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Theme from NEW YORK, NEW YORK Steve Lawrence

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Uploaded by on Feb 10, 2008

Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Theme from the Martin Scorsese film
"NEW YORK, NEW YORK" ( 1977)
From the STEVE LAWRENCE Lp "STEVE LAWRENCE: Take it on home" (abridged).

From Wikipedia:
""Theme from New York, New York" (or "New York, New York") is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by famed singer-actress Liza Minnelli.

In 1979, it was recorded by Frank Sinatra, for his album Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980), and has since become closely associated with him. He occasionally performed it live with Minnelli as a duet. Sinatra recorded it a second time in duet with Tony Bennett for his 1993 album Duets.
Composers Kander and Ebb stated that they attribute the song's success to actor Robert De Niro, who rejected their original theme for the film because he thought it was "too weak".

The song did not become a popular hit until it was picked up in concert by Frank Sinatra during his performances at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978. Subsequently, Sinatra recorded it in 1979 for his 1980 Trilogy set (Reprise Records), and it became one of his signature songs. The single peaked at #30 in June of 1980, becoming one of his final hits on the charts. Sinatra made two more studio recordings of the song in 1981 (for his NBC TV special The Man and His Music) and 1993 (for Capitol Records). From the latter, an electronic duet with Tony Bennett was produced for Sinatra's Duets album.

The lyrics of the Sinatra versions differ slightly from Ebb's original lyrics. Notably, the phrase "A-number-one," which does not appear at all in the original lyrics, is sung twice at the song's rallentando climax. (Ebb has said he "didn't even like" Sinatra's use of "A-number-one.") The phrase is both the first and fourth on a list of four superlative titles the singer strives to achieve — "A-number-one, top of the list, king of the hill, A-number-one" — where Ebb's original lyrics were closer to "king of the hill, head of the list, cream of the crop, at the top of the heap."

What the Critics Say

By 1981, Steve Lawrence was only in his mid-40s,.... Of course, he hadn't hung up his tux in the interim, and if Take It on Home -- the premiere release on Beverly Hills, CA, independent label Applause Records -- was any indication, he had kept his pipes in prime shape. Only a year after his mentor, Frank Sinatra, had scored a surprising success with John Kander and Fred Ebb's theme from the film New York, New York, Lawrence had the chutzpah to commission Don Costa to do a different arrangement and then led off the album with it, first teasing "Chicago" and then "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." And his version is credible; he even got the words right, which the Chairman of the Board never did.".

1991 DIAMOND JUBILEE TOUR:
"Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé were Frank's company on his final world-wide encore, that had opened with a sold-out star-spangled gala concert at The Meadowlands in New Jersey on December 12, 1990, Frank's 75st birthday."

1990-91 they did the "Diamond Jubilee Tour" with Sinatra. Playing before SRO audiences around the world, receiving rave reviews and accolades from every corner of the globe the tour culminated at New York's Madison Square Garden, with a television special later aired on CBS. "Steve and Eydie represent all that is good about performers and the interpretation of a song...they're the best," Sinatra said in an interview at the time."

"02.03.1991 Sydney, AUSTRALIA at The Entertainment Centre,Frank Sinatra with Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé:
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frank Sinatra jr.
You Make Me Feel So Young/For Once In My Life/Come Rain Or Come Shine/Luck Be A Lady/I've Got You Under My Skin/Where Or When/My Heart Stood Still/Strangers In The Night/Barbara/What Now My Love/Soliloquy/Mack The Knife/Angel Eyes/My Way/Theme from ‚New York New York'/'Sinatra A To Z' Medley with Steve & Eydie: All Or Nothing At All (SL) - Bewitched (EG) - Come Fly With Me (SL) - Oh Look At Me Now (EG) - Night And Day (FS) - Day In, Day Out (SL‑EG) - I Thought About You (SL) - Saturday Night (FS) - Come Dance With Me (SL) - I Won't Dance (EG) - I Get A Kick Out Of You (FS) - The Tender Trap (SL) - Witchcraft (SL‑EG) - I've Got The World On A String (FS) - You Make Me Feel So Young (SL‑EG) - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (SL) - This Love Of Mine (EG) - I'll Never Smile Again (FS) - Everything Happens To Me (SL‑EG) - All The Way (FS) - One For My Baby (all three) - That's Life (SL) - When You're Smiling (all three) - Young At Heart (all three) - Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (all three)."

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Uploader Comments (albertdiner)

  • Where's the funny version where after the intro Steve starts singing "Chicago"?

  • Good question. I abridged the song to make it

    similar to the version by Frank Sinatra.

    I felt Steve sang those "funny lyrics" so as not to compete with the huge hit by his friend

    Frank Sinatra.

    I wanted to see how the song sounded in

    the Steve Lawrence style as compared to Frank

    Sinatra. Both are great versions.

  • Didn't Steve record this years before Frank? Their voices sound similar.

  • Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1979 for his LP TRILOGY, released in 1980. Steve Lawrence recorded the song in 1981 for his Lp TAKE IT ON HOME.

Top Comments

  • LOL l live IN New York City , New York :D NY FTW!

    The Empire State :)

  • Don't get me wrong, Steve is great, it's just that Frank was Frank, and no one will ever replace him.

see all

All Comments (39)

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  • sounds just like my boy frank.

  • Haha there was a pic of Seattle in there!

  • Makes me wanna go to NYC!

  • @Siphon15 wow! you must be so lucky to live in this wonderful country and this great city!

  • New York New York

  • This song is great he can sing real nice

  • we play it in the school-orchestra - it sonds great (:

  • It's those funny lyrics that make this version great. The way it is edited now it's "just another version" of the song.

  • Version fort élégante de New york new york.

    Une voix intéressante.

  • heay gang check out my cover and tell me what u think please , i need some feed back...cheers!! and thanks

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