Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose
Encyclopedia
"Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" is a 1973 song by the American pop music
group Tony Orlando and Dawn
. The song was written by Irwin Levine (lyrics) and L. Russell Brown
(music) and was included on the group's 1973 album, Dawn's New Ragtime Follies
.
The songwriting duo of Levine and Brown had also penned other Tony Orlando and Dawn hit songs, including "Knock Three Times
" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
". According to Orlando, Levine was a fan of singer Al Jolson
and proposed the concept of "Say, Has Anybody Seen..." to producer Hank Medress
. Orlando is quoted as saying: "Irwin Levine, the lyricist of the two, had this love for Jolson. He said, 'Hank, I'd like to write some songs that could have been written in the early 1900s.'" With this concept in mind, the songwriters, producers and musicians began creating Dawn's New Ragtime Follies.
Officially credited as being performed by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando and released as the lead single
from the aforementioned album, "Say, Has Anybody Seen..." became the group's fourth top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in September 1973, peaking at #3. The song spent three weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart
in August and September of that year. It reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart
at roughly the same time, and made it to #2 on the Australian pop chart.
Also in 1973, a version of the song by country-pop singer Terry Stafford
was included on the 7" single release of Stafford's hit, "Amarillo by Morning
".
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group Tony Orlando and Dawn
Tony Orlando and Dawn
Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was popular in the 1970s. Their signature hits include "Candida", "Knock Three Times", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", and "He Don't Love You ".-History:...
. The song was written by Irwin Levine (lyrics) and L. Russell Brown
L. Russell Brown
L. Russell Brown is an American lyricist and composer most noted for his song, co-written with Irwin Levine, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" for the 1970s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. He also wrote The Partridge Family 1971 song, I Woke Up In Love This Morning.-External...
(music) and was included on the group's 1973 album, Dawn's New Ragtime Follies
Dawn's New Ragtime Follies
Dawn's New Ragtime Follies is a 1973 album by the American pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn.-Track listing:#"Overture" #"Steppin' Out, I'm Gonna Boogie Tonight" #"Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose"...
.
The songwriting duo of Levine and Brown had also penned other Tony Orlando and Dawn hit songs, including "Knock Three Times
Knock Three Times
"Knock Three Times" is a popular song credited to Tony Orlando and Dawn. The actual singers were Tony Orlando, Toni Wine, and Linda November, prior to the creation of "Dawn" with Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson. The song was released as a single in November 1970, paired with Orlando's other...
" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" is a song by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando, written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and produced by Hank Medress and Dave Appell. It was a worldwide hit for the group in 1973....
". According to Orlando, Levine was a fan of singer Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
and proposed the concept of "Say, Has Anybody Seen..." to producer Hank Medress
Hank Medress
-Biography:Medress was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brooklyn's Abraham Lincoln High School, where in 1955 he joined a doo-wop group called the Linc-Tones, which also included Neil Sedaka. After Sedaka's departure, the group reformed with additional singers as The Tokens...
. Orlando is quoted as saying: "Irwin Levine, the lyricist of the two, had this love for Jolson. He said, 'Hank, I'd like to write some songs that could have been written in the early 1900s.'" With this concept in mind, the songwriters, producers and musicians began creating Dawn's New Ragtime Follies.
Officially credited as being performed by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando and released as the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the aforementioned album, "Say, Has Anybody Seen..." became the group's fourth top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in September 1973, peaking at #3. The song spent three weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
in August and September of that year. It reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at roughly the same time, and made it to #2 on the Australian pop chart.
Also in 1973, a version of the song by country-pop singer Terry Stafford
Terry Stafford
Terry LaVerne Stafford was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 U.S. Top 10 hit, "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit, "Amarillo by Morning".-Biography:...
was included on the 7" single release of Stafford's hit, "Amarillo by Morning
Amarillo by Morning (song)
"Amarillo by Morning" is a country music song written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, and recorded by Stafford in 1973. Several cover versions have since been made, including a major 1980s hit for George Strait.-Content:...
".
See also
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1973 (U.S.)
- List of Top 25 singles for 1973 in Australia
External links
- US 7" single info Discogs.com