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1963
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Sukiyaki
On Broadway
Danke Schoen
Be My Baby
I'm Leaving It Up To You
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"On Broadway" by The Drifters
"Some say Sam Cooke invented soul music in the fifties, ...
others have told us that our productions for the Drifters began it all . Who can say?"
-- Mike Stoller
The Drifters had always lived up to their name, from their beginnings in the early 1950's, for an entire decade members had "drifted" in and out of the group. In 1963, The Drifters group had again been reshuffled as Ben E. King had gone on to a solo career and lead vocals were taken over by Rudy Lewis. "Up On The Roof" (#5) had charted for the group in early 1962 and "On Broadway" would climb to #9 in April. The song was initially written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Well and recorded by The Crystals and The Cookies. When the song was brought to The Drifters, producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller offered some changes, one being a change in the delivery from a person striving to get to Broadway to one who is currently struggling there. The song was also a #7 hit for George Benson in 1978.

 

 

 

 

LYRICS:

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway (on Broadway)
They say there's always magic in the air (on Broadway)
But when you're walkin' down that street
And you ain't had enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere (on Broadway)

They say the girls are something else on Broadway (on Broadway)
But looking at them just gives me the blues (on Broadway)
'Cause how ya gonna make some time
When all you got is one thin dime?
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes (on Broadway)

Ha! They say that I won't last too long on Broadway (on Broadway)
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they all say (on Broadway)
But oh! They're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm a star on Broadway (on Broadway)

Oh, they're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm a star on Broadway (on Broadway)
On Broadway (on Broadway)
I'm gonna make it, yeah (on Broadway)
I'll be a big, big, big man (on Broadway)
I'll have my name in lights (on Broadway)
Everybody, everybody's gonna know me, yes (on Broadway)
All up and down Broadway (on Broadway)
Ohhhhh yeah! (on Broadway)
week debuted highest ranking Date Highest Rank Weeks in Top Twenty Weeks in Top Forty BillBoard Rank Cashbox Ranking GT rank
1963 4 6 9 1963 4 27 4 8