The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

I can only appeal to your sense of fair play that you quarantine, social distance and wear masks whenever you are out around people during this period of increased variants. It is a responsible person who takes the effort to protect others even when they do not have the desire to protect themselves.

This week I’m pulling from the stacks one of Tony Bennett’s highest selling albums of his career I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Released in 1962 on Columbia Records, it peaked at #5 on the Billboard pop albums chart, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. Tony Bennett won two 1962 Grammy Awards for the title song: Record of the Year and Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male.

The album was produced by Ernie Altschuler and assembled around unused singles from earlier sessions. The previously released songs included the Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh songs The Best Is Yet to Come/Marry Young as well as Close Your Eyes/Rules of the Road, which were A&B sides respectively. Candy Kisses and Have I Told You Lately? were recorded in 1961. Tender Is the Night was later used in the 1962 film, while Charlie Chaplin’s Smile from Modern Times peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the only other single that charted with San Francisco.

Three additional tracks were taken from sessions spanning 1957 to 1960. Taking a Chance on Love from the musical Cabin in the Sky, Love for Sale from The New Yorkers, and I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” from Oh, Look!. Bennett’s rescue of Once Upon a Time from All American gave him San Francisco instead, his signature song.

Tracks | 32:20

Side 1

  1. I Left My Heart In SanFrancisco (Douglass Cross, George Cory) ~ 2:52
  2. Once Upon A Time (Charles Strouse, Lee Adams) ~ 2:57
  3. Tender Is The NIght ( Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) ~ 2:38
  4. Smile (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) ~ 2:49
  5. Love For Sale (Cole Porter) ~ 3:09
  6. Taking A Chance On Love (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) ~ 2:28

Side 2

  1. Candy Kisses (George Coleman) ~ 2:25
  2. Have I Told You Lately (Harold Rome) ~ 2:39
  3. Rules Of The Road (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) ~ 2:42
  4. Marry Young ((Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) ~ 2:20
  5. I’m Always Chasing Rainbows (Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy) ~ 2:40
  6. The Best Is Yet To Come ((Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) ~ 2:28
Personnel
  • Tony Bennett ~ vocals
  • Ralph Sharon ~ piano; arrangements on Love for Sale
  • Candido Camero, Sabu Martinez, Billy Exiner ~ percussion on Love for Sale
  • The Count Basie Orchestra ~ instruments and arrangements on Taking A Chance on Love
  • Marty Manning ~ arrangements on San Francisco, Once Upon A Time, Tender is the Night, Candy Kisses, Have I Told You Lately?
  • Cy Coleman ~ arrangements on Marry Young, The Best Is Yet to Come
  • Ralph Burns ~ arrangements on Smile, Rules of the Road
  • Frank De Vol ~ arrangements on I’m Always Chasing Rainbows

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