From 1966 until his death, he led a successful big band in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned from their peak in the 1930s and 40s. He received no formal drum instruction and went so far as to claim that instruction would only degrade his natural talent. He also never admitted to practicing. He claimed to play the drums only during performances and was not known to read music. His most popular performance was a big band arrangement of the Leonard Bernstein classic West Side Story. In the early 1970s he commented upon how odious he found the emerging Mormon boy band, The Osmonds, especially Donny Osmond. Later he would sometimes be seen performing wearing a Donny Osmond badge on his lapel. One of his most seen television performances was in a 1981 episode [1] of The Muppet Show, where he engaged Muppet drummer "Animal" in a drum battle. Beginning in 1962, he was also a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. It has been reported that Rich gave Carson a drumset sponsored by Matthew Scott Herning Co, as Carson was a practicing drummer in his spare time.
Although Rich was usually a helpful and friendly man, he was also known to have a short temper. In many instances, he took advantage of the high respect he commanded. While he threatened many times to fire members of his band, he seldom actually did so and for the most part, he lauded his band members during television and print interviews. Rich's quick temper, mercurial attitude, and imposing personality are attested to in secret recordings members of his band made of some of his tantrums on tour buses and backstage.
On these recordings, one can hear Buddy Rich firing a member of his band for wearing a beard.
Buddy Rich remained active until the end of his life, appearing with his Big Band on Michael Parkinson's British talk show Parkinson only a few weeks prior to his death. In the episode, Parkinson kidded Rich about his Donny Osmond kick, by claiming that Rich was the president of Osmonds fan club. Reportedly, prior to heart surgery, when asked by a nurse if he was allergic to anything he replied, "Yes ... country music!" He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Since Rich's death, a number of memorial concerts have been held. In 1994, the Rich tribute album Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich was released. Produced by Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, the album features performances of Rich live staples by a number of famous rock and jazz drummers, all accompanied by the Buddy Rich Big Band. A second volume was issued in 1997.
On Broadway
Buddy Rich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On Broadway
They say there's always magic in the air
But when you're walkin' down that street
And you ain't have enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere
They say the women treat you fine
But lookin' at them just gives me the blues
How ya gonna make some time
When all you got is one thin dime
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes
They say that I won't last too long
On Broadway
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home they all say
But they get wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
I won't quit till I'm a star
On Broadway
On Broadway
On Broadway
Buddy Rich's "On Broadway" is a song that acknowledges the glamour associated with the iconic street and its entertainment scene, and yet, at the same time, it sheds light on the harsh reality for those who are trying to make something out of themselves. The song starts with a jubilant line - "They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway" - highlighting how Broadway represents a world of opportunities for artists that dream of fame and fortune. However, as the song progresses, the lyrics take a sadder turn. The singer reveals the ugly side of the city - "But when you're walkin' down that street And you ain't have enough to eat The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere." The glamorous facade of Broadway disappears when there is not enough money to go around.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that while the women may treat you fine, it all becomes meaningless when you can't afford to make the most of the opportunities available to you. The line, "How ya gonna make some time When all you got is one thin dime And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes," is an example of how even the smallest of things, which may seem trivial, are not achievable when you don't have the resources to do so.
In the final verse, the singer makes a declaration that he won't be beaten down by the cruel reality of Broadway. He won't be just another soul that gets lost in the city. Instead, he will work hard, hone his skills as a guitarist and make it big. The words, "I won't quit till I'm a star On Broadway" show how the dream of achieving greatness on Broadway is still very much alive.
Line by Line Meaning
They say the neon lights are bright
The common opinion is that the lights are bright on Broadway
On Broadway
Broadway is the destination being referred to
They say there's always magic in the air
People believe that there's always an enchanting atmosphere on Broadway
But when you're walkin' down that street
However, when one actually walks down the street
And you ain't have enough to eat
And when one is hungry
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere
The charm fades away quickly and one feels lost and hopeless
They say the women treat you fine
People suggest that the women are lovely on Broadway
But lookin' at them just gives me the blues
However, looking at them only makes me sad
How ya gonna make some time
How can one find time for anything else
When all you got is one thin dime
When one only has a small amount of money
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes
And that small amount of money isn't even enough to care for oneself
They say that I won't last too long
People think that I won't survive for long
On Broadway
On Broadway
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home they all say
They all think I'll return home by a Greyhound bus
But they get wrong, I know they are
However, they're wrong because I know better
'Cause I can play this here guitar
Because I am skilled at playing the guitar
I won't quit till I'm a star
I won't give up until I become famous
On Broadway
On Broadway
On Broadway
On Broadway
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL, JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Marowitz
LP side A:
"Three Day Sucker" (Lofgreen) – 6:50
"Tommy Medley" (Townshend) – 11:55
"Eyesight to the Blind"
"Champagne"
"See Me, Feel Me"
"Miracle Cure"
"Listening to You"
LP side B:
"On Broadway" (Mann, Weil, Leiber, Stoller) – 3:48
"Pieces of Dreams" (Legrand) – 4:30
"Ease On Down the Road" (Smalls) – 3:30
"West Side Story [medley] '75" (Bernstein, Sondheim) – 5:27
bonus tracks added to 2003 CD re-issue (P-Vine, Japan):
"Three Day Sucker" arranged by Lofgreen
"Tommy" Medley arranged by Michael Longo
"On Broadway" arranged by Dave Marowitz
"Pieces of Dream" arranged by Richard Lieb
"Ease on Down the Road" arranged by David Berger
"West Side Story" Medley arranged by Bill Reddie
Steve Stalzle
This version swings. TURN IT UP.
pinball1970
There is another version with not so much reverb I am sure
Rich Grossman
arranged by Dave Marowitz. Buddy never paid him for it.