Album: I Left My Heart in San Francisco (1962)

Charted: 25 19

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Comments: 11

• Bill from Redondo Beach, CaliforniaMy book, "They Left Their Hearts in San Francisco: The Lives of Songwriters George Cory and Douglass Cross," will be published by McFarland toward the end of the year. Thank you. --Bill Christine
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 9th 1962, Tony Bennett appeared in his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City...
  He had not been on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for more than two years; back on January 11th, 1960 his covered version of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" had peaked at #74 on the Top 100, it was also included in his 23 song set at Carnegie Hall...
  Two months later in 1962 his signature song, "I Left My Heart on San Francisco", would enter the Top 100 on August 5th {See next post below}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 27th 1965, Tony Bennett performed "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
  Three years earlier on August 5th, 1962 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #87; and on October 14th, 1962 it peaked at #19 (for 1 week) and spent 21 weeks on the Top 100...
  It reached #7 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
  The song won two Grammy Awards; 'Record of the Year' and for 'Best Male Vocal Performance'...
  Mr. Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, will celebrate his 88th birthday in two months on August 3rd, 2014.
• Joe Leslie from San Francisco, CaOh... I forgot to mention. Lombard Street is NOT the crookedest street in the world (or in San Francisco, for that matter). It's Vermont Street here in SF, but it's not as accessible by public transportation. For an absolutely BEAUTIFUL pictorial video of SF scenes, set to Tony Bennett's recording of this beloved song, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMj2U3xj7s I think you'll be favorably impressed.
• Joe Leslie from San Francisco, CaHow can this be regarded as a site of "song facts" without mentioning that the songwriters were (repportedly) gay? C'mon! It should have AT LEAST been mentioned as a rumor. I used to live in Brooklyn Heights, NY, where a house was pointed out to me as the house where the composer of the song used to live. I was told he was gay and wrote the song because he pined for his lover in San Francisco. Elsewhere I have read online that the composers themselves were a gay couple who are QUOTED as saying they never really "took to" NYC and missed the warmth of San Francisco.
  It pisses me off when gays become invisible because people don't want to mention, or think it's unimportant that someone is gay. Having one's heroes kept invisible by prejudice and/or neglect. We're here! We're so often misrepresented or lied about. Why not give equal attention to our accomplishments?
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 8th, 1951 Tony Bennett started a run of 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1; the first eight weeks it was with "Because of You" and then six weeks with "Cold, Cold Heart"!!!
• George from Belleville, NjMany people have sung this song but nobody sings it like Tony Bennett.He brought to this song the fame it received.Mr. Bennett has that unmistakable style in his vocal delivery that shows itself strong on this great song.
• Miles from Salt Lake City, UtTo my knowledge, some interesting fact on the 1962, "45" RPM release: The Columbia "45" release, catalog No.4-42332 Which contains two songs sung by Bennett "Once Upon a Time" and "I Left My Heart in San Franscisco". The interesting fact that Columbia intended that "Once Upon a Time" was to be the "A" side, or hit side release of this pressing, where "San Fransisco" was the "B" side release. Somewhere along the airwaves, some disc jockeys started to play this "B" side and calls came in to replay the "B" side of the record. Thus, we know where this all went to. Even the matrix nos. show that "Time" (ZSP-56076) is one number lower that "San Fransisco" (ZSP-56077) and the lower number was the "A" side.
• Jacques from Nontreal, QcThe song I left my heart in San Francisco was a gay song. Il was written by some one gay who left his gay lover behind in San Francico.
  Am I wrong ?
  Jacques
  Montreal
• Ken from Louisville, KyTony Bennett's first television performace of this song was on Johnny Carson's very first Tonight Show on October 1, 1962. He also sang it on one of Carson's final Tonight Shows in May 1992.
• Stephen from KamloopsOne of my all-time favorite albums, and I think Tony's best is the "Perfectly Frank" album from 1992. A selection of standards that Frank Sinatra made famous. 24 songs with just Tony and the Ralph Sharon Trio. It's simple and beautiful, and seemingly effortless, what Pros! That was 15 years ago and he's better than ever. He won a Grammy award for Perfectly Frank, which was 30 years after his first Grammy award for I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

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