It’s Music Monday, and we all love a little piano music, right?
This week’s Music Monday has the distinction of being a classic, a gem rediscovered in a generation that was big on disco and short on everything else, and the oldest song featured on Music Monday. And it will probably remain such, because it is the oldest song I know.
It was also my Ballet class barre music when we did kicks. I would have loved to have danced to it some point, because it is a fun song!
“The Entertainer” has an interesting history. Originally composed in 1902 by Scott Joplin, it was sold as sheet music until it received its recording due in 1928 by the Blues Boys.
Now, flash forward 45 years, to 1973, when a ragtime revival (in the disco era, this just seems strange, don’t you think?), and a movie called The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford comes out.
Composer and pianist Marvin Hamlisch records the song for the movie…and it reaches #3 on the Billboard Pop chart…and #1 on the Easy Listening chart in 1974.
Not bad for a 71-year-old song!
I really like this song, it’s so much fun, and it seemed perfect for Music Monday. As I said, it was a song my Ballet class used for Barre exercises, but it seems like a great song for both Ballet and Tap.
I usually close out Music Monday with facts, but you already heard some of them. How about we close out on…the music?
For your listening pleasure, the 1973 verison of the 1902 song “The Entertainer!”
Have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!