On The West Side - Song of the Month

 

"On The West Side " is a song written by Robert Kraft  and Jacob Brackman for Robert's 1982 album "Retro Active". It was the B side to his "Single, Solo" single from 1982.

 In "Fame" it is sung by Cynthia Gibb and Valerie Landsburg and appears in the Season 3 episode "Secrets" as a number the kids are doing in a show.

It was never released on a Fame Single or Album but has been performed by Cynthia and Valerie during the L.A. 2017 concerts, the Italian 2017 concerts and at Fame U.K. Reunion in 2022.

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Up all night now the streets are getting light on the west side.
Should be tired but there's something keeps me wired on the west side.
Air so sweet it almost stops the aching.
In just one hour the city will be shaking.
Knocked out, undone,
there's just one place left to run. (one place left to run.)

Head up town, now I'm soaking up the sound of the west side.
Needle Square, all the regulars are there on the west side.
Taxi drivers waving like they know me.
Broadway locals trembling below me.
Hold on, have fun,
there's just one place left to run. (Just one place left to run.)

Ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
Well I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
Well I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.

Folks are kind, no predicting who you'll find on the west side.
Hey don't I know you from some place?
Share a cup of a little pick me up on the west side.
Sidewalk drop it promises salvation.
By and by they'll book him at the station.
Knocked out, undone,
there's just one place left to run. (One place left to run.)

Ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
Well I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
Well I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.
Say I'm ready, too ready, aha to be found on the west side.

Take a walk on the west side.

Original Artist Version

Valerie Landsburg discusses On The West Side:

So here is a very special clip. This is Cynthia and I doing a number to a song called On The Westside by my friend Robert Kraft. The story behind this song is a very interesting one. In the late 70’s I was a HUGE fan of The Manhattan Transfer. A great musical quartet, amazing singers. So I went to see them at Radio City Music Hall. I was so excited and the opening act was a band called Robert Kraft and the Ivory Coast. I thought they were great. When I heard “On the Westside” a thought came clear as bell through my mind (This happens periodically and seems to be my form of clairvoyance) - the thought? “I am going to sing that song one day”. I started going to hear Robert play in New York - we met a few times after the gigs.

Flash Forward. I get the part of Doris in the series FAME (Remember I had auditioned for the same part in the movie and didn’t get it) Now it’s almost 5 years later and we are in the 3rd season and I tell our producer Ken Ehrlich - who produces many awards show’s every year now.- that On the Westside would be a great song for a number. Ken is a great music guy and he agreed. I tracked down Robert in New York and put him in touch with Ken - Robert still credits me with his move to Los Angeles where he eventually became the head of music for 20th Century Fox. But the best part for me was that I got to sing the song that had grabbed my soul so many years before.

So when you have these kinds of thoughts - don’t be surprised when they materialize.