New York State of Mind
| "New York State of Mind" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Billy Joel from the album Turnstiles | |
| Released | 1976 |
| Recorded | Ultra Sonic Studio in Hempstead, NY |
| Length | 5:58 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel |
| Producer(s) | Billy Joel |
"New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel which initially appeared on the album Turnstiles in 1976. Although it was never a hit song and was never released as a single, it has become a fan favorite and a song that Joel plays regularly in concert. Joel famously played the song at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit concert for the New York City Fire and Police Departments and the loved ones of families of first responders lost during the terrorist attack on New York City on 9/11. He reprised that theme, playing it during his set at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12, 2012, where he changed lyrics to include the likes of "Breezy Point."
In 2004, it was announced that Joel had agreed to write two children's books for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher. The first book was entitled Goodnight, My Angel (A Lullabye). The second book was entitled New York State of Mind and is illustrated by the artist Izak. The large picture book comes with a CD of the song, the disc is illustrated with a picture of the Empire State Building by Izak.
Joel wrote the song after returning to the East Coast from Los Angeles, where he had spent the previous three years. In fact, most of Turnstiles deals with Joel's cross-country relocation, including "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", "I've Loved These Days", "Summer, Highland Falls", and "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)."
The inspiration for the song came from his pride in returning home to New York. Joel was literally "takin' a Greyhound [bus] on the Hudson River Line [route]" when the idea for the song came to him, and the song was written as soon as Joel arrived home.
There are three studio versions of the song. The original version featured Richie Cannata on saxophone and appeared on the original Turnstiles album. Cannata's saxophone part was replaced by a Phil Woods saxophone part on the Greatest Hits Volume I & II album. This new version appeared on the Turnstiles CD reissue in 1998. The Quadrophonic LP release differs from both the original release & Greatest Hits version.
...
Wikipedia