"The Hottest Spot North of Havana" Quiz

Answer:

Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow and lyricist Bruce Sussman were having a conversation at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They discussed whether a song called "Copacabana" had been previously written. Back in New York, a visit to the Copacabana nightclub stirred Manilow to renew the earlier conversation with Sussman (who co-wrote over 200 songs with Manilow). They drew Jack Feldman, another lyricist, into the plan. The result was "Copacabana" (1978) with music written by Manilow and words by Sussman and Feldman.

The story told by this ballad is one of lost love, long sorrow, and ebbing sanity. It is of a part with songs such as "Delta Dawn" (1971), Natalie Cole's "Miss You Like Crazy" (1989), Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990), Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (2006), Badfinger's "Without You" (1970), and Adele's "Someone Like You" (2011).

In the story of the song, Lola is a dancer in love with a bartender named Tony. The reference to "Lola" in the first verse was inspired by American singer, dancer, and actress Lola Falana. When a customer named Rico shoots and kills Tony, Lola loses her mind in grief.

The 1978 release was recorded by Manilow as "Copacabana (At the Copa)," both as a single and as a track on his album "Even Now" (1978). In perhaps the epitome of covers, Liza Minnelli sang "Copacabana" on "The Muppet Show" (1979). Manilow, Sussman, and Feldman collaborated on the expansion of the song into a feature-length made-for-television movie in 1985. This motion picture was further expanded into a two-act stage musical.