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 album An Innocent Man. It reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.[1] Overseas, the song went to number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart.
In the summer of 1983, when the album was released, oldies station WCBS-FM opted to play "The Longest Time" in regular rotation along with the first single "Tell Her About It". At that time WCBS-FM mixed in some new songs with the oldies. The song got very favorable reviews and the public wanted "The Longest Time" to be the follow-up single.[citation needed] But instead, that fall "Uptown Girl" was released as the second single. Late in November, "The Longest Time" was again passed over for the title song from the album, "An Innocent Man". "The Longest Time" was finally released in early 1984.
The song features Joel on lead vocals and all backing vocals. Joel recorded 14 different background tracks which were mixed into the song.[2] The only non-vocal instruments in the song are bass guitar played by Doug Stegmeyer, hi-hats and finger clicks.[citation needed]
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[edit] Music video
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.
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 15 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[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 |
[edit] Cover version
Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes covered the song for "Operation Theodore", a 1984 episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks.
- 1991: Eric Miller
- 1997: Zhane
- 2003: Das EFX (Diddy Das)
- 2004: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (live version)
- 2011: The Overtones
- 2012: The Kwartet
[edit] References
- ^ 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
[edit] External links
- "The Longest Time" Music Video on YouTube / ⒞1984 Sony BMG channel
- "The Longest Time" Music Video on YouTube / ⒞1984 VEVO channel
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