The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Love Is Here To Stay

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 28, 2016 is “Love Is Here To Stay.”

About This Song

“Love Is Here To Stay” was written in 1937 by George and Ira Gershwin for The Goldwyn Follies movie, which was released after George Gershwin’s death. It’s also known as “Our Love Is Here To Stay,” but the published title of the song omits the “Our.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Love Is Here To Stay” in 1958 for his album Hometown, My Town. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns.

Love Is Here To Stay

Listen to Love Is Here To Stay on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1959


“Love Is Here To Stay,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: The Party’s Over

The song of the day for Saturday, September 10, 2016 is “The Party’s Over.”

About This Song

“The Party’s Over” is one of the hit songs from the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing (the other being another Tony Bennett song “Just In Time”), which was composed by Jule Styne and with lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. The song was introduced by Judy Holliday, who won the Tony award for her performance.

About This Version

Your faithful blogger had to call in sick today and so was home when the 1960 film version of Bells Are Ringing, starring Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, was on Turner Classic Movies this afternoon. It turned out that I’d never seen it before and I loved every moment of it. And so, today we feature a song from the score of Bells Are Ringing.

Tony Bennett recorded “The Party’s Over” in 1959 for his album Hometown, My Town, wonderfully arranged by Ralph Burns. I know I say it a lot, but this is one of Bennett’s best, if somewhat unknown, albums. It was one of the first true “concept” albums in the industry and tells the story of a young man getting his start, falling in love and getting his heart broken in Manhattan. Wonderful album with many wonderful songs, including this one.

The Party"s Over

Listen to The Party"s Over on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1959


“The Party’s Over,” as well as Hometown, My Town, is available from iTunes.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Hometown, My Town, here’s the Spotify link to the full album.

Hometown, My Town

Listen to Hometown, My Town on Spotify · EP · Tony Bennett · 1959 · 6 songs

About Today

Here’s the wonderful Judy Holliday singing today’s song from the film version of Bells Are Ringing.

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Song of the Day: This Is All I Ask

The song of the day for Saturday, September 3, 2016 is “This Is All I Ask.”

About This Song

Gordon Jenkins wrote “This Is All I Ask” in 1958. Jenkins was a prolific composer, arranger and conductor from the 1930s through the 1960s. He worked closely with artists including Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland and won a Grammy Award for Sinatra’s 1965 album September of My Years, which included a recording of “This Is All I Ask.” Jenkins is said to have considered this song his favorite of all the songs he wrote.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “This Is All I Ask” twice. Today’s recording is from 1963 on the album also named This Is All I Ask. The arrangement is by Ralph Burns.

This Is All I Ask

Listen to This Is All I Ask on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1963


“This Is All I Ask,” as well as This Is All I Ask, is available from iTunes.

About Today

Today’s video is Tony Bennett singing this song last month on Late Night With Stephen Colbert just before his 90th birthday. If you haven’t seen it, you have a real treat in store. If you have seen it, it’s just as good again.

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Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Wednesday, August 31, 2016 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1960 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. Andy Propst, in his recent biography of Coleman, You Fascinate Me So, writes that Coleman was suffering from writer’s block during that period, when Carolyn Leigh was wanting to work on “The Rules of the Road.” When he did find his away around that block, the result was “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Version

When I lead off this month with our tribute to Cy Coleman featuring “The Rules of the Road,” I told you that it was a real favorite of mine. So much so, in fact, I’m closing out the month with the same song — different recording, though.

Today I’m featuring Bennett’s original recording from 1961 for Grammy-winning album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Yes, there are some pretty great songs on that album! The very fine arrangement is by Ralph Burns. The first couple of measures in this recording knock my socks off.

Rules of the Road

Tony Bennett · I Left My Heart In San Francisco · Song · 1962


“The Rules of the Road,” as well as I Left My Heart in San Francisco, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Keep Smiling At Trouble

The song of the day for Friday, August 19, 2016 is “Keep Smiling At Trouble.”

About This Song

“Keep Smiling at Trouble” was written 1924, with music by Lewis Gentler and lyrics by Al Jolson and Buddy DeSylva. It was first recorded by Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians in 1924, with vocals by his brother, Tom Waring. Other noted recordings were by Jolson, Ruby Braff, Tommy Dorsey, Della Reese and Bobby Hackett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett has recorded this song twice, once live from his recently-released album Tony Bennett Live at the Sahara: From This Moment On in 1964, and two studio recordings once in 1963 and another in 1967. It’s the 1967 recording I”m featuring today, released on For Once in My Life with a great arrangement by Ralph Burns, whose work for Tony Bennett I really love. If you have any doubts, listen to Hometown, My Town from 1959.

Keep Smiling At Trouble (Trouble"s A Bubble)

Listen to Keep Smiling At Trouble (Trouble"s A Bubble) on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1967


“Keep Smiling At Trouble,” as well as For Once In My Life, is available from iTunes.