"Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana (At the Copa)", is a song recorded by Barry Manilow. Written by Manilow, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Sussman, it was released in 1978 as the third and final single from Manilow's fifth studio album, Even Now (1978).
The song was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, when they discussed whether there had ever been a song called "Copacabana". After returning to the US, Manilow – who, in the 1960s, had been a regular visitor to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City – suggested that Sussman and Feldman write the lyrics to a story song for him. They did so, and Manilow supplied the music.[1]
The song's lyrics refer to the Copacabana nightclub, "the hottest spot north of Havana". The story starts in the late 1940s, focusing on Lola, a Copacabana showgirl, and her sweetheart Tony, a bartender at the club. One night, an ostentatiously wealthy man named Rico takes a fancy to Lola, but Tony intervenes when Rico becomes aggressive. The ensuing brawl ends in "blood and a single gunshot"; after it is initially unclear "who shot who[m]", Lola shrieks at the sight of Tony dead. Thirty years later, the club has been transformed into a discotheque (as the real New York Copacabana had been), but a middle-aged Lola remains in her showgirl attire, now a customer at the bar who "drinks herself half blind" lamenting the loss of her youth, her sanity and Tony.[2]
Release and reception
"Copacabana" debuted on Billboard magazine's Top 40 chart on July 7, 1978, and peaked at number 8. It has also reached the Top 10 in Belgium, Canada, France and the Netherlands. Internationally, the song is Manilow's third-greatest hit.[3] The track was his first gold single for a song he wrote or co-wrote.[4] Additionally, the song earned Manilow his first and only Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in February 1979.[5]
Cash Box said that "a Latin beat, congas and added percussion, strings and horns make it unusual."[6]
In 1985, Manilow and his collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman expanded the song into a full–length, made-for-television musical, also called Copacabana, writing many additional songs and expanding the plot suggested by the song.
This film version was then further expanded by Manilow, Feldman, and Sussman into a full-length, two-act stage musical, again titled Copacabana, which ran at the Prince of Wales Theatre on London's West End for two years prior to a lengthy tour of the UK. An American production was later mounted that toured the US for over a year. Over 200 productions of the show have since been mounted worldwide.
James Last recorded "Copacabana" for his 1979 album Copacabana – Happy Dancing.[32]
Shirley Bassey released her cover of "Copacabana" on the side B of her 1979 single "This Is My Life". She also performed it on television in The Shirley Bassey Show with elaborate costumes and choreography in 1979.[33]
The Vandals recorded a parody of "Copacabana" called "The Dachau Cabana" in 1985.[34]
Amanda Lear recorded a cover of "Copacabana" in 2005 and released it as a single through Dance Street and ZYX Music.[35] It was later included on her 2005 compilation Forever Glam!, albeit in a longer version.
^"When Men Were Men And Sheep Were Scared". www.discogs.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
^"Amazon.com: Copacabana: Amanda Lear: Music". www.amazon.com. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
^. www.popcrunch.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
January 09, 2023
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Copacabana also known as Copacabana At the Copa is a song recorded by Barry Manilow Written by Manilow Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman it was released in 1978 as the third and final single from Manilow s fifth studio album Even Now 1978 Copacabana At the Copa Single by Barry Manilowfrom the album Even NowB side A Linda Song ReleasedJune 1978 U S 1993 UK Australia Recorded1978GenreDisco tropicalLength5 45 album version 3 57 radio edit LabelAristaSongwriter s Barry Manilow Jack Feldman Bruce SussmanProducer s Barry Manilow Ron DanteBarry Manilow singles chronology Even Now 1978 Copacabana At the Copa 00000001 Ready to Take a Chance Again 1979 Audio Copacabana on YouTube Copacabana radio edit on YouTube Contents 1 Background 2 Release and reception 3 Television film and musical 4 Charts 4 1 Weekly charts 4 2 Year end charts 5 Certifications 6 Cover versions 7 ReferencesBackground EditThe song was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro when they discussed whether there had ever been a song called Copacabana After returning to the US Manilow who in the 1960s had been a regular visitor to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City suggested that Sussman and Feldman write the lyrics to a story song for him They did so and Manilow supplied the music 1 The song s lyrics refer to the Copacabana nightclub the hottest spot north of Havana The story starts in the late 1940s focusing on Lola a Copacabana showgirl and her sweetheart Tony a bartender at the club One night an ostentatiously wealthy man named Rico takes a fancy to Lola but Tony intervenes when Rico becomes aggressive The ensuing brawl ends in blood and a single gunshot after it is initially unclear who shot who m Lola shrieks at the sight of Tony dead Thirty years later the club has been transformed into a discotheque as the real New York Copacabana had been but a middle aged Lola remains in her showgirl attire now a customer at the bar who drinks herself half blind lamenting the loss of her youth her sanity and Tony 2 Release and reception Edit Copacabana debuted on Billboard magazine s Top 40 chart on July 7 1978 and peaked at number 8 It has also reached the Top 10 in Belgium Canada France and the Netherlands Internationally the song is Manilow s third greatest hit 3 The track was his first gold single for a song he wrote or co wrote 4 Additionally the song earned Manilow his first and only Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in February 1979 5 Cash Box said that a Latin beat congas and added percussion strings and horns make it unusual 6 Television film and musical EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message In 1985 Manilow and his collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman expanded the song into a full length made for television musical also called Copacabana writing many additional songs and expanding the plot suggested by the song This film version was then further expanded by Manilow Feldman and Sussman into a full length two act stage musical again titled Copacabana which ran at the Prince of Wales Theatre on London s West End for two years prior to a lengthy tour of the UK An American production was later mounted that toured the US for over a year Over 200 productions of the show have since been mounted worldwide Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1978 79 PeakpositionBelgium 7 5Canada RPM 100 Singles 8 7Canada Adult Contemporary 9 3Canada Dance Urban 10 2France 11 2Germany 12 23Netherlands Dutch Top 40 13 6Netherlands Single Top 100 14 7New Zealand 15 37US Billboard Hot 100 16 8US Adult Contemporary 17 6US Dance Club Songs 18 15Chart 1993 94 PeakpositionAustralia KMR 19 92Ireland IRMA 20 21UK OCC 21 22 Year end charts Edit Chart 1978 RankAustralia Kent Music Report 22 76Belgium 23 51Canada RPM 24 52Netherlands 25 92US Billboard Hot 100 26 74US Cash Box Top 100 27 82Certifications EditRegion Certification Certified units salesUnited Kingdom BPI 28 Silver 200 000 United States RIAA 29 Gold 1 000 000 Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Cover versions EditLiza Minnelli performed Copacabana on a 1979 episode of the American syndicated television program The Muppet Show 30 31 James Last recorded Copacabana for his 1979 album Copacabana Happy Dancing 32 Shirley Bassey released her cover of Copacabana on the side B of her 1979 single This Is My Life She also performed it on television in The Shirley Bassey Show with elaborate costumes and choreography in 1979 33 The Vandals recorded a parody of Copacabana called The Dachau Cabana in 1985 34 Amanda Lear recorded a cover of Copacabana in 2005 and released it as a single through Dance Street and ZYX Music 35 It was later included on her 2005 compilation Forever Glam albeit in a longer version Kylie Minogue performed the song on her 2008 KylieX2008 tour 36 References Edit Podell Raber Mickey Pignone Charles 2009 The Copa Jules Podell and the Hottest Club North of Havana HarperCollins p 199 ISBN 9780061740886 Top 40 Hits 1950 1989 ntl matrix com br Archived from the original on January 27 2019 Retrieved July 3 2014 Song artist 244 Barry Manilow tsort info Copacabana At The Copa by Barry Manilow Songfacts www songfacts com Retrieved March 3 2009 Barry Manilow Artist www grammy com Retrieved May 25 2018 CashBox Singles Reviews PDF Cash Box June 10 1978 p 21 Retrieved January 1 2022 Barry Manilow Copacabana At The Copa in Dutch www ultratop be Retrieved May 17 2018 Image RPM Weekly www bac lac gc ca July 17 2013 Retrieved January 3 2016 RPM Adult Oriented Playlist PDF www collectionscanada gc ca Retrieved May 20 2018 Item 7471 Library and Archives Canada www bac lac gc ca July 17 2013 Retrieved January 3 2016 InfoDisc Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commencant par M in French infodisc fr Retrieved May 20 2018 Offizielle Deutsche Charts in German www offiziellecharts de Retrieved May 17 2018 Barry Manilow Top 40 artiesten in Dutch www top40 nl Retrieved May 20 2018 Discografie Barry Manilow in Dutch dutchcharts nl Retrieved May 17 2018 NZ Top 40 Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart nztop40 co nz Retrieved January 3 2016 Barry Manilow Chart History Billboard www billboard com Retrieved May 20 2018 Adult Contemporary Music Chart Billboard Billboard Retrieved January 3 2016 Barry Manilow Chart History Billboard www billboard com Retrieved May 20 2018 The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart Week Ending 05 Jun 1994 ARIA Retrieved March 6 2016 The Irish Charts Search Results Copacabana Irish Singles Chart Retrieved June 22 2017 BARRY MANILOW full Official Chart History Official Charts Company www officialcharts com Retrieved March 6 2016 Kent Music Report No 236 1 January 1979 gt National Top 100 Singles for 1978 Kent Music Report Retrieved January 8 2022 via Imgur com ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS in Dutch www ultratop be Retrieved May 20 2018 Item 110 www bac lac gc ca Retrieved January 3 2016 JAAROVERZICHTEN SINGLE 1978 in Dutch dutchcharts nl Retrieved May 20 2018 Top 100 Hits of 1978 Top 100 Songs of 1978 www musicoutfitters com Retrieved January 3 2016 Cash Box YE Pop Singles 1978 Archived from the original on October 27 2012 Retrieved November 3 2015 British single certifications Barry Manilow Copacabana British Phonographic Industry Retrieved March 15 2021 American single certifications Barry Manilow Copacabana Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved March 15 2021 10 most iconic guests on The Muppet Show The Independent February 22 2021 Retrieved September 18 2021 7 30 1979 Liza Minnelli MS Jim Henson s Red Book July 30 2012 Retrieved September 18 2021 James Last Copacabana Happy Dancing in German hitparade ch Retrieved May 20 2018 The Shirley Bassey Show at IMDb When Men Were Men And Sheep Were Scared www discogs com Retrieved October 19 2011 Amazon com Copacabana Amanda Lear Music www amazon com Retrieved May 7 2011 Kylie Minogue Copacabana Cover Release www popcrunch com Archived from the original on March 25 2012 Retrieved May 7 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Copacabana song amp oldid 1132282272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
