The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye

The song of the day for is “Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye.”

About This Song

“Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye” was written by Cole Porter for the 1944 Billy Rose musical revue Seven Lively Arts. The song is well known for the phrase “change from major to minor” as the song itself changed from A-flat major to A-flat minor, matching the lyric perfectly. It has always been a strong jazz standard. Significant recordings include those by Mabel Mercer, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye” on April 8, 1958, for his album Long Ago and Far Away. Frank DeVol wrote the arrangement.

“Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye,” as well as Long Ago and Far Away, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: (It’s Only) A Paper Moon

The song of the day for is “(It’s Only) A Paper Moon.”

About This Song

“(It’s Only) A Paper Moon” was written in 1933 by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose. Originally written for an unsuccessful play called The Great Magoo, this song was used in the 1933 movie Take a Chance. Paul Whiteman recorded it that year. There were two very fine recordings in the 1940s by Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, which sealed the popularity of the song. Since that time, it has been a popular and jazz favorite that has been widely recorded.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “(It’s Only) A Paper Moon” in The Playground, an album for children. The Ralph Sharon Quartet accompanied Bennett, with Sharon on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, Paul Langosch on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums.

“(It’s Only) A Paper Moon,” as well as The Playground, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: So Long, Big Time!

The song of the day for is “So Long, Big Time!”

About This Song

“So Long, Big Time!” was written in 1963 by Harold Arlen and Dory Langdon Previn. One of Arlen’s later songs, “So Long, Big Time!” is about the “player” who’s run out of luck and is giving up the fast life and knows when it’s time to walk away. The Bill Evans Trio and Monica Zetterlund recorded this song in 1964 for the album Waltz For Debby.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “So Long, Big Time!” on September 17, 1963, for The Many Moods of Tony. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement and Harold Arlen conducted the orchestra.

“So Long, Big Time!” as well as The Many Moods of Tony, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

The song of the day for Sunday, Mary 4, 2025, is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

About This Song

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written in 1953 by George Cory and Douglass Cross, who was born 105 years ago on May 4, 1920. Cory and Cross met in San Francisco after World War II and were romantic partners for many years. They moved to Brooklyn to start their songwriting career. Feeling homesick, they wrote “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in 1953. Ralph Sharon, as Tony Bennett’s musical director, was often given songs by songwriters, included Cross and Cory.

Sharon had stuck the song in a drawer and forgotten all about it. In 1961, he and Bennett were heading out on tour, which included a stop in San Francisco at The Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. Sharon came across the music and thought it might be a nice local number for the San Francisco audience. After a performance in Hot Springs, Arkansas, they found a piano and started to work on the song a bit. An early fan was the bartender, who said that he’d buy the first copy if they ever decided to record it. Of course, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was a huge hit at the performance and in January, 1962, Bennett recorded it and released it on a 45 RPM record on the B-side to Once Upon a Time. But gradually, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” started getting all the airplay and it became a major hit for Bennett, winning him his first Grammy Award. It is his signature song and is beloved by all of his fans. The song played at the end of all home games won by the San Francisco Giants. A statue of Tony Bennett was installed on the grounds of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco in honor of Bennett’s 90th birthday.

A passing note about that performance in Hot Springs, AK. A high school student who played the saxophone couldn’t get into the concert, but hung out at the window to listen. That kid was Bill Clinton.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on January 23, 1962, featuring an arrangement by Marty Manning. It was released on a 45 RPM record on the B side with “Once Upon a Time.” It was released on the album I Left My Heart in San Francisco in June 1962.

The recording received two 1963 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male.

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available on Apple Music.

In the summer of 1962, Tony Bennett appeared on the Judy Garland Show and sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

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Song of the Day: Some Other Time

The song of the day for Saturday, May 3, 2025, is “Some Other Time.”

About Today

We are celebrating Betty Comden, who co-wrote the lyrics for “Some Other Time” with Adolph Green. Betty Comden was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 3, 1917.

About This Song

“Some Other Time” was written by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, for the 1944 Broadway musical On The Town, the story of three sailors on leave in New York City and their romantic adventures. This song is sung at the end by two of the couples. Inexplicably, this beautiful song was cut from the 1949 film version.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans recorded “Some Other Time” in June 1975 for The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album. The album was released in 1975 on the Fantasy Records label, where Bill Evans had a contract.

“Some Other Time,” as well as The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, is available on Apple Music.

I’d like to include a version of “Some Other Time” from a 1960 studio recording of On The Town, conducted by Bernstein. It features two of the couples saying goodbye to each other, even though it’s unlikely they’ll meet again. Betty Comden sang for this recording — hers is the first voice in the recording.