Town Without Pity is a song written by composer Dimitri Tiomkin and lyricist Ned Washington . The track, produced by Aaron Schroeder , was originally recorded by Gene Pitney for the 1961 film of the same title. In the US, the Gene Pitney recording went to #13 on the Hot 100 .
60-690: Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, including 11 in the top ten. Among Pitney's most famous hits are " Town Without Pity ", " (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance ", " Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa ", " I'm Gonna Be Strong ", " It Hurts to Be in Love ", and " Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart ". He also wrote
120-441: A "stage gossip" column covering the private lives of entertainers, a "tent show" section covering traveling shows and a subsection called "Freaks to order". Donaldson also published news articles opposing censorship, supporting productions exhibiting good taste and decrying yellow journalism ." As railroads became more developed, Billboard enabled a mail-forwarding system for traveling entertainers. The location of an entertainer
180-572: A Heart ", his highest-charting single in the US, from the top spot on 3 November 1962, the only time that a writer shut himself (or herself) out of the #1 position. He followed up in December with " Half Heaven, Half Heartache ", which reached #12 on the Billboard chart. Because of his success on the music charts, and as he explained to his friend, oldies DJ 'Wild' Wayne, an unknown radio disc jockey at
240-540: A background in the music industry. Gervino was appointed editor-in-chief in April 2014. An NPR item covered a leaked version of Billboard ' s annual survey, which it said had more gossip and focused on less professional topics than had prior surveys. For example, the magazine polled readers on a lawsuit that singer Kesha filed against her producer, alleging sexual abuse. Gervino was fired in May 2016. A note from Min to
300-621: A dedicated section called Amusement Machines in March 1932. Billboard began covering the motion-picture industry in 1907 but, facing strong competition from Variety , centered its focus on music. It created a radio-broadcasting station in the 1920s. The jukebox industry continued to grow through the Great Depression and was advertised heavily in Billboard , which led to even more editorial focus on music. The proliferation of
360-541: A fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to the Top 40 in 1974, when both "Blue Angel" (#2) and "Trans-Canada Highway" (#14; production by David Mackay ) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relative Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer". In
420-540: A high-tech firm for tracking music airtime. Private investors from Boston Ventures and BPI executives repurchased a two-thirds interest in Billboard Publications for $ 100 million, and more acquisitions followed. In 1993, it created a division known as Billboard Music Group for music-related publications. In 1994, Billboard Publications was sold to Dutch media conglomerate Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen (VNU) for $ 220 million. VNU acquired
480-509: A set of self-study cassette tapes and four television franchises. It also acquired Photo Weekly that year. Over time, subjects that Billboard covered outside of the music world formed the basis of separate publications: Funspot magazine was created in 1957 to cover amusement parks and Amusement Business was created in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment. In January 1961, Billboard was renamed Billboard Music Week to emphasize its newly exclusive interest in music. Two years later, it
540-530: A title with the John Wayne western , the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute. Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison , "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee , " Hello Mary Lou " for Ricky Nelson , and " He's a Rebel " for the Crystals (later recorded by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks ). "Rebel" kept Pitney's own #2 hit " Only Love Can Break
600-481: A trade publication for the Broadway theatre industry called Backstage . In 1987, Billboard was sold again to Affiliated Publications for $ 100 million. Billboard Publications Inc. became a subsidiary of Affiliated Publications called BPI Communications. As BPI Communications, it acquired The Hollywood Reporter , Adweek , Marketing Week and Mediaweek , and also purchased Broadcast Data Systems ,
660-574: A weekly paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news. He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, and Paris, and also refocused the magazine on outdoor entertainment such as fairs, carnivals, circuses, vaudeville , and burlesque shows. A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900, followed by more prominent coverage of outdoor events in 1901. Billboard also covered topics including regulation, professionalism, economics and new shows. It had
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#1732780841417720-506: Is considered one of the most reputable sources of music industry news. The website includes the Billboard Charts, news separated by music genre, videos and a separate website. It also compiles lists, hosts a fashion website called Pret-a-Reporter and publishes eight different newsletters. The print magazine's regular sections include: Billboard is known for publishing several annual listicles on its website, in recognition of
780-465: Is offensive and degrading toward her (and shows a wax version of her in bed with him). On November 27, 2024, #billboardisoverparty trended over various social media platforms and Billboard released a perfunctory apology after receiving extreme backlash. The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati , Ohio by William Donaldson and James Hennegan on November 1, 1894. Initially it covered
840-475: The Billboard 200 , which tracks the top-selling albums, has become more popular as an indicator of commercial success. Billboard has also published books in collaboration with Watson-Guptill and a radio and television series called American Top 40, based on Billboard charts. A daily Billboard Bulletin was introduced in February 1997 and Billboard hosts about 20 industry events each year. Billboard
900-711: The Clio Awards in advertising and the National Research Group in 1997, as well as Editor & Publisher in 1999. In July 2000, it paid $ 650 million to the publisher Miller Freeman . BPI was combined with other entities in VNU in 2000 to form Bill Communications Inc. By the time CEO Gerald Hobbs retired in 2003, VNU had grown substantially larger, but had a great deal of debt from the acquisitions. An attempted $ 7 billion acquisition of IMS Health in 2005 prompted protests from shareholders that halted
960-531: The music industry . Its music charts include the Hot 100 , the 200 , and the Global 200 , tracking the most popular albums and songs in various music genres. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm and operates several television shows. Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegan's interest in 1900 for $ 500. In
1020-532: The "bible" of the recording industry. Billboard struggled after its founder William Donaldson died in 1925, and within three years, was once again heading towards bankruptcy . Donaldson's son-in-law Roger Littleford took command in 1928 and "nursed the publication back to health." His sons Bill and Roger became co-publishers in 1946 and inherited the magazine in the late 1970s after Littleford's death. They sold it to private investors in 1985 for an estimated $ 40 million. The investors cut costs and acquired
1080-436: The 1960s, when the service was discontinued, Billboard was still processing 1,500 letters per week. In 1920, Donaldson controversially hired black journalist James Albert Jackson to write a weekly column devoted to black performers. According to The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media , the column identified discrimination against black performers and helped validate their careers. Jackson
1140-539: The 1961 film of the same title . Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington , the song won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song , but lost to " Moon River ". Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962. He is also remembered for the Burt Bacharach – Hal David song " (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance ", which peaked at #4 in 1962. Though it shares
1200-463: The Bill Poster. A department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896. The Billboard Advertising publication was renamed The Billboard in 1897. After a brief departure over editorial differences, Donaldson purchased Hennegan's interest in the business in 1900 for $ 500 (equal to $ 15,100 today) to save it from bankruptcy. On May 5, Donaldson changed the publication from a monthly to
1260-574: The Blaze record label. His first release under his real name was in 1960 on the Festival label titled "I'll Find You". Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder 's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned " (I Wanna) Love My Life Away ", on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, " Town Without Pity ", from
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#17327808414171320-573: The Genials. Gene's first recordings were in 1958 with a Connecticut singing group called the Embers. Those recordings were not released until 1990. In early 1959, he released two records on the Decca label, "Snuggle Up Baby" and "Classical Rock and Roll", as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell . Later that year, he had his first solo release "Cradle Of My Arms" under the name Billy Bryan on
1380-682: The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, a unit of the holding company Eldridge Industries . Timothy White was appointed editor-in-chief in 1991, a position that he held until his unexpected death in 2002. White wrote a weekly column promoting music with "artistic merit" while criticizing music with violent or misogynistic themes, and also reworked the publication's music charts. Rather than relying on data from music retailers, new charts used data from store checkout scanners obtained by Nielsen SoundScan . White also wrote in-depth profiles on musicians, but
1440-528: The Top 40 in April 1968 with "She's a Heartbreaker" (#16) and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the United States. Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. UK pianist Maurice Merry was his musical director from 1970 onward. In Australia, after
1500-525: The UK; CHUM Chart for Canada prior to mid-1964, and the Canadian RPM charts thereafter; and The Kent Report for Australia Town Without Pity (song) This tragic song, in the key of B Minor, first ends the chorus in D Major, before going up a key in the refrain to C Minor, with the coda ending the song in the same minor key. In 1962, the song received a Golden Globe Award for Best Song and
1560-611: The US, and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at #2 in the UK, matching the #2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka , but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller , presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies were left intact. In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones . They were voted
1620-481: The advertising and bill-posting industry and was known as Billboard Advertising . At the time, billboards, posters, and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the primary means of advertising. Donaldson handled editorial and advertising, while Hennegan, who owned Hennegan Printing Co., managed magazine production. The first issues were just eight pages long. The paper had columns such as The Bill Room Gossip and The Indefatigable and Tireless Industry of
1680-413: The articles are written by staff writers, while some are written by industry experts. It covers news, gossip, opinion, and music reviews, but its "most enduring and influential creation" is the Billboard charts . The charts track music sales, radio airtime and other data about the most popular songs and albums. The Billboard Hot 100 chart of the top-selling songs was introduced in 1958. Since then,
1740-496: The couple had three sons, Todd, Christopher, and David. Pitney was touring the UK in the spring of 2006 when his manager found him dead in his hotel room following a concert in Cardiff , Wales, on April 5. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a heart attack and that he had severely occluded coronary arteries . His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall had earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity". He
1800-476: The deal; it eventually agreed to an $ 11 billion takeover bid from investors in 2006. VNU changed its name to Nielsen in 2007, the namesake of a company that it had acquired for $ 2.5 billion in 1999. New CEO Robert Krakoff divested some of the previously owned publications, restructured the organization and planned some acquisitions before dying suddenly in 2007. He was subsequently replaced by Greg Farrar. Nielsen owned Billboard until 2009, when it
1860-500: The early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road in order to spend more time with his family. Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version of " Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart " by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway . The song had been a UK #5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK #1, in late January 1989. The single remained at
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1920-520: The early years of the 20th century, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs and burlesque shows, and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox , phonograph and radio became commonplace. Many topics that it covered became the subjects of new magazines, including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment, so that Billboard could focus on music. After Donaldson died in 1925, Billboard
1980-937: The early-1960s hits " Rubber Ball " recorded by Bobby Vee , " Hello Mary Lou " by Ricky Nelson , and " He's a Rebel " by the Crystals . In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut , United States, on February 17, 1940, as the son of Anna A., née Orlowski, and Harold F. Pitney. The third of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his family in Rockville, Connecticut , during his formative years. He also grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut . Pitney's early influences were Clyde McPhatter , and doo-wop groups such as The Crows . He attended Rockville High School where he formed his first band, Gene &
2040-534: The editorial staff indicated that senior vice president of digital content Mike Bruno would head the editorial department. On June 15, 2016, BillboardPH , the first Billboard chart company in Southeast Asia, mainly in the Philippines, was announced. On September 12, 2016, Billboard expanded into China by launching Billboard China in partnership with Vision Music Ltd. On September 23, 2020, it
2100-516: The first female and youngest-ever executive editor at Billboard and led its first major redesign since the 1960s, designed by Daniel Stark and Stark Design. During Conniff's tenure, Billboard 's newsstand sales jumped 10%, ad pages climbed 22% and conference registrations rose 76%. In 2005, Billboard expanded its editorial outside the music industry into other areas of digital and mobile entertainment. In 2006, after leading Billboard's radio publication, former ABC News and CNN journalist Scott McKenzie
2160-422: The first tune composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. In the US, the single stalled at #49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer. After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles " It Hurts to Be in Love " and " I'm Gonna Be Strong ", which reached #7 and #9, respectively, in
2220-568: The most influential executives, artists and companies in the music industry, such as the following: Since 1990 Billboard established the Billboard Music Awards , an awards ceremony honors top album, artist and single in a number of different music genres which achieved the highest results during the year form sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement. The data are taken from Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data and Next Big Sound . Through
2280-576: The most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish, and German and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival , where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso . He had a regional hit with " Nessuno mi può giudicare ". Pitney's career in the US took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time to
2340-868: The phonograph and radio also contributed to its growing music emphasis. Billboard published the first music hit parade on January 4, 1936 and introduced a Record Buying Guide in January 1939. In 1940, it introduced Chart Line, which tracked the best-selling records, and was followed by a chart for jukebox records in 1944 called Music Box Machine. By the 1940s, Billboard was more of a music-industry specialist publication. The number of charts that it published grew after World War II , as new music interests and genres became popular. It had eight charts by 1987, covering different genres and formats, and 28 charts by 1994. By 1943, Billboard had about 100 employees. The magazine's offices moved to Brighton, Ohio in 1946, then to New York City in 1948. A five-column tabloid format
2400-527: The song entitled Bleibe bei mir (lyrics: Frank Zieboltz) and an Italian version entitled Città Spietata. Rock Guitarist Ronnie Montrose released an instrumental cover of the song in 1978 with Edgar Winter producing. The American rock band Thin White Rope released the song on their 1988 album Red Sun. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley say the song in the 1989 romantic comedy Look Who's Talking! The Dickies, an American punk band from California, also included
2460-534: The song in 2004, and modern jazz alto saxophonist Richie Cole included Town Without Pity in his program in 2006. The Norwegian blues guitarist Vidar Busk also recorded the song in 2007. Lilli Passero released the song on her eponymous album in 2017. Billboard (magazine) Billboard (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation . The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to
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2520-490: The song in their program in 1989 as did the band Stray Cats in 1990. American melodic guitarist Neil Zaza covered the song in 1993. Eddi Reader's version of Town Without Pity spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1996. She released the song on her album Candyfloss and Medicine. Country singer Mandy Barnett also recorded the song in 1999. The American surf rock band Los Straitjackets from Nashville covered
2580-528: The state of Connecticut. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville. Notes Sources include Joel Whitburn 's Record Research material for the US Top 100, "Bubbling Under" and US Country charts; Tim Rice et al. , Guinness Book of Hit Singles for
2640-462: The time gave Pitney the nickname 'The Rockville Rocket', which caught on. Pitney's popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of " Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa ", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at #5 in Britain at the start of 1964. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart, and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it
2700-575: The top for four weeks, and also went to #1 in Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on several episodes of Top of the Pops and the Terry Wogan television show in Britain. In 2000, Pitney sang harmony vocals on Jane Olivor 's recording of his 1962 hit " Half Heaven – Half Heartache ", which was released on her 'comeback' album Love Decides . On 18 March 2002, Pitney
2760-445: The years, notably on a 2002 episode of BBC One series Room 101 , in which host Paul Merton described it as a "very funny moment" in which Pitney came in "unbearably late". It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, in which presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment. At the height of his fame in 1967, Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and
2820-509: Was adopted in November 1950 and coated paper was first used in Billboard ' s print issues in January 1963, allowing for photojournalism. Billboard Publications Inc. acquired a monthly trade magazine for candy and cigarette machine vendors called Vend , and in the 1950s it acquired an advertising trade publication called Tide . By 1969, Billboard Publications Inc. owned 11 trade and consumer publications, Watson-Guptill Publications,
2880-518: Was also a hit in the US, peaking at #17 on the Hot 100. Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Rolling Stones ' early recording sessions in London, including " Little by Little " and other tracks for their debut album ; he played piano, though the extent of this is uncertain. The Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a #7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was
2940-574: Was announced that Penske Media Corporation would assume operations of the MRC Media & Info publications under a joint venture with MRC known as PMRC. The joint venture includes the management of Billboard . On January 13, 2024, Billboard shared the intent to further expand in Asia by announcing the launch of Billboard Korea . Billboard publishes a news website and weekly trade magazine that covers music, video and home entertainment. Most of
3000-484: Was inducted by singer Darlene Love into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Pitney was involved in a gaffe on ITV 's This Morning in 1989, owing to a "technical mishap". Giving a performance of his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime along in time to his backing track"; he continued with the song, and found humor in the incident. It has been repeated on television over
3060-414: Was inherited by his and Hennegan's children, who retained ownership until selling it to private investors in 1985. The magazine has since been owned by various parties. Billboard announced on November 26, 2024 a list of top pop stars, including Taylor Swift at #2. In a video released by Billboard under the guise of celebrating her accomplishments, Billboard included a clip from a Kanye West video in which he
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#17327808414173120-514: Was laid to rest at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut . Marc Almond recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album Stardom Road . On September 20, 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut . Members of the family attended. The event was emceed by oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. Governor Jodi Rell also declared September 20, 2007, as Gene Pitney Day in
3180-624: Was named editorial director across all Billboard properties. Conniff launched the Billboard Women in Music event in 2007. Bill Werde was named editorial director in 2008, and was followed by Janice Min in January 2014, also responsible for editorial content at The Hollywood Reporter . The magazine became more of a general-interest music-news source rather than solely an industry trade, covering more celebrity and fashion news. Min hired Tony Gervino as editor although he did not have
3240-468: Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song (losing to " Moon River " from Breakfast at Tiffany's ). Pitney also recorded versions in German (lyrics by Frank Zieboltz ), entitled "Bleibe bei mir" ("Stay With Me") and Italian , entitled "Città Spietata". Many artists and bands have recorded cover versions over the years since its release, including: Gene Pitney also recorded a German version of
3300-556: Was one of eight publications sold to e5 Global Media Holdings. e5 was formed by investment firms Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners for the purpose of the acquisition. The following year, the new parent company was renamed Prometheus Global Media . Three years later, Guggenheim Partners acquired Pluribus' share of Prometheus and became the sole owner of Billboard . In December 2015, Guggenheim Digital Media spun out several media brands, including Billboard , to its own executive Todd Boehly . The assets operate under
3360-419: Was renamed to simply Billboard . According to The New Business Journalism , by 1984, Billboard Publications was a "prosperous" conglomerate of trade magazines, and Billboard had become the "undisputed leader" in music-industry news. In the early 1990s, Billboard introduced Billboard Airplay Monitors , a publication for disc jockeys and music programmers. By the end of the 1990s, Billboard dubbed itself
3420-469: Was replaced by Keith Girard, who was subsequently fired in May 2004. Girard and a female employee filed a $ 29 million lawsuit alleging that Billboard fired them unfairly with an intent to damage their reputations and that they experienced sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and a financially motivated lack of editorial integrity. Email evidence suggested that human resources were given special instructions to watch minority employees. The case
3480-411: Was settled out of court in 2006 for an undisclosed sum. In the 2000s, economic decline in the music industry dramatically reduced readership and advertising from Billboard ' s traditional audience. Circulation declined from 40,000 in circulation in the 1990s to less than 17,000 by 2014. The publication's staff and ownership were also undergoing frequent changes. In 2004, Tamara Conniff became
3540-498: Was the first black critic at a national magazine with a predominantly white audience. According to his grandson, Donaldson also established a policy against identifying performers by their race. Donaldson died in 1925. Billboard ' s editorial content changed focus as technology in recording and playback developed, covering "marvels of modern technology" such as the phonograph and wireless radios. The magazine began covering coin-operated entertainment machines in 1899 and created
3600-482: Was tracked in the paper's Routes Ahead column, and then Billboard would receive mail on the star's behalf and publish a notice in its Letter-Box column that it had mail for him or her. This service was first introduced in 1904 and became one of Billboard ' s largest sources of profit and celebrity connections. By 1914, 42,000 people were using the service. It was also used as the official address of traveling entertainers for draft letters during World War I . In
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