Song Lyric Sunday. 5th April: Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise

Jim Adams our gracious host said it was his Birthday last month. It was not a big affair and due to our world wide situation we are all going to find out birthdays unusually quiet this year! It is strange that this year our eldest grandson turns six in a few days, hubby turns seventy mother in law turns one hundred… Not to mention everyone else the whole world….and it will be different.

Well that’s ramble enough, HAPPY BIRTHDAY again for last month Jim, HAPPY BIRTHDAY everyone, whenever.

So what is our prompt for this week for Song Lyric Sunday Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise

Two songs spring to mind immediately Its my Party by Lesley Gore and MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb.

“MacArthur Park” is a song written and composed by Jimmy Webb. Richard Harris was the first to record it in 1968; his version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four on the UK Singles Chart. “MacArthur Park” was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a 1969 Grammy-winning version by country music singer Waylon Jennings, and a number one Billboard Hot 100 disco arrangement by Donna Summer in 1978. more information here.

I like the Jimmy Webb version best.Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including “Up, Up and Away“, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix“, “Wichita Lineman“, “Galveston“, “The Worst That Could Happen“, “All I Know“, and “MacArthur Park“.^[1] He has had successful collaborations with Glen Campbell, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, The 5th Dimension, Art Garfunkel, and Richard Harris. More info here

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!
Lyrics from lyrics.com

“It’s My Party” was credited to John Gluck, Wally Gold and Herb Weiner, staff writers at the Aaron Schroeder Music firm in 1962. The lyrics were actually written by Seymour Gottlieb, a freelance songwriter. He gave the lyrics to Herb Weiner, with whom he partnered in writing songs, to peddle. It was based on actual events relating to Gottlieb’s daughter Judy’s ‘Sweet 16’ party, before which she cried over the prospect of her grandparents being invited.^[4] The demo for the song was cut by Barbara Jean English, a girl group veteran (the Clickettes, the Fashions), who was then working as a receptionist at the firm. She also worked with Jimmy Radcliffe, serving as the firm’s in-house demo singer. Radcliffe produced the demo, and, according to English, “tried to persuade Musicor [the label owned by Aaron Schroeder] to release it as a record, or to take me into a master studio and redo it, but they weren’t interested.”^[5]

The first recording of the song was in 1962 by The Chiffons for their One Fine Day album.^{[citation needed]} It was also recorded by Helen Shapiro for her Helen in Nashville album in February 1963 with Shapiro’s regular producer, Norrie Paramor, and also Al Kasha. Shapiro would recall: “Right from the first time we heard the song on the rough demo back in London, we thought we were going to sock them between the eyes with that one”;^[5] however, Shapiro’s version was not one of the cuts chosen as an advance single from the album and by the time of the album’s release that October the “It’s My Party” track was perceived as a cover of Lesley Gore’s hit.

Lesley Gore recalls that “It’s My Party” was among some two hundred demos producer Quincy Jones brought to review with her in the den of her family home in February 1963. On hearing “It’s My Party,” Gore told Jones: “That’s not half bad. I like it. Good melody. Let’s put it on the maybe pile.” The song proved to be the only demo Gore and Jones found agreeable. More information here.

Well that’s my songs for this week I am sure many will pick these songs too but they cover most of the prompt. Have a good Sunday and Stay Safe out there💜💜💜

Be safe.