The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Have I Told You Lately?

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 24, 2025, is “Have I Told You Lately?.”

About This Song

“Have I Told You Lately?” was written by Harold Rome for the 1962 Broadway musical I Can Get It For You Wholesale.

I Can Get It For You Wholesale marked the Broadway debut of the then 19 year old Barbra Streisand in a supporting role of Miss Marmelstein, a secretary. Her audition for the role was so good, that the writers enlarged her role to take better advantage of her prodigious talents. The cast album was recorded by Columbia Records, and Goddard Lieberson had the good sense to sign the young Streisand to a contract and thus Columbia produced her first album, The Barbra Streisand Album, released in 1963.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Have I Told You Lately?” on January 23, 1962, for his album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Have I Told You Lately?” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco is available on Apple Music.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Once Upon a Time

The song of the day for Saturday, September 6, 2025, is “Once Upon a Time.”

About This Song

“Once Upon a Time” was written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for the 1962 Ray Bolger musical All American, where it was introduced by Bolger and Eileen Herlie. While the musical was not a major smash hit, the song is quite lovely. In addition to Tony Bennett’s fine recording, it was also recorded by Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Howard Keel, Bobby Darrin, and Mandy Patinkin.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Once Upon a Time” on January 23, 1962. It was released as the A-side of a 45rpm record with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as the B-side. Both songs were included on the album I Left My Heart in San Francisco, released in June 1962. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

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

By Leave a Comment

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

The song of the day for Sunday, August 3, 2025, is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

About Today

Tony Bennett was born on August 3, 1926, in Astoria, Queens. He would have been 99 years old today. I miss him all the time and am grateful for getting to attend so many of his concerts and getting to meet him backstage.

About This Song

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written in 1953 by George Cory and Douglass Cross, songwriters and partners from San Francisco who were feeling homesick.

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 (at which a high school saxophone player named Bill Clinton stood outside listening through the window), 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

Tony Bennett recorded “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on January 23, 1962; it was released as a single soon after. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement. The recording was added to the 1962 album I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Bennett won the 1963 Grammy Awards for 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.

I absolutely love this version of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on The Judy Garland television show in July 1963.

By Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: Smile

The song of the day for Sunday, June 29, 2025, is “Smile.”

About Today

We remember Ralph Burns, who wrote the arrangement for today’s song. He was born in Massachusetts on June 29, 1922. Burns arranged and conducted two albums for Tony Bennett: Hometown, My Town in 1959 and My Heart Sings in 1961. He also wrote the big band arrangements for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool in 1999, two years before his death. In addition to arranging, he was a jazz pianist and a notable film composer.

About This Song

“Smile” was written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 for his last silent film, Modern Times, which shows Chaplin and his costar Paulette Goddard, walking hand-in-hand up the road as the sun sets and as this song plays, in one of the most iconic scenes ever filmed. The lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons were added in 1954.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Smile” on June 24, 1959, and was released as a single that year. The recording was also included on his 1962 album I Left My heart In San Francisco. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement.

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

Here’s that legendary scene from Modern Times.

By Leave a Comment

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.”