Billy Joel -- New York State of Mind (The Mike Douglas Show, August 9, 1976)

Billy Joel performs "New York State of Mind" on The Mike Douglas Show, August 9, 1976.

[@snigelspot]

This song is not about New York. its just about loving your home town !

[@timothymarkin4481]

Lifelong Billy Joel fan and I’ve never seen this!

[@arned2493]

How can this gem of a song be 45 years old? It's up there with Sinatra's rendition of New York, New York. I love NYC.

[@carmelaszymanski8104]

ME TOO..💞🤗💖

[@GoonerBob42]

You're absolutely right, but have you heard Mel Torme's version of NYSOM? Absolutely beautiful!

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

A love letter to NYS and NYC. Thank you Mr Joel.

[@celesasheldon6931]

Alot of great people in NYC

[@celesasheldon6931]

Agreed on that

[@georgefirk5531]

Fantastic tune.I married a Brooklyn girl in 1979,and moved to New York from England!!!.

[@decacards5250]

He made Mike Douglas laugh, his suit was sharp, hair styled, Billy, so cool as always.

[@rustysworldofentertainment850]

And THAT, kids, is how you make music.

[@stephenreynolds6239]

Billy is a genius.fantastic musician.a great american

[@lucibjlb]

The most beautiful song ever.

[@jackaalucas]

*bohemian rhapsody

[@samdaniels1234]

Jack Lucas That’s an epic song, this one is beautiful

[@samglover4923]

@@jackaalucas *opinion

[@RoryVanucchi]

what a great performance and lyric. that's how he became a legend in the '70s before the pop stuff of the '80s. "The Stranger" album is a masterpiece.

[@CiggyRat]

The Stranger is an incredible album and Scenes might just be the most incredible song ever written

[@angelagarutti6118]

I'm gonna have to get this online I was born in late 76 and I only know him from 80s with Brinkley yet I ALWAYS felt he was a gem and I was in Jr high and we used his song in class to show how bad the world has changed thx babe

[@molley3268]

@@angelagarutti6118 "the eprid"?????

[@angelagarutti6118]

@@molley3268 omg it was to say world I swear Idk why things auto correct and to things that make no sense.

[@molley3268]

@@angelagarutti6118 I keep it switched off😄

[@colin_d_smith]

Thanks for all the comments. Yeah, Billy had some hair back in the day. Not like now! I noticed that most sheet music for this song doesn't include the intro, which I consider one of the best piano song intros ever. So I had a go at transcribing it. If anyone's interested, you can find my transcription along with some of my personal thoughts on the song on my blog: www.colindsmith.com/blog/2015/03/16/music-monday-new-york-state-of-mind/

[@srtjhsrzdfhkgdf9961]

アウトロのピアノと歌声、サックスが特に好きです。聴けてよかったです！ありがとうございます

[@janebailey8032]

Wow Billy really had a New York accent back then! Love it!!

[@janetives5470]

I’ve watching many clips recently. His accent has become more pronounced as he has gotten older. There are so many sides to him. I watched one recording of a show when he was young, and he had no accent (that I could hear). I’m in awe of him.

[@1960HikerDude]

Can you believe that was over 40 years ago?

[@amazed66]

Back when the old stuff was new.

[@alexallan-musicaaovivo500]

New Yorkers surprised me . They are kindest people .I miss NY.

[@carmelaszymanski8104]

I remember this. LOVE YOU MR.Joel. Then..and Now 2021

[@carmelaszymanski8104]

When This REAL GENTLEMAN PASSES INTO HEAVEN.. WE LOOSE ONE GREAT SOUL.. AND I WILL WEEP..

[@Chuzini]

This was recorded about nine months after then-President Ford gave a speech denying federal assistance to spare New York from bankruptcy. New York was in many ways a hellhole back then, yet clearly loved so deeply by so many people, then and now. What a timeless song, really, about nostalgia for a place you once lived in.

[@timerunner9164]

I was only six years old back then. I'm so glad I got to see all the talent!

[@arthays5327]

Same here! 70's/80's were the last stand for craft....and artist development.

[@SavoirRare]

The pure joy I used to feel watching every old clip of Billy and his old band performing is tempered now after learning that he fired the 3 most important members: his guitarist, bass player, and drummer, who you hear playing and singing on all of his chart-topping albums up until 1993's "The Bridge", and Liberty Devitto, the drummer, who stayed with him until 2005. I had no idea until the recent documentary "Hired Guns", that bassist Doug Stegmeyer actually shot and killed himself 2 years after his dismissal from the band. According to Devitto, no reason was given to any of them for their firing, and they all found out second-hand that they were let go. I guess what disturbs me most is that Joel's music was always sentimental, grounded in honesty, and his Long Island roots (including those of his bandmates) were always at the forefront of his concerts, and he had been performing with them all from such a young age. The fact that he could dismiss them all so casually (and not respond publicly to the allegations and be JUST as dismissive) really doesn't sit well with me. The success of those albums was made by the input and chemistry of all of those members, and to leave friendship and loyalty aside (Devitto had to SUE Joel for some money) seems to me the opposite of Joel's onstage persona. Growing up in Allentown, PA and having a longtime Long Island girlfriend probably doesn't help, but I expected much more from someone I've idolized nearly all of my life. Billy was right about one thing: Honesty is such a lonely word.

[@dylanjudge4974]

Savoir Rare why would u bother mate

[@kevinzhang3313]

You really don't know the circumstances of it, so you cannot judge.

[@danielmarra1555]

Savoir Rare it’s his band, he can hire and fire who he wants. It’s a business..

[@danielmarra1555]

Kevin Zhang , you are correct. According to Billy, too many egos started developing in the band. The band members were forgetting that It’s Billy’s songs, not theirs. So they added their touches, so does every band member. Doesn’t give them the right to take over his spotlight. He did what was needed.

[@1lllllllll1]

Rocket Man that’s complete bullshit. It’s highly collaborative work. Lennon needed McCarthey or it wouldn’t have been the Beatles. In business as in art, success often causes the poster child to think its their singular genius that made the success. Which is almost never the case. Even at Apple. With Tony Fadell gone, Jobs wasn’t able to deliver on his own vision any longer.

[@swilliams1759]

Saw him with Elton John in concert-they were fantastic, each in their own way! Both great entertainers!

[@seanswinton6242]

Thank you for posting this! I'm just old enough to remember this show and some of the musical guests. Billy Joel and Peter Frampton being the most famous.

[@docpelletier6630]

I was going to post something similar. Mike Douglass had a great love of music and invited great musicians of all types on the show. Do you remember the week when John Lennon and Yoko Ono were co-hosts for the whole week?

[@muraket81]

Still a beautiful song even if the audio is crappy.

[@עומרכהן-ו1ט]

Just WOW timeless masterpiece!!

[@markaberson484]

Billy Joel is a great singer piano plauet and

[@newyorkrat2546]

The voice of an angel. 🥰😇

[@Poguey2009]

This was my birthday, OMG!!!

[@lokisbuddy5165]

I wish LA had a song about it like this. I love this song, and it almost - almost - makes me wish I was a New Yorker! (Except that it's too darn cold, on the East Coast, and too near New Jersey, for starters lol)

[@manco828]

Los Angelonos

[@philflower7778]

Billy would always add Newsday too when doing shows at the Nassau Coliseum or MSG 🙂

[@stevek6518]

Pretty cool of Mike Douglas to present Billy like this

[@seanswinton6242]

I was a child when the Mike Douglas. Show was on. My grandmother used to watch it all of the time. As a Black child in a house of Blues, Soul, and Gospel with a bit of Country this was my foray into the Rock world. I began saxophone lessons back then as well. Ritchie Canata and Phil Woods were early players I learned to play. Most memorable Mike Douglas moment however, was watching Peter Frampton and his famous voice box. He sang "Show Me The Way and I thought right then, he was the coolest guitar player on the planet! It prepared me for his epic "Frampton Comes Alive!" I can't play guitar, but I can play Frampton's solos with variation on my sax.

[@kevinfitzmaurice4072]

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were on the Douglas show in 1972. According to Douglas, Lennon was apologetic about having to back out of another appearance shortly before he was killed in December 1980.

[@tropicalkitty1119]

He is so cute and talented. 😍💃🏼

[@newyorkrat2546]

Agreed. 🥰

[@tropicalkitty1119]

@@newyorkrat2546, Yeah, he has chubby little cheeks, doesn’t he. 🥰

[@mcfly4959]

he’s so handsome

[@tropicalkitty1119]

@@mcfly4959, He’s a sweetie, isn’t he? 🥰

[@tropicalkitty1119]

@@mcfly4959, He has a cute little nose, and his hair looks so soft and fluffy. 😊

[@aminsmith9657]

yes billy yes!!

[@SunWM99]

I love this

[@SK-jp2ok]

Thanks for this!

[@southernman22]

I am from the southeast not northeast but I love billy joel.

[@adelineschuyler4842]

my favorite song omgg

[@johnheart6890]

Absolutely fantastic!

[@lokisbuddy5165]

Jeez - the HAIR he had back then! Just like Peter Frampton, lol!

[@tropicalkitty1119]

Loki’s Buddy, his hair looks really soft. 😊

[@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288]

But check out the "Jewish afro" from earlier videos, maybe 1970s.

[@electriceyeslide5959]

Beautiful song…

[@danielhousset3210]

A marvel !

[@dfangirl72]

I was 4 yrs old .

[@wallysmith1819]

New York isn’t just NYC. We have a beautiful ocean and and a south and north shore people need to explore the whole State not just New York City

[@mercedespernas]

I've been to lots of parts of New York except Long Island and the Bronx After visiting twice and seeing the main cities l realized how beautiful NY is even though Matthatten has no beaches but a small terrain next to an ice cream shop. I do want to see the bays in Long Island hopefully in 2025. Going to Boston this year for my 46th bday.

[@Donatil-x7z]

Lindo❤pena que envelhecemos😂consequencia do pecado culpa da eva😂

[@thomasinacollins8003]

💕

[@johngalt1361]

Always thought Mark Rivera was an original, but he is tad bit younger, so it makes sense.

[@stevehampton1069]

I wonder what key he sung in that day compared to what key he sings it in now. :) Beautiful song...

[@howtodoitdude1662]

Original key is in C, probably plays it in B flat now.

[@carliebeau5329]

MASTER...

[@johnromanchuk4198]

I watched his 100th Madison Square Garden show and I think I like his "mature, maybe 1/2 step lower" voice better. He's a grandmaster musician and songwriter with few equals, ever - I Love and admire this guy.

[@TowGunner]

I always liked Richie Cannata better than Mark Rivera on sax.

[@dougmphilly]

i love this billy joel back in the day. mtv ruined him.

[@WolfStory]

ruined him? Lol! i'm sure his 5 Grammy's, lifetime achievement, star on the Hollywood walk of fame, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame disagree with you. Ruined him.... Lol!!!

[@dougmphilly]

the art here and the crass he became.

[@stephaniestavropoulos1639]

@@WolfStory He was also inducted into the Songwriter's HOF in 1992 and the Long Island HOF in 2006.

[@lokisbuddy5165]

Billy Joel has lots of REALLY GREAT SONGS! (like this). So why do they always play the cliche crap on the radio? (I swear if I hear "Only the Good Die Young" ONE more damn time - radio = Kaboom! Thank heavens for CDs and digital downloads!)

[@tropicalkitty1119]

Loki’s Buddy, I like that song. And I thought you were talking about modern pop that’s played on the radio.

[@manco828]

Needs that sax.

[@intellsoul1]

He has the same magic touch of Mozart

[@danielhkhk7283]

Don't know. I have never seen Mozart play the piano.

[@danielhkhk7283]

Never heard Mozart sing.

[@johnbartlett9568]

It needs more cowbell

[@sithlordmikeyp]

If it ain't Richie on that sax I ain't listening

[@sethgordon2003]

My thoughts exactly!

[@2323msg]

Phil Wood & Mark Rivera are also excellent and handpicked by Joel

[@園田伸雄]

It's　Great！

[@g310gc]

Is that Mark on Sax ??? Wow

[@indraniramgopal8378]

@@g310gc it's Richie Cannata

[@davidalanjonesridge9874]

I like the Vanderbilt VID better!

[@egett]

2:34 I believe he completely imagines himself being Ray Charles at that point, you can even hear it the singing style

[@peterschlipf9114]

beats the fuck outta sinatra

[@kristellsaulo3180]

mcjuggernuggets

[@janemichaud6544]

Way better than Sinatra

[@sess122]

What the HELL is with the stupid running water sound messing everything up? Maybe it's that shit hole of a city going down the toilet these days!

[@ep6507]

Better without the sax.

[@manco828]

Sacrilege!