Zanzibar (song)
| "Zanzibar" | |
|---|---|
A&R Recording, Inc., 799 7th Avenue at 52nd Street, New York City; 1978 | |
| Genre | |
| Length | 5:13 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel |
| Producer(s) | Phil Ramone |
"Zanzibar" is a song written by Billy Joel and recorded for his 1978 album 52nd Street. It has also appeared on several live albums.
Lyrics and music
The themes of "Zanzibar" include love of sports, love of alcohol and the singer's attempt to pick up a waitress.
The song begins with a short slow section, but then moves to a
Reception
Ramone claims that he convinced Joel to experiment with creating a jazz mood on the 52nd Street album based on the fact that Joel had written some jazz riffs into the end of "Zanzibar."[4] Billy Joel biographer Mark Bego claims that "If 52nd Street is Billy's tribute to jazz, then 'Zanzibar' is its centerpiece."[8] "Zanzibar" was the third most played album cut from 52nd Street on U.S. album-oriented rock radio during 1979 according to the year-end R&R Top 79 Albums of 1979 chart.
Other appearances
"Zanzibar" has often featured in Joel's live concerts. Since 2005 the trumpet solos have been performed by
"Zanzibar" was also included on the compilation album My Lives.[9] This version does not fade out the second trumpet solo that ends the song, providing an extra minute and a half of Hubbard's playing.[5]
In January 2021, the song became popular on the short-form-video app TikTok after user @maxmith_ featured it alongside an original dance that became viral.[10] As of 27 February 2021, the song has been featured in over 400,000 TikTok videos.
References
- ^ a b Mitchell, Matt (January 20, 2024). "The 25 Greatest Billy Joel Songs of All Time". Paste. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "52nd Street". Rolling Stone. 14 December 1978.
- ^ ISBN 9780823082483.
- ^ ISBN 9780786868599.
- ^ ISBN 9780313380167.
- ^ ISBN 0823075869.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ISBN 9781560259893.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ^ Lovece, Frank. "Billy Joel song 'Zanzibar' goes viral on TikTok". Long Island Newsday.
