Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Encyclopedia
"Istanbul" is a swing
-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy
and music by Nat Simon. The tune is reminiscent of "Puttin' on the Ritz
," written by Irving Berlin
in 1929, but the song is said to be a response to "C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E," recorded in 1928 by Paul Whiteman
and His Orchestra.
The lyrics refer to the change of the name of the city of Constantinople
to the Turkish
name Istanbul
(officially adopted in 1930). It also mentions the fact that New York City
was originally named New Amsterdam
, and that the change to New York was kept because "people just liked it better that way". In addition, the lyrics opine that the name change from Constantinople to Istanbul is "nobody's business but the Turks'."
on August 12, 1953
. This recording was released by Columbia Records
as catalog number
40082. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts
on October 24, 1953, and it peaked at #10. It was the group's first gold record
.
, an all-male a cappella
group at Yale University
, perform the song at the end of most of their concerts. The song has been in the repertoire of the Duke's Men since 1953.
During the 2000s, the song was performed live by Australian Klezmer/Gypsy Jazz band Monsieur Camembert
.
band They Might Be Giants
, who released it on their album Flood in 1990
. It was released as the second single from that album in the same year. TMBG's version is at a faster tempo than the original and contains a distinct klezmer
influence, including a violin
introduction and some accordion
and electric guitar parts not present in the original version.
during a sketch about a man trying to buy a train ticket to Constantinople. Jack Benny
and Frank Nelson proceed to use the lyrics to dispute where the man can go.
The They Might Be Giants Version is used in the Tiny Toon Adventures
episode "Tiny Toons Music Television" and The Simpsons
episode "Mobile Homer".
A few lines of the song were sung by some Muppet rats at the beginning of the first season episode of Muppets Tonight
guest-starring Pierce Brosnan
. When host Clifford tells the audience that the show can be seen everywhere from Istanbul to Constantinople, Rizzo the rat corrects him that Istanbul is Constantinople.
In Civilization III
, when a player runs out of city names in the official list, the city name list restarts with "New" prefixed to the original name (e.g. "New London" for the English). However, when the Ottomans build the first city after exhausting the original list, the city is named "Not Constantinople" as opposed to the expected "New Istanbul."
On NBC's America's Got Talent
on Tuesday, August 16, 2011, the act Those Funny Little People performed a routine to the They Might Be Giants version of this song.
In the Popular TV Series Raising Hope
, Maw Maw
is a pro at Jenga
while listening to the song.
In the Mystery Science Theater 3000
episode featuring The Castle of Fu-Manchu, Tom Servo recites a few lines after Joel says "Oh, sure just barge into Istanbul... hey, at least it's not Constantinople."
On the June 3, 2009 episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
, Craig and many dancers dressed up in "Turkish" garb performed a humorous cover of the They Might Be Giants version.
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy
Jimmy Kennedy
Jimmy Kennedy OBE was an Irish songwriter, predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer", or co-writing with the composers Michael Carr, Wilhelm Grosz and Nat Simon amongst others.-Biography:Kennedy was born near Omagh...
and music by Nat Simon. The tune is reminiscent of "Puttin' on the Ritz
Puttin' on the Ritz
"Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the...
," written by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
in 1929, but the song is said to be a response to "C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E," recorded in 1928 by Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
and His Orchestra.
The lyrics refer to the change of the name of the city of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
name Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(officially adopted in 1930). It also mentions the fact that New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was originally named New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
, and that the change to New York was kept because "people just liked it better that way". In addition, the lyrics opine that the name change from Constantinople to Istanbul is "nobody's business but the Turks'."
The Four Lads original version
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" was originally recorded by the Canadian group The Four LadsThe Four Lads
The Four Lads is a popular Canadian male singing quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group earned many gold singles and albums. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember," "Standin' on the Corner," "No, Not Much," "Who Needs You," and "Istanbul."The Four Lads makes...
on August 12, 1953
1953 in music
-Events:*February 6 – Contralto Kathleen Ferrier, already terminally ill with cancer, leaves Covent Garden Opera House on a stretcher after being taken ill on the second night of her run in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice....
. This recording was released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
40082. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
on October 24, 1953, and it peaked at #10. It was the group's first gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
Live performance cover versions
The Duke's Men of YaleThe Duke's Men of Yale
The Duke's Men of Yale are an all-male a cappella singing group at Yale University. Named after Basil Duke Henning, the master of Saybrook College, a past Whiffenpoof, and member of Wolf's Head, the group was founded in 1952, initially as an octet of underclassmen in Saybrook...
, an all-male a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, perform the song at the end of most of their concerts. The song has been in the repertoire of the Duke's Men since 1953.
During the 2000s, the song was performed live by Australian Klezmer/Gypsy Jazz band Monsieur Camembert
Monsieur Camembert
Monsieur Camembert is a five-piece Gypsy fusion band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1999. They have won three ARIA Music Awards for Best World Music Album in 2002 for Live on Stage , in 2003 for Absynthe and in 2005 for Monsieur Camembert...
.
Recorded cover versions
Recording artists and groups known to have covered this song include:- Edmundo RosEdmundo RosEdmundo William Ros OBE was a Trinidadian musician, vocalist, arranger and bandleader who made his career in Britain. He directed a highly popular Latin American orchestra, had an extensive recording career and owned one of London's leading nightclubs.- Life :Ros was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad...
(1953) - Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
with Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
(1953) - Frankie VaughanFrankie VaughanFrankie Vaughan, CBE, DL was an English singer of traditional pop music, who issued more than 80 recordings in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after one of his early hits.-Life and career:...
(1954) - Caterina ValenteCaterina ValenteCaterina Valente is a singer, dancer, and actress. She was born into an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown...
(1954) - Renato CarosoneRenato CarosoneRenato Carosone , born Renato Carusone, was among the greatest figures of Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called canzone napoletana, Naples' song tradition.-Beginnings:Carosone was born in Naples...
- Darío MorenoDarío MorenoDarío Moreno was a Turkish polyglot singer of Jewish origin, as well as an accomplished composer, lyricist and guitarist, who was born in Aydın, Turkey, in 1921, and who attained fame and made a remarkable career centered in France which also included films, during the fifties and the...
(1954, in French) - Jacques Hélian et son Orchestre (1950s, in French as "Istamboul")
- Lou BuschLou BuschLouis Ferdinand Busch was a music producer, musician and songwriter who was best known for performing as a pianist under the nickname Joe "Fingers" Carr.-Biography:...
(as "Joe Fingers Carr & his Ragtime Band") - Ota ČermákOta ČermákOta Čermák was a Czech organist and composer of easy listening music. He recorded numerous songs on the national Czechoslovakian label Supraphon and sometimes for foreign labels Ota Čermák (1919–1963) was a Czech organist (Hammond organ) and composer of easy listening music. He recorded numerous...
(1959) - Santo & JohnnySanto & JohnnySanto & Johnny were an Italian-American rock and roll duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising brothers Santo and Johnny Farina.They are best known for their instrumental "Sleep Walk", which became a regional hit and eventually reached the top of the Billboard pop chart when it was released...
(1962) - Bruno & the Gladiators, instrumental surf rock band, though titled "Istanbul" (1963)
- Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
for the live album "Live At Last" (1977) - Harvard Din & TonicsHarvard Din & TonicsThe Harvard Din & Tonics are a five-part jazz a cappella group from Harvard University, founded in 1979.- History :The group was founded in 1979 as a public service project of the Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, performing for the university...
have sung this song since the group's inception in 1979. - They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
(1990) - Lee Press-on and the NailsLee Press-on and the NailsLee Presson and the Nails is a swing band that formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in October 1994 during the late '90s swing revival. It disbanded in 2004 and reformed in 2006...
(1998). - Belmont Playboys Instrumental titled "Istanbul" (1999)
- Ac Rock Acapella version "Istanbul" (1999)
- Oscar AlemanOscar AlemanOscar Marcelo Alemán was an Argentine jazz guitarist.He was a singer, dancer, entertainer, and guitarist...
Instrumental version titled "Estambul" (2005) - Ska CubanoSka CubanoSka Cubano is a London-based group which combines ska and Cuban music such as son and mambo, with elements of other genres including cumbia and calypso.-History:...
(2006) - PJ HarveyPJ HarveyPolly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
sampled the original for her song "Let England Shake" (2011). - Terrance ZdunichTerrance ZdunichTerrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
sings this song as Count Tarakan, the Badass Russian (2011).
They Might Be Giants cover
One of the better-known versions of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" is the cover by the alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, who released it on their album Flood in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
. It was released as the second single from that album in the same year. TMBG's version is at a faster tempo than the original and contains a distinct klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
influence, including a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
introduction and some accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and electric guitar parts not present in the original version.
Popular culture references
The lyrics were used in the March 21, 1954 episode of The Jack Benny ProgramThe Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
during a sketch about a man trying to buy a train ticket to Constantinople. Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
and Frank Nelson proceed to use the lyrics to dispute where the man can go.
The They Might Be Giants Version is used in the Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures
Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
episode "Tiny Toons Music Television" and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Mobile Homer".
A few lines of the song were sung by some Muppet rats at the beginning of the first season episode of Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
guest-starring Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
. When host Clifford tells the audience that the show can be seen everywhere from Istanbul to Constantinople, Rizzo the rat corrects him that Istanbul is Constantinople.
In Civilization III
Civilization III
Sid Meier's Civilization III, commonly shortened to Civ III or Civ 3, is the third installment of the Sid Meier's Civilization turn-based strategy computer game series. It was preceded by Civilization II and followed by Civilization IV. The game offers very sophisticated gameplay in terms of both...
, when a player runs out of city names in the official list, the city name list restarts with "New" prefixed to the original name (e.g. "New London" for the English). However, when the Ottomans build the first city after exhausting the original list, the city is named "Not Constantinople" as opposed to the expected "New Istanbul."
On NBC's America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Got Talent, a reality television series, premiered on May 31, 2011 on NBC. On September 14, 2011, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr...
on Tuesday, August 16, 2011, the act Those Funny Little People performed a routine to the They Might Be Giants version of this song.
In the Popular TV Series Raising Hope
Raising Hope
Raising Hope is a television comedy program first aired on September 21, 2010 on Fox. The series airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 pm. On January 10, 2011, Fox renewed Raising Hope for a second season, which premiered on September 20, 2011....
, Maw Maw
Maw Maw
Barbara June Thompson, always referred to by her family as "Maw Maw," is a fictional character in the television comedy Raising Hope. The character is played by Cloris Leachman....
is a pro at Jenga
Jenga
Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill created by Leslie Scott, and currently marketed by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro. During the game, players take turns to remove a block from a tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable structure as the game...
while listening to the song.
In the Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
episode featuring The Castle of Fu-Manchu, Tom Servo recites a few lines after Joel says "Oh, sure just barge into Istanbul... hey, at least it's not Constantinople."
On the June 3, 2009 episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
, Craig and many dancers dressed up in "Turkish" garb performed a humorous cover of the They Might Be Giants version.
External links
- Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP on This Might Be A Wiki
- "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (song) on This Might Be A Wiki