RIP Neil Sedaka

[Inky_Wretch]

Neil Sedaka, songwriter to the stars for decades, dies at 86

 

[qtlaw]

Ah man, he was a jewel. May you RIP Mr. Sedaka.

So appropriate nowadays:

 

[Pickleballgolds]

Great way to win a bar bet: “Who first had a hit song with ‘Stairway to heaven’?”

 

[Jake from State Farm]

 

[Baron Scicluna]

 

[maumann2]

Wow. One hell of a life lived. Had a massive career before the Beatles, then resurrected the whole thing in the 1970s after virtual obscurity for a decade. Wrote a zillion hit songs. Went to high school with Carole King, which led to "Oh, Carol" and off he went.

Was still going strong with his show on SiriusXM until recently.

Survived by the Calendar Girl, Stupid Cupid and some English guy with Bad Blood.

RIP.

 

[Here me roar]

I loved both of those songs posted here. What a tremendous life

 

[Webster]

I’m a little biased in my Brooklyn pride, but the list of alumni near when he graduated from Lincoln HS include Neil Diamond, Marv Albert, Lou Gossett, Jr., Buddy Rich and Arthur Miller. Among many others

 

[DanOregon]

I always thought Sedaka and Anka - really they could have just become a dueling pianos act called "SedAnka" and they would have killed - were kind of cheesy. But they wrote a hell of a lot of good songs. That Elton John "rescued" Sedaka's career is amazing. My folks had a ton of both of them on 8-track.

 

[BTExpress]

Wrote and sang "Love Will Keep Us Together" two years before anyone had heard of the Captain and Tennille.

 

[da man]

Wrote and sang "Love Will Keep Us Together" two years before anyone had heard of the Captain and Tennille.

And Tennille paid tribute to him in that version’s rideout by singing, “Sedaka is back.”

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Dream Lover
Written and sung by Bobby Darin
Piano by Neil Sedaka

 

[maumann2]

From reading Wiki, the worst slam was RCA Victor deciding to put Gene Pitney's vocals over Sedaka's backing track for "It Hurts To Be In Love" because he originally recorded the song outside of their studios. The song reached No. 7 for Pitney.

I'm honestly stunned Sedaka ever gave RCA the time of day after that, but he released another album with them in 1971 and they refused to promote it. Glad he eventually got paid enough royalties to more than cover the money his stepfather squandered.

 

[Machine Head]

I’m a little biased in my Brooklyn pride, but the list of alumni near when he graduated from Lincoln HS include Neil Diamond, Marv Albert, Lou Gossett, Jr., Buddy Rich and Arthur Miller. Among many others

The Buddy Rich bus tape, now I'm going to go look for it and listen again.

 

[Huggy]

The Buddy Rich bus tape, now I'm going to go look for it and listen again.

Monumental talent, monumental asshole.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

A favorite artist from the Oldies station my parents listened to growing up. RIP.

 

[MarkWatney]

Who would have thought Neil Sedaka would have written a socially conscious, politically themed song?

He did. (And it was a moderately big hit. )



It could certainly be revived today -- although it would have to be revised slightly to reflect that the "so much room" didn't just happen -- but the larger theme stands.

 

[ChrisLong]

The Buddy Rich bus tape, now I'm going to go look for it and listen again.

A couple of guys I grew up with (I was a drummer throughout junior high and high school): One was a Buddy Rich disciple; the other was the son of a guy who owned a drum shop and was friends with Louie Bellson.
The Rich follower mimicked his idol in every way, right down to his facial expressions while playing. He was the best drummer in our class.
The other guy was good enough to sit in with the Beach Boys when Dennis Wilson was too ****ed up to make it to rehearsals, recording sessions and concerts.
Even though Rich's drum set (I guess they call them "kits" now) had one bass drum and Bellson's had two, they were always compared.
The dad once asked Bellson who was the best drummer? Bellson said, "I can do anything Buddy Rich can do, and Buddy Rich can do anything I can do. But the best drummer in the world is Ginger Baker."
All of the above are dead now, including my two classmates.

 

[BTExpress]

Was watching an ABBA documentary last night. Didn't know they enlisted Sedaka to help with the English lyrics for "Ring, Ring."

He's everywhere.

 

[OscarMadison]

My dad loved Buddy Rich. Oh, Dad...

Just going to leave this right here.