The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Remember You

The song of the day for Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2018 is “I Remember You.”

About This Song

“I Remember You” was written by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 movie The Fleet’s In (directed by the composer Schertzinger), where it was introduced by Dorothy Lamour. It is said that Mercer wrote the lyric for Judy Garland, with whom he was said to be in love. The song has been widely recorded over the decades and remains popular today. Notable recordings include those by Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall and Dinah Washington.

About This Version

Your author has real love affair with Tony Bennett’s 2004 album The Art of Romance; I really can’t think of a finer and more wonderful album with songs about the mysterious and wonderful state of love. Today’s song, “I Remember You,” is one of my favorites. Johnny Mandel wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.

I Remember You

Listen to I Remember You on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004


“I Remember You,” as well as The Art of Romance, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Love Is Here To Stay

The song of the day for Monday, February 12, 2018 is “Love Is Here To Stay.”

About This Song

“Love Is Here To Stay” was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1937 for The Goldwyn Follies; the song was released after George Gershwin’s untimely death from brain cancer in July 1937. This song is also known as “Our Love Is Here To Stay,” but the published title of the song omits the “Our.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Love Is Here To Stay” in 1958 for the album Hometown, My Town and featured a nice arrangement by Ralph Burns. Today we feature the live recording on June 9, 1962 at Carnegie Hall, the fifth song sung by Mr. Bennett at the concert.

Our Love Is Here to Stay (From "The Goldwyn Follies") (with Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra) - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Our Love Is Here to Stay (From "The Goldwyn Follies") (with Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra) - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“Love Is Here To Stay,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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Song of the Day: Stranger In Paradise

The song of the day for Sunday, February 11, 2018 is “Stranger In Paradise.”

About This Song

“Stranger in Paradise” was the hugely popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet. It was written by Robert Wright and George Forrest; the composition was based on Alexander Borodin’s Gliding Dance of the Maidens.

The popularity of Kismet is due in large part to Tony Bennett. At the time Kismet was preparing to open, New York City was having a massive newspaper strike and publicizing the opening of the musical was nearly impossible. The producers asked Tony Bennett to record “Stranger in Paradise” to help promote the production. His version was a hit and so was Kismet. `

About This Version

Tony Bennett first recorded “Stranger In Paradise” in 1953. He chose to open a series of songs from Broadway musicals at his June 9, 1962 concert at Carnegie Hall with this song.

Stranger In Paradise (From "Kismet") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to Stranger In Paradise (From "Kismet") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“Stranger In Paradise,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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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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Song of the Day: All The Things You Are

The song of the day for Friday, February 9, 2018 is “All The Things You Are.”

About This Song

“All The Things You Are” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1939 musical Very Warm For May. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder considers it to be one of Kern’s finest songs and with good reason. It’s a beautiful tune and Hammerstein’s lyrics are excellent.

About This Version

“All The Things You Are” was the third song for Bennett’s Carnegie Hall concert. It was perfect too. After the energetic opening with “Lullaby of Broadway “and the mid-tempo “Just In Time,” he sings this absolutely gorgeous ballad. You’d know it was a Jerome Kern song from just the first few notes and the Hammerstein lyric works wonderfully with the melody.

One of my favorite things in this song is the transition from the verse to the chorus, which I believe is a brilliant choice by Sharon and Bennett.
In the published lyrics, the last two lines of the verse are:

Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster
All that I want in all of this world is you

And then the chorus starts with:

You are the promised kiss of springtime …

But in this wonderful recording, the last “you” in the verse elegantly transitions into the first “you” in the chorus. I have to say that the first time I heard Tony Bennett sing this song, I practically swooned. I’ve listened to it countless times and featured it often on this blog and it never, ever ceases to make me stop in my tracks at the beauty of this recording.

I often wondered why Tony Bennett never recorded this song again, but was pleasantly surprised to hear it once more as the first song on The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, recorded with pianist Bill Charlap and released in 2015.

From Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, recorded on June 9, 1962: “All The Things You Are.”

All The Things You Are (From "Very Warm For May") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962

Listen to All The Things You Are (From "Very Warm For May") - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - June 1962 on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett, Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra · 1962


“All The Things You Are,” as well as Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall, is available from iTunes.

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