🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

What male singer that recorded a cover of "Putting on the Ritz" in 1982 shares the same name as a food dish?

Correct Answer: D) Taco

🎶 Irving Berlin's 'Puttin' On the Ritz' Revived as 80s Synth-Pop Hit by Taco

In 1982, Dutch musician Taco released a synth-pop cover of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' On the Ritz" as a single from his album After Eight. This track was distributed by Polydor in Europe and by RCA in the United States. The music video for the single sparked controversy due to the presence of characters in blackface, leading to its ban on numerous networks. An alternative version of the video was created, which removed most but not all instances of blackface.

Taco's cover integrates musical references to other Berlin classics, including "Always," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and "White Christmas." It also nods to "Broadway Rhythm" from the musical Broadway Melody of 1936.

The single achieved worldwide success, topping the Cash Box charts and reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This milestone made Irving Berlin, then 95, the oldest living songwriter to have a top ten hit. The song sold over a million copies in the U.S., earning a gold certification from the RIAA. Despite this success, it was Taco's only hit in the United States. The song was also ranked No. 53 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s."

Internationally, "Puttin' On the Ritz" topped the charts in Sweden and New Zealand and reached the top five in Australia, Norway, Austria, and Canada.

Originally written by Berlin in 1927 and published in 1929, "Puttin' On the Ritz" was introduced by Harry Richman in the 1930 film of the same name. The phrase "to put on the Ritz" refers to dressing fashionably, inspired by the luxurious Ritz Hotel in London. In its initial period of popularity, notable recordings were made by Harry Richman and Fred Astaire, with Richman's version becoming a best-seller in America.

The song saw renewed popularity in 1974 with a performance by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle in the film Young Frankenstein, which ranked 84th on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 movie songs.

Musically, "Puttin' On the Ritz" is structured in an AABA form with a complex rhythmic pattern that has been praised for its ingenuity. The original lyrics depicted the fashion-conscious, yet economically disadvantaged black community in Harlem, while a later version revised by Berlin in 1946 focused on affluent white New Yorkers.