Town Without Pity (song)
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"Town Without Pity" is a song written by composer Dimitri Tiomkin and lyricist Ned Washington. The track, produced by Aaron Schroeder[1], was originally recorded by Gene Pitney for the 1961 film of the same title. In the US, the Gene Pitney recording went to #13 on the Hot 100.[2]
This tragic song, in a minor key of B Minor, first ends the chorus in D Major, before going up a key to the refrain in the C Minor, where the Coda ends the song in the same minor key.
Awards
In 1962, the song received a Golden Globe Award for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song (losing to "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's).
Other versions
Pitney also recorded versions in German (lyrics by Frank Zieboltz[3]), entitled "Bleibe bei mir" ("Stay With Me") and Italian, entitled "Città Spietata". Many artists and bands have recorded cover versions over the years since its release, including:
| Year | Performer | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Danny Williams | Only Love |
| 1967 | Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass | Sounds Like... |
| 1978 | Ronnie Montrose | Open Fire |
| 1980 | Paul Warren & Explorer | Takin' Her Back |
| 1982 | The Nylons | One Size Fits All |
| 1987 | Mathilde Santing | Out Of This Dream |
| 1988 | Thin White Rope | Red Sun |
| 1989 | The Dickies | Second Coming |
| 1990 | The Stray Cats | Let's Go Faster! |
| 1992 | Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords | Town Without Pity (single) |
| 1993 | Neil Zaza | Thrills & Chills |
| 1996 | Eddi Reader | Candyfloss and Medicine |
| 1996 | The Brian Setzer Orchestra | Guitar Slinger |
| 1999 | Mandy Barnett | A Walk on the Moon (film soundtrack) |
| 2001 | Snakeman Show | Radio Snakeman Show, Vol. 1[4] |
| 2001 | The Quiets | Take a flight with The Quiets[5] |
| 2003 | Zen for Primates | Albatross[6] |
| 2004 | Los Straitjackets | Play Favorites |
| 2006 | Richie Cole & The Alto Madness Orchestra | Risë's Rose Garden[7] |
| 2007 | Vidar Busk & The Voo Doodz | Jookbox Charade |
Use in other media
- In an early episode of Saturday Night Live (3/26/77), Laraine Newman played Indira Gandhi with John Belushi as her son Sanjay, who must vacate the premises after losing the election to Morarji Desai (Garrett Morris), but not before bursting into the song.[8]
- The song is heard in the 1988 film, Hairspray.
- The song was also sung by John Travolta to Kirstie Alley in the 1989 romantic comedy, Look Who's Talking.
- The lyrics are referenced by Foetus (James Thirwell) in the song, "Descent into the Inferno."
- The song was also performed by The Voice season 12 finalist Lilli Passero on the May 1, 2017 episode.[9]
References
- ^ Pitney, Gene, Gene Pitney:25 All-Time Greatest Hits, Varese Sarabande, 1999, liner notes
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn’s Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 661.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "スネークマン・ショー「ラジオ・スネークマン・ショーVOL.01」｜ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン". Wmg.jp. Archived from the original on 2016-06-18. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ "The Quiets - Take A Flight With (CD, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ "Albatross - Zen for Primates | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 2003-05-19. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ "Risë's Rose Garden: Richie Cole & The Alto Madness Orchestra: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ "03.26.1977". SNL Archives. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
- ^ Gemmill, Allie (2017-05-01). "Lilli Passero Sang Her Heart Out On 'The Voice'". Bustle. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
External links
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