Washington Square (song)
Encyclopedia
"Washington Square" is the title of a popular instrumental
from 1963
by the New York City
-based jazz
group The Village Stompers
.
Named after the famous park in New York City, "Washington Square" became a hit single
in November 1963, when it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. The song was kept from the summit by Dale and Grace's hit song "I'm Leaving It Up to You
". It did, however, top the Billboard Easy Listening chart for three weeks that November and made the top 30 on the Billboard R&B chart
. In addition, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award
in the category Best Instrumental Theme
.
Other artists have recorded the song, sometimes as a vocal track. Among these acts are The Ames Brothers (their last national chart record), the Kirby Stone Four
, Percy Faith
, Lawrence Welk
, Kenny Ball
, Spike Jones
, James Last
, Andre Kostelanetz
, Kai Winding
, The Ventures
, and The Dukes of Dixieland.
"Washington Square" shares the same metre as many popular hymns, known as 86.86D or CMD [Common Metre doubled]. In the 1970s, some churches were singing hymns such as "The Lord Is My Shepherd
" and "Amazing Grace
" to the tune.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
from 1963
1963 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....
by the 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...
-based jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
group The Village Stompers
The Village Stompers
The Village Stompers was a U.S. dixieland music group with the hit "Washington Square" in 1963. The band was known for its instrumental pieces....
.
Named after the famous park in New York City, "Washington Square" became a hit 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...
in November 1963, when it peaked at number two 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...
chart. The song was kept from the summit by Dale and Grace's hit song "I'm Leaving It Up to You
I'm Leaving It Up to You
"I'm Leaving It All Up to You" is a song first put out by the Don & Dewey duo in 1957 andwritten by Dewey Terry and Donald Harris, the members of that duo. It was popularized by Dale and Grace, becoming a number-one hit for the duo in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in late...
". It did, however, top the Billboard Easy Listening chart for three weeks that November and made the top 30 on the Billboard R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. In addition, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category Best Instrumental Theme
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition
The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of the music.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
.
Other artists have recorded the song, sometimes as a vocal track. Among these acts are The Ames Brothers (their last national chart record), the Kirby Stone Four
Kirby Stone Four
The Kirby Stone Four were an American vocal ensemble popular in the 1950s and early 1960s.Kirby Stone founded the group in the years after World War II and began playing clubs in the New York area. They won slots on local television, including The Ed Sullivan Show, and soon after signed to Columbia...
, Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
, Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
, Kenny Ball
Kenny Ball
Kenny Ball is an English jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.-Career:...
, Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
, James Last
James Last
James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
, Andre Kostelanetz
Andre Kostelanetz
André Kostelanetz was a popular orchestral music conductor and arranger, one of the pioneers of easy listening music.-Biography:...
, Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Kai Chresten Winding was a popular Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.-Biography:...
, The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, and The Dukes of Dixieland.
"Washington Square" shares the same metre as many popular hymns, known as 86.86D or CMD [Common Metre doubled]. In the 1970s, some churches were singing hymns such as "The Lord Is My Shepherd
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
" and "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
" to the tune.