Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
originally for the 1971 musical ''
Follies
''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.
The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...
'' for the character of a former
showgirl
A showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way of revealing clothing, toplessness, or nudity.
History
Showgirls date back to the late 180 ...
, Sally Durant Plummer. The song became a popular top ten hit for singer and actress
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
in 1989 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and in Europe. "Losing My Mind" has been covered by many artists over the years.
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of ''Follies''." ''Follies'', 1971 Broadway Production" SondheimGuide.com, accessed June 7, 2011 Other performers who have sung the song in later productions of ''Follies'' include
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...
Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie (born November 16, 1942) is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on ...
(1998),
Judith Ivey
Judith Lee Ivey (born September 4, 1951) is an American actress and theatre director. She has twice won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play: for ''Steaming'' (1981) and '' Hurlyburly'' (1984). She has also appeared in several film ...
(2001),
Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, musical theatre singer and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her soprano voice can also be heard on innu ...
(2007),
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...
(2011) and
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre prod ...
(2017).
The song was written as a
torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affect ...
for the character of Sally to sing in the "Loveland" portion of the musical. The song "expresses her preoccupation with Ben, her idealized lover...With infinite attention to detail, Sondheim leads Sally from sunrise to sleepless night, revealing that every second of her existence is defined by her longing...the number ...explores the extent to which she has lost herself in this make-believe world of undying desire." As originally staged, Sally comes onstage in a "clinging, beaded silver" dress, holding a microphone.Goodhart, Sando "The End of Ever After" ''Reading Stephen Sondheim; A Collection of Critical Essays'', Taylor & Francis, 2000, , p. 23 The "cute" Sally from Phoenix "has become a languid torch singer." She repeats her lines, reflecting "the paralysis about which she sings...the phrase 'It's like I'm losing my mind' occurs no less than six times."
In the first literary resume of his career, ''Finishing the Hat'', Sondheim reveals that the song is a
pastiche
A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking i ...
of
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
and
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, the most successful version has been by American singer and actress
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
, reaching number six. In Ireland, Minnelli's version reached number two. It was the lead single from her 1989 studio album, ''Results'', produced by
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...
and
Julian Mendelsohn
Julian Mendelsohn is an Australian record producer, audio engineer and mixer.
Early life
After completing school in Australia, Mendelsohn moved to the United Kingdom. He secured his first job in 1974 at Milner Sound Fulham Rd. Chelsea, run b ...
. The 12" release peaked at number eleven on the ''Billboard'' Maxi Singles Sales chart. It also peaked at number twenty-six on the American dance chart.
The Pet Shop Boys demo version of "Losing My Mind" (which has
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and ...
singing the vocal) was later remixed and released as a B-side on the Pet Shop Boys' single, "
Jealousy
Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.
Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...
". This demo version contains a scream that Minnelli opted not to include on her release. The Pet Shop Boys also performed the song as part of their 2022 tours ''Dreamworld'' in Europe and ''Unity Tour'' (with New Order) in the United States.https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2022/10/11/new-order-pet-shop-boys-paul-oakenfold-thrive-despite-cold-temps-as-unity-tour-hits-chicago/
Track listings
* 7" Epic / ZEE 1 (UK)
# "Losing My Mind" (7" mix) – 4:09
# "Tonight Is Forever" – 5:03
* also released on MC (ZEE M1)
* 12" Epic / ZEE T1 (UK)
# "Losing My Mind" (extended mix) – 7:01
# "Losing My Mind" (7" mix) – 4:09
# "Tonight Is Forever" – 5:03
* also available on CD (ZEE C1)
* 12" Epic / 49-68858 (US)
# "Losing My Mind" (extended remix) – 7:01
# "Losing My Mind" (7" mix) – 4:09
# "Losing My Mind" (Ultimix) – 7:32
# "Losing My Mind" (Ultimix dub) – 5:07
Charts
See also
*
List of performances on Top of the Pops
__NOTOC__
This list of performances on ''Top of the Pops'' is a chronological account of popular songs performed by recording artists and musical ensembles on ''Top of the Pops'', a weekly BBC One television programme that featured artists f ...