“Puttin’ On the Ritz” is a song written by Irving Berlin. He wrote it in May 1927 and first published it on December 2, 1929. It was introduced by Harry Richman and chorus in the musical film Puttin’ On The Ritz (1930). According to The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin, this was the first song in film to be sung by an interracial ensemble.The title derives from the slang expression “to put on the Ritz”, meaning to dress very fashionably. This expression was itself inspired by the opulent Ritz Hotel in London.
The song is in AABA, with a verse. The central device in the A section is the use of delayed rhythmic resolution: a staggering, off-balance passage, emphasized by the unorthodox stresses in the lyric, suddenly resolves satisfyingly on a held note, followed by the forceful assertion of the title phrase. The marchlike B section, which is only barely syncopated, acts as a contrast to the previous rhythmic complexities. According to Alec Wilder, in his study of American popular song, for him, the rhythmic pattern in “Puttin’ On the Ritz” is “the most complex and provocative I have ever come upon.”
The original version of Berlin’s song included references to the then-popular fad of flashily dressed but poor black Harlemites parading up and down Lenox Avenue, “Spending ev’ry dime / For a wonderful time”. In the United Kingdom, the song was popularized through the BBC’s radio broadcasts of Joe Kaye’s Band performing it at The Ritz Hotel restaurant in the 1930s. The song was featured with the original lyrics in the 1939 film Idiot’s Delight, where it was performed by Clark Gable and chorus. For the film Blue Skies (1946), where it was performed by Fred Astaire, Berlin revised the lyrics to apply to affluent whites strutting “up and down Park Avenue”. This second version was published after being registered for copyright in August 1946.
The song was featured in the 1974 Mel Brooks horror/comedy Young Frankenstein. The song is performed by Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his monster (Peter Boyle).
In 1982, singer Taco released a synth-pop cover version as a single from his album After Eight, released on Polydor of Germany. The single was accompanied by a music video, the original version of which contains characters in blackface and has since been banned from many networks. An alternative version eliminates many shots of the blackface characters, though some remain. The single was a global hit, reaching No. 1 on Cashbox as well as No. 4 on the Billboard chart, making Irving Berlin, then 95, the oldest ever living songwriter to have one of his compositions enter the top ten. It was certified gold for selling over one million copies. It was Taco’s only hit in the United States. This version of the song was ranked No. 53 in VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80’s special.
Our final selection is a creative collaboration between Herb Alpert, artist Glenn Kaino and filmmaker Afshin Shahidi with choreographers Napoleon & Tabitha D’umo from So You Think You Can Dance and produced by Kerith Lemon. One long camera shot follows the lead dancer on a musical journey motivating everyone to join the promenade. The music has an undeniable charm and that coupled with an energetic and intricate dance routine creates a magical pied-piper like scene illustrating the energy and delight of the popular song.
