The Longest Time
Encyclopedia
"The Longest Time" is a doo-wop
single
by Billy Joel
. The song was released as a single in 1984 as the fourth single from the album An Innocent Man
. It reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100
and number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary
chart. Overseas, the song went to number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart
.
In the summer of 1983, when the album was released, oldies station WCBS-FM
opted to play "The Longest Time" in regular rotation along with the first single "Tell Her About It
". At that time WCBS-FM mixed in some new songs with the oldies. The song got very favorable reviews and the public wanted "The Longest Time" to be the follow-up single. But instead, that fall "Uptown Girl
" was released as the second single. Late in November, "The Longest Time" was again passed over for the title song from the album, "An Innocent Man
". "The Longest Time" was finally released in early 1984.
The song features Joel on lead vocals and all backing vocals. Joel recorded 14 different background tracks which were mixed into the song. The only non-vocal instruments in the song are bass guitar played by Doug Stegmeyer
, hi-hats and finger clicks.
in Brooklyn
.
and The Chipettes
covered the song for "Operation Theodore", a 1984 episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks
.
channel
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
. The song was released as a single in 1984 as the fourth single from the album An Innocent Man
An Innocent Man
An Innocent Man is the ninth album by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel, released in 1983 .This album is Joel's tribute to the music of his childhood...
. It reached number fourteen 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...
and number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. Overseas, the song went to number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
In the summer of 1983, when the album was released, oldies station WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
opted to play "The Longest Time" in regular rotation along with the first single "Tell Her About It
Tell Her About It
"Tell Her About It" is a hit 1983 song performed by Billy Joel, from the hit album An Innocent Man. An apparent homage to the Motown Sound, the song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for one week on September 24, 1983, replacing the Phil Ramone-produced song, "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. The...
". At that time WCBS-FM mixed in some new songs with the oldies. The song got very favorable reviews and the public wanted "The Longest Time" to be the follow-up single. But instead, that fall "Uptown Girl
Uptown Girl
"Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by musician Billy Joel, first released in 1983 on his album An Innocent Man. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl." The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts in the US, and #1 in the UK,...
" was released as the second single. Late in November, "The Longest Time" was again passed over for the title song from the album, "An Innocent Man
An Innocent Man (song)
"An Innocent Man" is a 1983 song performed by Billy Joel and the third single from his album An Innocent Man.The song, whose musical style is an homage to Ben E. King and The Drifters, reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the third consecutive top 10 single from the album...
". "The Longest Time" was finally released in early 1984.
The song features Joel on lead vocals and all backing vocals. Joel recorded 14 different background tracks which were mixed into the song. The only non-vocal instruments in the song are bass guitar played by Doug Stegmeyer
Doug Stegmeyer
Doug Stegmeyer was a musician best known as the bassist for Billy Joel.-Career:Doug Stegmeyer met Russell Javors in high school. At age 15, Javors was performing songs with childhood friend Liberty DeVitto. From then, the boys, along with Howard Emerson, formed the band Topper.Together they...
, hi-hats and finger clicks.
Music video
The music video starts with a man (played by Joel) in a gym after his 25th high school reunion party. Looking around at posters of several class awards, he breaks into song as his band, apparently portrayed as his high school friends, enters the gym. As they sing, they alternate between their high school and current selves. The video was entirely filmed at Pratt InstitutePratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 15 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
36 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
18 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
25 |
| US 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... |
14 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
1 |
Cover version
Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin 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;...
and The Chipettes
The Chipettes
The Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
covered the song for "Operation Theodore", a 1984 episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
.
- 1991: Eric MillerEric Miller (musician)Eric Miller is an American house music DJ, record producer and remixer. As E-Smoove he worked for a number of years with Steve "Silk" Hurley and Maurice Joshua, before he hit the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1998 with "Deja Vu," which climbed to #16. The song reached #63 in the UK...
- 1997: ZhaneZhaneZhané was an American R&B/hip hop soul duo, best known for their 1994 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached #6 in the U.S. Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" and minor hit "Sending My Love," both released in 1994...
- 2003: Das EFXDas EFXDas EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
(Diddy Das) - 2004: Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
(live version) - 2011: The OvertonesThe OvertonesThe Overtones are a five-piece British-Irish doo-wop boy band from London, formed in 2010. They were discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout while working as decorators in a shop near Oxford Street, singing during their tea break. Their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love entered the UK...
External links
/ ⒞1984 Sony BMG channel / ⒞1984 VEVOVevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
channel