Say Goodbye to Hollywood
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| "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" | ||||||
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| File:Say Goodbye to Hollywood.jpg | ||||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||||
| from the album Songs in the Attic | ||||||
| Released | 1981 | |||||
| Format | 7" | |||||
| Recorded | June 1980 Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI |
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| Genre | Rock | |||||
| Length | 4:38 3:53 (Single version) 4:25 (Songs in the Attic version) |
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| Label | Columbia | |||||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||||
| Producer(s) | Phil Ramone | |||||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||||
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"Say Goodbye to Hollywood" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel, first released in 1976 on his album Turnstiles. There is a 45 rpm vinyl in existence with "Stop in Nevada" as a B-side. However, the song achieved greater recognition in 1981 when a live version from Songs in the Attic was released as a single, with the live version of "Summer, Highland Falls" as a B-side. Joel wrote the song after moving back to New York City in 1975; he had previously relocated to Los Angeles in 1972 in an attempt to get out of an onerous record deal.
Influence
Joel has stated in his university lectures that he wrote the song with Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes song "Be My Baby" in mind.[1][2] Indeed, Joel notes that the two songs share a very similar beat.[3] Recognizing Joel's tribute, Ronnie Spector recorded her own cover version of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" in 1977, soon after Joel released his first recording of the song on Turnstiles.
Chart positions
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 45 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[4] | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 35 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Tracks | 11 |
Covers
- Bette Midler recorded a cover for her album Broken Blossom (1977).
- As previously noted, Ronnie Spector and the E Street Band released their version of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" as a single in 1977.
