"Uptown" is a 1962 single by

the Crystals The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in New York City. Considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964 chart hits – including " There's No Other (Like My Baby)", ...

. On the

Cash Box Top 100 The Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles (also known as the Cash Box Top 100) was a record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Cash Box'' magazine, which began publication in 1942. As a close competitor to ''Billboard A billb ...

, the song peaked at #10. 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 ...

'' charts, "Uptown" reached #13 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and #18 on the Billboard R&B Sides chart.

Background

In 1961, the Crystals recorded " There's No Other (Like My Baby)" with producer

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

. When the Crystals went to record "Uptown" the following year, the group had not received payment from Spector for "There's No Other". After recording "Uptown", the Crystals were not paid by Spector, which led the group to fire their manager Benny Wells and hire the new manager, Daniel Turner.

Recording

Before the Crystals recorded "Uptown", La La Brooks replaced Myrna Girrard after Girrard became pregnant. During a retake of "Uptown", Spector brought in Eva Boyd after songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann convinced him to redo the vocals. Boyd got angry with Spector after having to re-record her vocals for "Uptown" multiple times, which lead to Spector to release the original version with the Crystals.

Composition

"Uptown" was originally written for

Tony Orlando Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...

, but Spector convinced songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann to give him the song. After acquisition, Spector changed some of the notes to ones that Barbara Alston of the Crystals could sing and modified the lyrics to be about an African American instead of a Latin American. The lyrics in "Uptown" about living in the slums created a "sophisticated and socially conscious" song that laid the framework for later rock and roll songs.

Reception

''Billboard'' magazine said that with the flip side "What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen", both songs had "appeal for both pop and r&b buyers".

Chart performance

In 1962, "Uptown" peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #18 on the Hot R&B Sides.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Cover versions

"Uptown" was covered by

Anita Lindblom Anita Lindblom (14 December 1937 – 6 September 2020) was a Swedish actress and singer. She appeared in thirteen films between 1957 and 1974. Lindblom also recorded music. Her single ''Sånt är livet'' (a cover of Roy Hamilton's ''You Can Have ...

for Fontana and

Peter Gordeno Peter Gordeno (20 June 1939 – 18 October 2008) was a British dancer, recording artist, cabaret singer, choreographer, and occasional actor. Biography Born as Peter Godenho in Rangoon, Burma, to an Italian American father and Scottish/ Bu ...

for

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

References

Sources

* *{{cite book , last1=Musso, first1=Anthony P., title=Setting the Record Straight, date=2007 , publisher=AuthorHouse, isbn=9781425959869, page=150, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JiBKaCWt9_IC&pg=PA150 , access-date=17 July 2017 1962 singles The Crystals songs Songs written by Barry Mann Songs with lyrics by Cynthia Weil 1962 songs Philles Records singles