, or a reunion with someone from years past, or something else?  There's probably no "correct" answer; this is art, not science.  It will mean something different to everyone.  There is no "definitive" version, but we'll begin with this 1982 performance by Judy Collins.  (Seldom has a lovelier voice been granted to such a vile person; her 2011 autobiography reads like De Quincey's "Confessions of an Opium Eater."  But that's the nature of show biz.)  Her interpretation is simple, although a bit affected:
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A much different version, which was very important in maintaining the popularity of the song, was its recording by the original Lettermen in 1963. (Numerous groups have used the name since.) Although unknown to most people under the age of 50 or so, the Lettermen were an enormously influential trio: their style of harmony, which was unique for its time, is usually credited as the major influence on the Beach Boys, and echoes can be heard in such "British Invasion" groups as Peter & Gordon or Chad & Jeremy.  Although the video depicts Dusty Springfield singing with them, she was not part of this recording: 
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To illustrate that this is more than merely a pleasant bit of crooning, let's look at a truly unique and dramatic performance, which perfectly captures the heart of the song without following any preconceived patterns.  Here, from a concert in Paris in 2000, is Bryan Ferry:

 

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Finally, an encore.  Diana Krall's incomparable jazz-tinged performance of "Where or When" was posted on this blog, by itself, over a year ago; it remains one of the most popular posts ever.  It would be a crime to leave it out of this post!