The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Around

The song of the day for Saturday, June 9, 2018 is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

“I Wanna Be Around” was written in 1959 by Sadie Vimmerstedt and Johnny Mercer. The story of “I Wanna Be Around” is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces, when somebody breaks yours heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer. Mercer wrote the melody himself and completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959 and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

Today I’m pleased to offer the wonderful 1962 recording, released on the album I Wanna Be Around. Marty Manning did the arrangement.

I Wanna Be Around...

Listen to I Wanna Be Around... on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as the album of the same name, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Tony Bennett recorded “I Wanna Be Around” with Bono for the 2006 Duets: An American Classic.

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Song of the Day: It Was Me

The song of the day for Monday, May 21, 2018 is “It Was Me.”

About This Song

“It Was Me” was written by Gilbert Becaud as “C’etait Moi,” with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come. In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “It Was Me” in 1962 for the album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

It Was Me

Listen to It Was Me on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“It Was Me,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here

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Song of the Day: Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars

The song of the day for Friday, April 6, 2018 is “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars .”

About This Song

Known in the original Portuguese as “Corcovado,” this is one the great early bossa nova songs written by the master Antonio Carlos Jobim in 1960. The English lyrics were written by Gene Lees. This song has a serene quiet feeling–the English title fits the mood of the song perfectly. Both Stan Getz and Miles Davis recorded jazz versions of “Quiet Nights.”60

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Quiet Nights on Quiet Stars” in 1962; it was released on the 1963 album I Wanna Be Around. Marty Manning did the arrangement.

Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)

Listen to Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Around

The song of the day for Monday, April 2, 2018 is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

“I Wanna Be Around” was written in 1959 by Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt.

The story of “I Wanna Be Around” is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces, when somebody breaks yours heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer. Mercer wrote the melody himself and completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959 and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

Today I’m featuring Bennett’s first recording of “I Wanna Be Around,” for which he named his album I Wanna Be Around. While the album was released in 1963, it was recorded in October, 1962 and so fits in nicely with our ongoing tribute to Tony Bennett and 1962. As most of the songs on this album were recorded in 1962, I predict you’ll be hearing more from this great album in the days to come. Marty Manning did the arrangement.

I Wanna Be Around...

Listen to I Wanna Be Around... on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available from iTunes.

As I missed posting over the weekend, I can at least present this video of Tony Bennett singing “I Wanna Be Around,” live from the Newport Jazz Festival in 2002. Accompanying Bennett are Lee Musiker (piano), Gray Sargent (guitar), Paul Langosch (bass) and Clayton Cameron (drums.).

Check out the beautiful live shot from the stage looking out over the audience and the ocean just behind. One of these days, I’m going to have to go to the Newport Jazz Festival.

In fact, one the great jazz films ever made is Jazz On A Summer’s Day, filmed in 1959 at the Newport Jazz Festival. YouTube has a nice trailer of the film. It’s a must-see.

Every time I see this film, I wish I had been born 10 or 15 years earlier and hand been there that summer.

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

The song of the day for Saturday, February 10, 2018 is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

About This Song

“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was written in 1953 by two homesick songwriters from that city by the bay: 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. 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

No discussion of Tony Bennett’s career in 1962 can be held without acknowledging the impact his original recording in 1962 had on his stature in the music business. It’s a pretty well perfect recording, made on January 23, 1962 and released on the album I Left My Heart In San Francisco on June 18, 1962, just nine days after his legendary Carnegie Hall concert. The arrangement was written by Marty Manning. I don’t think you need to listen past the first couple of notes to know what a great listen you have in store.

https://open.spotify.com/track/1bYItjcPRtxZs6Ir71O5RBhttps://open.spotify.com/track/1bYItjcPRtxZs6Ir71O5RB
“I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as well as the album I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today I’m pleased to include a segment of an 1963 episode of “The Judy Garland Show,” featuring a duet between Garland and Bennett of today’s song. Tony Bennett and Judy Garland were good friends and it’s a joy to see their affection for each other in this clip.

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