This alternate version of "Blame it On My Youth" comes from Stella Cole's 2023 album Stella Cole (Extended Version). Composed by Oscar Levant with lyrics by Edward Heyman, the song appears in two versions on the extended album, offering different perspectives on this classic ballad of romantic inexperience. This version features a half-chorus piano solo by Ben Paterson over the 32-bar AABA' form in B-flat at a slow 64 BPM. Compared to the primary version, which includes both a tenor saxophone and piano solo, this alternate arrangement gives Paterson more space, with his half-chorus solo occupying a more prominent role in the overall structure. His playing is contemplative and richly harmonic, drawing out the melancholy beauty of Levant's chord changes with sensitive touch and thoughtful phrase construction. The slightly slower tempo compared to the primary version lends this performance an even more introspective quality, allowing both Cole and Paterson to inhabit the emotional landscape of the lyric with greater depth. The decision to include two takes of the same song reveals Cole's commitment to exploring multiple interpretive possibilities within a single composition, a practice that recalls the era when alternate takes from recording sessions were prized by collectors for the different improvisational choices they revealed. Each version stands on its own as a complete artistic statement.
