Is This the Way to Amarillo
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"Is This the Way to Amarillo" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, referring to Amarillo, Texas. It is about a man travelling to Amarillo to find his fiancée. The reason that Amarillo was chosen for the song was because it was the only place name that Sedaka could think of that rhymed with "willow" and "pillow". Musically, it is in the key of A major and in a time signature of 4/4 (common).
Although written by two Americans about an American city, the song became famous in the United Kingdom and around Europe, and remains generally unknown in the United States.
The song was recorded by Tony Christie and released in the UK in November 1971, initially reaching number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. However, it was a substantially bigger hit at that time across Continental Europe, notably in Germany and Spain where it made number one. In Germany, the song's chorus is widely adapted as a chant by football and hockey fans even today. Following its re-issue in 2005 - when it reached number one in the UK - the song gained even greater popularity. In 2006 it was played at the World Cup Final in Berlin and was also played by The Central Band of the Royal British Legion on Centre Court at Wimbledon before the start of the Men's Singles final.
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[edit] Cover versions, re-issues etc.
The Dutch singer Albert West covered the song in 2005, making the Dutch charts. After the successful re-release of the song in the UK, Tony Christie re-recorded it with the Hermes House Band; this version charted in Germany in 2005.
[edit] Peter Kay
In 2002, Tony Christie's version was used in the British comedy series Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights. The song was re-released on 14 March 2005 to raise money for the Comic Relief charity, with an accompanying video where Peter Kay mimed the song accompanied by various celebrities including Shakin' Stevens, Shaun Ryder, Bez, Michael Parkinson, Heather Mills McCartney, Danny Baker, Ronnie Corbett, Mr Blobby, Jim Bowen, lookalikes of Cliff Richard and Mahatma Ghandi, William Roache, Anne Kirkbride, Jimmy Savile, Bernie Clifton, Keith Harris and Orville the duck, Sooty, Sweep, Brian May, Roger Taylor and Tony Christie himself. The video consists almost entirely of Kay walking towards the camera flanked by different pairings of the celebrities, in front of increasingly bizarre and unlikely backgrounds. This time the song reached number 1 in the UK chart and remained there for 7 weeks selling over a million copies, becoming the UK's best-selling single of 2005.
During its 2005 success the song was credited in chart rundowns and other media appearances to "Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay". However Kay does not appear on the record, since it is a re-issue of the 1971 version and not a re-recording.
BBC One's This Week used this parody of Kay's video, starring presenter Andrew Neil, for its opening titles in the run-up to the 2005 election.
On 13 May 2005, another spoof video of the song made by the Royal Dragoon Guards stationed in Iraq was emailed so frequently it crashed a server at the Ministry of Defence. The spoof was entitled "Is This The Way To Armadillo [sic]", and is visible here and here. The "Peter Kay" character is credited as "Lucky Pierre", a joke reference to three-in-a-bed gay sex.
On 6 Aug 2006, Riverton Rover Crew also did an award winning spoof of the Tony Christie video available here.
On 2 July 2005, Peter Kay, joined by the crowd, sang an excerpt of this song a cappella, before introducing The Who at Live 8's London concert.
[edit] English Football
The English Football team, Bolton Wanderers F.C. (Peter Kay's hometown club) have had Amarillo as their 'Goal' song since the 2004/05 Premier League season (although I Feel Good is still used on occasion). The song is also frequently used by Christie's local side, Doncaster Rovers F.C.
FC Amarillo is an English non league football team from Chelmsford, Essex, set up in November 2004 having heard the song on 'Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere' and wailing it to an 'impressed' Edinburgh public after a night out.
[edit] Boxing
British boxer Amir Khan used the song when he was walking to the ring in his last amateur fight against Mario Kindelan which took place in Bolton.
[edit] Others
In the United States a version by Neil Sedaka made number 44 in the Billboard charts in 1977.
Other artists to have recorded the song include Daniel O'Donnell, Albert West, James Last, Joe Loss and his Orchestra, and the thrash metal band Brainstorm.
A spoof version "Is This The Way To Santa's Grotto?" was a Christmas UK Top 40 hit in 2005, and Christie himself re-recorded the song as "Is This The Way To The World Cup?" to coincide with England's World Cup campaign in 2006. This version reached #8 in the UK charts.
| Preceded by: "All About You/You've Got A Friend" by McFly |
UK number one single March 26, 2005 - May 13, 2005 |
Succeeded by: "Lonely" by Akon |
