You've Got Possibilities

Last updated
"You've Got Possibilities"
Song by Linda Lavin
LanguageEnglish
Composer(s) Charles Strouse
Lyricist(s) Lee Adams

"You've Got Possibilities" is an American show tune. It was created by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for the 1966 Broadway show It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman and sung by Linda Lavin in the show. Lavin plays a secretary at the Daily Planet with a crush on Clark Kent and the song describes her hope to change Kent's mild-mannered, square persona [1] ("Let me pry you from your shell... You've got possibilities... you don't even know you've got").

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman was not a big hit, but "You've Got Possibilities", generally considered the show's most memorable tune, [2] became something of a cabaret standard. [3]

Peggy Lee recorded the song on her 1966 album Big $pender and released it as the B-side of the single "Come Back to Me". [4] Joanie Sommers released "You've Got Possibilities" as the B-side of her single "Never Throw Your Dreams Away", also in 1966, [5] while Carol Ventura released it also in 1966 as an A-side single. [6]

Linda Lavin included the song on her 2011 album Possibilities [7] (she had earlier sung it on the 1966 original cast album for It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman). [1] Matt Monro's version appears on his Here's To My Lady (1966) [8] and The Best of the Capitol Years (1990), [9] Jason Graae released a version on You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (1996), [10] Wendy Coates on Journeys (2001), [11] and Karen Akers on Like It Was (2006). [12]

Barbara McNair recorded a version for Motown Records in 1966, but it was only released in 2016, in digital format on Motown Unreleased: 1966. [13] [14] Song composer Charles Strouse himself is heard singing "You've Got Possibilities" on the album Charles Sings Strouse (2006), part of the Songwriter Series produced in conjunction with the Library of Congress. [15]

"You've Got Possibilities" was used in a 2005 television advertising campaign for Pillsbury Grand biscuits. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Strouse</span> American composer and lyricist

Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and Annie.

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

Linda Lavin is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her stage performances, both on and off-Broadway.

Lee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Supremes discography</span>

American girl group The Supremes have released 29 studio albums, four live albums, two soundtrack albums, 32 compilation albums, four box sets, 66 singles and three promotional singles. The Supremes are the most successful American group of all time, and the 26th greatest artist of all time on the US Billboard charts; with 12 number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and three number-one albums on the Billboard 200. The Supremes were the first artist to accumulate five consecutive number-one singles on the US Hot 100 and the first female group to top the Billboard 200 albums chart with The Supremes A' Go-Go (1966). In 2017, Billboard ranked The Supremes as the number-one girl group of all time, publishing, 'although there have been many girl group smashes in the decades since the Supremes ruled the Billboard charts, no collective has yet to challenge their, for lack of a better word, supremacy.' In 2019, the UK Official Charts Company placed 7 Supremes songs—"You Can't Hurry Love" (16), "Baby Love" (23), "Stop! In the Name of Love" (56), "Where Did Our Love Go?" (59), "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (78), "Come See About Me" (94) and "Stoned Love" (99)—on The Official Top 100 Motown songs of the Millennium chart, which ranks Motown releases by their all-time UK downloads and streams.

<i>Ben</i> (Michael Jackson album) 1972 studio album by Michael Jackson

Ben is the second studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Motown Records on August 4, 1972, while Jackson was still a member of the Jackson 5. It received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Ben, however, was more successful on the music charts than Jackson's previous studio album, peaking within the top 10 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Internationally, the album was less successful, peaking at number 12 in Canada, while charting within the top 200 positions in Australia and France.

"Lullaby of Broadway" is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935. The lyrics salute the nightlife of Broadway and its denizens, who "don't sleep tight until the dawn."

The Mad Show is an Off-Broadway musical revue based on Mad Magazine. The music is by Mary Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim, the book by Larry Siegel and Stan Hart. The show's various lyricists include Siegel, Marshall Barer, Steven Vinaver, and Stephen Sondheim.

Forbidden Broadway: 20th Anniversary Edition is the sixth volume in the Forbidden Broadway Cast Albums. Although there isn't a show with the same title, the CD has twenty-five of Forbidden Broadway's best songs, including eight previously unreleased tracks. It was conceived, created and written by Gerard Alessandrini.

"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" is the opening song from the musical Oklahoma!, which premiered on Broadway in 1943. It was written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The leading male character in Oklahoma!, Curly McLain, sings the song at the beginning of the first scene of the musical. The refrain runs: "Oh, what a beautiful mornin'! / Oh, what a beautiful day! / I've got a beautiful feelin' / Ev'rythin's goin' my way." Curly's "brimming optimism is perfectly captured by Rodgers' ebullient music and Hammerstein's buoyant pastoral lyrics."

The Mynah Birds was a Canadian R&B band formed in Toronto, Ontario, that was active from 1964 to 1967. Although the band never released an album, it is notable as featuring a number of musicians, such as Rick James and Neil Young, who went on to have successful careers in rock, folk rock and funk.

<i>Its a Bird... Its a Plane... Its Superman</i> 1966 Broadway musical based on Superman

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman is a 1966 musical composed by Charles Strouse, with lyrics by Lee Adams and book by David Newman and Robert Benton. It is based on the comic book character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Holiday</span> American actor (1932–2017)

Bob Holiday was an American actor best known for playing Superman in the 1966 Broadway musical It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman. Historically, Holiday was the next "live-action" Superman after George Reeves. Holiday played Superman more than any other actor, having played the role in over 140 performances, as well as several live appearances in character. From 1999 until his death in 2017, he reigned as the eldest surviving, live-action Superman.

<i>Big $pender</i> 1966 studio album by Peggy Lee

Big $pender is a 1966 studio album by Peggy Lee. It was recorded with the orchestra of Bill Holman

John Rando is an American stage director who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Urinetown the Musical in 2002. He received his 2nd nomination in the same category in 2015 for the 2014 Broadway revival of On the Town.

Patricia Marand was an American actress and singer, best known for roles in musical theatre. She was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her part as Lois Lane in the musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman. She also appeared in the 1952 musical Wish You Were Here. She was a regular on The Merv Griffin Show.

"Younger than Springtime" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It has been widely recorded as a jazz standard.

<i>Chameleon</i> (The Four Seasons album) 1972 studio album by The Four Seasons

Chameleon is a 1972 album by The Four Seasons notable for being their only album recorded for Motown. The album met with limited success in the US; no single was even issued from the album in America. "The Night", however, met with success in the UK and peaked at No. 7 in 1975, becoming a Northern Soul mainstay.

<i>The Undisputed Truth</i> (The Undisputed Truth album) 1971 studio album by The Undisputed Truth

The Undisputed Truth is the self titled debut album of the Motown group of the same name.

Fred Tobias was an American songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

"I've Got Your Number" is a popular song composed by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh for the 1962 musical Little Me. It was originally introduced by Swen Swenson and Virginia Martin in the show.

References

  1. 1 2 "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman – Original Broadway Cast Recording 1966". Masterworks Broadway. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  2. ↑ Joe Leydon (June 28, 2010). "Review: 'It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!'". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Ben Brantley (March 21, 2013). "He's the Man of Steel, as Well as a Man of Song". New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2017. "Possibilities", the one number from the score that has had any significant afterlife.
  4. ↑ "Peggy Lee – Come Back To Me / You've Got Possibilities". Discogs. 1966. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Joanie Sommers – Never Throw Your Dreams Away / You've Got Possibilities". Discogs. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Record Details". 45cat. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Linda Lavin – Possibilities". Discogs. 29 November 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Matt Monro – Here's To My Lady". Discogs. 1967. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Matt Monro – The Best of the Capitol Years". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Jason Graae – You're Never Fully Dressed: Sings Strouse". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Wendy Coates – Journeys". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Karen Akers – Like It Was". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Various Artists – Motown Unreleased: 1966". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Motown Unreleased: 1966". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Charles Strouse – Charles Sings Strouse". Allmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  16. ↑ Paul Young (May 15, 2013). "16 Actors Who Have Portrayed Superman". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
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.