Copacabana (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Copacabana (At The Copa)"

Single by Barry Manilow
from the album Even Now
B-side(s)	A Linda Song
Released	1978
Genre	Disco
Length	4:08
Label	Arista Records
Writer(s)	Jack Feldman/Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman
Producer(s)	Ron Dante, Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow singles chronology
"Even Now" (1978)	"Copacabana" (1978)	"Ready To Take A Chance Again" (1978)

Copacabana is a 1978 disco song, sung by Barry Manilow, and written by Jack Feldman, Barry Manilow, and Bruce Sussman. It is also known as At the Copa after the first few words of the refrain. It debuted on Billboard magazine's Top 40 chart on July 7, 1978, and peaked at #8. It peaked at #42 in the UK the same year 1978. A remixed version of the song peaked at #22 in 1993.

The song is named after its setting, the New York City nightclub Copacabana, and tells the story of Lola, a showgirl, and her lover Tony, a barman at the club.

The recording was used as incidental music in the 1978 movie Foul Play, which starred Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.

In 1985, Manilow starred in a CBS television special virtually bringing the song to life as a musical. It was recently revived in the West End, London.

[edit] Cover Versions

A parody cover version by the name of Star Wars Cantina was performed by Mark Jonathan Davis (often confused with Weird Al Yankovic).

A parody cover version by the name of His Name Is Lancelot was performed in the 2005 musical Spamalot.

A Jamaican steel drum band that only knew how to play Copacabana made a number of appearances on The Super Dave Osborne Show, always replacing the never seen "Super Dave Band", who were always at a bar mitzvah on their scheduled day to appear on the show.

Shirley Bassey Also Covered The Song Copacabana In 1979, On The Double AA Side Single This Is My Life.

John Pinette makes a brief appearance in the movie Duets in order to sing a cover of this song as part of a karaoke competition.

[edit] Trivia

The song has become well-known by pro-wrestling fans as the entrance music to wrestling superstar Colt Cabana.

Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos named their daughter Lola after the showgirl in the song.^{[citation needed]}

Kid Russel does a remix version of the song as the entrance theme of the professional wrestler Colt Cabana.

Jennifer Aniston sings the song in an episode of Friends entitled "The One With Barry and Mindy's Wedding". After Aniston (in character as Rachel Greene) encourages the rest of the cast to sing along, the lines "Across a crowded floor, they worked from eight 'til four/They were young and they had each other, who could ask for more?" are missed out.