05-12-2009, 11:45
YouTube - JIMMY WEBB - RICHARD HARRIS - MacArthur Park
from wikipedia
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally written as part of an intended cantata rejected by The Association, it was first recorded by Richard Harris in 1968 and then covered by many other performers. One of the best known covers of the song is Donna Summer's 1978 disco hit. Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman all performed dynamic big band jazz versions.
The song is named after MacArthur Park, a park in Los Angeles, California, although the title on the disc and record cover art is spelled with a space between Mac and Arthur. Its lyrics, which include the memorable line "Someone left the cake out in the rain", are more symbolic than descriptive, beginning as a poem about love, then moving into a lover's lament.
The song was first recorded by Richard Harris on his album A Tramp Shining in 1968 and was released as a single. It was an unusual single, running for more than seven minutes, with a long, climactic orchestral break. Harris's topped the music charts in Europe and peaked at number two on the U.S. charts. The song peaked at #10 in Billboard's Easy Listening survey, and was #8 for the year on WABC's overall 1968 chart.
Harris sings the song's final chorus at an elevated pitch near the top of his falsetto range.
Throughout his recording, Harris can be heard using the incorrect possessive form, "MacArthur's Park". Webb has said he tried correcting Harris during re-takes, but gave up when he simply could not (or would not) sing the correct words.
The song has been covered by many artists over the years with the most notable being by Donna Summer who did a disco version of the song which topped the U.S. charts for three weeks in 1978.
"MacArthur Park"'s odd metaphors and sentimentality have made it a frequent target of parody and ridicule over the years.
In 1992, humorist Dave Barry conducted a poll among his readers (as recorded in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs) of the worst songs ever. Barry's readers selected Harris's version of "MacArthur Park" as the worst song ever recorded, both in terms of "Worst Lyrics" and "Worst Overall Song".
The song was also once parodied in a 1981 episode of SCTV, in which Dave Thomas, playing Richard Harris, sang a version of the song that appears to never end.
from wikipedia
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally written as part of an intended cantata rejected by The Association, it was first recorded by Richard Harris in 1968 and then covered by many other performers. One of the best known covers of the song is Donna Summer's 1978 disco hit. Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman all performed dynamic big band jazz versions.
The song is named after MacArthur Park, a park in Los Angeles, California, although the title on the disc and record cover art is spelled with a space between Mac and Arthur. Its lyrics, which include the memorable line "Someone left the cake out in the rain", are more symbolic than descriptive, beginning as a poem about love, then moving into a lover's lament.
The song was first recorded by Richard Harris on his album A Tramp Shining in 1968 and was released as a single. It was an unusual single, running for more than seven minutes, with a long, climactic orchestral break. Harris's topped the music charts in Europe and peaked at number two on the U.S. charts. The song peaked at #10 in Billboard's Easy Listening survey, and was #8 for the year on WABC's overall 1968 chart.
Harris sings the song's final chorus at an elevated pitch near the top of his falsetto range.
Throughout his recording, Harris can be heard using the incorrect possessive form, "MacArthur's Park". Webb has said he tried correcting Harris during re-takes, but gave up when he simply could not (or would not) sing the correct words.
The song has been covered by many artists over the years with the most notable being by Donna Summer who did a disco version of the song which topped the U.S. charts for three weeks in 1978.
"MacArthur Park"'s odd metaphors and sentimentality have made it a frequent target of parody and ridicule over the years.
In 1992, humorist Dave Barry conducted a poll among his readers (as recorded in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs) of the worst songs ever. Barry's readers selected Harris's version of "MacArthur Park" as the worst song ever recorded, both in terms of "Worst Lyrics" and "Worst Overall Song".
The song was also once parodied in a 1981 episode of SCTV, in which Dave Thomas, playing Richard Harris, sang a version of the song that appears to never end.