Copacabana ( song ) - wikipedia Copacabana ( song ) `` Copacabana ( At the Copa ) '' Single by Barry Manilow from the album Even Now Released June 1978 Recorded 1978 Genre Disco Length 3 : 48 ( radio edit ) 5 : 40 ( extended version ) Label Arista Songwriter ( s ) Barry Manilow, Jack Feldman, Bruce Sussman Producer ( s ) Barry Manilow, Ron Dante Barry Manilow singles chronology `` Even Now '' ( 1978 ) `` Copacabana ( At the Copa ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Ready to Take a Chance Again '' ( 1978 ) `` Even Now '' ( 1978 ) `` Copacabana '' ( 1978 ) `` Ready to Take a Chance Again '' ( 1978 ) `` Copacabana '', also known as `` Copacabana ( At the Copa ) '', is a song recorded by Barry Manilow. Written by Manilow, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Sussman, it was released in 1978 as the third and final single from Manilow 's fifth studio album, Even Now ( 1978 ). Contents 1 Background 2 Release and reception 3 Musical 4 Chart performance 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 Cover versions 6 References 7 External links Background The song was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, when they discussed whether there had ever been a song called `` Copacabana ''. After returning to the US, Manilow -- who, in the 1960s, had been a regular visitor to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City -- suggested that Sussman and Feldman write the lyrics to a story song for him. They did so, and Manilow supplied the music. The song 's lyrics refer to the Copacabana nightclub, `` the hottest spot north of Havana ''. The story starts in the late 1940s, focused on Lola, a Copacabana showgirl, and her sweetheart Tony, a bartender at the club. One night, a mobster named Rico takes a fancy to Lola, but he overplays his hand while trying to seduce her and is attacked by Tony. The ensuing brawl results in a shooting ; after it is initially unclear `` who shot who, '' it soon becomes clear that Tony has died. Thirty years later, the club has been transformed into a discotheque, but a drunken Lola, mad with grief at having lost Tony, still spends her nights at the Copacabana dressed in her glamorous showgirl attire. Release and reception The recording was used as incidental music in the 1978 film Foul Play, which starred Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, and has been featured in over a dozen other films since. It is one of two Manilow songs used in the movie, the other being its theme song, `` Ready to Take a Chance Again ''. In his autobiographical work, `` Americana : The Kinks, the Riff, the Road : The Story '', Ray Davies, former leader and singer of The Kinks, recounted a story of a meeting with Clive Davis, then - president of Arista Records, at the record executive 's home on Long Island where Davies suggested to Davis that `` Copacabana '' should be released as a single. The single version clocks in at 4 : 08 ; the extended disco version is titled `` Copacabana ( At the Copa ) ( Disco ) '' and is 5 : 46 in length. As opposed to a commercial 12 '' single, the extended version was on the flip side of the 45 and can also be found on Manilow 's first Greatest Hits double album. `` Copacabana '' debuted on Billboard magazine 's Top 40 chart on July 7, 1978, and peaked at number 8. It has also reached the Top 10 in Belgium, Canada, France and the Netherlands. Internationally, the song is considered Manilow 's third - greatest hit. The track was his first gold single for a song he recorded and released. Additionally, the lyrics to `` Copacabana '' earned Manilow his first and only Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in February 1979. Manilow released a Spanish version titled `` Copacabana ( En el Copa ) '' shortly after the English version was released. Though popular in dance clubs catering to Latin audiences, the Spanish version failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. A home demo recording, albeit truncated, is available on the 4 CD / 1 DVD box set collection, The Complete Collection and Then Some... In conjunction to this release, a remixed version of the song, titled `` Copacabana ( The 1993 Remix ) '', peaked within the Top 40 in the UK and Ireland in 1993. Manilow re-recorded the song, this time in an acoustic version, for his 2008 album The Greatest Songs of the Seventies. The timeline of the song was changed that in the third verse the events of the first two verses happened `` many years ago '', instead of `` thirty '' mentioned in the original. Musical In 1985, Manilow and his collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman expanded the song into a full length, made - for - television musical, also called Copacabana, writing many additional songs and expanding the plot suggested by the song. This film version was then further expanded by Manilow, Feldman, and Sussman into a full - length, two - act stage musical that ran at the Prince of Wales Theatre on London 's West End for two years prior to a lengthy tour of the UK. An American production was later mounted that toured the US for over a year. Over 200 productions of the show have since been mounted worldwide. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1978 ) Peak position Belgium 5 Canada ( RPM 100 Singles ) 7 Canada ( Adult Contemporary ) Canada ( Dance / Urban ) France Germany 23 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 6 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 7 New Zealand 37 US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Adult Contemporary 6 US Dance Club Songs 15 Chart ( 1993 - 94 ) Peak position Australia ( KMR ) 92 Ireland ( IRMA ) 21 UK ( OCC ) 22 Year - end charts Chart ( 1978 ) Rank Belgium 51 Canada ( RPM ) 52 Netherlands 92 US Billboard Hot 100 74 US Cash Box Top 100 82 Cover versions James Last recorded `` Copacabana '' for his 1979 album Copacabana -- Happy Dancing. Shirley Bassey released her cover of `` Copacabana '' on the side B of her 1979 single `` This Is My Life ''. She also performed it on television in The Shirley Bassey Show with elaborate costumes and choreography in 1979. Danny La Rue released his cover of the song on the side B of his 1979 single `` The Counting Song ''. The Vandals recorded a parody of `` Copacabana '' called `` The Dachau Cabana '' in 1985. Paul de Leeuw released his version under the title `` Kopa Koopavond '' in 1994. DJ Hell recorded his cover version, sampling from Manilow 's original, and released it as `` Copa '' in 1999. Amanda Lear recorded a cover of `` Copacabana '' in 2005 and released it as a single through Dance Street and ZYX Music. It was later included on her 2005 compilation Forever Glam !, albeit in a longer version. Kylie Minogue performed the song on her 2008 KylieX2008 tour. John Barrowman recorded `` Copacabana '' on his 2010 self - titled album. References Jump up ^ Podell - Raber, Mickey ; Pignone, Charles ( 2009 ). The Copa : Jules Podell and the Hottest Club North of Havana. HarperCollins. p. 199. Jump up ^ `` Top 40 Hits - 1950 - 1989 ''. ntl.matrix.com.br. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Song artist 244 - Barry Manilow ''. tsort.info. Jump up ^ `` Copacabana ( At The Copa ) by Barry Manilow Songfacts ''. www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Barry Manilow Artist ''. www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Barry Manilow - Copacabana ( At The Copa ) '' ( in Dutch ). www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly ''. www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` RPM Adult Oriented Playlist '' ( PDF ). www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Item : 7471 - Library and Archives Canada ''. www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par M '' ( in French ). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Offizielle Deutsche Charts '' ( in German ). www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Barry Manilow Top 40 - artiesten '' ( in Dutch ). www.top40.nl. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Discografie Barry Manilow '' ( in Dutch ). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ `` NZ Top 40 Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Barry Manilow Chart History Billboard ''. www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Adult Contemporary Music Chart Billboard ''. Billboard. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Barry Manilow Chart History Billboard ''. www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart -- Week Ending 05 Jun 1994 ''. ARIA. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Copacabana ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` BARRY MANILOW full Official Chart History Official Charts Company ''. www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ `` ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS '' ( in Dutch ). www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Item : 110 ''. www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` JAAROVERZICHTEN - SINGLE 1978 '' ( in Dutch ). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1978 / Top 100 Songs of 1978 ''. www.musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1978 ''. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 04. Retrieved 2015 - 11 - 03. Jump up ^ `` James Last - Copacabana - Happy Dancing '' ( in German ). hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 20. Jump up ^ The Shirley Bassey Show on IMDb Jump up ^ `` When Men Were Men And Sheep Were Scared ''. www.discogs.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011. Jump up ^ `` DJ Hell 's ' Copa ' sample of Barry Manilow 's ' Copacabana ' ''. www.whosampled.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Amazon.com : Copacabana : Amanda Lear : Music ''. www.amazon.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Kylie Minogue `` Copacabana '' Cover Release ``. www.popcrunch.com. Retrieved May 7, 2011. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Barry Manilow singles 1970s `` Mandy '' ( 1974 ) `` Sandra '' ( 1974 ) `` It 's a Miracle '' ( 1975 ) `` Could It Be Magic '' ( 1975 ) `` I Write the Songs '' ( 1975 ) `` Tryin ' to Get the Feeling Again '' ( 1976 ) `` This One 's for You '' ( 1976 ) `` Weekend in New England '' ( 1976 ) `` Looks Like We Made It '' ( 1977 ) `` Daybreak '' ( 1977 ) `` It 's Just Another New Year 's Eve '' ( 1977 ) `` Ca n't Smile Without You '' ( 1978 ) `` Even Now '' ( 1978 ) `` Copacabana '' ( 1978 ) `` Ready to Take a Chance Again '' ( 1978 ) `` Somewhere in the Night '' ( 1978 ) `` Ships '' ( 1979 ) `` When I Wanted You '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` I Do n't Want to Walk Without You '' ( 1980 ) `` Bermuda Triangle '' ( 1980 ) `` I Made It Through the Rain '' ( 1980 ) `` Lonely Together '' ( 1981 ) `` The Old Songs '' ( 1981 ) `` Somewhere Down the Road '' ( 1981 ) `` Let 's Hang On ! '' ( 1982 ) `` Oh Julie '' ( 1982 ) `` Memory '' ( 1982 ) `` I 'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter '' ( 1982 ) `` Read ' Em and Weep '' ( 1983 ) `` When October Goes '' ( 1984 ) `` Run to Me '' ( 1985 ) `` I 'm Your Man '' ( 1986 ) `` Keep Each Other Warm '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` If I Can Dream '' ( 1990 ) `` I 'd Really Love to See You Tonight '' ( 1997 ) 2000s `` River '' ( 2003 ) `` Unchained Melody '' ( 2006 ) `` Love Is a Many - Splendored Thing '' ( 2006 ) 2010s `` Santa Claus Is Coming to Town '' ( 2012 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Copacabana_(song)&oldid=842828705 '' Categories : 1978 singles 1978 songs 2005 singles Amanda Lear songs Arista Records singles Barry Manilow songs Disco songs Number - one dance singles in Canada Song recordings produced by Ron Dante Songs about Brazil Songs with lyrics by Jack Feldman ( songwriter ) Songs written by Barry Manilow Hidden categories : CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Use mdy dates from September 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without artist Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Português 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 24 May 2018, at 23 : 26. 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Question: name of the showgirl in barry manilows song copacabana
Answer: Lola