Second Hand Rose (song) explained

Second Hand Rose
Cover:Second_Hand_Rose_-_Fanny_Brice.jpg
Caption:Sheet music cover as reissued in conjunction with the 1928 film My Man
Type:single
Artist:Fanny Brice
Released:1922 (U.S.)
Recorded:1921
Prev Year:19
Next Year:19

"Second Hand Rose" is a 1921 popular song written by Grant Clarke and James F. Hanley for Fanny Brice.[1]

Fanny Brice version

Fanny Brice introduced the song in the revue Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 which opened at the Globe Theater (now known as the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre) on Broadway on June 21, 1921.[2] Although one critic found this production of the revue not as good as previous versions, an exception was Brice: "This inimitable artist chalked up one of the few high marks of the evening with this song. For clarity of utterance, economy of means and a highly developed comic sense, Miss Brice has no peer on our stage. She got a genuine reception on her entrance and clamorous applause for her exit. And earned every bit of it legitimately."[3]

Brice's 1922 recording of the song became a hit record, reaching #6 (US). The song was also sung by Brice in the 1928 film My Man.

The song's popularity inspired a 1922 screen dramatization starring Gladys Walton.[4]

Barbra Streisand version

Second Hand Rose
Cover:Second_Hand_Rose_-_Barbra_Streisand.jpg
Caption:Swedish 7-inch vinyl single
Type:single
Artist:Barbra Streisand
Album:My Name Is Barbra, Two...
B-Side:The Kind of Man a Woman Needs
Released:December 1965 (U.S.)
Label:Columbia
Prev Title:He Touched Me
Prev Year:1965
Next Title:Where Am I Going?
Next Year:1966

Barbra Streisand, who had starred in Funny Girl, the 1964 Broadway musical based on Brice's life, recorded "Second Hand Rose" as part of her 1965 television special My Name Is Barbra, releasing it as a single for the tie-in studio album My Name Is Barbra, Two....

Streisand remembers in Just For The Record: "'Second Hand Rose' became part of a tongue-in-cheek fantasy sequence which was shot at Bergdorf Goodman's... And thanks to people I loved and loved working with—Joe Layton, Dwight Hemion, Peter Matz, Robert Emmett, Tom John, and, of course, Marty — I was able to realize my dream."

Her rendition became an international hit, reaching #14 in the UK, #6 in Australia, #32 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[5] and number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.[6] (The record was subsequently included in Streisand's 1970 greatest hits compilation.)

Streisand had received similar acclaim for her cover of the Brice hit "My Man". The success of these recordings prompted both "Second Hand Rose" and "My Man" to be included in the 1968 film adaptation of Funny Girl, despite neither song appearing in the original stage musical.

Chart performance

Chart (1965–66)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 6
US Cash Box Top 100[8] 36

External links

Notes and References

  1. Grant Clark, James F. Hanley, Second Hand Rose (New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., 1921).
  2. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1921-12593 "Ziegfeld Follies of 1921", IBDB.com.
  3. G.W., "Follies of 1921," Billboard (July 2, 1921), p. 34.
  4. "Filmize 'Follies' Song," Variety (November 18, 1921), p. 45.
  5. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 -
  6. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1966-01-24 . 2019-03-08.
  7. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
  8. Web site: CASH BOX Top 100 Singles (Week ending JANUARY 22, 1966) . . June 2, 2021.