Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

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"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" is a swing-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. The tune is similar to and possibly based on the music for "Puttin' on the Ritz", written by Irving Berlin in 1929.^[1]

The lyrics remind the listener of the change of the name of the city Constantinople to the Turkish name Istanbul, also mentioning the fact that New York City was originally named New Amsterdam.

[edit] The Four Lads original version

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" was originally recorded by the Canadian group The Four Lads on August 12, 1953. This recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 40082. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on October 24, 1953, and it peaked at #10. It was the group's first gold record.^[2][3]

[edit] Cover versions

[edit] Live performance cover versions

The Duke's Men of Yale, an all-male a cappella group at Yale University, perform the song at the end of most of their concerts. The song has been in the repertoire of the Duke's Men since 1953.

During the 2000s, the song has been performed live by Australian Klezmer /Gypsy Jazz band Monsieur Camembert.

[edit] Recorded cover versions

Recording artists and groups known to have covered this song include:

• Edmundo Ros (1953)
• The Radio Revellers (1953)
• Frankie Vaughan (1954)
• Caterina Valente (1954)
• Jacques Hélian et son Orchestre (1950's, in French as "Istamboul")
• Lou Busch as "Joe Fingers Carr & his Ragtime Band"
• Santo & Johnny (1962)
• Bette Midler for the live album "Live At Last" (1977)
• The Residents (1987)
• They Might Be Giants (1989)
• The Sacados (1990)
• Mad Dodo (1992)
• Ac Rock (2000)
• Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers (2005)
• Ska Cubano (2006)
• Ayhan Sicimoğlu (2006)
• Lee Press-on and the Nails (2007).

[edit] They Might Be Giants cover

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
Single by They Might Be Giants
from the album Flood
Released	USA: 1989; UK: 1990
Format	7", Cassette, CD
Recorded	1989
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	2:34
Label	Elektra
Producer	Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley
They Might Be Giants singles chronology
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" (1989) "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (1990) "Twisting" (1990)

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
EP by They Might Be Giants
Released	May 14, 1990
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	14:17
Label	Elektra Records
They Might Be Giants chronology
Flood (1990) Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (1990) Miscellaneous T (1991)
They Might Be Giants EP chronology
Birdhouse in Your Soul (1990) Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (1990) The Statue Got Me High (1992)

One of the better-known versions of Istanbul (Not Constantinople) is the cover by the rock group They Might Be Giants, who released it on their LP Flood in 1990, and on its own EP that same year. TMBG's version is at a faster tempo than the original and contains a distinct klezmer influence, including a violin introduction and some accordion parts.

They Might Be Giants also released an EP featuring the song in 1990. The song "James K. Polk" would later show up in a full-band version on 1996's Factory Showroom. "Ant" was previously released on the Birdhouse in Your Soul EP and would be rerecorded for the EP Indestructible Object.

[edit] Track listing

American promo

1. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - 2:34

British single

1. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - 2:34
2. "James K. Polk" - 3:16
3. "Stormy Pinkness" 1:08
4. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (Brownsville Mix)" - 5:13

EP

1. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
2. "James K. Polk"
3. "Stormy Pinkness"
4. "Ant"
5. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (Brownsville mix)

[edit] Sales chart history

[edit] Cultural uses

The They Might Be Giants version of the song was used for a music video in an episode of the animated TV series Tiny Toon Adventures. The video is culturally inaccurate, portraying Istanbul as an ancient Arabian desert. However, the catchy tune and amusing storyline has brought it widespread popularity.

An episode of The Simpsons in which Homer buys an RV with Marge's "scrimpings", features the TMBG version of the song when the family is invited on the deck of a Turkish freighter upon which the RV landed.

The song was also featured in the 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile, 1992 film Black Magic, and the Pierce Brosnan episode of Muppets Tonight.

In 2005, the TMBG version of the song was featured in Konami's Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX 3, for Microsoft's Xbox console.

In the Battlefield Vietnam modification Point of Existence, the song can be played in the radio of the civilian limo in the map Embassy.

The lyrics were used in the February 21, 1954 episode of The Jack Benny Program during a sketch about a man trying to buy a train ticket to Constantinople. Jack Benny and Frank Nelson proceed to use the lyrics to dispute where the man can go.

The song is featured in the third season of Jeeves and Wooster, during a montage sequence of New York City.

The song is referenced in the third season of Gilmore Girls in the episode "Application Anxiety" when Lorelai exclaims "I do know that Istanbul is Constantinople so if you've got a date in Constantinople, she'll be waiting in Istanbul."

The song was played, and also was a key point in the plot, on an episode of the CBS show 'Cold Case' originally airing on 23 November, 2008.

The song makes no mention of the fact that Constantinople was once Byzantium (perhaps a difficult rhyme), nor that it was for a very brief period New Rome.

The Residents' song "Constantinople", while a completely separate song, does have similarities that suggest is was inspired by the older song.

In Civilization III, when a player runs out of city names in the official list, the city name list restarts with "New" prefixed to the original name (e.g "New Tokyo" for the Japanese). However, when the Ottomans build the first city after exhausting the original list, the city is not named "New Istanbul" but "Not Constantinople."

The TMBG version was used as an opening skit on the June 3rd, 2009 episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, complete with puppets.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP on This Might Be A Wiki
• "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (song) on This Might Be A Wiki