Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley (1931-1999) was a prominent British singer, songwriter, and actor known for his contributions to musical theater and popular music. Born in London and evacuated during World War II, Newley began his performing career at a young age, quickly rising to fame as a child actor in films such as "Oliver Twist" (1948). He made notable strides in theater, with significant works including "Stop the World—I Want to Get Off" (1961) and "The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd" (1965), both co-written with Leslie Bricusse. Newley was celebrated for his flamboyant performance style and emotional delivery, often incorporating his Cockney accent into his work, which helped redefine the acceptance of regional accents in popular music.
His musical legacy includes iconic songs like "The Candy Man," from the film adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which achieved critical and commercial success. Throughout his career, Newley released over thirty albums and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989. His innovative approach to musical theater paved the way for future productions, influencing a generation of artists, including David Bowie. Newley's impact on both the British pop scene and musical theater remains significant, celebrated for his ability to blend storytelling with compelling music.
Anthony Newley
- Born: September 24, 1931
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: April 14, 1999
- Place of death: Jensen Beach, Florida
English popular music and musical-theater songwriter and lyricist
Newley was noted for his Cockney-accented song style and his clever musical comedies with groundbreaking production values that introduced the concept musical.
The Life
George Anthony Newley (NEW-lee), born in London on September 24, 1931, was evacuated during the Blitz, when the Germans were bombing London in World War II. He was cared for by George Pescud, a retired music hall performer, who introduced Newley to performing. In 1946, three weeks after enrolling at the Italia Conti Stage School, he was hired to star in The Adventures of Dusty Bates (1947). His next two films, Vice Versa (1948) and Oliver Twist (1948), made him a child star. Newley also worked in the theater, making his 1955 West End debut and his 1956 Broadway debut in Cranks, a musical revue. In 1959 the ballad “I’ve Waited So Long,” from the film Idle on Parade (1959) starring Newley as an Elvis Presley-type soldier, was released, catapulting him to the top of the British pop charts.
His most important work came in 1961, when Stop the World—I Want to Get Off opened in London. This was followed by 1965’s The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd. Both shows were cowritten with Leslie Bricusse.
As a popular nightclub singer, Newley performed all around the world. He released more than thirty albums during his lifetime, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989. He died of cancer in 1999.
The Music
Newley’s major achievements came in collaboration with Bricusse. Together they wrote the books and scores for two major Broadway musicals and the songs for various films and other productions. Newley, who performed in these shows, was a renowned song stylist. His flamboyant and emotional style and his real-life Cockney accent made him a successful nightclub performer. For years he headlined in Las Vegas alongside Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, and in 1977 he was named Las Vegas Male Musical Star of the Year. Many of his songs went on to be standards, sung by new generations of singers. In 1989 he was inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame, the fourth Englishman to be so honored.
Stop the World—I Want to Get Off.Newley cowrote this musical comedy with collaborator Bricusse. Although Newley is often credited with the lyrics and Bricusse with the score, the tasks were shared. The show was a look at the dangers of reaching for fame and riches instead of valuing the treasures already in your life. The main character, Littlechap, begins his career as a tea boy, marries the boss’s daughter, and starts to amass wealth and fame. Along the way, as he goes through the seven ages of man, he loses sight of what really matters to him: the love of his wife. The show opened in London in 1961, starring Newley as Littlechap, in clown makeup, and Anna Quayle playing all the female roles. Many felt that the show owed its great success, running for 485 performances, to its startling and groundbreaking production. There were almost no sets, although it looked vaguely like a circus. David Merrick mounted the show on Broadway in 1962, and it ran for 555 performances. Three songs are considered standards: “Gonna Build a Mountain,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “What Kind of Fool Am I?” Nominated for five Tony Awards, it won only one, best actress for Quayle.
The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd.Following their success, Newley and Bricusse wrote a second musical, an allegory about the British class system. Newley, as Cocky, the lower-class character who plays by the rules, is always losing out to Sir, from the upper class, who changes the rules of engagement so that no matter what the situation Cocky can never succeed. A third character, Kid, a young man trying to emulate Sir, helps to keep Cocky downtrodden. The show was supposed to play in London, but early performances were not popular. However, Merrick saw the show in Liverpool, and he brought it to the United States. It toured the country before opening in New York in 1965, and it was a success, mostly because of its stars, Cyril Ritchard as Sir and Newley as Cocky. It ran for 232 performances. Many found the show too heavy-handed and tedious, and others disliked the British music hall style. It did introduce some famous songs: “A Day Like Today” and “Who Can I Turn To?” The show was nominated for six Tony Awards, but did not win any.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.Newley and Bricusse were asked to write the score for the 1971 film version of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964). The film and the music achieved cult status. A version of “The Candy Man,” the film’s major song, released by Sammy Davis, Jr., reached number one on the Billboard charts, and it became Davis’s signature song. The score was nominated for an Academy Award.
Musical Legacy
Newley’s legacy is twofold, as a composer and as an interpreter of music. His contribution as a composer-lyricist lies in the avant-garde nature of his two well-known musicals. By helping to create the concept musical and doing away with elaborate sets, he led the way for shows such as Cabaret (1966), Hair (1967), and A Chorus Line (1975). As a performer, Newley had quite an impact on British pop singers. Newley had a pronounced Cockney accent, which he never tried to conceal. His great success on the charts in the early 1960’s persuaded other singers that they, too, could sing in their natural voices and be accepted in both England and America. In 2006 David Bowie acknowledged Newley’s influence on his career, saying that Newley was the first singer he had ever heard sing pop with a British accent.
Principal Works
film score:Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971 (with Leslie Bricusse).
musical theater (music, lyrics, and libretto): Stop the World—I Want to Get Off, 1961 (with Bricusse); The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd, 1965 (with Bricusse).
Principal Recordings
albums:Idle on Paradise, 1959; Love Is a Now and Then Thing, 1960; Tony, 1961; In My Solitude, 1964; Who Can I Turn To?, 1965; The Genius of Anthony Newley, 1966; Newley Recorded, 1966; Anthony Newley Sings Songs from Doctor Doolittle, 1967; The Romantic World of Anthony Newley, 1969; For You, 1970; Pure Imagination, 1971; Ain’t It Funny, 1972; Mr. Personality, 1985; Too Much Woman, 1992.
Bibliography
Bardsley, Garth. Stop the World: The Biography of Anthony Newley. London: Oberon Books, 2004. A major biographical study of Newley explores his personal and professional life.
Bricusse, Leslie. The Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley Songbook. New York: Cherry Lane Music, 1996. Primarily a collection of lyrics and song arrangements, this contains Bricusse’s reminiscences about Newley and details about their collaborations.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Music Man: The Autobiography of the Genius Behind the World’s Best-Loved Musicals. London: John Blake, 2006. Bricusse’s autobiography discusses his collaborations with Newley.
Cooper, B. Lee. “Wise Men Never Try: A Discography of Fool Songs, 1945-1995.” Popular Music and Society 21 (1997). This article analyzes the concept of the fool in pop songs, including “What Kind of Fool Am I?”
Stuart, Mel, and Josh Young. Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2002. This book has a chapter on the creation of the Newley-Bricusse score for the film.