The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Without a Song

The song of the day for Friday, June 5, 2026, is “Without a Song.”

About This Song

“Without a Song” was written by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, for the 1929 musical Great Day. Notable recordings include those by Paul Eckstine, Paul Whitman, Nelson Eddy, Frank Sinatra, and Neil Sedaka.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “Without a Song” live at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962. An abbreviated 2-LP recording was released as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall in August 1962. The complete version of the concert on two CDs was released in 1977.

“Without a Song,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: More Than You Know

The song of the day for Sunday, March 1, 2026, is “More Than You Know.”

About This Song

“More Than You Know” was composed in 1929 by Vincent Youmans with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu for the Broadway musical Great Day, which ran for only 36 performances. In spite of its poor run on Broadway, the score was considered very good and so it got sold to Hollywood, where it was to be a starring vehicle for Joan Crawford. Eight weeks into production, the film was shut down and was never released. Thankfully, this song remained popular, in many ways thanks to Fanny Brice, who was married to Billy Rose, and sang the song in her performances with the Ziegfeld Follies. It has been widely recorded by jazz and popular artists since it was written.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “More Than You Know” on April 4, 1961, for My Heart Sings. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“More Than You Know,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: More Than You Know

The song of the day for Tuesday, August 12, 2025, is “More Than You Know.”

About This Song

“More Than You Know” was written by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, for the 1929 musical Great Day, which only ran for 36 performances. In spite of its poor run on Broadway, the score was considered very good, and so it got sold to Hollywood, where it was to be a starring vehicle for Joan Crawford. Eight weeks into production, the film was shut down and was never released. Thankfully, this song remained popular, in many ways thanks to Fanny Brice, who was married to Billy Rose, and sang the song in her performances with the Ziegfeld Follies. It has been widely recorded by jazz and popular artists since it was written.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “More Than You Know” on April 4, 1961, for My Heart Sings. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the band.

“More Than You Know,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Without A Song

The song of the day for Thursday, December 5, 2024, is “Without A Song.”

About This Song

“Without A Song” was written in 1926 by Vincent Youmans (music) and Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu (lyrics). It was written for the 1929 musical Great Day. It has been recorded by artists from Perry Como to Mario Lanza to Frank Sinatra. Great Day was set in 19th-century Louisiana; as a result, some of the lyrics have been changed over time to remove currently objectionable language.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Without A Song” on September 12, 1956, for Bennett’s second album Tony, released in 1957.

“Without A Song,” as well as Tony, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: More Than You Know

The song of the day for Saturday, January 13, 2024, is “More Than You Know.”

About This Song

“More Than You Know” was written in 1929 by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, for the Broadway musical Great Day, which only ran for 36 performances. Despite its poor run, the score was considered very good and so it got sold to Hollywood, where it was to be a starring vehicle for Joan Crawford. Eight weeks into production, the film was shut down and was never released. Thankfully, this song remained popular, in many ways thanks to Fanny Brice, who was married to Billy Rose and sang the song in her performances with the Ziegfeld Follies. It has been widely recorded by jazz and popular artists since it was written.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “More Than You Know” on April 4, 1961, for his My Heart Sings album. It was arranged and conducted by Ralph Burns.

“More Than You Know,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available on Apple Music.