FROM THE ARCHIVE 336 -1982

New York Medley
Part 1 & 3: music written by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb,
Middle-part: written by Gerard W. Kenny.

New York, New York; so good they named it twice

Released on the 1982 album All By Myself. Shirley Bassey performed this live in 1979 in her TV show, and from then on at most of her live concerts. A live recording on CD is on The Birthday Concert and on The Diamond Collection. Additionally it is available on some videos. This song is still an essential part of almost every concert of Shirley Bassey.

The medley consists of three parts:

Part one and three: Taken from the Kander/Ebb song “New York, New York”, which was the theme song of the 1977 musical drama movie with the same name. Liza Minnelli sung the song for the movie. In 1980 Frank Sinatra released a gold-selling three-LP set “Trilogy: Past, Present, Future” with this song. He reached position number 32 in the US Billboard, and belatedly turned the song into a standard. Shirley’s lyrics are performed very differently from the original.

The middle part: Two times the refrain of the song “New York, New York, So Good They Named It Twice”, written and recorded by Gerard Kenny for his 1981 album “Made it Thru the Rain”. For more information on him, look at this Gerard Kenny site.

Another Shirley Bassey song co-written by Gerard Kenny is There’s No Place Like London.

On some records I saw also the name “R. Stoner” for this part of the song, but I don’t know who he is, and what he has to do with this song.

As far as I know, nobody else than Shirley Bassey has performed this medley of the two songs.

Lyrics:

Start spreading the news
I’m leaving today
I wanna be a part of it
New York, New York

These vagabond shoes
Are longing to stray
And step around the heart of it
New York, New York
If I can make it there
I’d make it anywhere
It’s up to you
New York, New York

New York, New York
So good they named it twice
New York, New York
All the scandal and the vice
I love it!
New York, New York
Now isn’t it a pity
What they say about New York City

New York, New York
So good they named it twice
New York, New York
All the scandal and the vice
I love it!
New York, New York
Now isn’t it a pity
What they say about New York City

My little town blues
Are longing to stray
I wanna be a part of it
New York, New York
If I can make it there
I’d make it anywhere
It’s up to you New York, New York

(Transcribed by Roman)