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On Broadway (song)
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Wikipedia article
"'On Broadway'" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in collaboration with the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Composition
Weil and Mann were based at Aldon Music, located at 1650 Broadway, New York City, and the song as written by Mann/Weil was originally recorded by the Cookies (although the Crystals' version beat them to release) and featured an upbeat lyric in which the protagonist is still on her way to Broadway and sings "I got to get there soon, or I'll just die". The song was played as a shuffle.
When Leiber/Stoller let it be known that the Drifters had booked studio time for the following day and were a song short, Mann/Weil forwarded "On Broadway". Leiber and Stoller liked the song but felt that it was not quite right; the four held an overnight brainstorming session that culminated in the better-known version, now with a rock-oriented groove and with a more bluesy feel, which matched the new lyric in which the singer was now actually on Broadway and having a hard time.
The Drifters version
A young Phil Spector played the distinctive lead guitar solo on the Drifters' recording.Mick Brown. 'Tearing Down the Wall of Sound', p. 96 The personnel for the Drifters recording were Rudy Lewis lead vocals; Joe Newman, Ernie Royal trumpets; Billy Butler, Bill Suyker, Everett Barksdale guitars; Russ Savakus bass; Gary Chester drums; and Phil Kraus, Nick Rodriguez, Martin Grupp percussion. The arranger was Garry Sherman.
The recording by the Drifters was a hit, reaching No. 9 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in 1963. 'Cash Box' described it as "a haunting, slow beat cha cha opus...that sports a first rate Garry Sherman arrangement."
The Drifters' version was featured in a 1971 television public service announcement for Radio Free Europe (RFE). The Hungarian expatriate announcer is shown entering the RFE studio announcing "On Broadway", after which young Hungarians are shown listening to the "In sound from Outside".Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/x_vwAYIi8wg Ghostarchive] and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110714105643/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vwAYIi8wg Wayback Machine]:
George Benson version
George Benson's version of "On Broadway", from his 1978 album 'Weekend in L.A.', hit No. 7 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and No. 2 on the soul chart. Benson's take also has had substantial adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio airplay ever since. It won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
Benson's performance of the song was used in the 1979 film 'All That Jazz' in a sequence that featured dancers on stage auditioning for a musical similar to 'Chicago'. Benson also performed "On Broadway" with Clifford and the Rhythm Rats for the 1994 Muppets album 'Kermit Unpigged'.
In theatre
* It was featured in the musical revue 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' (1995).
* It is highlighted in the Carole King musical 'Beautiful' (2013); Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann are characters in the show.
References
Category:1963 songs
Category:1963 singles
Category:Songs written by Barry Mann
Category:Songs with lyrics by Cynthia Weil
Category:Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Category:The Drifters songs
Category:The Coasters songs
Category:The Dave Clark Five songs
Category:Eric Carmen songs
Category:Bobby Darin songs
Category:Percy Faith songs
Category:Tom Jones (singer) songs
Category:Johnny Mathis songs
Category:James Taylor songs
Category:Gary Numan songs
Category:Frank Sinatra songs
Category:Nancy Sinatra songs
Category:Neil Young songs
Category:George Benson songs
Category:Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes songs
Category:Atlantic Records singles
Category:Songs about New York City
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