If My Friends Could See Me Now

Last updated

"If My Friends Could See Me Now", with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity . In the musical the character of Charity, played in the original New York cast by Gwen Verdon, reflects on her marvellous luck as she spends time with Vittorio. In the 1969 film adaptation of Sweet Charity , "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is performed by Shirley MacLaine.

Contents

Recorded versions

As a show tune

Gwen Verdon's rendition of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is featured on the cast recording for the original 1966 Broadway production of Sweet Charity: the song also appears on the cast recordings for the 1986 and 2005 Broadway revivals of Sweet Charity being performed by respectively Debbie Allen and Christina Applegate.

The Gwen Verdon recording of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" was utilized as the theme song for the pilot episode of the CBS-TV sitcom The Nanny [1] although an original song entitled "The Nanny Named Fran" served as the theme song for the series' subsequent episodes: airings of The Nanny's pilot episode in syndication utilize "The Nanny Named Fran" as that episode's theme song rather than "If My Friends Could See Me Now".

The original cast recording for the 1967 West End production of Sweet Charity features "If My Friends Could See Me Now" performed by Juliet Prowse. Bonnie Langford, who headlined the 1998 West End revival of Sweet Charity, included "If My Friends Could See Me Now" in a medley of songs from Sweet Charity featured on her 1999 album Now.

A 1995 studio recording of the score of Sweet Charity features Jacqueline Dankworth performing "If My Friends Could See Me Now".

Shirley Maclaine's performance of the song is featured on the 1969 movie soundtrack for Sweet Charity: in addition Maclaine recorded the song for her 1976 Live at the Palace album.

Linda Clifford version

"If My Friends Could See Me Now"
Single by Linda Clifford
from the album If My Friends Could See Me Now
B-side "Please Darling, Don't Say Goodbye"
Released1978
Genre Disco
Length3:48(7" version)
10:12(12" version)
7:53(Album version)
Label Curtom
Songwriter(s) Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields
Producer(s) Gil Askey

In 1978 Linda Clifford released an album entitled If My Friends Could See Me Now featuring a disco version of the Sweet Charity song of that name. Clifford, who had been an extra in the filming of Sweet Charity, originally responded negatively to the suggestion – made by a secretary at Curtom Records – that she record a dance version of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" "because I thought it would be sacrilegious. I've always been a theatre buff, so this [would be] a no-no. [2] Then they recorded [the backing track] anyway and brought it to me, and I said, 'Ooh, I like that.' Once I heard the music I was like, 'It’s different but it’s the same.'" [3] Clifford would recall how subsequent to her success with "If My Friends Could See Me Now" Cy Coleman would "[call] in to a radio station that I was being interviewed on and thanked me over the air for doing his song and bringing it to the masses." [3]

"If My Friends Could See Me Now" in tandem with two other album tracks: "Gypsy Lady" and "Runaway Love", hit #1 on the Billboard disco chart dated April 29, 1978 remaining at #1 for a total of five weeks. [4] Released as a 7" single in August 1978 – "Runaway Love" having been the lead 7" single from the If My Friends... album - "If My Friends Could See Me Now" reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 with an R&B chart peak of #68. [5] In the UK "If My Friends Could See Me Now" was issued as the A-side of a 7" single - with "Runaway Love" as the B-side - in May 1978 failing to become a major UK hit with a peak of #50 on the UK chart dated June 24, 1978. [6]

Other versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Verdon</span> American actress and dancer (1925–2000)

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart in Chicago. She is also strongly identified with her second husband, director-choreographer Bob Fosse, remembered as the dancer-collaborator-muse for whom he choreographed much of his work and as the guardian of his legacy after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Fosse</span> American actor, choreographer, dancer, and director (1927–1987)

Robert Louis Fosse was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Sweet Charity (1966), Pippin (1972), and Chicago (1975). He directed the films Sweet Charity (1969), Cabaret (1972), Lenny (1975), All That Jazz (1979), and Star 80 (1983).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sister Sledge</span> American vocal group

Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. In 1979, they released their breakthrough album We Are Family, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and included the 1979 US top-10 singles "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family". A third single, "Lost in Music", reached the US top 40. "We Are Family" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

<i>Sweet Charity</i> 1966 American musical

Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film Nights of Cabiria. However, whereas Federico Fellini's black-and-white film concerns the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful prostitute, in the musical the central character is a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1966, where it was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography. The production also ran in the West End as well as having revivals and international productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cy Coleman</span> Musical artist

Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.

Rachel Sweet is an American singer, television writer and actress.

The Student Prince is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Old Heidelberg. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduring and beautiful tunes, including "Golden Days", "Drinking Song", "Deep in My Heart, Dear", "Just We Two" and "Serenade". The plot has elements of melodrama but lacks the swashbuckling style common to Romberg's other works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cissy Houston</span> American singer (born 1933)

Emily "Cissy" Houston is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embarked on a solo career, winning two Grammy Awards for her work.

Sheila Diana Ferguson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was the second longest-serving member of the 1970s American female soul music group The Three Degrees, singing lead vocals on most of the group's biggest hits, most notably "When Will I See You Again", which had international success topping the UK Singles Chart and peaking at #2 in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Bramlett</span> American singer

Bonnie Bramlett is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van McCoy</span> American singer-songwriter

Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and for producing songs by such recording artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore and Stacy Lattisaw.

<i>High Spirits</i> (musical)

High Spirits is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, based on the play Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward, about a man's problems caused by the spirit of his dead wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ease on Down the Road</span>

"Ease on Down the Road" is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz, an R&B re-interpretation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Charlie Smalls–composed tune is the show's version of both "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" and "We're Off to See the Wizard" from the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz. In the song, performed three times during the show, Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion dance their way down the Yellow Brick Road and give each other words of encouragement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jones Girls</span> American R&B vocal trio from Detroit, Michigan, United States

The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for their singles during the late–1970s through the 1980s; most notably 1979's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". After a six–year tenure with GM, they then recorded for Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Spender</span> Song from the 1966 musical "Sweet Charity"

"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity, first performed in 1966. Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song for her album of the same name also that year. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess girls; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the 1969 film. It is set to the beat of a striptease as the girls taunt the customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Clifford</span> American singer and actress

Linda Clifford is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress, who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Runaway Love" and "Red Light".

<i>Sweet Charity</i> (film) 1969 film by Bob Fosse

Sweet Charity is a 1969 American musical comedy-drama film directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse in his feature directorial debut, written by Peter Stone, and featuring music by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields.

"The Nanny" is the self-titled pilot episode of the CBS television sitcom The Nanny. It was filmed in 1993 at Culver Studios on 9336 W. Washington Blvd. in Culver City, California. Picked up by CBS shortly after, the show would go on to produce 145 more episodes, ending its successful primetime run in 1999.

<i>If My Friends Could See Me Now</i> (Linda Clifford album) 1978 studio album by Linda Clifford

If My Friends Could See Me Now is the second studio album recorded by American singer Linda Clifford, released in 1978 on the Curtom label.

"Runaway Love" is a 1978 disco single written and produced by Gil Askey, and performed by Linda Clifford.

References

  1. ↑ "The Nanny Pilot Theme Song". Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  2. ↑ Linda Clifford. "Linda Clifford @". Disco-disco.com. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  3. 1 2 "SoulMusic.com". SoulMusic.com. 2011-07-22. Archived from the original on 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 60.
  5. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 123.
  6. ↑ Official Charts
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.