American City Suite by Cashman & West

[choker869]

I have been trying to find "If You Were A Rainbow" (I think that was the title). Do you have that? I( need to refresh myself on the lyrics.

[bluegin24]

Wish the ending wasn't cut off....

[bluegin24]

I never thought I would hear this again! Thank you so much!

[stevevolo]

Great song that I have on both 45 and 33. Perfectly captures NYC in the 70s

[cmptbird]

Too bad this cuts off before the song is over. I loved this song, and still remember it today. KIMN in Denver would play it over and over! I was 13, my mom would be driving and I'd just look out the window and listen to this beautiful song and daydream.

[ElwynHornsby]

A 7:48 version is on Volume 9 of Rhino's Have a Nice Day Super Hits of the 70s.

[daisyduck0285]

OMG...my fav song ........just a classic.

[warkun]

Thanks for posting. This is the first time in about 35 years that I heard the entire suite, not the chopped up version. Very moving!

[dale031000]

THIS IS A GRATE SONG IF YOU HEAR IT ONE TIME YOULL NEVER FORGET IT I WAS 17 WENN IT CAME OUT AND WAS WORKING AT KORGER IN GA. A PLACE CALLED TRY-CITY PLAZA EAST POINT GA. THE STORE # WAS 103 MABY SOMEONE WILL REMBER IT MAN THAT SONG IS GRATE

[jeffreymliss]

Today, some 40 years later, this song has proven to have been prophetic.

[CrimsonBell53]

You can read what you want into the lyrics....it came out the same time my grandma died and the "friend is dying" part is how I felt about her dying.

[LadyMoonsparrow]

This is such a great song. The ending goes, "Oh New York City, can you say it ain't true,Can you tell me now before I'm leaving you, I'd give anything at all just to believe in you, again.". I have been looking for this song for years, thank you so much for finding it and putting it out there.

[Jimbo700]

The single edit was just over 7 minutes long.

This is the LP version.

[SundownerDrifting]

@Jimbo700 The single version dumps the "Hello Jack" part and crossfades the "Sweet City Song" and "All Around the Town" bits together (with a bit of the end shaved off the former). I have the 7" single and can confirm that it is still 7:33 long, quite long for a seven-inch single. Along with Gene Pistilli, these guys had an earlier hit with "Medicine Man," credited to the Buchanan Brothers.

[1946don]

Thanks for posting - one of the true 'story-telling' classics. Belongs right up there with songs like American Pie, Taxi or Piano Man. If you were brought up in or near NYC in the 50's like I was, this song will always cause you to reflect ... and might even bring a tear.

[189Ann]

The song is about a city dying...listen to the lyrics!! Hence, "An American City Suite"...

[jasonptify]

too long

[Marilyn1958]

My grandmother was dying when this song was a hit.. it still reminds me of her.... 39 years later ! Mitsy#9

[ginoboy9]

This suite without the second song went to the mid-20's on the Billboard chart in 1972. I remember trying to get the DJ's to play this more often but they balked (probably because of the length.)

[lynnea1957]

the very end is not there...the part where they say 'New York City, can ya say it aint true?' otherwise very good.

[dobalena1]

You don't know how much I went through to find this song! I recorded a fragment of it from the radio in 1972, played it for various record stores, spent endless time going through old Top 100 lists, learned to play it on guitar, played it for many people, etc. Finally in 2003 I bought a 1972 oldies compilation CD by chance and was blown away when I found the song on it! Great song, very heavy.

[THEBAYCITYROLLERMAN]

The part of the suite that starts at about 5:50 is so heart-wrenchingly sad. I remember hearing it on the radio when I was 11 and getting choked up (much like I am now). Thanks to YouTube's onehitwonderworld for the so sweet / so sad post.

[gregatyis]

I was disk jockying in Idaho when the album came out. I like the Stampeder version of Sweet City Woman a little more, but American City Suite Someone is Dying makes it complete. Also, Cashman and West are nowhere near one hit wonders, mostly they wrote.

"Sunday Will Never Be the Same"

"Medicine Man"

"Talkin' Baseball" — "Willie, Mickey, and The Duke"

And of course producing Jim Croce who left us WAY to soon.

[ThePhillypenguin]

@gregatyis I totally agree with you, I was in High School when this came out. Nobody appriciated it. I loved It

[9146363124]

I know that YouTube time is limited and I think you chose an excellent place to cut the song off but I wish that there were some place that I could get the song intact with its last four verses.

But, many thanks for posting it. I had the album - twice. It disappeared with two exes.

[OMGICAME]

I am a heavy metal dude...but cannot forget this song. Why?

[Pupdawg9724]

@OMGICAME

cuz it iz a good onez :D

[TheBatugan77]

These guys are not really one-hit wonders. They sang "Willie, Mickey and the Duke".

[cmulwee001]

I think "Sweet City Song" could've been a single all by itself.

[watiii1]

Just heard this on the replays of American Top 40 on XM Radio. It came onto the charts in October of 1972. Great song!

[stats1011]

These guys spoke at a class I took at Syracuse University back in 1975

[dixwell863]

I bought this album when it came out in 1972 and loved it. It's still one of the best albums I own.

[dkasogc]

have this on 45

[mkelisd]

Does anyone remember what year this was from?

[nithawk55]

i ahve this whole 8-track stuck away..lol i still love it and have an old player in my garage that i break it out and listen.

[903davesharonpoky]

putting great that a one hit wonder artist/duo/group would have 6 top 100 hits on the chart.

[happyatheist62]

I still have this on vinyl, too. I still have the whole thing memorized, after all these years. Weird, hadn't heard this for nearly 30 years.

[unklewink]

I can't help thinking this song is the opening theme for some TV series.

U.W.

[tosheepa]

Can't believe I found this song, brings back waaayyy to mant memories. If you like these guys give a listen to Chilliwack.

[TheScootk]

Tommy West played piano on and produced most of Jim Croce's albums.

[Skyhawkct]

I have the vinyl somewhere in my collection. I seem to remember that Jim Croce had some conneciton with them.

[dadamoeugene]

one of my favorite songs from back in the day....love " a friend is dying"

[dadamoeugene]

one of my favorite songs from back in the day....love " a friend is dying"

[marthadiv]

Took me years to find this in the media. Thank you for posting it!

[notaromanticyet64]

I think of all the good times we had...

[MrMarv1985]

They were very prominent on the radio for another reason in the early seventies; they produced most, if not all of the late Jim Croce's classics, including 'Bad, Leroy Brown' and 'Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)'.

The second of the four songs in this song 'Hello, Jack', was removed from the single, which reduced the length to seven minutes and change.

[cmulwee001]

The version that appears von Super hits of The '70's vol. 9 runs [only!] 7:42. I never knew knew something was cut. Was that some single edit, or some sloppy edit crested for that compilation?

[600keith]

uh, i had the 45 [back in 72] one of the first records i ever bought. it is the 7 minutes plus version. also have the super hits of the 70's cd....its the same. this is , i'm guessing, the long album version, 'cause alot at the beginning is different.

[cmulwee001]

Who'd a though that a 7:42 song could fit on one side of 45rpm! I was always told

that MacArthur Park, by Richard Harris at

7:24 was the longest song to cover one side of a 7"45 rpm release. Guess I was wrong.

[Opalwitley]

I was pretty slow as a kid and I remember thinking how neat a coinsedence it was that I always knew 'a friend is dying' would come on next. Gawd I've looked for these two songs for so long...

[djgof58]

I remember hearing this song," A Friend is Dying" on the radio back in the 70s and remember a disc jockey saying that this song was written for the movie " Love Story", Starring Ryan O'Neil and Ali MacGraw, But the song wasn't ready in time for the movie release, This song would of fit perfectly in the movie, sad song, sad movie.

[michaelmisanthrope]

Thank you for that little trip through the time tunnel.

[namvet12]

Man, i have been looking for "A Friend is Dying" since the invention of youtube. Love it. Heard it exactly once in the early 70s and have been searching for it since. Of course, it would've helped had I known the real title. Thanks for the terrific post.

[Opalwitley]

Me too. I loved this song and never knew who did it. Such a great great song... distant memories, huh?

[36baruch]

This song came out as my family fled the city for the safety of the suburbs. My siste and I, both teens, were devastated. This song made us cry and then wish we could move back to the Bronx.

[Marie14625]

I remember when the song came out. It was meant as a "memorial for NYC, which at the time was going through a serious financial and social downturn. I think it was talking about life there mny years back, comparing it to the "now" of the early 70s

[sortashaman]

Wonderful to hear this rare bird again! The first time I can recall hearing the entire "American City Suite" is on a United flight to Washington, D.C. in December, 1972, on their pop music channel...Thanks for posting!

[50starbaby]

i have the orignal 45, these were happy times

[vazmo14850]

was driving to a friends house when this song played fully on AM radio! i ended up taking a side road to hear the rest of it...bought the lp the next day...a friend is dying...!!!!!!!!!! wasn't it winter of '72?

[GayinRI]

Actually, this was on the Billboard singles chart in the fall of 1972. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the week ending September 23, 1972 and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks (peaking at position #27).

[beatlebass5198]

Heard this song when first released and I was just a young teenager. I found some unknown connection to a "freind is dying" very deep and moving and couldn't place it. 30 years later my wife at age 40 dies from cancer and this song mysteriously comes back to my head without ever a prior thought. Was this the connection?

[50starbaby]

i know what you went through, i loved this song, i have the 45, that was played on am radio. but 1 time a week i whip out the old turn table. and play my 45s, like , pied piper, eve of destruction, and so on. cool runnings

[50starbaby]

i got the 45 and its in mint condition, i play it all the time

[wejhead60]

This is not only NOT a one hit wonder, it's not even Terry Cashman and Tommy West's biggest hit...1981 was a well known song put out during the baseball strike call "Talkin' Baseball"...Willie, Micky and the Duke

[GayinRI]

But "Talkin' Baseball" never charted on any Billboard singles chart.

Still, Cashman & West were not a one hit wonder. They also hit the top 40 in 1969 with "Medicine Man (Part 1)". And quite a few of their other singles also hit the Billboard Hot 100.

[PSzymeczek]

However, "Medicine Man" was credited to the Buchanan Brothers, not Cashman & West.

[VintageMit]

Good job! Thanks for posting. Add me to the list of those who rememer the song from way back when ... and then had trouble trying to find it!

[seamusberen]

I'm one of those who remember this song from 1973 as well--it's great and i've been looking for it on youtube for over a year. thanks for posting it--truly is a good one.

[onehitwonderworld]

That's funny? I never knew "A Friend is Dying" was a single...You're welcome

[les284]

I've been looking for "A Friend is Dying " since 1973......Never knew it was part of another song.....This is great...Thanks so much for this!

[onehitwonderworld]

Glad to help...

[rangerz134]

thank you for posting it, i loved it then and still do.

[onehitwonderworld]

Done!

[onehitwonderworld]

Yes, I'll try to edit it tomorrow and have it uploaded by the end of the week!

[xxmass222]

Thank You SO MUCH.

[wgedhse]

I have been looking for a friend is dying for 35 yrs. Thanks onehitwonderworld

[onehitwonderworld]

I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[xxmass222]

Hi onehitwonderworld, is there anyway you could post the compleat song of A Friend Is Dieing? Thanks, xxmass222{Larry}

[tetrish60]

I have been searching for this song for sOOOOOOOOOOOOO long. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

[onehitwonderworld]

Yeah, I was lucky enough to nab this back on the ole' Napster site...Glad you enjoyed it...

[ilandbum05]

I have been looking for this for so long...what great memories.Thank you so much for posting this.

[onehitwonderworld]

Yeah, I remember it well. My older cousin played the long version for me and I loved it from the 1st time I heard it!

[dicarlo57]

back in late '72 tthe later part of this "a freind is dying" was released as a single. Now that weve' established that.....