Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Encyclopedia
"Arthur's Theme" is a song performed by Christopher Cross
, which was the theme to the 1981 film
Arthur starring Dudley Moore
and Liza Minnelli
. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
in the US and on the VG-lista
chart in Norway.
composer
Burt Bacharach
, and his frequent writing partner Carole Bayer Sager
. A fourth writing credit went to Minnelli's ex-husband and Australia
n songwriter
Peter Allen
, also a frequent collaborator with Bayer Sager. The line "When you get caught between the moon and New York City
" from the chorus is taken from an unreleased song they had previously written together.
The song won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Original Song
, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
. The award was presented by singer Bette Midler
, who, in her presentation of the nominated songs, called the song " 'That Song About the Moon and New York City,' also known as 'Four on a Song,' " referring to the four songwriters.
In Japan
, the song is known as ニューヨーク・シティ・セレナーデ or "New York City Serenade" and has enjoyed popularity over the years. Cross performed the song with J-pop
band SMAP
in 2004. The song was featured in a video that played in Shibuya Crossing (the world's busiest scramble crossing) in 2007.
It is No. 79 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
.
consisted of two acts, which are edited together in fade outs. Christopher Cross in One offers the song with some studio musicians in a recording studio and is in the Other is the story of the song illustrates.
Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
, which was the theme to the 1981 film
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
Arthur starring Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
and Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the US and on the VG-lista
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
chart in Norway.
Background
The song was written in collaboration between Cross, pop musicPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, and his frequent writing partner Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
. A fourth writing credit went to Minnelli's ex-husband and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
, also a frequent collaborator with Bayer Sager. The line "When you get caught between the moon and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
" from the chorus is taken from an unreleased song they had previously written together.
The song won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
. The award was presented by singer Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, who, in her presentation of the nominated songs, called the song " 'That Song About the Moon and New York City,' also known as 'Four on a Song,' " referring to the four songwriters.
In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the song is known as ニューヨーク・シティ・セレナーデ or "New York City Serenade" and has enjoyed popularity over the years. Cross performed the song with J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
band SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
in 2004. The song was featured in a video that played in Shibuya Crossing (the world's busiest scramble crossing) in 2007.
It is No. 79 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
Part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs is a list of the top 100 songs in American cinema. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute June 22, 2004 in a CBS special hosted by John Travolta, who appeared in two films honored by the list, Saturday Night Fever and...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
consisted of two acts, which are edited together in fade outs. Christopher Cross in One offers the song with some studio musicians in a recording studio and is in the Other is the story of the song illustrates.
Notable cover recordings
- Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
- The Chipmunks Go HollywoodThe Chipmunks Go HollywoodThe Chipmunks Go Hollywood is a 1982 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by RCA Records.- Side one :#"Eye of the Tiger" #"Tomorrow"...
(1982) - Peter AllenPeter AllenPeter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
- Live at Carnegie Hall (1985) - Alan SilvestriAlan SilvestriAlan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
- American Anthem (1986) - Roger WilliamsRoger Williams (pianist)Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
- Ivory Impact (1987) - Cincinnati Pops OrchestraCincinnati Pops OrchestraThe Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same administration...
- Movie Love Themes (1991) - Fausto PapettiFausto PapettiFausto Papetti was an Italian alto saxophone player.He was born at Viggiù in Lombardy.His performance of the song "Love's Theme" was featured on the breakbeat compilation "Ultimate Breaks and Beats".Papetti became well known for all the 1960s and 1970s, and all his new album reaches the top of...
- Ecos de Hollywood (1991) - London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
- Screen Classics, Vol.7 (1994) - Shirley BasseyShirley BasseyDame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
- Sings the MoviesSings the MoviesSings the Movies is a studio album from Shirley Bassey released in 1995.In 1995 Shirley Bassey signed a deal with the PolyGram TV label, she recorded and released two albums with the label. The first was a themed album of movie songs...
(1995) - Ornella VanoniOrnella VanoniOrnella Vanoni, OMRI is one of the most credited pop singers of Italy. She is known for her sophisticated pop style.-Artistic career:...
- Sogni Proibiti (2002) - Paris MatchParis match (band)is a Japanese musical group formed in 1998 by composer/arranger Yosuke Sugiyama and lyricist Tai Furusawa with vocalist Mari Mizuno. They debuted in 2000 with the album volume one...
- Quattro (2003) - Anita DobsonAnita DobsonAnita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
- Magic of Burt Bacharach (2003) - Royal Philharmonic OrchestraRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraThe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
- Plays the Movies (2003) - Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
and Stephanie J. BlockStephanie J. BlockStephanie J. Block is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has additionally been nominated for a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League Award. She released her debut solo album through PS Classics in June 2009...
- The Boy from Oz, the Original Broadway Cast Recording (2003) - Bradley JosephBradley JosephBradley Joseph is an American composer, arranger, and producer of contemporary instrumental music. His compositions include works for orchestra, quartet, and solo piano, while his musical style ranges from "quietly pensive mood music to a rich orchestration of classical depth and breadth".Active...
- For the Love of ItFor The Love Of It (Bradley Joseph album)For the Love of It is the 12th studio album released by Bradley Joseph on the Robbins Island Music label ."Before world tours and recording studios there was a time when Bradley Joseph played piano just 'For The Love Of It'. He grew up listening to, learning, and performing these classic melodies...
(2005) - Thomas AndersThomas AndersThomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...
- Songs ForeverSongs ForeverSongs Forever is the title of the 2006 studio album by German singer-songwriter & producer Thomas Anders, consisting mainly of popular swing covers...
(2006) - Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
- Live (2007) - Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
- Greatest Songs Of The Eighties (2008) - Romina ArenaRomina ArenaRomina Arena is an Italian-American Popera / Operatic pop /Pop Classical Crossover singer songwriter. She was born May 12, 1980 and grew up in Palermo Sicily and now lives in Los Angeles California...
- Arthur's Theme the single (2011) - Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
- Ute LemperUte LemperUte Lemper is a German chanteuse and actress renowned for her interpretation of the work of Kurt Weill.- Biography :Born in Münster, Germany, Ute Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the punk music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16...
- Michael BallMichael Ball (singer)Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
- Ronan KeatingRonan KeatingRonan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
on the album When Ronan Met BurtWhen Ronan Met BurtWhen Ronan Met Burt is the eighth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter and Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating. It was produced and composed by Burt Bacharach.-Background:...
(2011) - Ryuichi KawamuraRyuichi Kawamurais a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor and record producer. He is best known as lead singer of the rock band Luna Sea. After the group disbanded in 2000, Ryuichi went on to a successful solo career. In 2005 he formed Tourbillon with, fellow Luna Sea member, Inoran and Hiroaki Hayama...
- Fitz & the TantrumsFitz & the TantrumsFitz and The Tantrums are an American soul/indie pop band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. Their debut studio album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, released in August 2010, has received critical acclaim and reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. They were heralded as a "band to watch"...
- Recorded for the 2011 remake of ArthurArthur (2011 film)Arthur is a 2011 comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film written and directed by Steve Gordon...
starring Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
and Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
. - Jukebox The GhostJukebox The Ghost-Everything Under the Sun:Jukebox the Ghost's second album was released on September 7, 2010. 'Empire' the first single, was released on June 1, 2010.-External links:* * * * *...
- Ryuichi KawamuraRyuichi Kawamurais a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor and record producer. He is best known as lead singer of the rock band Luna Sea. After the group disbanded in 2000, Ryuichi went on to a successful solo career. In 2005 he formed Tourbillon with, fellow Luna Sea member, Inoran and Hiroaki Hayama...
- The Voice (2011, Japanese languageJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
version)
Other uses
- This song was featured in the musical The Boy from OzThe Boy from OzThe Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Nick Enright. The production had its world premiere, directed by Gale Edwards, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 5 March 1998 and toured Brisbane,...
, about Peter AllenPeter AllenPeter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
, in which Allen and Liza Minelli perform the song as a duet in Act 1. In the Australian version, it was placed in Act 2. - In an episode of Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, Rosario SalazarRosario SalazarRosario Inés Consuelo Yolanda Salazar McFarland is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace. She is played by actress Shelley Morrison...
, a maid, was paid to stop singing after she produced a harmonica and sang the chorus of "Arthur's Theme". - In another episode of Will & Grace, Jack McFarlandJack McFarlandJohn Philip "Jack" McFarland was a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.-Character personality:...
sang "Arthur's Theme" in his show, Just Jack, using propsTheatrical propertyA theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
of cutouts of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the Moon which be placed on either side of his face while singing the famous line in the chorus. - In the episode "Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall" of King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, pre-teen Bobby Hill resorts to singing the song as a lullaby to pacify his newborn uncle, when everybody else has given up trying to quieten the baby. - Tom ServoTom ServoTom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off space madness as Joel was forced to watch...
of Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
sings a verse of this song during a scene from the film Time ChasersTime ChasersTime Chasers is a 1994 science fiction film directed by David Giancola and starring Matthew Bruch, George Woodard, and Bonnie Pritchard. The film follows the adventures of an amateur inventor who goes through time with his female accomplice to stop an evil megacorporation intent on changing...
. - A slightly different audio mix of the song is featured during the opening scenes of the film; especially noticeable is the saxophone solo, which, although apparently from the same recording session, has a different interpretation, rhythm and cadence to the solo on the record.
- In an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
called "Mary Loves Scoochie", it is used to temporarily convince Liam Neesam to give up his evil plan. - In the FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
episode "The One With Ross's New Girlfriend," PhoebePhoebe BuffayPhoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom Friends , portrayed by Lisa Kudrow...
gives MonicaMonica GellerMonica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
a Dudley MooreDudley MooreDudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
haircut, rather than the Demi MooreDemi MooreDemi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
cut she requested. ChandlerChandler BingChandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
mocks her, saying "Things could be worse. You could be caught between the moon and New York City. I know it's crazy, but it's true." - In the SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Millennium," Newman hires Christopher Cross for his New Year's Eve party. When he finds out Elaine will not be attending, Kramer tells him he will be caught between the moon and New York City, while she is looking for someone to kiss.
Charts
| Chart (1981-2) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 13 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 2 |
| French Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Japan Oricon Singles Chart | 17 |
| Japan Oricon International Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 10 |
| Norwegian VG-Lista Singles Chart | 1 |
| South African Singles Chart | 7 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 14 |
| Swiss Music Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
6 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1981 (U.S.)
- List of number-one hits in Norway