- For the football player and coach, see Allie Sherman
Alexander "Allie" Sherman is a retired American football running back and head coach.Sherman was the coach of the NFL's New York Giants from 1961 to 1969. His division titles with the Giants from 1961 to 1963 were the high points of his coaching career...
.
Al Sherman (September 7, 1897 - September 16, 1973) was an American
Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century....
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
from the first half of the twentieth century. Sherman is a link in a long chain of musical Sherman family members.
Early life
Al Sherman was born into a Jewish musical family in Czarist Russia. His father, Samuel Sherman, fled a
CossackCossacks were originally members of military communities in the uninhabited borderland areas in the steppe that lies North of Black Sea...
pogromA pogrom is a form of riot directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious, or other, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes, businesses, and religious centers...
in 1903, settling in
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" , "city of a hundred spires", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the...
which was then part of
Austria-HungaryAustria–Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the k.u.k. Monarchy, or Dual State, was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe...
. Luck turned for Samuel and he landed a job as concertmaster, first violinist and sometimes court composer in the
Royal CourtRoyal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court*Royal Court Theatre, in London, England...
of
EmperorAn emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right...
Franz JosefFranz Joseph I , reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and as King of Hungary and Crotia from 1848 until 1916 .-Early life:Franz Joseph was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the oldest son of...
. Within a short time, Samuel was able to send for his family to live with him in Prague.
As a young boy, Al would stand in the wings to hear his father play for the
BohemianA Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region or Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic...
EmperorAn emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right...
, thus sparking the young boy's love of music. Once, when Al was about six years old, the Emperor sent guards to find out who was rustling around behind the curtains. He then asked the frightened youngster (Al) to sit on his knee for the duration of the concert.
In 1909 Samuel decided to take his family to America, but in America Samuel's luck turned again, this time for the worse. In
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, Samuel was just another out-of-work musician. The pressure became too much for Samuel and he eventually left his wife Lena and their five young children, Olga, Al, Edith, Regina and Harold.
At the age of 13, Al became the "man" of the family and quit school to work. Nevertheless, Al had a very "accepting" attitude and kept in close contact with Samuel until Samuel's death in 1947. Al had a burning desire to become a musician and taught himself to play the piano, learning from the "Beyers Book for Beginners".
Despite his youth and scant knowledge of English, his natural talent for piano improvisation soon earned him a reputation as a top "
mood musicMood music may refer to:*Beautiful Music*Easy listening*Exotica*Light music...
" pianist. His services to improvise inspirational music were sought by many silent film stars including
Pauline FrederickPauline Frederick was a leading Broadway actress who later became known for her Hollywood films.-Early years:Pauline Frederick was born Pauline Beatrice Libby in 1883...
,
Mae MurrayMae Murray was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "The Gardenia of the Screen"....
and
Olga PetrovaOlga Petrova was an actress, screenwriter and playwright.Born Muriel Harding in Tur Brook, England, she moved to the United States where she became a star of vaudeville using the stage name Olga Petrova. She starred in a number of films for Solax Studios and was Metro Pictures first diva, usually...
. In 1916,
UniversalUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
signed Al to do bit parts in silent films as well. He later appeared in motion pictures with
Mary PickfordMary Pickford was a Canadian motion picture actor, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Known as "America's Sweetheart," "Little Mary" and "The girl with the curls," she was one of the first Canadian...
,
Mary FullerMary Fuller was an American stage and silent film actress.-Early life:Born in Washington, D. C., to Nora Swing and attorney Miles Fuller, she spent her childhood on a farm. As a child, she was interested in music, writing and art...
,
Clara Kimball YoungClara Kimball Young was an American film actress of the early silent film era.- Early life :Clara Kimball Young was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.; her parents Edward M. Kimball and Pauline Maddern were travelling stock actors...
and
William PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor, noted for his sophisticated, cynical portrayals.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in fourteen films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
.
Al's composing career began in 1918 when he became a staff pianist for the Remick Music Company. There, he worked alongside
George GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
and
Vincent YoumansVincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
. During this time Al also organized and directed a small orchestra which played in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Miami Beach.
Marriage
In the summer of 1921, Al was at the piano leading his orchestra when he met a
silent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially spoken dialogue. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with...
actress, Rosa Dancis. They married in 1923.
Sons, Richard & Robert
Al and Rosa Sherman's elder son, Robert Bernard Sherman was born on December 19, 1925. Their younger son, Richard Morton Sherman was born on June 12, 1928. Both boys were born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. The
Sherman BrothersThe Sherman Brothers are an Academy Award-winning American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
would one day prove to be Al's greatest songwriting achievement, forming one of the most formidable songwriting teams in family entertainment. (
Mary PoppinsMary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
,
Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 feature film with a script by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, and songs by the Sherman Brothers, based on Ian Fleming's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The film was...
).
Career
In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, Al collaborated with songwriters including
Sam CoslowSam Coslow was an American songwriter, singer and film producer. Coslow was born in New York City. He began writing songs as a teenager...
,
Irving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of Joe Primrose.Mills was born in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
,
Charles O'FlynnCharles O'Flynn was a twentieth century songwriter who was active during the Tin Pan Alley era; specifically from 1921 through 1947. One of O'Flynn's most famous lyrics is from the popular song "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile."-Partial List of Published Songs:...
,
Al DubinAl Dubin was a Jewish-American Swiss-born lyricist. He was born in Zurich, Switzerland and died in New York City....
,
Pat FlahertyGeorge Francis 'Pat' Flaherty, Jr. was an American racecar driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1956.Born in Glendale, California, Flaherty died of cancer in Oxnard, California...
, B.G. deSylva,
Harold TobiasCharles Tobias was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in New York City, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters....
,
Howard JohnsonHoward Johnson was a song lyricist.He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.He was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and died in New York, New York....
,
Harry M. WoodsHenry MacGregor Woods was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and pianist. Woods is sometimes credited as Harry Woods.-Early life:...
,
Alfred BryanAlfred Bryan was a United States songwriter and pacifist.-Songs:His hits included*"Peg O' My Heart"*"Come Josephine in My Flying Machine"*"I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier"...
,
Buddy FieldsBuddy Fields was an important songwriter during the early twentieth century. He was born on September 24, 1889 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary . He died on October 4, 1965 in Detroit, Michigan in the United States of America. His name at birth was Arthur B. Fields. His most famous song "You Gotta...
,
Archie FletcherArchie Fletcher was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and music publisher who made his mark in the world of songwriting during the first half of the 20th century...
,
Al LewisAl Lewis was born on April 18, 1901 in New York City, New York. Lewis is thought of mostly as a Tin Pan Alley era lyricist; however, he did write music on occasion as well. Professionally he was most active during the 1920s working into the 1950s. During this time, he most often collaborated...
,
Abner SilverAbner Silver was an American songwriter who worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era of the craft. He was born on December 28, 1899 in New York, NY...
,
Edward HeymanEdward Heyman was an American musician and lyricist, best known for his compositions "Body and Soul", "When I Fall in Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons". He also contributed many songs for films.-Biography:...
,
Buddy FeyneBuddy Feyne was a composer and lyricist of the swing era.He penned the lyrics for "Tuxedo Junction" and "The Jersey Bounce" - both of which were top of the Hit Parade and both are standards...
and many others. Al quickly rose to become one of "
Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century....
's" most sought after songwriters.
Between 1931 and 1934, during the last days of
VaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, Al and several of his fellow hitmakers formed a sensational review called "
Songwriters On ParadeSongwriters On Parade was a musical Vaudeville revue which featured hit songwriters of the day. It was considered one of the last Vaudevillian forays of this type...
", performing all across the Eastern seaboard on the Loew's and Keith circuits.
Some of Al Sherman's most well known songs also include, "
Wanita"Juanita" is a song made popular by twentieth century icon, Al Jolson. Written by Tin Pan Alley songwriters, Al Sherman and Sam Coslow, it was their first hit song. The song is about a man who is love with a girl who only wants to eat, thereby eating the singer out of house and home.The song is...
", "
Save Your Sorrow"Save Your Sorrow " is a popular song first published in 1925 written by Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths, Al Sherman and B.G.DeSylva. The publisher was Shapiro, Bernstein & Company, based in New York City. Songwriter, Al Sherman's son, Robert was just born and Al did not have the money to pay the...
",
"
Lindbergh (The Eagle of the U.S.A.)"Lindbergh " was a popular song written by famous Tin Pan Alley songwriters, Howard Johnson and Al Sherman in 1927. It chronicles Charles Lindbergh's famous pioneer solo-flight across the Atlantic Ocean...
",
"
PretendingPretend or pretending could refer to:*Roleplaying*Activity of a disability pretender*Pretend, a popular song by Cheri Dennis.*"Pretending ", a song by Al Sherman*"Pretending ", a song by HIM...
", "
On the Beach at Bali-Bali"On the Beach at Bali-Bali" is a song written by Al Sherman, Abner Silver and Jack Maskill. It was written in 1935 and recorded by Henry "Red" Allen among others...
",
"
Over Somebody Else's Shoulder"Over Somebody Else's Shoulder" is a hit song written by Al Sherman & Al Lewis in 1934 at the end of the Tin Pan Alley era. It was introduced by singer and bandleader, Ozzie Nelson who enjoyed great success with the song. It was further covered by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with the vocal...
", "
No! No! A Thousand Times No!!No! No! A Thousand Times No!! is a 1935 Fleischer Studio animated short film, starring Betty Boop.-Synopsis:Betty is performing on-stage with her boyfriend Freddie in an old-fashioned melodrama, complete with mustachioed villain. The vile fiend, after tying up the hero, tempts Betty with diamonds...
", "For Sentimental Reasons", "
(What Do We Do on a) Dew Dew Dewey Day" Dew-Dew-Dewey Day" was a popular song dating from 1927. It was recorded by Clyde Doerr and this Orchestra. The song is a Fox Trot which contains a vocal refrain, hence the unconventional length of the record . It was written by Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths, Al Sherman, Howard Johnson and Charles...
", "
Nine Little Miles from Ten-Ten-Tennessee"Nine Little Miles from Ten-Ten-Tennessee" is a song written by Al Sherman, Al Lewis and Con Conrad. It was recorded by Duke Ellington on November 21, 1930 by Victor Records #22586 64812-1/2....
" and "Ninety-Nine Out of a Hundred (Wanna Be Loved)".
Maurice ChevalierMaurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, and popular entertainer. Chevalier's signature songs included "Louise", "Mimi", and "Valentine". His trademark was a boater hat, which he always wore on stage with his tuxedo.-Early life:He was born in Paris to a house painter father and mother...
's American breakthrough hit was an Al Sherman/Al Lewis song entitled "
Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight"Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is a popular song written by Al Sherman and Al Lewis for the 1930 film, The Big Pond starring Maurice Chevalier. The song was also sung by Chevalier who made it famous. Chevalier enjoyed his first American hit with this song...
" from the
ParamountParamount Pictures Corporation is a Worldwide American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is the world's oldest existing American film studio; it is also the last...
Picture
The Big PondThe Big Pond is a romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialogue in his first Hollywood assignment, and was directed by Hobart Henley...
. "
You Gotta Be a Football Hero"You Gotta Be a Football Hero" is a song written by Al Sherman, Buddy Fields and Al Lewis. It is one of the most widely recorded and performed American football anthems of all time...
" has been played, sung and marched to since 1933 when
Fred WaringFredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
and his "Pennsylvanians" introduced it on the radio.
The Sherman/Fletcher song "
On a Little Bamboo Bridge"On a Little Bamboo Bridge" was a hit song in 1937 for iconic band leader Louis Armstrong. Music and Lyrics were written by Al Sherman and Archie Fletcher who were frequent collaborators. The copyright is held by Joe Morris Music Company, Incorporated....
" became a hit for
Louis ArmstrongLouis Daniel Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. Artists who recorded Al Sherman songs include
Benny GoodmanBenjamin David Goodman was an American jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as "King of Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman"....
,
Ella FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
, Billie Holliday,
Tommy DorseyThomas Francis Dorsey was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing".. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey.". His lyrical trombone style became one of the signature sounds of his band...
,
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
,
Al JolsonAl Jolson was an American singer, comedian, and actor. According to PBS, he is considered the "first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America"...
,
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
,
Eddie CantorEddie Cantor was an American comedian, dancer, singer, actor, and songwriter. Familiar to Broadway, radio and early television audiences, this "Apostle of Pep" was regarded almost as a family member by millions because his top-rated radio shows revealed intimate stories and amusing anecdotes about...
,
Rudy ValléeRudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
,
Ozzie NelsonOswald George "Ozzie" Nelson was an American entertainer and band leader who originated and starred in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet radio and television series with his wife and two sons.-Early life:...
,
Lawrence WelkLawrence Welk was a musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, hosting The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
,
Peggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer and actress. She first came to prominence in the 1940s with her #1 hits Somebody Is Taking Your Place and Mañana, having a string of successful albums and top 10 hits in three consecutive decades...
,
Patti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music...
,
Duke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader.Duke Ellington became one of the most influential artists in the history of recorded music, and is largely recognized as one of the greatest figures in the history of jazz, though his music stretched into...
and his
Cotton ClubThe Cotton Club was a famous night club in New York City that operated during Prohibition. While the club featured many of the greatest African American entertainers of the era, such as Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, The Nicholas Brothers, Ella...
OrchestraAn orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. The term orchestra derives from the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
among many others.
Some of his most memorable songs include songs for major Broadway revues, including the
Ziegfeld FolliesThe Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
,
George White's ScandalsGeorge White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919-1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, ...
,
The Passing Show and
Earl Carroll's VanitiesThe Earl Carroll Theatre was the name of two major theatres, one on Broadway in New York City and the other on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, owned by Broadway impresario and showman Earl Carroll.-Broadway:...
.
Beside writing "Livin' in the Sunlight" for
The Big PondThe Big Pond is a romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialogue in his first Hollywood assignment, and was directed by Hobart Henley...
, Al also wrote for many other films including songs for the motion pictures:
SweetieSweetie or Sweety may refer to:* Sweetie , a 1989 Australian film* Sweetie , a cross between an acidless pummelo and a white grapefruit* "Sweetie" , a 2006 Japanese song* Sweetie , a term of endearment...
,
The Sky's the LimitThe Sky's The Limit is a musical comedy film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert Benchley, Robert Ryan and Eric Blore, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film was directed by Edward H...
and
Sensations of 1945Sensations of 1945 is a 1944 American musical-comedy film which was released by United Artists.This film was an attempt to recapture the ensemble style of films such as Broadway Melody of 1936 by showcasing a number of top musical and comedy acts of the day, in a film linked together by a loose...
.
Al Sherman's style and settings are suggested by such song titles as "Got the Bench, Got the Park", "Woodland Reverie", "Never a Dream Goes By" and "When You Waltz with the One You Love". Although he would continue to write songs and musical compositions until his death, Al wrote his last big song in 1952, "
Comes A-Long A-Love"Comes A-Long A-Love" was a hit single for American singer Kay Starr. The song was released in 1952 and was written by the former Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman. This was the last hit song Sherman would write, handing the reins over to his sons, Bob and Dick Sherman who were just beginning...
", and was sung by
Kay StarrKay Starr is an American jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1950s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz".-Life and career:...
.
Last years
In 1973 the Associated Press wrote, "Al Sherman helped raise the spirits of a Depression-era generation with his hit `Potatoes Are Cheaper - Tomatoes Are Cheaper - Now's the Time To Fall In Love!'. Al wrote more than five hundred songs but gained his greatest fame for that happy tune." Always capable of finding the "
silver liningA silver lining is a metaphor for optimism in the common English-language idiom "Every cloud has a silver lining."-Origin:The origin of the phrase is traced to John Milton's 'Comus' with the lines,- Real-world use :...
", "Potatoes Are Cheaper" became Al's signature song. In 1973 he wrote his autobiography entitling it, "Potatoes Are Cheaper" for this reason.
Posthumous Achievements
In 1983, Sherman's song, "
He's So Unusual"He's So Unusual" is a song from the late 1920s performed by Helen Kane, who was the inspiration for the Betty Boop character. The song was written by Al Sherman, Al Lewis and Abner Silver. Released on June 14, 1929, "He's So Unusual" was featured in the motion picture, Sweetie. Shapiro,...
" was chosen as the title song of
Cyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first artist to have four top-five singles released from one album. Lauper has released 11 albums and over 40...
's signature album,
She's So UnusualShe's So Unusual is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released in 1983 by Portrait Records . The album catapulted Lauper to stardom with such hits as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "She Bop" and "Time After Time". As of 2002 it has sold more than sixteen million...
.
She's So Unusual catapulted Lauper to stardom with such hits as "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", "
She Bop"She Bop" was the third commercially released solo single by American singer Cyndi Lauper.-Song information:The song was controversial, owing to lyrics that addressed masturbation...
" and "
Time After Time"Time After Time" was a single by singer Cyndi Lauper, the second from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
". Lauper's rendition of "He's So Unusual" was a clear homage to the original 1920s production, even going so far as to feature scratches and hisses on the track, making it sound even more like the original 78 record.
She's So Unusual won its sole Grammy in the category of Best Album Package, the concept of which clearly finding foundation on the title of the Sherman's song. As of 2002
She's So Unusual has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard pop albums chart (US). In 2003, the album was ranked number 494 on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine's list of
the 500 greatest albums of all timeThe 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles: The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums...
.
Literary Sources
- Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyond
Walt's Time: from before to beyond is a 252-page autobiographic, full color book by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. It was edited by Imagineers Bruce Gordon, David Mumford and Jeff Kurtti and was published in 1998 by Camphor Tree Publishers who are out of Santa Clarita, California...
. Chapter 2; "Al's Time", Pages 88-141. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.