• Home
  • About
    • About This Blog
    • About the Authors
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
    • Tony Live!
    • Music
      • Viva Duets
      • Songs
      • Albums
    • Art
  • And More
    • Collaborator of the Month
    • Songwriter of the Month – 2016
    • News
      • Cheek To Cheek
      • Bennett & Brubeck -The White House Sessions Live 1962
      • Life is a Gift
      • Viva Duets
      • Zen of Bennett
      • Other News
    • About His Collaborators
    • Musings
    • Extras
      • Books
      • Interviews
      • Media
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

June 9, 2023 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

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

The song of the day for Saturday; June 11, 2023, is “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to remember Judy Garland, who was born on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Her body of work, both in film and as a performer, was astounding. Today’s post has footage of Tony and Judy, when he appeared on The Judy Garland Show on July 30, 1963.

About This Song

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

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” on January 23, 1962, with an arrangement by Marty Manning. It was originally released as a single — on the B-side of “Once Upon a Time.” Later that year, the album I Left My Heart In San Francisco was released, with the song as the first cut on side one of the LP.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco won the 1962 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male.

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

Tony Bennett and Judy Garland had been friends for many years and Tony was happy to appear on her television program, The Judy Garland Show and to sing today’s song.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Douglass Cross, George Cory, Happy Birthday Judy Garland, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Judy Garland, Marty Manning, The Judy Garland Show, Tony Bennett

June 9, 2022 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Over The Rainbow

The song of the day for Friday, June 10, 2022, is “Over The Rainbow.”

About Today

Please join The Year of Tony Bennett in remembering the great Judy Garland, who was born in Grand Rapid, Minnesota exactly 100 years ago today, June 10, 1922.

I choose to say just one thing about her: I think she was the greatest female singer of the 20th century and her music will never grow old or tired or dated.

About This Song

“Over the Rainbow” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz and is one of the most widely known songs by Arlen or Harburg. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed downed the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song. “Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts. The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland. In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote that the song “…has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Over The Rainbow” in July 1995 for his album Here’s To The Ladies, which honors the great female singers of the 20th century. It was arranged by Bill Holman.

“Over The Rainbow,” as well as Here’s To The Ladies is available on Apple Music.

Of course, we have Judy singing today’s song from the 1939 classic The Wizard Of Oz.

I’d like to close with a clip of Tony’s visit to The Judy Garland Show, aired on July 30, 1963. You can see here how fond they were of each other.

Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Bill Holman, Happy Birthday Judy Garland, Harold Arlen, Here's To The Ladies, Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz, Tony Bennett, Yip Harburg

Subscribe to The Year of Tony Bennett

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Current Reader Favorites

  • Song of the Day: Waltz for Debby
  • Song of the Day: Georgia Rose
  • Song of the Day: Maybe September
  • Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road
  • Song of the Day: Christmas In Herald Square
  • Song of the Day: Penthouse Serenade
  • Home
  • About
  • Song of the Day
  • Album of the Week
  • Music and Art
  • And More
  • The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography

Copyright © 2023 The Year of Tony Bennett · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress