"Steam Heat" is a

show tune A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. ...

from the

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his c ...

'', written by

Richard Adler Richard Adler (August 3, 1921 – June 21, 2012) was an American lyricist, writer, composer and producer of several Broadway shows. Life and career Adler was born in New York City, the son of Elsa Adrienne (née Richard) and Clarence Adler. His ...

and Jerry Ross. "Steam Heat" was one of four songs which Adler and Ross wrote ("within two days, I think" - Adler) and submitted to

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

in hopes of being hired to score the stage musical Abbott was developing, which would become ''The Pajama Game''. Rather than complementing the musical's storyline of a

labor dispute A labor dispute is a disagreement between an employer and employees regarding the terms of employment. This could include disputes regarding conditions of employment, fringe benefits, hours of work, tenure, and wages to be negotiated during ...

at a

garment factory Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

, "Steam Heat" manifests as an overt staged number being a song-and-dance number featured as the "entertainment portion" of a

union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sports ...

with the factory boss' s secretary Gladys as lead performer.

Carol Haney Carol Haney (born Carolyn Haney; December 24, 1924 – May 10, 1964) was an American dancer and actress. After assisting Gene Kelly in choreographing films, Haney won a Tony Award for her role in Broadway's ''The Pajama Game'', while later w ...

originated the role of Gladys and she sang and danced the "Steam Heat" number in the original production of ''The Pajama Game'' with the accompaniment of

Peter Gennaro Peter Gennaro (November 23, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was an American dancer and choreographer. Biography Gennaro was born in Metairie, Louisiana. He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of ''Make Mine Manhattan'' in 1948. He followed t ...

and

Buzz Miller Vernal "Buzz" Miller (December 23, 1923 – February 23, 1999) was an American dancer who was equally at home on Broadway and in contemporary ballet and modern dance. Early life and Training Vernal Miller, known from boyhood as Buzz, was born ...

History

The "Steam Heat" number in ''The Pajama Game'' would make stage musical history by introducing the signature style of

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

. George Abbott had asked Fosse to stage "Steam Heat" in a manner appropriate to the amateur entertainment it was supposed to be, with Abbott specifically stating: "Do something small". When the "Steam Heat" number, featuring Fosse's minimalist but riveting dance moves, prefigured its Broadway reception by stopping the show during ''The Pajama Games out-of-town tryout in

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, Abbott - discomfited by the disruption to the play's flow - moved to cut the number: however Abbott's partner

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

successfully lobbied for its retention. The "Steam Heat" number would be recreated for the 1957 film version of ''

'' in which Haney would perform "Steam Heat" accompanied by Buzz Miller and Kenneth LeRoy. Haney, who would die in 1964 at age 39, had severe health problems during the film's shoot being hospitalized at one point and according to Harvey Evans, a dancer in the film: "When you watch 'Steam Heat'

n the film N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

you can see that hysicallyshe's not really up to par". In the national tour of the original Broadway production of ''The Pajama Game''

Barbara Bostock Barbara Bostock (born December 19, 1935) is a retired American actress. She was sometimes credited as Barbara Lawson. Early years Bostock was born in Palm Beach, Florida as an only child to George Bostock, a shoemaker, who came to Florida from G ...

would perform "Steam Heat" with accompaniment from Lee Capo and Cy Young. The 1955 West End production of ''The Pajama Game'' featured "Steam Heat" as performed by

Elizabeth Seal Elizabeth Anne Seal (born 28 August 1933) is a British actress. In 1961, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of ''Irma La Douce''. Career Elizabeth Seal made her professional debut ...

with accompaniment from Johnny Greenland and Ivor Meggido. In the 2006-07

Roundabout Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizab ...

revival of ''The Pajama Game'' the "Steam Heat" number was reassigned to a factory worker character named Mae, played by Joyce Chittick: Chittick was accompanied on the "Steam Heat" number by David Eggers and Vince Pesce. Taprena Augustine as Mae performed "Steam Heat" in the national tour of the Roundabout Theatre production (2008–09). "Steam Heat" was performed in '' Fosse'' by Meg Gillentine with Julio Monge and Josh Rhodes. "Steam Heat" became a staple of

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

's nightclub act, as MacLaine had been the

understudy In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

for Carol Haney in the original Broadway production of ''The Pajama Game'' and had gone on for Haney at a performance attended by film producer

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along wit ...

who was interested in Haney: MacLaine's performance had so impressed Wallis that he'd come backstage to invite her to audition for him the next day with the result being MacLaine being signed for her motion picture debut in ''

The Trouble with Harry ''The Trouble with Harry'' is a 1955 American Technicolor black comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1950 novel by Jack Trevor Story. It starred Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred N ...

''. ("

Hernando's Hideaway "Hernando's Hideaway" is a tango show tune, largely in long metre, from the musical ''The Pajama Game'', written by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler and published in 1954. It was sung in the stage and film versions of the musical by Carol Haney. The s ...

", Carol Haney's other big number from ''The Pajama Game'', was also a staple of MacLaine's act.) "Steam Heat" became at Top Ten hit for

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

as released by

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

as catalog number 70380: debuting on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' chart of 26 May 1954, the disc charted for nine weeks with a #8. (The film rights for ''The Pajama Game'' would eventually be purchased to provide a vehicle for Page although she was to play the character of Babe rather than Gladys: ultimately Babe would be played in the film by

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

.) The recording featured a replication of radiator being pounded, an effect performed by Mac Ceppos, a career session violinist who previously had been heard barking on Page's 1952 #1 hit "

The Doggie in the Window "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song. It was written by Bob Merrill and first registered on September 25, 1952, as "The Doggie in the Window". On January 27, 1953, its sheet music was published in New York as "(H ...

". Page's recording was prominently featured at the end of "Hot Water", Episode 20 of Season 3 of ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

'' broadcast February 19, 2013:

Spencer Hastings Spencer Jill Hastings is a fictional character, one of the five main characters who appear in the ''Pretty Little Liars'' novel series and its Freeform television adaptation. Created by American author Sara Shepard, she is a member of the gro ...

(played by

Troian Bellisario Troian Avery Bellisario (born October 28, 1985) is an American actress. A graduate of the University of Southern California, in 2010, she received her breakthrough role as Spencer Hastings in the Freeform drama series ''Pretty Little Liars'' ( ...

) had been endangered by being locked in an overheating

sauna A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...

earlier in the episode, which ends with the series' unseen stalker putting the finishing touches on a funeral wreath while listening to the Patti Page recording of "Steam Heat".

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

recorded "Steam Heat" for her 1963 album release ''

Ella Sings Broadway ''Ella Sings Broadway'' is a 1963 (see 1963 in music) studio album (recorded during three sessions in Los Angeles, October 3, 4 & 9, 1962) by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol. Short ...

''.

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

and Tracey Everitt sang and danced Everitt's choreography to "Steam Heat" on

The Judy Garland Show ''The Judy Garland Show'' is an American Variety show, musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963–1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found succes ...

's Christmas Special episode (Aired Dec. 22, 1963).

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, b ...

remade "Steam Heat" for their 1974 album ''

That's a Plenty "That's a Plenty" is a 1914 ragtime piano composition by Lew Pollack. Lyrics by Ray Gilbert (born 1912) were added decades later. Several popular vocal versions have been recorded, but it is more often performed as an instrumental. The compositi ...

'' on which "Steam Heat" was framed by the original composition (by Jeffrey Cohen and Bruce Good) "Bangin' On the Pipes": released as a single, the Pointer Sisters' "Steam Heat" failed to become a major hit, only "

Bubbling Under Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

" the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at #108. However "Steam Heat", which was featured on the 1974 concert album '' The Pointer Sisters Live at the Opera House'', became a

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

of the Pointer Sisters' first career phase, with the group performing "Bangin' On the Pipes"/"Steam Heat" on ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...

'' broadcast of September 28, 1974. The November 27, 1976, broadcast of ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...

'' titled "Murray Can't Lose", featured

Georgia Engel Georgia Bright Engel (July 28, 1948 – April 12, 2019) was an American actress. She is best known for having played Georgette Franklin Baxter in the sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' from 1972 to 1977, Pat MacDougall on ''Everybody Loves Ra ...

performing a sultry song and dance number to "Steam Heat". The ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

'' episode broadcast December 20, 1978, featured cast members

Esther Rolle Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom '' Maude,'' for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series '' G ...

Ja'net Dubois Jeannette Theresa Dubois (August 5 – February 17, 2020), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois, Ja'net DuBois, and Ja'Net Du Bois (), was an American actress and singer. She was best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods, the neighborhood g ...

BernNadette Stanis Bernnadette Stanis, also billed as Bern Nadette Stanis (born Bernadette Stanislaus, December 22, 1953), is an American actress and author. Stanis is best known for her role as Thelma Evans, the only daughter of Florida and James Evans Sr. on the ...

and

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

performing "Steam Heat", with the quartet introduced as "the Pointless Sisters."

Wall Street Crash The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

performed "Steam Heat" for the European release of their 1982 self-titled album.

References

{{The Pointer Sisters Songs written by Richard Adler Songs written by Jerry Ross (composer) 1954 singles Songs from musicals Patti Page songs 1974 singles The Pointer Sisters songs Blue Thumb Records singles 1954 songs