"Say Goodbye to Hollywood" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel, first released in 1976 on his album Turnstiles. It was originally released in the United States as the B-side to "I've Loved These Days" before being re-released a month later as an A-side single with "Stop in Nevada" as the B-side.[1] However, the song achieved greater recognition in 1981 when a live version from Songs in the Attic was released as a single, with the live version of "Summer, Highland Falls" as a B-side. Joel wrote the song after moving back to New York City in 1975; he had previously relocated to Los Angeles in 1972 in an attempt to get out of an onerous record deal. The man who represents this song on the Turnstiles album is the man wearing sunglasses and holding a suitcase.

"Say Goodbye to Hollywood"
Cover art for the 1981 single version
Single by Billy Joel
from the album Turnstiles and Songs in the Attic
A-side	"I've Loved These Days"
B-side	"Stop In Nevada" (1976) "Summer, Highland Falls" (1981)
Released	1976, 1981
Recorded	1976 at Ultrasonic Recording Studios, Hempstead, NY June 1980 at Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:38 3:53 (Single version) 4:25 (Songs in the Attic version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Billy Joel
Producer(s)	Billy Joel (Single version) Phil Ramone (Songs in the Attic version)
Billy Joel singles chronology
"Sometimes a Fantasy" (1980) "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" (1981) "She's Got a Way (Live)" (1981)
Alternative cover
Cover art for the 1976 single

Production and influence

Joel has stated in his university lectures that he wrote the song with Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes song "Be My Baby" in mind.[1][2] Indeed, Joel notes that the two songs share a very similar beat, recycling the iconic drum intro of "Be My Baby".[3] The song's production was also specifically modeled on the "Wall of Sound" production method of her ex-husband Phil Spector, who produced "Be My Baby" in that manner. The song utilized a backing band throughout the track, with new instrumental layers appearing throughout the song, such as backup singers in the refrain and strings starting from the second verse. However, whether this effect had been achieved was in dispute, with biographer Mark Bego claiming it was successful in this regard, while music critic Stephen Holden disagreed.[4] Recognizing Joel's tribute, Ronnie Spector recorded her own cover version of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" in 1977 with the E Street Band, soon after Joel released his first recording of the song on Turnstiles.

Covers

• Bette Midler recorded a cover for her album Broken Blossom (1977).
• As previously noted, Ronnie Spector and the E Street Band released their version of "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" as a single in 1977.
• Nigel Olsson released a version of the song as a single in 1978, but it did not chart.[5]

Charts

References