Truly marvelous remembrance of Ms. Weil and her career, Dan! I love the song selection...a lengthy task made far more enjoyable, I'm guessing, by the memories evoked by all the wonderful songs! I'm eager and happy to share this article with my subscribers! Again, thanks for this loving tribute.
It's amazing how radical and complex "Here You Come Again" sounds when compared to today's pop hits. I remember thinking that it was lightweight stuff when it hit the airwaves way back when but it's certainly far more than that.
Great post, thank you. Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann also wrote for The Partridge Family, 'Im On the Road'( by Love Generation), and there are also nice covers (by TPF) - 'Looking Through The Eyes Of Love' and 'Walking In the Rain'. And Barry Mann wrote one song for TPF's 'Bulletin Board'. I love 'Shades of Gray'.
The impressive thing is how different so many of these songs are from each other. Today's industrialized songwriting process is giving us constant repetition, and less and less complexity even within a song. Nice tribute.
Thanks for writing this Dan! Nice picks here. I'm most familiar with her penned tunes that were on the Philles label, so there were some pleasant surprises here! RIP Cynthia Weil.
I think your ears don't deceive you. It sure sounds like Davey on the first go round to me. And since someone else already mentioned them above, it's fair to point out that many songs of the Pre-Fab Four were penned by other great songwriting teams and writers, including Neil Diamond, and Carol King, as well as Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart.
Hey Dan, thanks for writing this. It's testimony to Cynthia's perfect, prolific penmanship that I knew so few of these recordings; like many, I have listened to songs she co-wrote without knowing they were hers.
I also had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing her and Barry, and so excuse me for one slight correction. It's absolutely not intended as anything other than to help everyone understand that while it's fair to say Mann and Weil, like Goffin and King, and Sedaka and Greenfield, and many more, were products of the Brill era, none of these partnerships wrote or worked in the Brill Building. Instead they worked out of the Music Building up the road at 1650 Broadway, under the tutelage of the equally young Don Kirshner, who I would suggest deserves all credit for revolutionizing pop music songwriting with Aldon Music, and which he probably could not have done had he installed himself in the status quo of the Brill. (I only "suggest" he deserves credit because he was more than happy to take it at every opportunity!)
Having written a book that encompassed all of this, it's in my nature to point out the distinction - always wary to do so because I know from Smiths obsessives how it feels to be on the receiving end! Thank you for a wonderful post and for sharing so many of Cynthia's fine lyrics outside of the familiar hits - and you know, "Walking In The Rain" is a good candidate for Spector's top spot any day.
One of the all time great Saturday morning reads! Listening to the Animals "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" brought back (or did it create) some of that 7 year old 'angst' iI had going on in 1965. LoL!
TOM!!! So great to hear from you — it's been decades, but I have never forgotten your kindness and musical generosity. (Taping Shake Some Action and Radio City for me = HERO) Great call on "Talk to Me Baby," too!
Modesty does *not* prevent me from sharing my own spotty, moribund blog, http://lostwaxmethod.com. Dig deep enough and you'll find some Big Star arcana that you might find diverting.
Thanks so much for highlighting these. I’m an avid saver/creator of “written by” playlists on Spotify and so I’m looking forward to digging into this catalog with a new lens.
Nice selection of songs. RIP Ms. Weil.
Truly marvelous remembrance of Ms. Weil and her career, Dan! I love the song selection...a lengthy task made far more enjoyable, I'm guessing, by the memories evoked by all the wonderful songs! I'm eager and happy to share this article with my subscribers! Again, thanks for this loving tribute.
Right on, Brad - thank you!
It's amazing how radical and complex "Here You Come Again" sounds when compared to today's pop hits. I remember thinking that it was lightweight stuff when it hit the airwaves way back when but it's certainly far more than that.
Excellent observation. For all its complexity, it sure went down smooth!
Great post, thank you. Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann also wrote for The Partridge Family, 'Im On the Road'( by Love Generation), and there are also nice covers (by TPF) - 'Looking Through The Eyes Of Love' and 'Walking In the Rain'. And Barry Mann wrote one song for TPF's 'Bulletin Board'. I love 'Shades of Gray'.
some good songs in there. and Spock?
It’s here, if you dare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2caNJZGZVqQ
not bad!
Great collection of songs - and such variety! I, for one, had NO idea that the Animals hadn't written that song themselves!
Believe it or not, the Animals didn't write any of their big hits (with the exception of "I'm Crying") until Eric Burdon started dropping acid!
I think that might just be proof that acid helps in some cases ....
I know it’s by War, and not the Animals, but Burdon must have written Spill the Wine while on acid.
No doubt in my mind!
The impressive thing is how different so many of these songs are from each other. Today's industrialized songwriting process is giving us constant repetition, and less and less complexity even within a song. Nice tribute.
Thanks for writing this Dan! Nice picks here. I'm most familiar with her penned tunes that were on the Philles label, so there were some pleasant surprises here! RIP Cynthia Weil.
I didn't realize until now that Peter is singing on Shades of Grey. Seems like it's Davey on the first verse, then Peter
I tend to forget that Peter actually had a decent voice.
I think your ears don't deceive you. It sure sounds like Davey on the first go round to me. And since someone else already mentioned them above, it's fair to point out that many songs of the Pre-Fab Four were penned by other great songwriting teams and writers, including Neil Diamond, and Carol King, as well as Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart.
Hey Dan, thanks for writing this. It's testimony to Cynthia's perfect, prolific penmanship that I knew so few of these recordings; like many, I have listened to songs she co-wrote without knowing they were hers.
I also had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing her and Barry, and so excuse me for one slight correction. It's absolutely not intended as anything other than to help everyone understand that while it's fair to say Mann and Weil, like Goffin and King, and Sedaka and Greenfield, and many more, were products of the Brill era, none of these partnerships wrote or worked in the Brill Building. Instead they worked out of the Music Building up the road at 1650 Broadway, under the tutelage of the equally young Don Kirshner, who I would suggest deserves all credit for revolutionizing pop music songwriting with Aldon Music, and which he probably could not have done had he installed himself in the status quo of the Brill. (I only "suggest" he deserves credit because he was more than happy to take it at every opportunity!)
Having written a book that encompassed all of this, it's in my nature to point out the distinction - always wary to do so because I know from Smiths obsessives how it feels to be on the receiving end! Thank you for a wonderful post and for sharing so many of Cynthia's fine lyrics outside of the familiar hits - and you know, "Walking In The Rain" is a good candidate for Spector's top spot any day.
Tony
Thanks for the correction, Tony - that IS an important distinction!
Thanks Dan for the homage to Cynthia and the collaborative spirit.
One of the all time great Saturday morning reads! Listening to the Animals "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" brought back (or did it create) some of that 7 year old 'angst' iI had going on in 1965. LoL!
Dan—a voice from deep in your past, quite likely (and justifiably) forgotten.
You're writing the blog I would if I could: kudos.
Yes yes yes to Paul River and the Raiders! And this is the one I'd add to your list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hxeM-lFyig
Probably doesn't exist without the Reflections' "(Just like) Romeo and Juliet," but I'm won over every time anyway.
Keep up the good work. And best to your mom.
Tom Fredrickson
TOM!!! So great to hear from you — it's been decades, but I have never forgotten your kindness and musical generosity. (Taping Shake Some Action and Radio City for me = HERO) Great call on "Talk to Me Baby," too!
Modesty does *not* prevent me from sharing my own spotty, moribund blog, http://lostwaxmethod.com. Dig deep enough and you'll find some Big Star arcana that you might find diverting.
Right on — looking forward to digging in! Hope you're doing well.
Great selection of Ms Weils songs. Thanks 😊
This was fab. And thank you for the Elvis version; I’d no idea.
Thanks so much for highlighting these. I’m an avid saver/creator of “written by” playlists on Spotify and so I’m looking forward to digging into this catalog with a new lens.
For anyone interested, I found this 4+ hour collection but there are others as well: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qM0sETFDSeclOxwAaIUeI?si=ik5GRXkwSmGkxaH4IwKf8Q
Thanks for the link!
My pleasure :)