B-side Ever Lovin' Sam Format 7 inch, 12 inch | Released 1977 (1977) Genre Disco | |
Recorded 1977
House Of Music, West Orange, New Jersey Length 3:29
5:35 (Disco version) | ||
"Native New Yorker" is a disco song written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell. It was first recorded in 1977 by Frankie Valli and released on his album "Lady Put The Light Out". Later in 1977 the song became a hit single for the soul dance band Odyssey, which reached No. 3 on the U.S. disco chart. Odyssey's "Native New Yorker" also went to No. 6 on the soul chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.
Odyssey recorded the song at House of Music, a private recording studio on Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey. Jeffrey Kawalek was the recording and mix engineer. Jim Bonnefond assisted on many sessions. Studio owner Charlie Conrad did additional engineering, and added additional instrumental solos to the original mixes to create extended dance versions.
It was also recorded by Esther Phillips in 1978, and Black Box in 1998.
The song was later sampled by Rich Cronin's band, Loose Cannons, for their song "New York City Girls," as well as the house music group, Kluster, in their song featuring Ron Carroll, entitled "My Love".
The tenor saxophone solo is played by Michael Brecker.
In popular culture
The song is featured in an episode of Good Times, "That's Entertainment, Evans Style" (1978), as well as the films Eyes of Laura Mars (1978); 54 (1998); A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006); The Nanny Diaries (2007), and a commercial for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014). It also served as background music towards the end of the preliminary swimsuit segment of the 1981 Miss Universe pageant in New York City.