"Where Everybody Knows Your Name", also credited as "Theme from Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)", is the theme song from the television sitcomCheers, as well as the debut single for Gary Portnoy. The song was written by Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo, and performed by Portnoy in 1982. Shortly after the premiere of Cheers, Portnoy went back into the studio to record a longer version of the song that made the U.S. and British pop charts.
"Where Everybody Knows Your Name"
Sleeve for one of US single releases. The release's other side displays only a greyscale variant of Cheers title card.
The full-length version was made available on Portnoy's 2004 album Keeper. In January 2013, Argentum Records released a five-song EP entitled Cheers: Music from the TV Series which also includes Portnoy's original demo version, as well as several earlier attempts by Portnoy and Angelo at composing the theme.
By 1981, New York songwriter Gary Portnoy had already written songs for Air Supply ("I'll Never Get Enough of You") and Dolly Parton ("Say Goodnight"). One night in the summer of that same year, his friend Judy Hart happened to be seated next to a Broadway producer at dinner. Upon finding out that Hart was working for a music publisher, he asked her if she could recommend someone to compose the score for a new musical he was producing. On a whim, Hart, who had never written a song, approached Portnoy, who had never written for the theater. Together they set out to compose the words and music for the musical named Preppies.[1]
In the spring of 1982, Judy, now using her full married name of Judy Hart Angelo, sent a tape of Preppies' opening number "People Like Us" to a friend in California, who then passed it on to television producers Glen and Les Charles. Upon hearing it they each felt that with a lyric re-write "People Like Us" would be the perfect theme song for their upcoming NBC sitcom, Cheers. Upon learning that "People Like Us" was legally bound to the musical Preppies, the Charles Brothers asked Portnoy and Hart Angelo to take a shot at composing a theme specifically for Cheers. The song that resulted, "My Kind of People", was somewhat of a reworked version of "People Like Us". It was subsequently rejected.
Portnoy and Hart Angelo then wrote and submitted two more potential themes for Cheers. One of them, entitled "Another Day", contained a lyric line "There are times when it's fun to take the long way home" that greatly appealed to the Charles brothers. But overall, the song missed the mark and was passed over. The fourth song began with a catchy intro followed by simple alternating chords on a piano. The opening verse lines, both musically and lyrically, were something of a lament. The verse then transitioned into a soaring refrain that seemed to capture the essence of why people might want to go to a place like "Cheers"—a place "Where Everybody Knows Your Name". The two songwriters recorded a simple piano/voice demo of the new song for the Cheers producers. Upon hearing it, the Charles Brothers gave it their stamp of approval, and once Portnoy and Hart Angelo had complied with a request for a few lyric changes intended to broaden the song's appeal to a more general audience, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" was officially designated the "Theme from Cheers". The original opening verse,
After several months of mulling over possible outside singers, the producers eventually asked Gary Portnoy to record the vocal for the opening credits of their new series. (The chorus of the song is six of Portnoy’s vocals that he recorded one on top of the other to create the "group sound" of the hook.) It was also decided to maintain the simple feel of the New York demo in the TV version by keeping the number of instruments to a minimum. The finalized version of the Cheers theme song was recorded on August 13, 1982 at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, California.[2]
Accolades
The song received an Emmy Award nomination in 1983 for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics.[3] In a 2011 Readers Poll in Rolling Stone magazine, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" was voted the best television theme of all time. In 2013, the editors of TV Guide magazine named "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" the greatest TV theme of all time.[4]
^"Gary Portnoy Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 190.
March 15, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Where Everybody Knows Your Name news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Where Everybody Knows Your Name also credited as Theme from Cheers Where Everybody Knows Your Name is the theme song from the television sitcom Cheers as well as the debut single for Gary Portnoy The song was written by Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo and performed by Portnoy in 1982 Shortly after the premiere of Cheers Portnoy went back into the studio to record a longer version of the song that made the U S and British pop charts Where Everybody Knows Your Name Sleeve for one of US single releases The release s other side displays only a greyscale variant of Cheers title card Single by Gary Portnoyfrom the album Music from CheersReleased1983RecordedAugust 13 1982GenrePopLength2 28LabelApplauseSongwriter s Gary Portnoy Judy Hart AngeloProducer s Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart AngeloGary Portnoy singles chronology Where Everybody Knows Your Name 1983 Theme from Punky Brewster Every Time I Turn Around 1984 The full length version was made available on Portnoy s 2004 album Keeper In January 2013 Argentum Records released a five song EP entitled Cheers Music from the TV Series which also includes Portnoy s original demo version as well as several earlier attempts by Portnoy and Angelo at composing the theme Contents 1 History 2 Accolades 3 Chart history 4 ReferencesHistory EditBy 1981 New York songwriter Gary Portnoy had already written songs for Air Supply I ll Never Get Enough of You and Dolly Parton Say Goodnight One night in the summer of that same year his friend Judy Hart happened to be seated next to a Broadway producer at dinner Upon finding out that Hart was working for a music publisher he asked her if she could recommend someone to compose the score for a new musical he was producing On a whim Hart who had never written a song approached Portnoy who had never written for the theater Together they set out to compose the words and music for the musical named Preppies 1 In the spring of 1982 Judy now using her full married name of Judy Hart Angelo sent a tape of Preppies opening number People Like Us to a friend in California who then passed it on to television producers Glen and Les Charles Upon hearing it they each felt that with a lyric re write People Like Us would be the perfect theme song for their upcoming NBC sitcom Cheers Upon learning that People Like Us was legally bound to the musical Preppies the Charles Brothers asked Portnoy and Hart Angelo to take a shot at composing a theme specifically for Cheers The song that resulted My Kind of People was somewhat of a reworked version of People Like Us It was subsequently rejected Portnoy and Hart Angelo then wrote and submitted two more potential themes for Cheers One of them entitled Another Day contained a lyric line There are times when it s fun to take the long way home that greatly appealed to the Charles brothers But overall the song missed the mark and was passed over The fourth song began with a catchy intro followed by simple alternating chords on a piano The opening verse lines both musically and lyrically were something of a lament The verse then transitioned into a soaring refrain that seemed to capture the essence of why people might want to go to a place like Cheers a place Where Everybody Knows Your Name The two songwriters recorded a simple piano voice demo of the new song for the Cheers producers Upon hearing it the Charles Brothers gave it their stamp of approval and once Portnoy and Hart Angelo had complied with a request for a few lyric changes intended to broaden the song s appeal to a more general audience Where Everybody Knows Your Name was officially designated the Theme from Cheers The original opening verse Singin the blues when the Red Sox lose it s a crisis in your life On the run cause all your girlfriends wanna be your wife And the laundry ticket s in the wash was changed to Makin your way in the world today takes everything you ve got Takin a break from all your worries sure would help a lot Wouldn t you like to get away 1 After several months of mulling over possible outside singers the producers eventually asked Gary Portnoy to record the vocal for the opening credits of their new series The chorus of the song is six of Portnoy s vocals that he recorded one on top of the other to create the group sound of the hook It was also decided to maintain the simple feel of the New York demo in the TV version by keeping the number of instruments to a minimum The finalized version of the Cheers theme song was recorded on August 13 1982 at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles California 2 Accolades EditThe song received an Emmy Award nomination in 1983 for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics 3 In a 2011 Readers Poll in Rolling Stone magazine Where Everybody Knows Your Name was voted the best television theme of all time In 2013 the editors of TV Guide magazine named Where Everybody Knows Your Name the greatest TV theme of all time 4 Chart history EditChart 1983 84 PeakpositionUK Singles OCC 5 58US Billboard Hot 100 6 83US Adult Contemporary Billboard 7 28References Edit a b Gary Portnoy com Gary Portnoy com Retrieved 2013 08 10 Nemetz Dave April 3 2013 How Gary Portnoy Made Cheers the Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name yahoo com Yahoo TV Primetime Emmy Awards Date September 18 1983 IMDb com Retrieved 2013 08 10 Wagmeister Elizabeth April 16 2013 Supreme Themes The 60 Greatest Title Songs of All Time TV Guide Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Gary Portnoy Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Whitburn Joel 1993 Top Adult Contemporary 1961 1993 Record Research p 190 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Where Everybody Knows Your Name amp oldid 1143662872, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
