SONG: On Broadway
ARTIST: The Drifters
YEAR: 1963
Listen to it here:
THE SONG:
“On Broadway” was originally written by songwriting powerhouse couple Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was originally recorded by the Cookies and shortly after the Crystals and was played as a shuffle. Non-married songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller put out into the songwriting world that the Drifters had studio time the next and needed one more song, so Mann and Weil sent off the song. Leiber and Stoller liked it, but felt it needed a different feel, the foursome put their heads together, pulled an all nighter and came up with the new version. The Drifter’s recorded their version and it was a hit, hitting the 1963 Billboard Hot 100. The song has since been covered a few times.
THE ARTIST:
For info about the Drifters check out our review of “Save the Last Dance for Me”!
FACTOID CORNER:
A young Phil Spector can be heard on lead guitar in this recording.
KELLY’S REVIEW:
Ok so On Broadway is a pretty big song! One thing I noticed this time after listening to it about a billion times in the past is how good the lead singer is. Strong, clear, smooth and in tune vocals. A little too much reverb I think, but still sounds excellent. The male background singers sound good too, especially on the their ‘oohs’ and ‘aah’s, and their echoing of “on Brooooaadwaaaay” is iconic. But we also have some ghoulish-sounding higher voice singing along with the strings? Definitely a bizarre choice. I’m trying to pick out some of the instruments but I can hear a lot of percussion mostly – triangle, a VERY forward castanet maybe? A brush stroke across a snare drum? It makes for a really interesting and different sounding mix. And then of course we have a string soli (which was the style at the time) that has some back and forth with the guitar, which I kinda like. Like this song is such a musical gumbo of different voices and instruments and auxiliary percussion! The lyrics of the song are a nice change from the typical love song fare that we’ve been consuming for the last few weeks, and more of the starry-eyed, I’m gonna make it someday if I work hard enough-kind of pipe dream that us elder millennials have long abandoned. I really like the melody of this song, how it’s all over the place, up and down, and then we get treated to a nice key change every verse or two! I also like that this is another song where you can hear doowop morphing into something more pop or R&B, a neat and memorable transition.
HOLLY’S REVIEW:
Ah, we’re hitting a time where I know more of the songs than I don’t. On Broadway is a pretty well known mid-tempo song. The Drifters version is apparently simplified from the original, and I think that was an excellent choice. The mix is clear, and then simplicity plays in favour of the song. I don’t love the tone of the lead singer’s voice though he is good, and clear, and I like his artistic choices. The male backup voices don’t really do much all in all, but they are integral to the song, and I like them. I especially like the bass voice right at the opening, with that pedal root note. It’s so earthy and sets up the song really well. The melody is really nice, and features an early key change for no reason, but just gradually increases the energy as we rise every few bars. The drums and percussion accessories are also just really nice. There’s some good triangle playing, and claves, and a few other toys that are used judiciously. What I cannot stand, and think could have been scrapped are the high female voices singing in unison with the violins. Already, the violins are maybe too over the top, but adding the vocalists is really the nail in the coffin for me. But, that makes up only a small part of this song, and overall, I think this song is smart, and musical, and has a lot of clarity and direction. Still love it!
Average mark out of 10:
Holly: 8/10
Kelly: 8.5/10
Other notable versions of this song:
The original version with the Cookies:
George Benson’s very successful version:
Listen with us!
Link to 1,001 Songs to Hear Before You Die spotify playlist:
Link to the Best of the Best 1,001 Songs to Hear Before You Die spotify playlist:
Holly & Kelly Music Review 
Hi – I’m new here and am enjoying your blog. It’s interesting to hear this song in a different sort of light since I first heard it as teenager in the 1960’s on a small transistor radio where none of the subtleties were apparent. As far as Phil Spector goes this tune has hints of what would be come his ” Wall of Sound” method of producing especially near the end where the guitar gets in it’s last licks as the song fades.
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