City of New Orleans (song)

Last updated
"City of New Orleans"
Single by Steve Goodman
from the album Steve Goodman
B-side "Would You Like to Learn to Dance?"
Released1971
Recorded1971
Genre Country folk [1]
Length3:52
Label Buddah
Songwriter(s) Steve Goodman
Producer(s) Kris Kristofferson, Norbert Putnam

"City of New Orleans" is a country folk song written by Steve Goodman (and first recorded for Goodman's self-titled 1971 album), describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad's City of New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms.

Contents

Goodman got the idea while traveling on the Illinois Central line for a visit to his wife's family. The song has been recorded by numerous artists in the United States, including two major hit versions: first by Arlo Guthrie in 1972, and later by Willie Nelson in 1984. In Europe, the melody has most often been used for original lyrics rather than translations of Goodman's.

An article in the September 2017 issue of Trains magazine chronicles the writing and recording of the song and includes a biographical sketch of Steve Goodman. [2]

Arlo Guthrie version

"The City of New Orleans"
The City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie.jpg
Single by Arlo Guthrie
from the album Hobo's Lullaby
B-side "Days Are Short"
ReleasedJuly 1972
Recorded1972
Genre Folk
Length4:31
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Steve Goodman
Producer(s) Lenny Waronker, John Pilla
Arlo Guthrie singles chronology
"Ballad of tricky Fred"
(1971)
"The City of New Orleans"
(1972)
"Ukulele Lady"
(1972)

While at the Quiet Knight bar in Chicago, Goodman saw Arlo Guthrie, and asked to be allowed to play a song for him. Guthrie grudgingly agreed, on the condition that if Goodman bought him a beer, Guthrie would listen to him play for as long as it took to drink the beer. [3] Goodman played "City of New Orleans", which Guthrie liked enough that he asked to record it. The song was a hit for Guthrie on his 1972 album Hobo's Lullaby , reaching #4 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and #18 on the Hot 100; it would prove to be Guthrie's only top-40 hit and one of only two he would have on the Hot 100 (the other was a severely shortened and rearranged version of his magnum opus, "Alice's Restaurant", which hit #97). In New Zealand, "City of New Orleans" spent two weeks at number one, charting throughout the winter of 1973. [4]

Guthrie's version of "The City of New Orleans" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017. [5]

Chart performance

Joe Dassin version

The song became enormously popular in France because of the version by French-American singer Joe Dassin, released in 1973. The lyrics are radically different and relate the end of a short relationship. The single sold over 200,000 copies.


Gerard Cox version

"'t Is weer voorbij die mooie zomer"
Single by Gerard Cox
B-side "Zullen we ritselen?"
Released13 October 1973
Genre Pop
Length4:30
Label CBS Records
Composer(s) Steve Goodman
Lyricist(s) Gerard Cox
Producer(s) Ruud Jacobs

In 1973, Dutch singer Gerard Cox released a Dutch-language cover entitled "'t Is weer voorbij die mooie zomer" ("It's Over Again, That Beautiful Summer"). The single reached #1 and #2 on the Dutch and Belgian record charts, respectively. The Dutch lyrics are not about a train, but are a look back on the warm days of summer. Mr Cox had based his version on a French version, Salut les amoureux by Joe Dassin, which he had heard while on holiday in France. Yet, the Dutch lyrics are again very different from both the English and the French versions.

Rudi Carrell version

"Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer?"
Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer%3F (Rudi Carrell).jpg
Single by Rudi Carrell
B-side "Heul nicht"
Released1975
Genre Pop
Length4:20
Label Ariola
Composer(s) Steve Goodman
Lyricist(s) Thomas Woitkewitsch
Producer(s) Thomas Woitkewitsch

In 1975, Dutch singer Rudi Carrell released a German-language cover with lyrics by producer Thomas Woitkewitsch. The lyrics were based on the Dutch version (see above) by Gerard Cox. The single, "Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer?" ("When Will There be a Proper Summer Again?"), stayed on the German record charts for 14 weeks, peaking at #18. This version has been widely covered, spawning German Top-40 recordings by Creme 21 and Indira Weis. [11]

Willie Nelson version

"City of New Orleans"
Single by Willie Nelson
from the album City of New Orleans
B-side "Why Are You Pickin' on Me"
ReleasedJuly 1984
RecordedOctober 1983
Genre Country
Length4:47
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Steve Goodman
Producer(s) Chips Moman
Willie Nelson singles chronology
"To All the Girls I've Loved Before"
(1984)
"City of New Orleans"
(1984)
"Seven Spanish Angels"
(1985)

Steve Goodman won a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985 for Willie Nelson's version, which was included on Nelson's 1984 album City of New Orleans . It reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the United States [12] and the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

Chart performance

Chart (1984)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 1
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [14] 30
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks3

Creme 21 version

"Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer?"
Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer%3F (Creme 21).jpg
Single by Creme 21
B-side "Ich kann mich nicht entscheiden"
"Ich will auch mit (in den Übungsraum)"
Released1996
Genre Pop rock
Length3:24
Label Epic Records
Composer(s) Steve Goodman
Lyricist(s) Thomas Woitkewitsch
Producer(s) Jeo

Creme 21, a pop band from Frankfurt am Main, recorded a version using Thomas Woitkewitsch's German lyrics. The cover spent 12 weeks on the German record charts, peaking at #36. [11]

Indira Weis version

"Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer?"
Indira-EPcover.jpg
Single by Indira
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2009
Recorded2009
Genre Pop
Length23:30
Label UCA
Composer(s) Steve Goodman
Lyricist(s) Thomas Woitkewitsch
Producer(s) Andreas Habermeyer Ulrich Fischer Harald Reitinger for Beat Power Music
Music video
"Wann wird’s mal wieder richtig Sommer?" on YouTube

"Wann wird’s mal wieder richtig Sommer?" (German : When will there be a proper summer again?) is the first single of Indira Weis, who got famous in the German multicultural R&B group Bro'Sis. Together with the movie producer Andreas Habermeyer she covered the hit from Rudi Carrell for the Oktoberfest 2009 in Munich. The EP was released September 4, 2009.

The original music video for "Wann wird’s mal wieder richtig Sommer?" was directed and produced in Berlin, August 2009. The video premiered September 4, 2009. [15]

Indira performed the song the first time in front of the Rotes Rathaus in Berlin September 9, 2009. [16]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (Original Party Mix)"4:07
2."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (Sommer Mix)"3:41
3."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (English Party Mix)"4:10
4."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (English Summer Mix)"3:37
5."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (Karaoke Party Mix)"4:14
6."Wann Wird's Mal Wieder Richtig Sommer (Karaoke Sommer Mix)"3:41

Other cover versions

See also

Mentioned in the song

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References

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  2. Sanders, Craig (September 2017). "Writing of 'City of New Orleans'". Trains . Vol. 77, no. 9. pp. 34–39.
  3. Central, Spotlight (15 November 2016). ""Running Down the Road" Arlo Guthrie LIVE! at The Grunin Center". Medium. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Flavour of New Zealand, 18 December 1972". Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  5. "GRAMMY HALL OF FAME AWARD". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  6. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
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  9. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 109.
  10. "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Wetter: Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer?". Die Zeit . Hamburg. 2011-08-07. ISSN   0044-2070 . Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 245.
  13. "Willie Nelson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  14. "Willie Nelson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  15. "Indira - Videoclip zum Wiesenhit auf dem Oktoberfest - Musik" (in German). Bild.de. 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  16. "München · Sonnenschein auf der Wiesn - Ex-"Bro'Sis"-Star Indira Weis will den Wiesn-Hit landen". Wochenanzeiger.de. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  17. "Track of the Day: 'Salut Les Amoureux' by Joe Dassin". The Atlantic . 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  18. Billboard Staff (2005-09-06). "Buffett Winds Down Tour At Wrigley Field". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  19. writer, KEITH SPERA | Staff (29 January 2021). "Jimmy Buffett's love for New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the Saints runs deep". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2022-06-15.