Paula Kelly (third from right) andChita Rivera (second from right) as seductive dance hostess girls performing "Big Spender" in Sweet Charity (1969).
"Big Spender" is a song written byCy Coleman andDorothy Fields for themusicalSweet Charity, first performed in 1966.Peggy Lee was the first artist to record the song (on single released on Jan 29, 1966), also on the albumBig Spender (released July 30, 1966). It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess girls; it was choreographed byBob Fosse for the Broadway musicalSweet Charity and the 1969 filmSweet Charity.[1] It is set to the beat of a striptease as the girls taunt the customers.[2]
In December 2007, the Shirley Bassey version was re-released in a new remixed version as adigital download. This was the third and final single released from the albumGet the Party Started. The single features a remix fromPink Pound and two instrumental remixes that were not included on the album release. Unlike the previous two singles this track featured a remix of a previous released recording, the vocal track was taken from a session recorded in 1984 for the albumI Am What I Am. There was no promotion undertaken for the single and no video was made to support the release.
The song appeared in UStelevision commercials forMuriel Cigars in the 1970s, sung byEdie Adams. A modified version of the lyrics invited the viewer to "...spend a little dime with me", referring to the price of a Muriel.
In an episode of British Asian sketch comedy showGoodness Gracious Me, the cast perform a parody of the song called "Big Spinster".
In theDiscworld Noir computer game the Troll Saphire performed a parody of "Big Spender", with the opening lyrics as "The minute you walked through the wall, I could tell that you were a troll of destruction".
In the "Viva Mars Vegas" episode ofFuturama, a parody version is played of "Big Spender", with the lyrics as "Hey Rich Lobster", when Dr. Zoidberg shows up at a casino on Mars with millions of dollars to spend and lose.
A controversial video with flight attendants entreating an elite frequent flier made news in February 2019, generating protest from the flight attendants' union.
A parody appeared on a musical segment ofSaturday Night Live on Halloween of 2020 called "Big Spreader", referring toCOVID-19.
The 2002 single “Big Spender” byMissy “Misdemeanor” Elliott is a bonus track that samples the song on Tweet’s debut studio album, Southern Hummingbird.
The song was sung by Ellis on the first episode ofThe Glee Project.
In theGrounded for Life episode "Mrs. Finnerty, You've Got a Lovely Daughter", Sean gets the song approved for his daughter Lily to perform at her Catholic school talent show.
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