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.