Puttin 'on the Ritz

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Puttin 'on the Ritz is the title of a US jazz standard published by Irving Berlin in 1929 . The song was made famous by the 1930 film Puttin 'on the Ritz .

History of origin

Irving Berlin wrote the jazzy song in May 1927 and only registered it for copyright on December 2, 1929 . The composition is probably the most complex in terms of rhythm and text in Berlin. The text and melody show a very unusual meter . Because lyrical shifts cause recurring distortions that have to be absorbed by the melody and can only be balanced out by fast singing. In contrast to the other Berlin compositions, the refrain is kept in a minor key, with F minor at the beginning and end. The title comes from colloquial language and literally means "to get dressed for the Ritz"; this phrase goes back to the sophisticated Hotel Ritz . The German colloquial language uses "dress up" or "dress up". In terms of lyrics, the song asks the listener, who may be sad, to go where they are dressed in fashionable, chic clothes. This includes perfectly fitting striped trousers and a cut ("pants with stripes and cutaway coat"). You have to be dressed like a rich gentleman and try to look like Gary Cooper and Rockefeller's walking sticks or umbrellas only with gloves on.

Leo Reisman - Puttin 'On the Ritz

The film Puttin 'on the Ritz , shot in 1929 , takes up Irving Berlin's composition and presented Berlin's very first film music . In addition to Puttin 'on the Ritz , there were two other Berlin soundtracks here. In the film (premiered March 1, 1930) the vaudeville singer Harry Richman sang the song without any particular empathy.

original

The first recording was made by Leo Reisman and his orchestra on January 20, 1930 ( Victor Records 22306). After its release in April 1930, the single only reached number 20 on the US charts , but it triggered a wave of cover versions. The original version of the song alludes to the then popular fashion trends of the well-dressed but poor black people from Harlem who strolled up and down Lenox Avenue . It was released in 1939 with the original Idiot's Delight lyrics with which it was performed by Clark Gable . This performance became legendary and has sparked many adaptations.

Cover versions

Harry Richman & Earl Burtnett - Puttin 'On The Ritz

There are at least 30 cover versions . The first is by Jan Garber (January 24, 1930), followed by the singer in the movie, Harry Richman (January 30, 1930). Its version with Earl Burtnett & His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra was the number one hit for a week . Fred Astaire first recorded the title on April 26, 1930 (published May 1930); In the film Blue Skies ( Blue is the sky ; US premiere: October 16, 1946) he made the song an immortal evergreen  - but with different lyrics. From then on it was whites who walked up and down Park Avenue in Manhattan . Fred Astaire's appearance during the song Puttin 'on the Ritz is the film's standout moment, according to Variety magazine. In this film alone you can hear 32 songs from Berlin. Clark Gable sang the title in Idiot's Delight (January 27, 1939). The Benny Goodman Trio brought out a swing version in 1947 .

Heidi Brühl recorded a German version with the title Love is included (Text: Dieter Rasch) for her LP Verliebt wie Du und Ich (1965).

Musical structure and interpretations

Taco - Puttin 'On the Ritz

Irving Berlin wrote Puttin 'on the Ritz in the key of F minor and indicates the tempo as moderate . The piece has 4/4 time throughout and consists of a four-bar instrumental introduction, followed by a 16-bar movement with singing in F major (Have you seen the well-to-do…) and finally the one repeated 32 bars long verse with the text If you're blue and you don't know where to go to… and the refrain Puttin 'on the Ritz . In the original piano version, the piece only lasts about one and a half minutes, but most arrangements extend it to over three minutes by repeating the individual motifs with instrumental solos and dance interludes. Harry Richman brought the song in over four minutes in 1930, Fred Astaire's famous sequence from the film Blue Skies from 1946 also presented the piece in over four minutes. Piano rolls for pianolas were available for Puttin 'on the Ritz from April 1930. In the Hollywood film Puttin' on the Ritz , released in 1930, the song is presented as a theatrical performance in an elaborately staged and choreographed dance number with a large dance ensemble in front of an expressionistic stage set with Harry Richman, Singing, brought.

Taco

The Dutch singer Taco recorded the LP After Eight in September 1982 with music producer John David Parker in the Hamburg Peer Studios , for which the sound engineer Frank Reinke alone leveled five synthesizers (guitar, Moog synthesizer , Poly 61, Poly Six and Prophet). After publication in November 1982, it sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. From this the single Puttin 'on the Ritz was decoupled in June 1983 , which was sold a million times in the United States alone and rose to number 4 in the charts there. The synth-pop version reached first place in Sweden and New Zealand , while in Germany it only made it to 20th place.

Pop cultural processing

Various interpretations of Puttin 'on the Ritz can be found on Youtube , which play with the acoustic similarity of “puttin' on the Ritz” and “Putin on the Ritz”. For example, a video of Putin riding a Ritz cracker is highlighted by Puttin 'on the Ritz . There are also videos that seem to show George W. Bush dancing with Vladimir Putin , which are highlighted with Puttin 'on the Ritz . A big flash mob about the song took place in Moscow in 2012.

Other cover versions (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Puttin 'On The Ritz. At: Secondhandsongs.com.
  2. ↑ Jaehee Choi: They do that voodoo so well: a critical examination of selected songs of the founders of the American standard songbook. In: USC Digital Library. University of Southern California, December 2007, p. 184 , accessed May 9, 2020 .
  3. ^ Marvin E. Paymer, Don E. Post: Sentimental Journey. 1999, p. 199.
  4. ↑ "... the rest [is] so skillfully arranged, orchestrated and presented that the nostalgic musical cavalcade doesn't pall." "Fred Astaire's' Puttin 'on the Ritz' [...] is the musical standout of the more than 30 items which have been retained. “ Review: 'Blue Skies'. At: Variety.com. December 31, 1945.
  5. ^ Irving Berlin: The Definitive Songbook. Faber Music, Harlow 2007, ISBN 0-571-52950-X , p. 136 ff.
  6. ↑ Pianola performance
  7. ↑ Historical film sequence on YouTube.
  8. ^ Joseph Murrells: Million Selling Records. 1985, p. 507.
  9. ↑ Putin on A Ritz. At: Youtube.com.
  10. ↑ Flashmob Moscow (Russia): Putting on the ritz 2012. At: Youtube.com.
  11. ↑ Puttin 'On The Ritz - Herb Alpert channel - official video. At: Youtube.com.