Terrific post. I'm a rocker but grew up with parents who loved Bobby Short and Garland so I'm very familiar with them (was taken to see Bobby in the early '70s, and knew Judy from my earliest memories of Wizard of Oz). We lived in the NYC area so of course I loved the song. My wife of many years is from New Jersey, and we still joke about the attitude New Yorkers like me grew up with!
Very, very illuminating—no surprise. I’d add one thing: in the fall, I think, of 2001, City Center did a concert benefit and Donna Murphy sang it toward the end, backed by Rob Fisher and his orchestra. It was a perfect post-9/11 rouser and had the audience on its feet. One thing, though: they changed the line about “liners booming in”: tragically, it now/then meant something else entirely…
You forgot about Harold Lang's rendition in the Ben Bagley revue THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER REVISITED. It was recorded by Columbia Masterworks.
you are correct! I should have stated up front that these SubStack stories are very limited in size. Unlike in my book STARDUST MELODIES where I had room enough to talk about every good or interesting version of a major song, here I only have room to talk about two or three important versions. But you're correct, the Harold Lang version (1965) is indeed notable. thanks for mentioning it!
The first time I heard the song was the Columbia Revistted lol with Harold Lang. I saw the show here in Philadelphia at the Jewish Y as part of their Arts Council - KayeBallard autographed my program with her unique drawing
I’ve loved “I happen to Like New York” since I first heard Short’s version of it years ago. Enjoyed the background & will listen to the versions later. But I think you downplayed the irony in “Manhattan.” It too shows a love of NYC by emphasizing the negative by implication, indirection. Everything mentioned is described with the opposite quality of reality. We have to imagine what Mott Street was like in 1925, but even with air conditioning there are no “balmy breezes” in the subway. Like Little John is the biggest guy and Curly is bald. The song is so charming that we ignore what the lyrics actually say.
that's a very good point! In "Manhattan," the lyrics are written so that they could be sung completely without irony or they could be sarcastic - the other songs, starting with "I Happen to Like New York" are less flexible in that regard, they're more openly criticial. so yes, you are correct. (If I ever reprint this essay anywhere, I will factor that in.)
Also worth mentioning is that the Short Carlyle version is used to great effect as it opens up the great Woody Allen film, 'Manhattan Murder Mystery'. That is how I first became aware of it. Contentious
Terrific post. I'm a rocker but grew up with parents who loved Bobby Short and Garland so I'm very familiar with them (was taken to see Bobby in the early '70s, and knew Judy from my earliest memories of Wizard of Oz). We lived in the NYC area so of course I loved the song. My wife of many years is from New Jersey, and we still joke about the attitude New Yorkers like me grew up with!
What a deep dive! And yes, I too am curious as to how one sends a song by telegraph…
I’m researching Judy and this was a fun learning moment. Thx!
Very, very illuminating—no surprise. I’d add one thing: in the fall, I think, of 2001, City Center did a concert benefit and Donna Murphy sang it toward the end, backed by Rob Fisher and his orchestra. It was a perfect post-9/11 rouser and had the audience on its feet. One thing, though: they changed the line about “liners booming in”: tragically, it now/then meant something else entirely…
You forgot about Harold Lang's rendition in the Ben Bagley revue THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER REVISITED. It was recorded by Columbia Masterworks.
you are correct! I should have stated up front that these SubStack stories are very limited in size. Unlike in my book STARDUST MELODIES where I had room enough to talk about every good or interesting version of a major song, here I only have room to talk about two or three important versions. But you're correct, the Harold Lang version (1965) is indeed notable. thanks for mentioning it!
The first time I heard the song was the Columbia Revistted lol with Harold Lang. I saw the show here in Philadelphia at the Jewish Y as part of their Arts Council - KayeBallard autographed my program with her unique drawing
I’ve loved “I happen to Like New York” since I first heard Short’s version of it years ago. Enjoyed the background & will listen to the versions later. But I think you downplayed the irony in “Manhattan.” It too shows a love of NYC by emphasizing the negative by implication, indirection. Everything mentioned is described with the opposite quality of reality. We have to imagine what Mott Street was like in 1925, but even with air conditioning there are no “balmy breezes” in the subway. Like Little John is the biggest guy and Curly is bald. The song is so charming that we ignore what the lyrics actually say.
that's a very good point! In "Manhattan," the lyrics are written so that they could be sung completely without irony or they could be sarcastic - the other songs, starting with "I Happen to Like New York" are less flexible in that regard, they're more openly criticial. so yes, you are correct. (If I ever reprint this essay anywhere, I will factor that in.)
Also worth mentioning is that the Short Carlyle version is used to great effect as it opens up the great Woody Allen film, 'Manhattan Murder Mystery'. That is how I first became aware of it. Contentious
good point! I had forgotten about that. Yes!