The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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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: I Left My Heart In San Francisco

The song of the day for Tuesday, July 30, 2024, is “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

About This Song

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was written in 1953 by Douglass Cross and George Cory. This song is, of course, Tony Bennett’s signature song. It actually became that quite by accident. As Bennett’s musical director, songwriters were constantly giving Ralph Sharon copies of their songs. Cross and Cory had done that and 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.

About This Version

On July 30, 1963, Tony Bennett appeared as a guest on The Judy Garland Show on CBS and they sang a duet of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

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

The song of the day for Saturday, May 4, 2024, is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

About Today

We’re remembering Douglass Cross, who wrote the lyrics to “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was born 104 years ago on May 4, 1920.

About This Song

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written in 1953 by Douglass Cross and George Cory.

This song is, of course, Tony Bennett’s signature song. It actually became that quite by accident. As Bennett’s musical director, songwriters constantly gave Ralph Sharon copies of their songs. Cross and Cory had done that and 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 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.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in 2006 with Bill Charlap on piano for Duets: An American Classic. Jorge Calandrelli wrote the arrangement.

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as well as Duets: An American Classic, is available on Apple Music.

Tony Bennett won the Record of the Year Grammy Award in 1962 for his initial recording of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

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

The song of the day for Tuesday, January 23, 2024, is “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

About This Song

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was written by George Cory and Douglass Cross, two homesick San Franciscans.

This song is, of course, Tony Bennett’s signature song. It actually became that quite by accident. As Bennett’s musical director, songwriters were constantly giving Ralph Sharon copies of their songs. Cross and Cory had done that and 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 was his signature song and is beloved by all of his fans.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” on January 23, 1962. It was first released as a single; after it became popular it was released on the album I Left My Heart In San Francisco, released on June 18, 1962.

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

Here’s Tony singing “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” accompanied by Ralph Sharon, from the Ed Sullivan Show, aired on November 22, 1964.

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

The song of the day for Thursday, August 3, 2023, is “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

About Today

Tony Bennett would have reached his 97th birthday on August 3, 2023. In addition to Mr. Bennett’s birthday, George Cory (composer of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco”) was born on August 3, 1920.

I can think of no better song of the day than “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” for today.

About This Song

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was written in 1953 by George Cory and Douglass Cross. The two songwriters had given Ralph Sharon, Bennett’s musical director, a copy of their song, which he put in a drawer and mostly forgot about. In 1961, Sharon was packing for a road trip with Bennett, which would end at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, and thought the song might be a nice song for the locals in the city by the bay. Well, it was well-received in San Francisco and went on to be Tony Bennett’s biggest hit and won two Grammy Awards (Album of the Year and Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male).

In 2018, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant”.

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” in 1962 and it remained his only studio recording of the song. In 2006, he felt it was time for another studio recording. He enlisted Bill Charlap and recorded it again on his 2006 album Duets: An American Classic.

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” as well as Duets: An American Classic is available on Apple Music.

I have several videos for today. First up is from Bill Charlap, who was interviewed by Kaitlan Collins on CNN immediately following his death on July 21, 2023:

Bill Charlap also recorded this piano solo in memory of Tony Bennett:

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In 1963, Tony Bennett appeared on the Judy Garland Show and sang what many, including me, consider his best recording of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco”