Then, depending on the version, the next image on the TV is either a blank screen or the logo of the network or TV show the video was on.

Subsequently, the song was missing from the setlist during Joel's 1994 'River of Dreams' tour.ĭifferent versions of the music video opening were produced, in which an auto mechanic is watching the end of Joel's previous hit 'Tell Her About It' on a small TV. Joel and Brinkley married in 1985 and divorced in 1994. The title character in the music video was played by Christie Brinkley. The song also has the uncommon feature of changing key from the original two times before giving back, for a total of three keys.Ĭovers of this song have been performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Aaron Carter, Weezer and most notably in 2001 by Irish boy band Westlife, again reaching #1 in the UK, though this time for only one week, whereas Joel's version spent five weeks at the top of the charts. The style of music, including the doo-wop beat, the close harmonies and Joel's frequent use of falsetto singing, is reminiscent of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

It peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts in the US, and #1 in the UK in 1988, Rolling Stone ranked 'Uptown Girl' #99 on their list of the 100 most important singles of the period 1963-1988. The song was first released in 1983 on his album An Innocent Man. His first attempt at the song had the lyrics, 'Uptown girls, I've been around the world.' The music was more of a classical piece when it started. Joel thanked his creator for his good fortune, and began dating Elle. 'Uptown Girl' is a song performed by musician Billy Joel, whose lyrics deal with a working-class 'downtown man' attempting to woo a wealthy 'uptown girl'.Īccording to the Uptown Girl Songfacts, Joel explained to Howard Stern that he was on vacation in the Caribbean when he was playing the piano, looked up, and saw Elle McPherson, Christie Brinkley and Whitney Houston (who was more a model than a musician at that point) standing over his piano in wonderment watching him play.

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