(Is This the Way to) Amarillo
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2020) |
"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" | |
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schlager | |
Length | 3:35 |
Label | MCA (UK and Europe); Kapp (US) |
Songwriter(s) | Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield |
Producer(s) | Tony Christie, Peter Callander, Mitch Murray |
"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It is about a man traveling to Amarillo, Texas, to find his girlfriend Marie.
Written by two Americans with a strong country-western lyrical theme, the song was first released in Europe, where it has become much more popular than in the composers' native country, with a big-band/orchestral pop arrangement sung by Tony Christie. Christie's version was a major hit in Europe and a modest success in his native United Kingdom upon its release, then became even more popular in the mid-2000s when the song was reissued. As Christie's version failed to make a major impact in the U.S., Sedaka released his own recording of the song in 1977, which narrowly missed the top 40 but was an easy listening hit in the U.S. and Canada.
Background
The song is based on a rhythmic feel Sedaka borrowed from "Hitchin' a Ride" by Vanity Fare.[1] The song was originally to be titled "Is This the Way to Pensacola" referring to Pensacola, Florida, but Sedaka felt that Amarillo worked better than Pensacola.[2]
Tony Christie version
The song was recorded by
In 2006, the song was played at the
Chart history
Weekly charts
Chart (1971–72) | Peak position |
---|---|
Argentina (Top 20)[3] | 3 |
Australia (KMR)[4] | 10 |
Austria (Hitradio Ö3)[5] | 1 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 1 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] | 15 |
Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista)[8]
|
7 |
West Germany (Official German Charts)[9] | 1 |
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 3 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] | 4 |
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[13] | 6 |
Spain | 1 |
New Zealand (Listener)[14] | 2 |
South African Singles Chart[15] | 6 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 3 |
OCC )
|
18 |
US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 121 |
Chart (2005) | Peak position |
---|---|
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 1 |
OCC )
|
1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1972) | Rank |
---|---|
Australia [18] | 68 |
Neil Sedaka version
"Amarillo" | ||||
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Single by Neil Sedaka | ||||
from the album A Song | ||||
B-side | "The Leaving Game" | |||
Released | May 1977 | |||
Recorded | 1977 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:07 | |||
Label | Elektra (US); Polydor (Europe) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield | |||
Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
Neil Sedaka singles chronology | ||||
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In the United States, Neil Sedaka, the writer of the song and a man who had recently returned to prominence as a pop singer in the mid-1970s after a decade of relative obscurity, recorded his own version of the song, released under a shortened title of "Amarillo". Produced and arranged by George Martin, Sedaka's version of "Amarillo" got to number 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1977; in Canada, Sedaka reached number two on the Adult Contemporary chart.[19]
Chart performance
Weekly singles charts
Chart (1977) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada RPM Top Singles [20] | 54 |
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary [19] | 2 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[21] | 44 |
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary
|
4 |
Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay version
"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" | ||||
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schlager | ||||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield | |||
Producer(s) | Tony Christie | |||
Peter Kay singles chronology | ||||
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In 2002, Tony Christie's version was used in the Channel 4 sitcom Phoenix Nights. The song was then re-released on March 14, 2005, to raise money for Comic Relief. The video features Peter Kay, Tony Christie and other celebrities, including William Roache, Anne Kirkbride, Jim Bowen, Ronnie Corbett, Michael Parkinson and Geoffrey Hayes.
Music video
In the accompanying video,
In the first few cameos, Max and Paddy from Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and its spin-off appear together, arguing and eventually fighting in the Granada Studios' corridor. This is one of many appearances of characters from Kay's TV series, including Paddy's tennis-playing cellmate Cliff from Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere, and both a football team for people with dwarfism and Brian Potter from Phoenix Nights. The video consists almost entirely of Kay walking towards the camera flanked by different pairings of the celebrities, in front of increasingly bizarre and unlikely backgrounds.
From 2012 onwards, any repeat airing of the music video on television is now a re-edited version which takes out the appearance of Savile. In October 2012, a series of revelations showed Savile to be a prolific repeated child sex offender, thus his appearance in the video which helped raise funds for disadvantaged children in Africa and the UK was edited out for future broadcasts. The re-edited version is mainly the same as the original except the short 15-second scene with Savile who joined Peter Kay and actress Sally Lindsay is now re-edited to show Lindsay and Kay only, with a slowed down and repeated showing of Lindsay on her own next to Kay to fill the gap left by the absence of Savile, thus eliminating Savile from the 15-second section. The original version remains on YouTube.
Big Night In version
On April 23, 2020, BBC One broadcast The Big Night In, a telethon to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]
As part of the running order, Peter Kay created an updated version of the music video. The video featured updated performances from Kay and Tony Christie, combined with repeated footage from the 2005 music video and submissions from key workers such as fire-fighters, NHS staff and social care workers.[24][25][26]
Chart performance
This time around, the song peaked at number one on the
Having sold 1.2 million copies by the end of 2009, "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" was the
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] | 2× Platinum | 1,280,000[32] |
Track listing
- CD single
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" - 3:40
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (All Around the World Mix) - 3:45
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (music video) - 3:49
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (making of the video) - 5:14
- DVD single
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (music video) - 3:49
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (Club Mix) - 6:14
- "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (Instrumental w/Photo Gallery) - 3:40
Is This the Way to Armadillo
Is This the Way to Armadillo is a spoof video of the song "Is This the Way to Amarillo" produced by the Royal Dragoon Guards stationed in Iraq at Al-Faw towards the end of their 6-month deployment there. The video was emailed so frequently on May 13, 2005, it crashed a server at the Ministry of Defence.[42] According to the Evening Standard, the crashing of the server caused systems to go down at various British military establishments, and the MoD was forced to issue instructions to delete all instances of the video.[43]
The "Peter Kay" character is credited as "Lucky Pierre", an obscure sexual reference.[44]
Spin-offs
Servicemen from other countries created their own versions:
- Dutch troops stationed in Afghanistan made their own spoof called "Dutch Amarillo".
- German officers and officer candidates made another spoof at the German armed forces university in Hamburg.
- Royal Australian Air Force officers made a spoof at the Australian Defence Force Academy called the Air Force Amarill.
(Is This the Way to) The World Cup
"(Is This the Way to) The World Cup" | |
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George Webley |
In 2006, a version of "Is This the Way to Amarillo" was released with lyrics written by Ian Stringer and
Other cover versions
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2014) |
Dutch singer
.Parody versions
In 2003, Gala Bingo ran a series of adverts with a jingle based on the tune of "Is This The Way to Amarillo?".
In April 2020, British comedian
In July 2023, Newcastle based recording artist Junior Turner created A version of the song called Is this the way to Europe to commemorate Newcastle United FC making it into the Champions League.
Usage in football
Other than the 2006 version "(Is This the Way to) The World Cup" which supported the England football team at the
References
- ^ Neil Sedaka's daily mini-concert, September 2, 2020
- ^ "Is This the way to Pensacola? Record columnist Tam Cowan finds it could all have been so different when he meets his lifelong idol Neil Sedaka at his New York apartment". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Tony Christie - Is This the Way to (Amarillo)" (PDF). Billboard. March 25, 1972. p. 62. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Ö3-HITPARADE - 23.01.1972". austriancharts.at. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Tony Christie – (Is This The Wat To) Amarillo" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Tony Christie – (Is This The Wat To) Amarillo" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Artistit CAY - CHR". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tony Christie – (Is This The Wat To) Amarillo" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 February 2024. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Tony Christie"
- ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Is This the Way to Amarillo". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Tony Christie – (Is This The Wat To) Amarillo" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tony Christie" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 31 January 1972
- ^ ""Acts C" on the South African Singles Chart". Springbok Radio. December 10, 1971. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Tony Christie – (Is This The Wat To) Amarillo". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ [Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004]
- ^ "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ RPM Magazine. Vol. 27, no. 16. July 16, 1977. p. 25. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 14, 2012.
- RPM Magazine. Vol. 27, no. 17. July 23, 1977. p. 18. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 18, 2015.
- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Public Falls for Christie Charm". Music Week. March 12, 2005. p. 22.
The new version will be issued as a video single next Monday, March 14...
- ^ "When is The Big Night In on TV and who is taking part in the BBC One show?". Metro. April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (April 23, 2020). "Peter Kay and Tony Christie will perform Amarillo for BBC's Big Night In". Radio Times. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Rosseinsky, Katie (April 20, 2020). "Peter Kay asks fans to help remake Amarillo video for Big Night In charity special". Evening Standard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ McVay, Ben (April 28, 2020). "Buxton care home staff star in comical Amarillo video for BBC's Big Night In event". Buxton Advertiser. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- Press Association. March 21, 2005. Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Christie holds on to chart reign". BBC News. May 1, 2005. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Akon topples Christie chart reign". BBC News. May 8, 2005. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Amarillo tops 2005 single sales". BBC News. January 2, 2006. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018.
- Time Inc. UK. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Copsey, Rob (March 24, 2017). "The Official biggest selling Comic Relief singles revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Hits of the World: Eurocharts". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 14. April 2, 2005. p. 39.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Is This the Way to Amarillo". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- VNU Media. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ "2005 UK Singles Chart" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ Myers, Justin (September 24, 2019). "Official Charts announces The Noughties definitive chart books". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "British single certifications – Tony Christie ft Peter Kay – (Is This the Way to) Amarillo". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "'Amarillo' soldiers hail response". BBC. May 18, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ Sawyer, Patrick (May 17, 2005). "Is this the way to Army-rillo?". Evening Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0826430090. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "(Is This the Way to) The World Cup". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ "Welkom op de website van Albert West". Albertwest.nl. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Kvitek Mandragory on Helena Vondráčková's website". Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- ^ Fenwick, George (May 27, 2020). "Paddy McGuinness mocks Dominic Cummings with Is This The Way To Barnard Castle spoof". Evening Standard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
External links
- Revealed: The Road to Amarillo Manchester Evening News, March 21, 2005
- 'Amarillo' video crashes MoD PCs BBC News, May 17, 2005