Billy wrote this song in less than an hour. It came to him on a greyhound bus going up the hudson river line. He ran into the house and put it down on paper. One of his idols is Ray Charles and he was thinking of Ray’s singing when he wrote it. He actually named his daughter, Alexa Ray, after Ray Charles. Ray was very moved by the gesture and asked Billy to write a song for them to sing as a duet. Billy wrote “Baby Grand” and he and Ray recorded it.
This performance was from 1978 and when Phil Ramone produced the first of many of Billy's albums, The Stranger the year before, he used the late jazz great Phil Woods to play the sax part on Just the Way You Are, with Richie having previously played saxophones on the Turnstiles album from 1976, where this song comes from. If you pardon the pun here, I think perhaps Richie has a sax to grind.
Billy's father was a classically-trained pianist, though he left the family in New York early in Billy's childhood to return to Europe. Billy received classical piano training from the age of four, which he did not appreciate at first. Later, he grew excited about the music of the times: old-style early rock & roll, blues, jazz, etc. He especially liked Ray Charles, himself no respecter of musical genre boundaries; you'll notice, if you look at Billy's catalog, he rolls into quite a number of different musical genres. Billy was thrilled to write "Baby Grand" for Ray Charles and to have the opportunity to record it with him. Yes, Billy's daughter Alexa's middle name 'Ray' is in honor of Ray Charles. Ray Charles presided over Billy Joel's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Billy is New York! Great pick; he's one of the greatest and that's a cliche, but true in his case, The real deal; he's a shaper of our culture in the best possible sense. We can all be proud of Billy Joel.
No better Songwriter and Composer! Next must are: The Stranger Scenes from an Italian Restaurant He’s lyrics are so amazing, always have lyrics pulled-up and Always watch live.
Hey, The old grey whistle test was a uk tv music programme, there were lots of good stuff on there, I'd say people that truly appreciated music would watch it, you should probably check out more 😊 loving your channel ❤
Billy grew up in Hicksville, Long Island NY. I grew up in Levittown right next to Hicksville. He had a tragic youth... and we all came him as one of ours! Haven met a Long Islander that doesn't ❤❤❤ him! His reference to China Town and Riverside is in Manhattan aka NYC. If you grow up on Long Island or the 5 Boroughs of NY City no matter where you end up... you'll FOREVER be in "A New York state if mind!! I Consider my self a Long Islander stuck in a New Jersey world.😉
Billy is beloved in New York 💓 He is influenced by Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Fab Four🇬🇧, he likes classical piano & brass. This song has been in movies that take place in NYC 🌃🗽 sitting in a dark, smoky club listening to the piano man 💥
Nothing better in a song then a saxophone! That is Richie Cannata btw!... Also Joel's influences were Ray Charles, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix he was also influenced by Classical music!..
so glad I came across your cover? I'm 78 now and so wonderful to be able to visit and find others that have similar interests, likes and pleasures, And I have "hit the nail on the head" as my parents and others used to say when they found something great, or what they were searching for. I would say you appreciate quality pleasures with intelligence and feeling, yes, I'll be keeping an eye open on your travels on line..
Check out “Prelude/Angry Young Man” from Billy Joel Live from Long Island in 1982. Any song from that performance would be worth your while. All the more stunning that he manages to play the piano so masterfully while his thumb is still bandaged from having been crushed in a motorcycle accident earlier that year.
He's channelling his inner Ray Charles influence in this song. Billy Joel grew up in N.Y. and this song is all about that. The Hudson River line bus goes to up state N.Y. from N.Y.C.. He mentions Chinatown in N.Y.C...in lower Manhattan. (downtown) This live performance is much better than the recorded version. More free and open with his style.
Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it; the sound and lyrics embody NYC 🗽🗽🗽 Grew up in the Bronx and Brooklyn, and it never, ever leaves you. Next Billy Joel songs: "Miami 2017 (Seen the lights go out on Broadway)", "Big Shot" "The Stranger" ❤. Another great reaction!
Whistle Test was a British TV pop music show. Billy grew up on Long Island, NY. He is a huge fan of Ray Charles- do you hear it? He and Ray have a fabulous duet together- Baby Grand.
He started out in dive bars! Lol. I think it's what helped him write... piano man! He knew the atmosphere ....he knew the people... no matter which bar your in....you're going to have the same type of characters over and over again. I've seen it throughout the years... whether I was bartending or waiting tables.
Goodnight Saigon is about the Vietnam war. He had veterans come out and sing the chorus at every concert. So powerful! You'd enjoy it! Also been asking since your first live... Skid Row...Wasted Time. 😊
Like all band musicians, they come and go. I'm not sure how many of his band members today have been with him from the beginning, if any, but his band has always been so excellent! And Billy knows that. I read that during Covid lockdown he continued to pay all of his band because he wanted them there and ready when Covid eased up and he could go back to performing. That's a class act!
Billy pulls out all of his inner Ray Charles vibe for this fabulous song. I’m a Philly guy so it’s hard for me to get behind New York (it’s a sports thing) but this song almost makes me want to switch over. ALMOST!
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 Great reaction 👏👏👏 Another great song that you gonna enjoy is by "ST-PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES " The live studio version is 🎵 Grass is Greener 🎵 Keep the good work my friend ✌️ 👏 👍🏻
I love this song. But like you it’s the first time I’ve heard this. And I was a great fan of old grey whistle test. He never ceases to amaze me. Great review watched quite a few of yours lately and have enjoyed all them. Keep it up❤
The Old Grey Whistle Test, rather than grey old. It was a long-running, about 30 years, music show that was on the BBC here in the UK. From Wiki: According to presenter Bob Harris, the programme derived its name from a Tin Pan Alley phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys - doormen in grey suits. Any song the doormen could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.
Cold Spring Harbor was Billy's 1st album. The studio sped up the sound to make his voice higher. he left. Clive Owen resolved the issue but did not want to use his band. then Phil Ramone did The Stranger one of the greatest albums
Not trying to be dick here, but I think that you mean Clive Davis from Columbia Records. I only say that, as I am from London in the UK and Clive Owen is a British actor.
I saw an interview once where Billy expressed that this was a kinda respect to Ray Charles who was a big influence in his early music. If you close your eyes you can here the Ray influence in his delivery.
I love that lyric bit, "I don't have any reasons. I've left them all behind". To me that says I don't have to explain anything or justify anything to anyone.
Billy obviously dealt with demons earlier on. Listen to " captain jack". But came up obviously into doo wop and other great musicians and vocalists. I always have listened to everything he has done. Admire that when the Big label took notice and said we want to sign you and put with all the top studio musicians. He said " the whole band is the best and have ridden in vans and played dive bars for years stuck wt me believed sign us all or screw you!
Would super recommend watching his episode of Inside the Actors Studio, which as of this date is still available on RU-vid in it's full length. He talks a bit about his influences and also talks a lot about music theory. He's very funny but also incredibly informative and a great teacher, talking through the different parts of his songs. Truly love his work :)
Billy has a lot of different sounds and types of music. He writes his own music and lyrics. He got his start in piano bars. That's how he came up with Piano man. All the people in the song are real. Check out that song, You may be right, Uptown girl and River of dreams
Among his earliest influences, Joel cites Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy, along with the great American composers, Copeland, Gershwin and Ellington. His more contemporary influences include Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
You should actually watch his videos when he is older. He is even better. He did concerns with Elton John. I think I saw a video with him and Ray Charles playing and singing.
I'm pretty sure Ray Charles was one of his influences--too many similarities to ignore. As long as you're doing musicians from that era, you should check out Van Morrison, who was also heavily influenced by jazz: "Tupelo Honey" (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3DbTIKHYwog.html) --probably his most well-known song. "And It Stoned Me" (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AYqJtqyeilE.html) --the reference to "Jelly Roll" in the song is about Jelly Roll Morton, one of Van Morrison's jazz influences. "Cyprus Avenue" (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dlMjmXb69NI.html) --off of one of his earliest albums, my personal favorite among a huge catalogue of great songs.
I find constant interruption annoying. Perhaps rwo or three brief comments, you know? That's what I have seen those who do that seem to stick around. People who watch reaction videos are really into music, they want to hear comments, absolutely, two or three are good...just not constant pauses.
I think you'd really appreciate Billy Joel and Elton John playing together. They're pretty magical. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WLMWGJ6I-mo.html
