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Downtown (song)




Literally thirty minutes before the song was scheduled to be recorded, Hatch was completing the lyrics. "Downtown" was released in late 1964 and became a best seller in English , French , Italian , and German versions, topping music charts worldwide and introducing Clark to the American record-buying public. She continued her success in the United States with a string of fifteen consecutive Top 40 hits.

Following the September 11, 2001 Attacks , New York City adopted "Downtown" as the theme song for a series of commercials encouraging tourism to lower Manhattan . The song has been used by other metropolitan areas — including Chicago , Indianapolis , and Singapore — for promotional purposes, as well.


INTERNATIONAL CHART POSITIONS


  • United States (1)

  • Germany (1)

  • Canada (1)

  • Rhodesia (1)

  • Italy (1) (Italian version "Ciao Ciao")

  • South Africa (1)

  • United Kingdom (2)

  • Holland (3)

  • India (3)

  • Australia (4)

  • France (6) (French version "Dans Le Temps")

  • Belgium (11 in English, 18 in French)



AWARDS


  • Grammy Award for "Best Rock and Roll Song" of 1964

  • Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Song of the Year" 1964

  • Silver Record (1964) Awarded for 250,000 UK sales

  • Gold Record (1965) Awarded for One Million UK sales

  • Gold Record (1965) Awarded for One Million US sales

  • '' Cash Box '' International Gold Award (1965)

  • Radio Caroline Bell Award (UK) (1965)

  • Grammy Hall Of Fame (2003)



APPEARANCE IN POPULAR CULTURE


The song was used in " The Bottle Deposit, Part 1 " episode of '' Seinfeld '', where Jerry and George are discussing the meaning of Mr.Whilhelm's instructions (part of some important project that George is in charge of): "Everything you need... is downtown".

The song also was used in episode 272 ("Uncle Charley's Aunt") of the television series, '' My Three Sons ''. Originally aired on February 17, 1968, the episode had Tina Cole as Katie singing the popular song with the rest of the Douglas family. They then decide to perform the song at Uncle Charley's local lodge when he's forced to put together a matinee performance, but all but one member of the family ends up not being able to attend.

In '' The Simpsons '' episode " Homer's Barbershop Quartet ", Groundskeeper Willie sings a Scottish version of it (calling it "Doontoon") as an audition to sing in Homer's quartet.

In the movie '' Girl, Interrupted '', starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie , the girls at Claymoore sang it together.

In 1987 , The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (later to become better known as The KLF ) sampled larged chunks of "Downtown" to make their new single "Down town".


COVERS

The song has been covered numerous times since Clark's chart-topping recording of the song, the most successful cover being Dolly Parton 's 1984 recording of the song; it was a top-forty U.S. country hit for her, and crossed over the U.S. pop charts.


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