DavesMusicDatabase.com is devoted to ranking, rating, and reviewing music of all genres and eras. The DMDB blog serves up album and song reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays.
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 | Mercury Prize:Album of the Year, 1992-2022 |
This annual award is presented to the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created in 1992 by Jon Webster in association with the British Phonographic Industry and British Assocation of Record Dealers as an alternative to the Brit Awards. Check out other album of the year awards here.
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 12/30/2020; last updated 10/18/2022. |
 | The Sidewalks of New YorkDan Quinn |
Writer(s): James W. Blake (lyrics), Charles B. Lawlor (music) (see lyrics here) First Charted: February 9, 1895 Peak: 19 PM (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming |
Awards (Dan Quinn):Click on award for more details. 
Awards (J.W. Myers):
Awards (George J. Gaskin):
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About the Song:Charles Lawler (1852-1925) was a Dublin-born vaudeville performer who came to New York. On a walk home one night, he thought he should write a song of his own. He came up with a melody and the next day hummed the melody for James Blake (1862-1935), a salesman who worked at John Golden’s hat store. WK Blake told him to get the music down on paper and he’d write lyrics. Lawler returned twenty minutes later with the musical notes written out and Blake finished his already halfway-completed lyrics in another half hour. WK The song was introduced by Lottie Gilson at the Old London Theatre in the Bowery. SS “The audience was so taken with it that they joine her in singing a repetition of the chorus.” SS She performed it at vaudeville houses for years. SS The song was pivotal in the success of the music publishers Howley & Haviland as a staple of Tin Pan Alley, SS but the two authors of the song both died penniless, having sold the copyright of the song for $5000. WK The song became “a virtual anthem for New York City.” SS In 1928, New York’s Al Smith used it in his presidential campaign. SS Dan Quinn was the first to chart with the song on February 9, 1895. After nine weeks at #1, it was knocked out by Edward M. Favor’s “My Best Girl’s a New Yorker” for five weeks. It was then replaced by J.W. Myers’ version of “The Sidewalks of New York” for four weeks. In between Quinn and Myers’ versions, George J. Gaskin also charted with the song, reaching #2. Nat Shilkret gave the song a fourth chart run in 1928, also peaking in the runner-up position. PM The song has also been performed by artists as versatile as Blondie, Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington, the Grateful Dead, and Paul Whiteman. Resources:
First posted 6/26/2024. |
