"The Entertainer" is a single by singer Billy Joel released as the only single from his 1974 album Streetlife Serenade. The song peaked at #34 on the US charts.[2] The song is a cynical and somewhat satirical look at the fleeting fame of a musician and fickle public tastes ("Today I am your champion / I may have won your hearts / But I know the game / You'll forget my name / (And I won't be here / in another year) / if I don't stay on the charts"); this theme would be examined in the later song "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me".
| "The Entertainer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Streetlife Serenade | ||||
| B-side | "The Mexican Connection" | |||
| Released | November 1974 | |||
| Recorded | Devonshire Sound, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:41 (album version) 3:11 (single version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer(s) | Michael Stewart | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition and release
editOne verse in the song references the shortening of Joel's song "Piano Man" from 5 minutes and 40 seconds to 3 minutes and 5 seconds to fit a radio slot, referenced by the lyrics "It was a beautiful song, / but it ran too long / (If you're gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit) / So they cut it down to 3:05." Additionally, the timing printed on the label of the 7" release of "The Entertainer" was 3:05, although the actual 45 length was 3:11 (while the album length was 3:41). In the single version, verse 3 (which starts at 1:02 in the album version) is edited out, and verse 2 (which starts at 0:40) contains a steel guitar in its second half, which is actually featured in the second half of the third verse in the album version; indeed, on the single mix, the instrumental crescendo of the album version is anticipated by bringing the fuller instrumentation of verse 3 under the vocals of verse 2. As a result of this, the slightly emptier original instrumentation of verse 2 (which includes a downward slide on the synth) and the vocals of verse 3 are completely omitted,[3] while the instrumentation of verse 3 (featuring the steel guitar) does appear, but earlier.
On some of the singles released for "The Entertainer" the song was b-sided with "The Mexican Connection".
Billboard regarded it as one of the "best cuts" from Streetlife Serenade.[4] Cash Box called it "positively the strongest disk Billy has cut since 'Piano Man'" and said that "the lyric line abounds with the incisive cynicism that the biz can generate in a performer" and praised the "strong instrumentation and synthesizer."[5] Record World called it a "clever cut" in which Joel "returns with a glint in his eye and sarcasm on his lips: it's tough at the top, but even more treacherous on the way up."[6]
Lost verse
editAn extra verse, between the 3rd and 5th verses, was omitted from "Streetlife Serenade" but can often be heard in Joel's live performances of the song. The lyrics are as follows:
I am the entertainer
I dress to fit the style
I wear all kinds of sparkles
I flash the crowd my smile
But when the night is over
I stand without my clothes
Perspiration stains and varicose veins
My eyes bloodshot, my belly's gone to pot
And there's a pimple on my nose[7]
Chart history
edit| Chart (1974–77) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 89 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[9] | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening[10] | 30 |
References
edit- ^ Ricci, Charlie (11 October 2019). "Here's Why You Should Give Billy Joel's 'Streetlife Serenade' Another Listen". The Something Else! webzine.
- ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-87586-207-1.
- ^ Everett, Walter (May 2010). "'If you're gonna have a hit': intratextual mixes and edits of pop recordings". Popular Music. 29 (2): 229–250. doi:10.1017/S026114301000005X. JSTOR 40926920. S2CID 162240986.
- ^ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. October 26, 1974. p. 66. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 21, 1974. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 23, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "Billy Joel - the Entertainer with Extra Verse, Live 1974". YouTube. 8 October 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 156. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 127.
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