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Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

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Wikipedia article




"'Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear'" is a song written by Randy Newman, about a sincere young man of modest means named Simon Smith who entertains affluent ("well-fed") diners with his dancing bear. A recording by the Alan Price Set reached No 4 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1967. Newman later recorded the song himself.

History



Randy Newman wrote the ragtime-influenced song in 1964. He considered it a major stepping point in his songwriting, telling 'Performing Songwriter' "I was writing a song, believe it or not, for Frank Sinatra Jr. And it was called something like "Susie" or "Mary" and I just all of a sudden couldnt do it. So I ended up somewhere with "coat to wear" and "dancing bear"... ...and then I was never the same. And I never wrote particularly conventional songs after that."

Sinatra Jr. never recorded the finished song. 'Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear' was popularised in the UK by a recording by the Alan Price Set, issued 24 February 1967. Upon its release, Peter Jones of 'Record Mirror' described Price as "high on my short list of Most Distinctive Voices" and characterised the song as "jazz-styled and bouncy and smokey and with tremendous punchy piano". Don Short of 'Daily Mirror' doubted the song's hit potential, writing "the song is not so weird as the title, but I can't see the Alan Price Set making the charts with it".. Reviewing the week's new singles for 'Melody Maker', Paul McCartney praised the song and considered it a likely hit, describing it as "so much better than the period, vaudeville stuff because it's still a bit modern". The single reached No 4 on the 'Record Retailer' chart in April 1967. Price filmed a promo video for the song with two bears from Colchester Zoo.

Additionally, Newman offered the song to Californian sunshine pop band Harpers Bizarre, whose recording appears on their album 'Feelin' Groovy', issued in April 1967. Newman's own recording features on his 1972 album 'Sail Away'. It has been covered by such artists as Harry Nilsson, Morrissey, Bobby Short, Akiko Yano, and Okkervil River. Bobbie Gentry recorded a gender-switched version, "Salome Smith and Her Amazing Dancing Bear". The song appears in the 19th episode of the first season of 'The Muppet Show', sung by the character Scooter as Simon Smith and with Fozzie Bear as the dancing bear.

References



Category:Songs about bears

Category:Songs about dancing

Category:Songs about fictional male characters

Category:1967 singles

Category:Alan Price songs

Category:Randy Newman songs

Category:Songs written by Randy Newman

Category:The Muppets songs

Category:1967 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman

Category:Song recordings produced by Lenny Waronker


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