This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2016) |
Town Without Pity is a song written by composer Dimitri Tiomkin and lyricist Ned Washington. The track, produced by Aaron Schroeder, [1] was originally recorded by Gene Pitney for the 1961 film of the same title. In the US, the Gene Pitney recording went to #13 on the Hot 100. [2]
This tragic song, in the key of B Minor, first ends the chorus in D Major, before going up a key in the refrain to C Minor, with the coda ending the song in the same minor key.
In 1962, the song received a Golden Globe Award for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song (losing to "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's ).
Pitney also recorded versions in German (lyrics by Frank Zieboltz [3] ), entitled "Bleibe bei mir" ("Stay With Me") and Italian, entitled "Città Spietata". Many artists and bands have recorded cover versions over the years since its release, including:
Year | Performer | Album |
---|---|---|
1966 | Danny Williams | Only Love |
1967 | Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass | Sounds Like... |
1978 | Ronnie Montrose | Open Fire |
1980 | Paul Warren & Explorer | Takin' Her Back |
1982 | The Nylons | One Size Fits All |
1987 | Mathilde Santing | Out Of This Dream |
1988 | Thin White Rope | Red Sun |
1989 | The Dickies | Second Coming |
1990 | The Stray Cats | Let's Go Faster! |
1992 | Zen for Primates | Albatross [4] |
1992 | Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords | Town Without Pity (single) |
1993 | Neil Zaza | Thrills & Chills |
1996 | Eddi Reader | Candyfloss and Medicine |
1996 | The Brian Setzer Orchestra | Guitar Slinger |
1999 | Mandy Barnett | A Walk on the Moon (film soundtrack) |
2001 | Snakeman Show | Radio Snakeman Show, Vol. 1 [5] |
2001 | The Quiets | Take a flight with The Quiets [6] |
2004 | Los Straitjackets | Play Favorites |
2006 | Richie Cole & The Alto Madness Orchestra | Risë's Rose Garden [7] |
2007 | Vidar Busk & The Voo Doodz | Jookbox Charade |
Gene Pitney also recorded a German version of the song entitled Blebe bei mir (lyrics: Frank Zieboltz) and an Italian version entitled Città Spietata.
Rock Guitarist Ronnie Montrose released an instrumental cover of the song in 1978 with Edgar Winter producing. The American rock band Thin White Rope released the song on their 1988 album Red Sun. [10] John Travolta and Kirstie Alley say the song in the 1989 romantic comedy Look Who's Talking! The Dickies, an American punk band from California, also included the song in their program in 1989 [11] as did the band Stray Cats [12] in 1990. American melodic guitarist Neil Zaza covered the song in 1993. [13] Eddi Reader's version of Town Without Pity spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1996. She released the song on her album Candyfloss and Medicine. [14] Country singer Mandy Barnett also recorded the song in 1999. [15]
The American surf rock band Los Straitjackets from Nashville covered the song in 2004, [16] and modern jazz alto saxophonist Richie Cole included Town Without Pity in his program in 2006. [17] The Norwegian blues guitarist Vidar Busk also recorded the song in 2007. [18] Lilli Passero released the song on her eponymous album in 2017. [19]
Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American singer-songwriter and musician.
Ned Washington was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The Rolling Stones is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Decca Records in the UK on 17 April 1964. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on 29 May 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.
"I Really Don't Want to Know" is a popular song written by Don Robertson (music) Howard Barnes (lyrics). The song was published in 1953.
"Somebody Put Something in My Drink" is a song by the Ramones from their 1986 album Animal Boy. The song also appears on the Ramones compilation album Ramones Mania. Written by Ramones drummer Richie Ramone, who had joined the band in 1983, "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" was based on an actual incident in which he was given a drink spiked with LSD.
"Pretty Flamingo" is a song written by Mark Barkan, which became a hit in 1966 when Manfred Mann's recording of it was released as a single. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 5 May 1966. Manfred Mann's recording was a minor hit in the United States where it spent eight weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 29 during the week of August 6, 1966. It was also successful in Ireland, and was number one there for four weeks, keeping the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" at number two.
Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords were a 1990s British rock band, featuring The Damned's Dave Vanian on vocals. The band's style is a fusion of rockabilly and gothic rock, which has been classified as gothabilly. They performed a mixture of covers and new material.
Candyfloss and Medicine is the third studio album by Eddi Reader released in the UK on 8 July 1996, which peaked #24 in the UK charts.
Now is the third studio album released by The Tubes. It was produced by John Anthony. Fed up with constant meddling from Bud Scoppa and Don Wood under the direction of Bill Spooner including surreptitiously remixing a track when Anthony was not at the studio, Anthony was advised to leave the project by Jerry Moss. The head of A&M A&R Kip Cohen said that they took advantage of Anthony and believed that they overran the budget to increase their union fees. Bill Spooner took over and completed the project with the help of the engineer Wood and Scoppa.
Town Without Pity is a 1961 American/Swiss/West German international co-production drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. Produced by The Mirisch Corporation, the film stars Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rütting, Christine Kaufmann, and E. G. Marshall.
Hairspray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack of the 1988 John Waters film, Hairspray.
Aaron Harold Schroeder was an American songwriter and music publisher.
"Black Is Black" is a song by the Spanish rock band Los Bravos, released in 1966 as the group's debut single for Decca Records. Produced by Ivor Raymonde, it reached number two in the UK, number four in the US, and number one in Canada. With the recording's success, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock band to have an international hit single. A dance remix was released as a single in 1986.
"Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and was originally a hit in 1963 for Gene Pitney.
Second Coming is the fourth studio album by punk band The Dickies. The album contained covers of "Hair" and Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity."
"Louisiana Man" is a song originally written and recorded by American country artist Doug Kershaw in 1961. It peaked at #10 that year on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart when Kershaw and his brother released it as Rusty and Doug.
"It Hurts to Be in Love" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller which was a Top Ten hit in 1964 for Gene Pitney. It was one in a long line of successful "Brill Building Sound" hits created by composers and arrangers working in New York City's Brill Building at 1619 Broadway.
The Many Sides of Gene Pitney is the debut album of Gene Pitney, released on the Musicor label in 1962. It was mostly a collection of previously released singles. Among them was "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" which charted at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 4, 1961 and was on the charts for eight weeks. The song "Every Breath I Take" charted as high as #42 on September 16, 1961, and was on the charts for eight weeks. "Town Without Pity" rose as high as #13 on January 27, 1962 and was on the charts for 19 weeks. It also features two songs that Pitney had previously written for Ricky Nelson, "Hello Mary Lou" and "Today's Teardrops"; the latter also recorded by Roy Orbison.
Gene Italiano is American singer Gene Pitney's eighth album, and first foreign language album, released on the Musicor label in 1964. The album features a number of Pitney's biggest early hits recorded in Italian, including "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa", "Town Without Pity" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart".
"(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which was released by Gene Pitney in 1962. It spent 13 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 4, while reaching No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and No. 4 on New Zealand's "Lever Hit Parade".