Uptown (The Crystals song)

"Uptown" is a 1962 single by the Crystals. On the Cash Box Top 100, the song peaked at #10. On the Billboard charts, "Uptown" reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on the Billboard R&B Sides chart.

"Uptown"
Single by the Crystals
from the album Twist Uptown
B-side	"What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen"
Released	1962
Genre	Pop[1]
Label	Philles
Songwriter(s)	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Producer(s)	Phil Spector
The Crystals singles chronology
"There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (1961) "Uptown" (1962) "He Hit Me (and It Felt like a Kiss)" (1962)

Background

In 1961, the Crystals recorded "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" with producer Phil Spector. When the Crystals went to record "Uptown" the following year, the group had not received payment from Spector for "There's No Other". After recording "Uptown", the Crystals were not paid by Spector, which led the group to fire their manager Benny Wells and hire the new manager, Daniel Turner.^[2]

Recording

Before the Crystals recorded "Uptown", La La Brooks replaced Myrna Girrard after Girrard became pregnant.^[3] During a retake of "Uptown", Spector brought in Eva Boyd after songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann convinced him to redo the vocals. Boyd got angry with Spector after having to re-record her vocals for "Uptown" multiple times, which led to Spector to release the original version with the Crystals.^[4]

Composition

"Uptown" was originally written for Tony Orlando, but Spector convinced songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann to give him the song.^[5] After acquisition, Spector changed some of the notes to ones that Barbara Alston of the Crystals could sing and modified the lyrics to be about an African American instead of a Latin American.^[4] The lyrics in "Uptown" about living in the slums created a "sophisticated and socially conscious" song that laid the framework for later rock and roll songs.^[6]

Reception

Billboard magazine said that with the flip side "What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen", both songs had "appeal for both pop and r&b buyers".^[7]

Chart performance

In 1962, "Uptown" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100^[8] and #18 on the Hot R&B Sides.^[9]

Weekly charts Chart (1962) Peak position Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[10] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 13 U.S. Billboard R&B Sides[12] 18 U.S. Cash Box Top 100[13] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1962) Rank U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 72 U.S. Cash Box [15] 88

Cover versions

"Uptown" was covered by Anita Lindblom for Fontana and Peter Gordeno for His Master's Voice.^[16]