52nd street

Billy Joel threw a soul parade and generated a lot of heat with this jazzy pop exposition.  After the massive success of 'The Stranger', Joel was ready to try something new:   "I always made it clear to management, producers, record company executives:  don't tell me what to write...What intrigues me to write?  Doing something different...That was the height of punk and new wave...There was a lot of vital new music going on at that time; which was probably another reason for me changing the kind of music that I was going to do...When I did '52nd Street' after 'The Stranger' I thought that was a complete[ly] different approach...It was jazzier than 'The Stranger', and there was a little more risk taken I think on some crazy songs that weren't going to be singles...The substance of our success - the longevity of my career has been based not on singles solely...mostly to the substance in the albums, the things that don't get released as hit singles, things that may not receive a lot of concentrated airplay on certain formats, songs that people discovered for themselves...To me an album is all of one thing, it's an entity, it's a complete work.  A single is something which is lifted from the album, an excerpt...a little slice of the pie just to give people a taste of the kind of work I've been doing...when I write one song, I write a song in reaction to the song I've just written and then I write another one in reaction to that one; so to me they all have to sort of live with one another...You take one thing out of the context of the album, you're not getting the concept.  You're not getting what came before or what came after...Think of each album as a movie or a musical or a broadway show."      

'52nd Street' was produced by Phil Ramone at A&R Recording, Inc., 799 7th Avenue at 52nd Street in New York City with Billy Joel on piano and vocals; Doug Stegmeyer on bass and backing vocals; Liberty DeVitto on drums; Richie Cannata on saxophones, organ, and clarinet; Steve Khan on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals; Freddie Hubbard on flugelhorn and trumpet on "Zanzibar"; Mike Mainieri on vibes and marimba on "Zanzibar" and "Rosalinda's Eyes"; David Spinozza on acoustic guitar on "Honesty"; Donnie Dacus and Peter Cetera on background vocals on "My Life"; David Friedman on orchestral chimes and percussion on "Until the Night"; Ralph MacDonald on percussion on "Rosalinda's Eyes" and "Half a Mile Away"; Eric Gale on electric guitar on "Half a Mile Away"; Frank Floyd, Babi Floyd, Zack Sanders, Milt Grayson, Ray Simpson on background vocals on "Half a Mile Away"; George Marge on sopranino recorder on "Rosalinda's Eyes"; Hugh McCracken on nylon string guitar on "Until the Night" and "Rosalinda's Eyes"; Robert Freedman on horn and string orchestration on "Until the Night" and "Honesty"; Dave Grusin on horn orchestration on "Half a Mile Away"; and David Nadien as concertmaster.  

'52nd Street' was a hit around the world, going to number thirty-three in the Netherlands; number nineteen in West Germany; eighteen in Sweden; thirteen in Spain; twelve in Italy; ten in the UK; nine in Japan; five in Norway; four Austria; two in France; and number one in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US.  In the US, the album spent eight weeks at number one and went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year as well as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  It has sold over seven million copies.  






http://www.billyjoel.com







'My Life' went to thirty-seven in Germany, twenty-two in the Netherlands, twelve in the UK, eleven in Austria, six in Australia and New Zealand, three in Canada and on the US pop chart, and number two on the US adult contemporary chart.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3JFEfdK_Ls



'Honesty' was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year.  It made its way to number eighty in Australia, fifty-three in Japan, thirty-eight in New Zealand, thirty-four in the Netherlands, twenty-four on the US pop chart, sixteen in Canada, and number nine on the US adult contemporary chart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuFScoO4tb0



'Big Shot' was written about Bianca Jagger.  It shot to ninety-one in Australia, thirty-six in New Zealand, fourteen in the US, and thirteen in Canada.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEea624OBzM






'52nd Street'
full album:



"Big Shot" – 4:03
"Honesty" – 3:56
"My Life" – 4:44
"Zanzibar" – 5:13
"Stiletto" – 4:42
"Rosalinda's Eyes" – 4:41
"Half a Mile Away" – 4:08
"Until the Night" – 6:35
"52nd Street" – 2:27