A History and Analysis of “Puttin’ on the Ritz”
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Despite its problematic past, “Puttin’ on the Ritz” is one of Origipop’s most enduring hits, maintaining its popularity even today, almost 100 years after it was first written.
It was used in such famous movies as “Young Frankenstein” and had a modern synth-pop cover by Taco which reached the top of the charts in 1983.
So let’s take a look at this song’s history, music and lyrics to learn more about how it became such an iconic piece of popular culture!
Astaire's 1930 version was recorded in London, and includes a couple of lines of spoken dialogue from two actors during the tap dancing portion, which is a unique and mysterious feature - it makes it sound like it is taken from a film soundtrack, but it isn't.
"Boys, look at that man puttin' on that Ritz!"
"You look at him; I can't."
Yeah, it's interesting!
Great video!! Looking forward to learning about more origipop songs
I love the disgusted look on Bertie's face at the end. Great video, I very much like your channel!
This was so interesting - hope your channel is successful.
Thank you so much!
This was another great video. I've subscribed and I hope your audience builds. I especially liked Bertie Wooster struggling with the rhythm!
Interesting thing about Fred Astair's popular recording of the song in 1930. That was three years before his first film. However he was a well-known dancer on Broadway at that time
As well as a singer and actor.
@@premanadi and a great singer too. It's just surprising to know he had a hit song well before he was even in movies
@@mr.scottpowell I mean, it's not _that_ uncommon for someone to have a hit song, having never been in a movie. Both Mark and Donnie Wahlberg managed it, somehow.
@@Wishbone1977 true. Still from our perspective today he's so strongly associated with his movies, and Ginger Rogers,etc. that to learn he had a hit song before he was even in pictures was kind of a neat surprise, at least it for me.
@@Wishbone1977 But no, not saying that it's unexpected for a singer to turn into a movie star
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall did a great cover of this ten years ago that was used in a fun group routine for that season’s premiere of So You Think You Can Dance that I highly recommend watching.
Thanks, I'll check it out!
Thank you for going through the lyrics piece by piece and explaining the backgrounds of the single phrases.
Well done informative video of one of my favorite Berlin tunes. All the best.
Fascinating to see the score and understand what Berlin did to get the jazz feel. Brilliant writer. I would have liked a snippet of the modern version you talked about a lot, but I suppose copyright forbade it.
Yeah, I would have liked to include Taco's version but I was worried about copyright. The older versions aren't generally flagged but the more modern ones definitely are.
The piano in the background is gorgeous!
Thanks, it was my great grandmother's. It's out of tune and needs some restoration work but it makes for a great background!
I'm fascinated by this song, mostly the syncopation, but this is the first time I learned the original was _where _*_Harlem_*_ sits_ rather than *_fashion._*
I balk at describing the lyrics as racism rather than commentary on racism. Berlin was a pretty ironic and subversive guy. It seems almost a miracle Berlin wasn't prosecuted under the Espionage and Sedition Acts for "Stay Down Here Where You Belong." He also made the two biggest Christian holidays into ones about snow and hats. I'm betting the lyrics changes were more like when Disney removed the lyric "where they cut off your nose if they don't like your face" in _Aladdin._
Thanks for properly pronouncing _Wodehouse._ Of course it's 4/4, but it has a sort of 5/4 miasma. Compare "The Black Page."
Wonderful
I came here from your Jeeves and Wooster music review - that series was so great. Really enjoying the channel thank you!
Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks!
A really interesting video and filled with great information, many thanks! I've always thought the 1953 "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" got its melodic and rhythmic flavor from this classic. Certainly the initial melody, a minor chord arpeggio, is the same.
Glad you liked it, thanks! And you're right, there are some similarities between those songs. I hadn't made that connection before!
1953? You mean 1991.
Entertaining and enlightening. Thank you!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Given the casual acceptance of racism within mid-century America, a more plausible explanation for the 1946 lyric change is simply that the old lyrics would have been almost incomprehensible to a mass market, especially outside of America. For example, in Europe, 'Harlem' (with a different spelling) was almost exclusively viewed as a place in Holland. Many Europeans had never heard of the American Harlem and had no concept of its cultural significance. The incomprehensible lyrics of the original version would have made it much harder to sell the music globally (as with any film associated with it).
Not sure about that. For most Americans, the only market they care - or know - about is America.
Actually, America has always been at the forefront of global movie exports. That's because they developed high quality talking movies before everyone else. But even f Hollywood had been only interested in America, remember that 1946 America was a vastly different place. Few people in places like America's South would understand references to places such as Harlem in New York city. But they understood phrases such as 'putting on the ritz'. @@janepage3608
Very interesting! Great video! Just subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Glad I clicked on this, will be checking out your other vids ....
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
Aside from Young Frankenstein, there's an animation cover version that I'm rather fond of
Fantastic video. You have a new subscriber.
Thanks and welcome!
Really nice!
Thanks!
The original lyrics are a glimpse into the past, a past that we are working hard to erase, for good or ill.
4:46 So that's where Rhett Butler went after leaving Scarlett.
😂
I think it’s worth pointing out that if Hugh Laurie isn’t actually playing in that clip, he’s absolutely more than capable of doing so.
Good point; he's a very skilled pianist. My guess is he's actually playing it but intentionally messing up!
Is that tacos real voice or is he lip singing?
Yes. 😊 as i understand it was not uncommon to overdub with a cleaner audio track. He could also be lipsinking live but itt would have been a recording of his singing
Is the piano behind you a Wegman Piano Co AuburnN.Y.
It's an Emerson from 1905. It belonged to my great-grandmother and is beautiful but needs some restoration work.
I can see why Clark Gable didn't become a big time musical actor lol
Yeah, he was not good...
Better than Rex Harrison!
Shows how tastes and mores have changed--for the better!
This is a very social-conscious song.
It's nice that the problematic racial parts were rewritten, but even the new version, as heard in Young Frankenstein, can be triggering for differently-abled individuals.
Nearly all humor contains "triggering" material for those inclined to be triggered.
Wonderful