The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

The song of the day for Friday, April 17, 2026, is “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

About Today

Seventy-six years ago today on April 17, 1950, Tony Bennett recorded 3 songs at his first recording session at Columbia Records. Those songs were “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “I Wanna Be Loved,” and today’s song “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

About This Song

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for the Blackbirds of 1928, produced by Lew Leslie. The song was the first big hit for this songwriting pair. It has been a widely recorded jazz and popular standard, with recordings by Ukulele Ike, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Anita O’Day, and many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” on April 17, 1950, featuring an arrangement by Marty Manning. It was soon released as a 78 RPM single.

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” as well as The Columbia Singles Vol. 1, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Because of You

The song of the day for Saturday, March 14, 2026, is “Because of You.”

About This Song

“Because of You” was written in 1940 by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson. It charted briefly in the early 1940s.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Because of You” on April 4, 1951, and was released as a single that year. Percy Faith wrote the arrangement.

Bennett related this in his autobiography The Good Life.

By the spring of 1951, I was told that if I didn’t get a hit soon, I’d be dropped from the label. I went into Percy’s office and he said, “In this next session you really have to deliver. We have three songs ready, so we need another song.” I remember that he looked through a bunch of sheet music on his desk, grabbed a song, and said, “Well, let’s do this one.” That song was ‘Because of You.’ I was doing a lot of dramatic singing on my early records, but Percy said to me, “Just relax. Use your natural voice and sing the song.” I took his advice.

“Because of You” was a major hit; it reached #1 on the Billboard charts and stayed there for 10 weeks.

“Because of You,” as well as The Columbia Singles, Vol. 1, is available on Apple Music.

Dear Mr. Bennett

The John Pizzarelli Trio (Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Michael Karn on bass, and Isaiah J. Thompson on piano) recorded “Because Of You” for Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March 2026.

Dear Mr. Bennett is available for purchase on CD and vinyl at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records, and other record stores. It is also available on most popular streaming services.

On September 23, 1951, Tony Bennett sang “Because of You” live on the Ed Sullivan Show.

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Song of the Day: The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The song of the day for Friday, March 13, 2026, is “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

About This Song

“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin for the 1934 movie Moulin Rouge, where it was sung by Constance Bennett. Although numerous artists have recorded “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (including Bing Crosby 1944), this song is very strongly identified with Tony Bennett. In fact, his demo record of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was heard by Mitch Miller and got Bennett his first recording contract with Columbia Records.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” on April 17, 1950, at his very first recording session after he signed with Columbia Records. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” as well as The Columbia Singles Vol. 1, is available on Apple Music.

Dear Mr. Bennett

The John Pizzarelli Trio (Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Michael Karn on bass, and Isaiah J. Thompson on piano) recorded “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” for Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March 2026.

Dear Mr. Bennett is available for purchase on CD and vinyl at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records, and other record stores. It is also available on most popular streaming services.

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Song of the Day: Because of You

Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️❤️❤️

The song of the day for Saturday, February 14, 2026, is “Because of You.”

About This Song

“Because of You” was written in 1940 by Arthur Hammerstein (uncle to Oscar Hammerstein II) and Dudley Wilkinson. The song had several recordings in the early 1940s, but Tony Bennett’s 1951 recording made the song a major hit.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Because of You” on April 4, 1951. Percy Faith wrote the arrangement.

“Because of You” was the last song that Tony Bennett sang before his death on July 21, 2023.

“Because of You,” as well as The Columbia Singles, Vol. 1, is available on Apple Music.

Tony Bennett sang “Because of You” on the Ed Sullivan Show on September 23, 1951.

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Song of the Day: The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 7, 2026, is “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

About This Song

“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin in 1933 for the movie Moulin Rouge, where it was sung by Constance Bennett. Although many artists have recorded “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (including Bing Crosby in 1944), this song is strongly identified with Tony Bennett. In fact, Mitch Miller heard his demo record of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and got Bennett his first recording contract with Columbia Records.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” on April 17, 1950; it was his first recording for Columbia Records. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement. “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “I Wanna Be Loved,” which were recorded in the same session, were released on a 78RPM record on May 22, 1950.

“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” as well as The Columbia Singles, Vol. 1, is available on Apple Music.

We also have this video of Tony Bennett singing “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” from 1959 (though I think the date might be earlier than that). The image is poor, but the sound quality is good.