Another great pop singer from the 60s that is often dismissed because, err, she was (yet another) great pop singer from the 60s.
There is an assumption that pop singers are just cows waiting to be led by the nose, and, some (many), are indeed just that, but just as many go beyond singing: arranging, writing, producing, selecting, choosing, orchestrating.
If you have a good voice you are likely to release music.
Singing and technique can be enough, but to have a lasting career you have to have more.
The limitation of most pop stars is that they tend to reflect what is going on around them musically and change quickly with the times (cows being led).
They don’t explore themselves or their abilities.
Worse still, they are forever linked (by the public) to the time in which they reached their commercial peak.
Their careers are, inevitably, short.
It’s rough being a pop star.
But some, through sheer talent, transcend the musical boundaries placed on them.
Lesley Gore is one of them.
“Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore was born Lesley Sue Goldstein on May 2, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York. Gore grew up in nearby Tenafly, New Jersey. She was only 16 years old when she was discovered by legendary music producer, Quincy Jones. Though several versions of the story of their auspicious meeting exist—one source said that they met at a party, while another claims that Jones saw Gore singing in a hotel—Gore herself remembers that it happened through a string of lucky connections … As Gore recalled, "The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York … One day, instead of my lesson, the piano player and I went into a studio … and we put down some demos … Those demos got to Quincy Jones through an agent … He listened to them, he called me, and we started to record." … Gore could not have begun her music career with a better team behind her. Her first single, 1963's "It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To)," was arranged by famed Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich and produced by Quincy Jones. The song resonated with millions of teenage girls across America, becoming an overnight success”. https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845
She was still in High School.
After graduating from high school, Lesley continued to pursue her music career but, also, persisted with higher education. She attended Sarah Lawrence College, an all-female university, studying British and American English literature.
The hits slowed down though the “California Nights” single made the Top 20 surprisingly in 1967.
It was a last gasp.
As the 1970s came and progressed, Lesley moved out of the spotlight despite releasing albums and singles.
“She was a serious artist that was way ahead of her time,” Ronnie Spector, leader of 1960s girl-group superstars the Ronettes, said in a statement, according to the AP. “She had a certain sound. But you want to be able to do new things too, and it can be hard on an artist that is so identified with a specific sound. Although she wasn’t in a girl group, Lesley was definitely a huge part of that era. But she continued to be creative, and kept looking ahead, and that’s how I will remember her.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/17/lesley-gore-teeny-bopper-turned-lesbian-icon-dies-at-68/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d81522b189b3
She pursued song writing and had some success when she wrote songs for the hit movie “Fame” (1980). One of the tracks, "Out Here on My Own," that she wrote with her younger brother, Michael, was nominated for an Academy Award but was beaten to the Oscar by Michael's “Fame”, written for the same soundtrack.
She did not release an album or single between 1982 and 2005.
Then, she revealed in 2005 that she was lesbian, and had been living with her long-term partner, jewellery designer Lois Sasson for 23 years.
It was “at Sarah Lawrence that Gore realized that she was a lesbian. Before college, she later explained, she simply had never had the time to examine her true feelings. "I had boyfriends," she said. "I was scheduled to get married … All of that was part of the agenda at the time …” https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845
As for why she hadn't come out "on the record" earlier, Gore explained: "I just never found it was necessary because I really never kept my life private. Those who knew me, those who worked with me were well aware” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11417229/Lesley-Gore-9-things-you-didnt-know.html
None of this matters as it has little to do with her music though all sorts of subtexts (real or otherwise) can now be read into her music.
Revisionism however has made her into a feminist of some sorts (though even her most defiant female single “You Don't Own Me” (1963) was written and produced by males).
It matters not though because the moxy that Lesley displays on the song transcends politics and gender debates.
And, I will be vilified perhaps (it’s a good thing not many people read this blog), but she was still incredibly cute in the 1960s, and her voice is effortlessly sexually attractive.
She died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015, she was 68 years old.
This album was her seventh, in four years. Lesley’s girl group sound has been replaced with some psychedelic asides to keep up with the times and it has some strong, as suggested in the title song, California sounds (was there a better place on earth than California in the early to mid-60s? … actually that was rhetorical 'cause I don't think there was).
She allowed herself (and allowing is not necessarily the same as being “led”) to tweak her musical persona though there is no doubt she knew exactly who she was, who she was singing to (the love struck and lovelorn) and how to convey the emotion in a song.
Music being more than each of its individual components means that even so it doesn’t always pay off in memorable songs but when it does it’s gold.
Lesley had worked with Quincy Jones before (he produced "It's My Party") and felt comfortable with him. Here she is also producer partnered with Bob Crewe. Working with anyone knew has to be a good thing and Crewe was extremely talented (The Four Seasons, Diane Renay, Tracey Dey, Linda Scott, etc).
Whether it was the producer, the times, or growing older or all that and more, I don't know, but Lesley tweaked her musical persona with songs that were more than teenage love and love lost (not that there is anything wrong with that).
And, tweak she did, two of the songs were promoted in two guest appearances she did on the (very popular) TV show "Batman". Interestingly, her character, much like her new musical persona here, is less "innocent' and more temptress.
Producers – Bob Crewe (tracks: A1 to B1, B4), Quincy Jones (tracks: B2, B3, B5). Variously arranged and conducted by Hutch Davie, Jack Nitzche and Herb Bernstein.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- California Nights – (Howard Liebling, Marvin Hamlisch) – Wonderful sunshine pop. Very much of its time but so evocative.
- Treat Me Like A Lady – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) – sophisticated pop with a wonderful arrangement and produced well with a full sound. This could come from a film at the time.
- Bad – (Al Kasha, Bob Crewe, Joel Hirschhorn) – young adult dramatics. Full bodied and emotive.
- I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In) – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) – much like Gary Lewis and the Playboys though with a more serious older vocal.
- Maybe Now – (Lesley Gore, Michael Gore) – composed by Lesley and her brother. This is a adult mid tempo love ballad.
Side Two
- Love Goes On Forever – (Bob Crewe, Gary Knight) – a waltz ballad with a wall of (waltzy) sound behind Lesley. Quite dreamy.
- Off And Running – (Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine) – "Off And Running" was used in the film "To Sir With Love" (1967) and sung by the group The Mindbenders. (Apparently) the composers brought the song to Lesley in early 1966 and she recorded it with Quincy Jones. Arranged and conducted by Jack Nitzsche (apparently). This is a great pop rock beat song.
- Lilacs And Violets – (Fred Anisfield, Larry Weiss) – a trad pop type ballad with a delightful youthful vocal.
- The Bubble Broke – (Bob Crewe, L. Russell Brown, Raymond Bloodworth) – a rockin' California big pop song complete with finger snaps, hand claps, horns, keyboard breaks, and female back-up vocals.
- Cry Like A Baby – (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead) – This is not he Box Top hit song from 1968. This was written by Motown staff writers Ashford and Simpson and first recorded by Aretha Franklin (#113 1966 US Pop, #27 US R&B). Apparently Aretha's version hadn't been released when Lesley cut her version. Lesley puts in a convincing pop soul performance.
And …
Quite wonderful mid-60s pop … wonderful. I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1966 Off and Running #108
1966 Treat Me Like a Lady #115
1967 California Nights #16
Album
1967 #169
England
nothing
Sounds
California Nights
on TVs "Batman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roeAhjkJFNQ
Treat Me like A Lady
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DONBSv8JKbE
Bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYF9DXPvA2A
I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)
mp3 attached
Maybe Now
on TVs "Batman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRvF5VABOAo
Off and Running
Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbPN3XvvGnI
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHQj10uAP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac8pS0WF2tU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QEqLTbEXy0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQmBXEZEYtg
the big hit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acRMALrg1t4
Live 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KhXo13_H0
Review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Nights_(Lesley_Gore_album)
Bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore
https://www.biography.com/people/lesley-gore-16606845
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lesley-gore-mn0000208582/biography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gore
interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkdhgc3CTU
Website
—
Trivia
- “Gore performed on two consecutive episodes of the Batman television series (January 19 and 25, 1967), in which she guest-starred as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions. In the January 19 episode "That Darn Catwoman", she lip-synched to the Bob Crewe-produced "California Nights", and in the January 25 episode "Scat! Darn Catwoman" she lip-synched to "Maybe Now"”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore
- She recorded a one off single, "Come Softly to Me" with singer Oliver in 1970, under the name Billy & Sue.
- She is the cousin of Alan Dean Foster the American writer of fantasy and science fiction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Dean_Foster
- “She told Ellen DeGeneres during an interview in 2005 that she didn’t know she was a lesbian until she was in her 20s, but, while the music business was “totally homophobic,” she’d never felt pressure to pretend to be straight. She had experienced relationships with both men and women, but her first serious relationship reassured her of her preference. She suggested that those who knew her well already knew of her preference but she officially came out when she hosted a series on gay and lesbian issues on the PBS series, In the Life beginning in 2004” https://www.heyalma.com/lesley-gore-the-jewish-feminist-lesbian-pop-star-ahead-of-her-time/
I saw her live in 1989 when i was a young un … cool.
