The Longest Time
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| "The Longest Time" | ||||
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| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album An Innocent Man | ||||
| B-side | "Christie Lee" | |||
| Released | April 1984 | |||
| Format | 12", CD | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Doo-wop, a capella | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"The Longest Time" is a doo-wop single by Billy Joel. The song was released as a single in 1984 as the fourth single from the 1983 album An Innocent Man. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.[1] Overseas, the song went to number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song features Joel on lead vocals and all backing vocals. Joel recorded 14 different background tracks which were mixed into the song.[2]
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Music video [edit]
The music video starts with a man (played by Joel) in a gym after his 25th high school reunion party. Looking around at posters of several class awards, he breaks into song as his band, apparently portrayed as his high school friends, enters the gym. As they sing, they alternate between their high school and current selves. The video was entirely filmed at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
Chart positions [edit]
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 15 |
| RPM Top Singles[3] | 36 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 18 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Preceded by "Hello" by Lionel Richie |
Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single May 19, 1984 – May 26, 1984 |
Succeeded by "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper |
Cover version [edit]
Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes covered the song for "Operation Theodore", a 1984 episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was also sung a cappella in the How I Met Your Mother episode "The Time Travelers" by Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor and by the glee club in the April 25, 2013 episode of Glee.
- 1991: Eric Miller
- 1997: Yellowcard
- 1997: Zhane
- 2003: Das EFX (Diggy Das)
- 2004: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (live version)
- 2011: The Overtones
- 2012: The Kwartet
- 2013: Glee Cast
References [edit]
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 127.
- ^ An Innocent Man. http://www.avaxhome.ws/. Retrieved on March 15, 2011.
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6715&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=h1v4bvl7fjso3qmchh2u2si9r3
External links [edit]
- "The Longest Time" Music Video on YouTube / ⒞1984 VEVO channel
- Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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