She was a singular powerhouse, with emphasis on the "sing"...a one-woman "girl group" who was produced by the jazz giant who was 2 decades away from crafting the recorded sound of Michael Jackson.
Great piece, as always. So well crafted and thoroughly researched, to the surprise of no one 😉
What I find particularly interesting is how this type of sound would then go on to influence not only many a girl group and female vocalist through the decades, but also lay the foundations for what has now become a staple of Broadway productions. Talk about timeless sounds.
Thank you, Andy....much appreciated! Good call on the Broadway influences....shoulda happened, too, as The Brill Building and all the publishing offices were right there adjacent to The Great White Way! Somebody in the "the-a-tah" had better be paying attention to all that chart-topping talent!
Great stuff, Brad! “Maybe I Know” was my introduction to Lesley Gore, thanks to my aunt who’d bought the 45 in her teens. I fell in love with the rest of her catalog after that (and was excited to learn at the age of 12 that she and I shared a birthday), but “Maybe I Know” remains my favorite to this day. Side note: I seem to remember Quincy appearing on Oprah! several decades back, and Oprah putting Lesley down as being the kind of lightweight pop artist that Q was “forced” to work with before he was really allowed to spread his musical wings – and Q, to his credit, proceeded to take Oprah to school about how talented Lesley was and how proud he was of the records they made together.
Thanks, Dan....for the compliment, as well as for the cool stories! So few have that Lesley entry story....most, of course, are all over her "bigger" hits. I was always fascinated how (likely because of Jeff'n'Ellie!) "girl-group-y" it sounded...which is pretty much what drove this article! Makes me wonder if the duo ever pitched Phil the song, or if they were consciously writing songs together (minus Phil) to sort of break away (or diversify) by trying to land songs elsewhere, beyond Philles.
What a cool pre-teen you were to have latched onto you sharing a b-day with Lesley!
Q's career is just so impossibly legendary (and worthy of praise and appreciation)...jazz giant, then label mogul/producer, in the days when upward-mobility for Black people was squelched! Mad props for A) Q persevering, and B) the industry cigar-chomping "bigwigs" opening the doors for him! And, of course, what Q did for Michael's career and sound! And, the less said about Oprah, the better! Good on Q for sticking up for the truly talented! Wonder if she ever leveled the same assessment on Q about Michael! Thanks again, Dan!😁👍
I’ve always loved Lesley Gore, since I first heard “It’s My Party” when I was seven or eight and had my first transistor radio. She also appeared on two episodes of Batman where I believe she sang “California Nights.” I didn’t know TMBG covered “Maybe I Know,” but as soon as I’m done with this comment, I’ll be listening to it at least once!
Cool story, C.L.! You're right about "Batman"! Lesley played Pussycat...here's her "California NIghts" (written by Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Liebling), in a clip showing her "Batman" scenes (singing the song) intercut with stage/synching footage of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzhRu1hxpX0
Thank Steve for the Giants cover! I knew nothing about theirs! He brought that one to me. Great stuff!
TMBG has done a lot of covers, and they always give it their special double-John unique flavor. I wonder if they've released a covers album; probably but I'll check.
I was also guessing at least one, if not both, of them are overt fans of girl groups/Lesley, and that whole era of songs and groups. I kinda figured that's why they covered the song. After an artist "gets some length" and mileage (and "earns the right"), I've found that they do covers, but more to the point, ones that they love....like the Matthew Sweet/Susannah Hoffs cover album...perfect example.
I really enjoyed Nancy Boyd and the Capellos version - had never heard of her with that limited distribution, but great cover.
Tracy Ullman -- that gal can mimic anyone (See this hysterical clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1enc9RRxGiw) -- but I didn't know she could mimic music styles too. Nice find.
"It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" -- both landmark songs in female empowerment at the time -- and to think with such lyrics they still became hits, seemed to slip under the radar. They had such a huge psychological effect on us girls.
HA! Hadn't seen those Tracey clips! Saw a lot of her show when it was on over here, late-'80s (the show that introduced us to "The Simpsons"). She really is quite amazing...even imitating dudes!! And, her accurate musical shape-shifting is what I loved about Nancy, too (my first time hearing/seeing her this week)!
Great to hear a gal's perspective on "Party" and "You Don't Own Me"! It means a lot to include that important POV! We've got another of those "tough" songs from the '60s coming up this Tuesday that was unfortunate for the time....but, thankfully, we've got Penny Kiley aboard who keeps us on an even keel, lyrically! Thanks, Ellen, for the kind words and your point of view!
Another fantastic post on a song I’ve never heard before. I love the different versions and how well they all work. That speaks to impeccable songwriting. I don’t know a lot of Lesley Gore’s catalog outside of ‘It’s My Party’ and ‘You Don’t Own Me’ (which I absolutely adore) but I feel like I need to delve into her catalog a little more.
Thanks, Mark! Those two songs you mentioned seem par for the course for the non-Lesley fanatic....at least, if you only know a couple or a small handful of her songs, I've noticed fewer people include "Maybe I Know" as one of those songs. At this point, blame radio, as any oldie station (terrestrial or satellite) will likely focus on, really, those two! They might throw in "Judy's Turn to Cry"!
For you, Mark, I'd relish a Lesley deep-dive just to, also, marvel in the handiwork of Quincy Jones! Knowing what he did for Michael, it's cool to focus on the sound he got for her two decades before! Plus, the songwriters he and the Mercury A&R staff helped find for her....like a young Marvin Hamlisch's (and lyricist Howard Liebling) "California Nights"....it sounds as perfectly California as you'd want it to, WITHOUT a trace of Beach Boys....it's the chord changes, especially as she moves into the chorus! And, of course, the glorious modulation 3/4s thru!
Here's another Hamlisch/Liebling song from '65: "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows"---this is how Hamlisch got his start!!!! And, again, produced by Quincy Jones! She's synching here again, but that's OK...you get to see her perform, AND hear Q's studio production....the horns, the chorus behind her....and, listen for the modulation!!! This is from a '65 movie, "Ski Party"....kinda like one of those Annette beach movies.....just snow instead of sand! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnxYtFarNw Think of horrible, awful things....there's no way this song WON'T make you happy!!!!
Enjoy your deep-dive, Mark, and check in when you've heard something you like (and/or are amazed at the length and breadth of the talent of Marvin Hamlisch)!
I loved Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows when it came out, and never knew it was Marvin Hamlisch's first song (along with Howard Liebling). A big hit right out of the gate!
Fun piece, Brad! I had forgotten you asked to share my thoughts on TMBG's cover of this one! Thanks for including my semi-lucid ramblings! It truly is a great song and you had me looking up the covers on YT when you mentioned it to me. I still love Leslie's version the best. Though of course she has many versions on her own.
It's impressive to see how well it works for different singers. Gore is a powerhouse, and it's hard to not hear her voice on it. And yet . . . the song also works well with a different sense of vulnerability. The cover by They Might Be Giants works because he seems believably sympathetic to the feeling of, "I'm not being treated well, but I'm also not ready to try to end the relationship."
I also liked Ellie Greenwich's version; you can really hear the classic pop songcraft.
Good mention, Nick.....I meant to draw attention to the different lyrical angle of the song from girl to boy! Knowing literally nothing about the TMBG duo dudes (except "Birdhouse in Your Soul"....was that them or the Housemartins?)....anyway, maybe Steve would know more about their influences and inspirations.
My point? Both those guys, I'd bet a bunch o' $, are massive fans of the genre and/or Jeff'n'Ellie (and the song and Lesley, of course)! All of those reasons are the ones I wrote the dang thing myself! It's been in my Q for months, and it's one of the many I'm charging myself to get done with before I depart this mortal coil (or this planet, whichever comes first)!
Yes.....It's always fascinating to hear a songwriter interpret her own song. Much like Carole King's songs which have become hits for others....it's telling when she does them herself. The vocal arrangements, and the other elements she added to her and Jeff's song, are really quite impressive. It's heartening that she didn't just carbon-copy Q, Ogerman's and Lesley's arrangement.
No....The only songs I know by either band is the one for each that's the most popular. To me, both TMBG and the Housemartins are fairly innocuous bands I never spent much, if any, time with...just those two songs, so it's easy for me to mismatch songs like that in my head! But, I'll take joke credit any day!!!
I've been reading and commenting on Chase Roper's 'Stack for a while. He's way more knowledgable on the backstory of songs than I, but he's younger and didn't experience them from the get go like I did. So I've got more street cred, or at least road burn.
True and, in addition, I wasn't quite accurate to describe his blog as filling all you TMBG needs because it provides interesting comments on individual songs but not much overview.
But, poetic license, I thought it was a good opportunity to recommend him.
Great piece, as always. So well crafted and thoroughly researched, to the surprise of no one 😉
What I find particularly interesting is how this type of sound would then go on to influence not only many a girl group and female vocalist through the decades, but also lay the foundations for what has now become a staple of Broadway productions. Talk about timeless sounds.
As always, thank you for the music, Brad!
Thank you, Andy....much appreciated! Good call on the Broadway influences....shoulda happened, too, as The Brill Building and all the publishing offices were right there adjacent to The Great White Way! Somebody in the "the-a-tah" had better be paying attention to all that chart-topping talent!
You got it! 🎶🎼🎤
Great stuff, Brad! “Maybe I Know” was my introduction to Lesley Gore, thanks to my aunt who’d bought the 45 in her teens. I fell in love with the rest of her catalog after that (and was excited to learn at the age of 12 that she and I shared a birthday), but “Maybe I Know” remains my favorite to this day. Side note: I seem to remember Quincy appearing on Oprah! several decades back, and Oprah putting Lesley down as being the kind of lightweight pop artist that Q was “forced” to work with before he was really allowed to spread his musical wings – and Q, to his credit, proceeded to take Oprah to school about how talented Lesley was and how proud he was of the records they made together.
Thanks, Dan....for the compliment, as well as for the cool stories! So few have that Lesley entry story....most, of course, are all over her "bigger" hits. I was always fascinated how (likely because of Jeff'n'Ellie!) "girl-group-y" it sounded...which is pretty much what drove this article! Makes me wonder if the duo ever pitched Phil the song, or if they were consciously writing songs together (minus Phil) to sort of break away (or diversify) by trying to land songs elsewhere, beyond Philles.
What a cool pre-teen you were to have latched onto you sharing a b-day with Lesley!
Q's career is just so impossibly legendary (and worthy of praise and appreciation)...jazz giant, then label mogul/producer, in the days when upward-mobility for Black people was squelched! Mad props for A) Q persevering, and B) the industry cigar-chomping "bigwigs" opening the doors for him! And, of course, what Q did for Michael's career and sound! And, the less said about Oprah, the better! Good on Q for sticking up for the truly talented! Wonder if she ever leveled the same assessment on Q about Michael! Thanks again, Dan!😁👍
I’ve always loved Lesley Gore, since I first heard “It’s My Party” when I was seven or eight and had my first transistor radio. She also appeared on two episodes of Batman where I believe she sang “California Nights.” I didn’t know TMBG covered “Maybe I Know,” but as soon as I’m done with this comment, I’ll be listening to it at least once!
Cool story, C.L.! You're right about "Batman"! Lesley played Pussycat...here's her "California NIghts" (written by Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Liebling), in a clip showing her "Batman" scenes (singing the song) intercut with stage/synching footage of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzhRu1hxpX0
Thank Steve for the Giants cover! I knew nothing about theirs! He brought that one to me. Great stuff!
TMBG has done a lot of covers, and they always give it their special double-John unique flavor. I wonder if they've released a covers album; probably but I'll check.
I was also guessing at least one, if not both, of them are overt fans of girl groups/Lesley, and that whole era of songs and groups. I kinda figured that's why they covered the song. After an artist "gets some length" and mileage (and "earns the right"), I've found that they do covers, but more to the point, ones that they love....like the Matthew Sweet/Susannah Hoffs cover album...perfect example.
Enjoyed this a lot. I was fortunate to photograph Gore at a Born for Broadway benefit in 2010, and she still had it!
Thanks, Glenn! Wow, cool you got to see her 5 years before she passed. When do we get to see the pix (he asked sheepishly)?😁🐏
I really enjoyed Nancy Boyd and the Capellos version - had never heard of her with that limited distribution, but great cover.
Tracy Ullman -- that gal can mimic anyone (See this hysterical clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1enc9RRxGiw) -- but I didn't know she could mimic music styles too. Nice find.
"It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" -- both landmark songs in female empowerment at the time -- and to think with such lyrics they still became hits, seemed to slip under the radar. They had such a huge psychological effect on us girls.
Great post as usual, Brad.
HA! Hadn't seen those Tracey clips! Saw a lot of her show when it was on over here, late-'80s (the show that introduced us to "The Simpsons"). She really is quite amazing...even imitating dudes!! And, her accurate musical shape-shifting is what I loved about Nancy, too (my first time hearing/seeing her this week)!
Great to hear a gal's perspective on "Party" and "You Don't Own Me"! It means a lot to include that important POV! We've got another of those "tough" songs from the '60s coming up this Tuesday that was unfortunate for the time....but, thankfully, we've got Penny Kiley aboard who keeps us on an even keel, lyrically! Thanks, Ellen, for the kind words and your point of view!
Another fantastic post on a song I’ve never heard before. I love the different versions and how well they all work. That speaks to impeccable songwriting. I don’t know a lot of Lesley Gore’s catalog outside of ‘It’s My Party’ and ‘You Don’t Own Me’ (which I absolutely adore) but I feel like I need to delve into her catalog a little more.
Thanks, Mark! Those two songs you mentioned seem par for the course for the non-Lesley fanatic....at least, if you only know a couple or a small handful of her songs, I've noticed fewer people include "Maybe I Know" as one of those songs. At this point, blame radio, as any oldie station (terrestrial or satellite) will likely focus on, really, those two! They might throw in "Judy's Turn to Cry"!
For you, Mark, I'd relish a Lesley deep-dive just to, also, marvel in the handiwork of Quincy Jones! Knowing what he did for Michael, it's cool to focus on the sound he got for her two decades before! Plus, the songwriters he and the Mercury A&R staff helped find for her....like a young Marvin Hamlisch's (and lyricist Howard Liebling) "California Nights"....it sounds as perfectly California as you'd want it to, WITHOUT a trace of Beach Boys....it's the chord changes, especially as she moves into the chorus! And, of course, the glorious modulation 3/4s thru!
Here she is, lip-synching on The Mike Douglas Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnSOtj_Af1A
Here's another Hamlisch/Liebling song from '65: "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows"---this is how Hamlisch got his start!!!! And, again, produced by Quincy Jones! She's synching here again, but that's OK...you get to see her perform, AND hear Q's studio production....the horns, the chorus behind her....and, listen for the modulation!!! This is from a '65 movie, "Ski Party"....kinda like one of those Annette beach movies.....just snow instead of sand! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnxYtFarNw Think of horrible, awful things....there's no way this song WON'T make you happy!!!!
Enjoy your deep-dive, Mark, and check in when you've heard something you like (and/or are amazed at the length and breadth of the talent of Marvin Hamlisch)!
I loved Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows when it came out, and never knew it was Marvin Hamlisch's first song (along with Howard Liebling). A big hit right out of the gate!
From such humble beginnings..................!
Fun piece, Brad! I had forgotten you asked to share my thoughts on TMBG's cover of this one! Thanks for including my semi-lucid ramblings! It truly is a great song and you had me looking up the covers on YT when you mentioned it to me. I still love Leslie's version the best. Though of course she has many versions on her own.
You got it, Steve.....one more down in the Q; 70 more to go! And, thanks.....glad you liked it and filled us in on the TMBG one!
It's impressive to see how well it works for different singers. Gore is a powerhouse, and it's hard to not hear her voice on it. And yet . . . the song also works well with a different sense of vulnerability. The cover by They Might Be Giants works because he seems believably sympathetic to the feeling of, "I'm not being treated well, but I'm also not ready to try to end the relationship."
I also liked Ellie Greenwich's version; you can really hear the classic pop songcraft.
Good mention, Nick.....I meant to draw attention to the different lyrical angle of the song from girl to boy! Knowing literally nothing about the TMBG duo dudes (except "Birdhouse in Your Soul"....was that them or the Housemartins?)....anyway, maybe Steve would know more about their influences and inspirations.
My point? Both those guys, I'd bet a bunch o' $, are massive fans of the genre and/or Jeff'n'Ellie (and the song and Lesley, of course)! All of those reasons are the ones I wrote the dang thing myself! It's been in my Q for months, and it's one of the many I'm charging myself to get done with before I depart this mortal coil (or this planet, whichever comes first)!
Yes.....It's always fascinating to hear a songwriter interpret her own song. Much like Carole King's songs which have become hits for others....it's telling when she does them herself. The vocal arrangements, and the other elements she added to her and Jeff's song, are really quite impressive. It's heartening that she didn't just carbon-copy Q, Ogerman's and Lesley's arrangement.
Definitely not The Housemartins. I'm pretty sure you are making a bird joke. 🤦♂️
No....The only songs I know by either band is the one for each that's the most popular. To me, both TMBG and the Housemartins are fairly innocuous bands I never spent much, if any, time with...just those two songs, so it's easy for me to mismatch songs like that in my head! But, I'll take joke credit any day!!!
For all your TMBG needs (and also really heartfelt writing) this is a good substack that I recently subscribed to: https://www.kissmesonofblog.com/
This post gives a good example of the style: https://www.kissmesonofblog.com/p/dont-lets-start
OK....thanks, Nick!
FYI, the title is a play on the title of this song: https://tmbw.net/wiki/Kiss_Me,_Son_Of_God
I was wondering about that!
I've been reading and commenting on Chase Roper's 'Stack for a while. He's way more knowledgable on the backstory of songs than I, but he's younger and didn't experience them from the get go like I did. So I've got more street cred, or at least road burn.
True and, in addition, I wasn't quite accurate to describe his blog as filling all you TMBG needs because it provides interesting comments on individual songs but not much overview.
But, poetic license, I thought it was a good opportunity to recommend him.
Fun songs, and more links than a battleship chain. Will have to take a couple of weeks off to check it all out :)
Taking a couple weeks off is allowed!!😁👍