LESLEY GORE / DAVE STEWART & BARBARA GASKIN - IT’S MY PARTY

Versió de Lesley Gore publicada: 5 d'abril de 1963

Llistes: EUA: #1 (2 setmanes) Regne Unit: #9 

Dave Stewart i Barbara Gaskin versió publicada: setembre de 1981

Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (4 setmanes)

"It's My Party" és una cançó d'èxit de 1963 interpretada per Lesley Gore, inclosa al seu àlbum de debut “I'll Cry If I Want To”. Llançada com a single principal, la cançó va ser escrita per Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr., i Wally Gold, i produïda per Quincy Jones. La lletra explica la història d'una adolescent durant la seva festa d'aniversari, que es veu afectada quan el seu xicot, Johnny, apareix amb una altra noia, Judy, que porta l'anell d'ell, un senyal que Johnny ha passat pàgina. La cançó capta el turment emocional del desamor adolescent.

Lesley Gore tenia només 16 anys quan va gravar "It's My Party," cosa que li va valer el títol mediàtic de "La Reina Adolescent". Després de prendre classes de cant a la ciutat de Nova York, les seves maquetes al piano van captar l'atenció de Quincy Jones, un productor emergent en aquell moment. Jones va portar les maquetes a casa seva, i tant ell com Gore es van sentir atrets per "It's My Party". Van gravar la cançó durant una sessió de tres hores als Bell Studios de Nova York el 30 de març de 1963. Juntament amb dues cançons addicionals escrites per Paul Anka, la sessió es va completar ràpidament. Només sis dies després, "It's My Party" es va llançar com el seu senzill de debut. L'1 de juny, la cançó havia arribat al número 1, transformant la vida de Gore d'una adolescent normal a una estrella emergent.

Lesley Gore gairebé va perdre l'oportunitat de llançar "It's My Party" quan Quincy Jones va saber que Phil Spector tenia la intenció de gravar la mateixa cançó amb el seu grup, The Crystals. Després de gravar la peça amb Gore, Jones es va trobar amb Spector en un esdeveniment, on Spector va mencionar els seus plans per a la cançó. Sense revelar la seva pròpia gravació, Jones va actuar ràpidament, recollint la cinta el dilluns següent i agafant cent còpies que va enviar a les principals emissores de ràdio d'Amèrica. La cançó es va llançar d'urgència i va pujar ràpidament a les llistes, mentre que The Crystals mai van tenir l'oportunitat de gravar-la.

Lesley Gore estava conduint quan va escoltar "It's My Party" a la ràdio per primera vegada, però no va reconèixer immediatament la seva pròpia veu. Pensant que algú altre havia gravat la seva cançó, va començar a cantar-la. A mig camí, es va adonar que en realitat era la seva versió. Emocionada, va conduir ràpidament fins a casa d'una amiga, va tocar la botzina, i les dues van escoltar el final de la cançó juntes.

El 1981, els artistes britànics Dave Stewart i Barbara Gaskin van llançar una versió de "It's My Party," que es va convertir en número 1 al Regne Unit durant quatre setmanes. Aquesta versió va destacar per ser la primera a assolir el número 1 al Regne Unit ja que Gore no ho va aconseguir. També va encapçalar les llistes a Irlanda i Nova Zelanda, i va arribar al top 10 a Austràlia, Àustria, Alemanya, Sud-àfrica i Suïssa. El videoclip comptava amb una aparició de Thomas Dolby com Johnny, mentre que Gaskin interpretava Judy portant una perruca rossa.

Dave Stewart i Barbara Gaskin són un duet de músics anglesos que van començar les seves carreres a principis dels anys 70, amb Stewart guanyant reputació com un destacat teclista i compositor, mentre que Gaskin va impressionar amb la seva veu pura i sense matisos. El 1981, es van associar i van aconseguir èxit immediat amb la seva versió de "It's My Party". Des de llavors, el duet Stewart-Gaskin s'ha convertit en un dels artistes pop més respectats i innovadors del Regne Unit, conegut per les veus celestials de Gaskin i els arranjaments musicals complexos i aventurers de Stewart. El duet ha llançat set àlbums fins ara i continua creant nova música a dia d’avui.

LESLEY GORE / DAVE STEWART & BARBARA GASKIN - IT’S MY PARTY

Lesley Gore Version Released: April 5, 1963

Charts: US: #1 (2 weeks)  UK: #9 

Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin Version Released: September, 1981

Charts: UK: #1 (4 weeks)

"It's My Party" is a 1963 hit song by Lesley Gore from her debut album “I'll Cry If I Want To”. Released as the lead single, the song was written by Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr., and Wally Gold, and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics tell the story of a teenage girl at her birthday party who becomes upset when her boyfriend, Johnny, shows up with another girl, Judy, who is wearing his ring—signaling that Johnny has moved on. The song captures the emotional turmoil of teenage heartbreak.

Lesley Gore was just 16 when she recorded "It's My Party," earning her the media title "The Teen Queen." After taking voice lessons in New York City, her piano demos caught the attention of Quincy Jones, an up-and-coming producer at the time. Jones brought demo tapes to her home, and both he and Gore were drawn to "It's My Party." They recorded the song during a 3-hour session at Bell Studios in New York on March 30, 1963. Along with two additional songs written by Paul Anka, the session was completed quickly. Just six days later, "It's My Party" was released as her debut single. By June 1, the song had reached #1, transforming Gore's life from that of a typical teenager to a rising star.

Lesley Gore almost lost her chance to release "It's My Party" when producer Quincy Jones learned that Phil Spector intended to record the same song with his group, The Crystals. After recording the track with Gore, Jones ran into Spector at an event, where Spector mentioned his plans for the song. Without revealing his own recording, Jones acted swiftly, picking up the tape the following Monday and pressing 100 copies, which he sent to major radio stations across America. The song was rush-released and quickly climbed the charts, while The Crystals never got the chance to record it.

Lesley Gore was driving when she first heard "It's My Party" on the radio, but she didn't initially recognize her own voice. Thinking someone else had recorded her song, she started singing along. Midway through, she realized it was actually her version. Excited, she quickly drove to a friend's house, honked the horn, and the two of them listened to the end of the song together.

In 1981, British artists Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin released a remake of "It's My Party," which became a UK number-one hit for four weeks. This version was notable for being the first to reach number one in the UK. It also topped the charts in Ireland and New Zealand and made the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa, and Switzerland. The music video featured a cameo by Thomas Dolby as Johnny, while Gaskin portrayed Judy wearing a blond wig.

Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin are English musicians who began their careers in the early 1970s, with Stewart gaining a reputation as a leading keyboard player and composer, while Gaskin impressed audiences with her pure, unaffected vocals. In 1981, they teamed up and achieved immediate success with their cover of "It's My Party." Since then, the Stewart-Gaskin partnership has become one of the UK's most respected and innovative pop acts, known for Gaskin's heavenly vocals and Stewart's complex, musically adventurous arrangements. The duo has released seven albums to date and continues to create new music.

SOFT CELL - BEDSITTER

Estrena: 2 de novembre de 1981

Llistes: Regne Unit: #4

"Bedsitter" és una cançó del duet britànic Soft Cell, inclosa en el seu àlbum “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”. Llançada com a senzill al novembre de 1981, va arribar al número 4 de les llistes britàniques. Després del seu èxit amb “Tainted Love”, “Bedsitter” és el primer èxit a les llistes de Soft Cell amb una cançó escrita per ells mateixos.

La lletra cantada per Marc Almond, descriu un diumenge solitari en un petit pis, reflexionant sobre l'avorriment i la solitud mentre menja per confort i escriu una carta a la seva mare. Finalment, Almond expressa desil·lusió amb la vida nocturna, adonant-se que les sortides del dissabte estan sobrevalorades i que només es fa creure a ell mateix que s'ho està passant bé.

“Bedsitter” és profundament autobiogràfica, com va revelar l'instrumentista Dave Ball en una entrevista. Va compartir que tant ell com Marc Almond vivien en un edifici d'habitatge social en una zona difícil del centre de Leeds, amb Almond vivint just al costat. Intercanviaven cassets de música i frases a través del passadís. Durant el dia, Almond treballava al bar del Leeds Playhouse i a les nits feia de guardaroba al Warehouse. Les nits les passaven anant de clubs amb amics, només per tornar a les seves condicions de vida no gaire ideals.

“Bedsitter” va ser gravada per al seu àlbum debut, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”, que explora els temes contrastants de glamour i brutícia en la vida urbana. Marc Almond ha expressat una fascinació per l'atractiu del "glamour en la sordidesa", destacant la naturalesa captivadora de la brutícia i la decadència. L'àlbum, tot i centrar-se en temes de sexe sòrdid, també reflecteix les seves vides suburbials anteriors, abans de conèixer-se a la Leeds Polytechnic. “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” va ser creat amb un pressupost limitat, amb Dave Ball encarregant-se principalment de la instrumentació. Va gravar utilitzant una gravadora de cinta ReVox, una caixa de ritmes Roland prestada, un baix sintètic Korg SB-100 i un Synclavier NED propietat del productor Mike Thorne.

SOFT CELL - BEDSITTER

Released: November 2, 1981

Charts:  UK: #4 

"Bedsitter" is a song by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell, featured on their album “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”. Released as a single on November 1981, it reached No. 4 on the UK charts. Following their hit "Tainted Love," "Bedsitter" marks Soft Cell's first self-written chart success. 

The song's lyrics, sung by Marc Almond, depict a solitary Sunday spent in a bedsit, reflecting on boredom and loneliness as he engages in comfort eating and writes a letter to his mother. Ultimately, Almond expresses disillusionment with nightlife, realizing that his Saturday outings are overrated and that he is only fooling himself into thinking he is having fun.

Soft Cell's "Bedsitter" is deeply autobiographical, as revealed by instrumentalist Dave Ball in an interview. He shared that both he and Marc Almond lived in a housing association building in a rough area of inner-city Leeds, with Almond residing right next door. They would exchange cassettes of music and lyrics through the corridor. During the day, Almond worked at the bar of Leeds Playhouse and served as a cloakroom attendant at the Warehouse in the evenings. Their nights were spent clubbing with friends, only to return to their less-than-ideal living conditions. 

"Bedsitter" was recorded for the debut album, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”, which explores the contrasting themes of glamor and grime in urban life. Marc Almond has expressed a fascination with the allure of "glamor in squalor," emphasizing the captivating nature of filth and seediness. The album, while focusing on themes of seedy sex, also reflects on their earlier suburban lives before meeting at Leeds Polytechnic. “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” was created on a limited budget, with Dave Ball primarily handling the instrumentation. He recorded using a ReVox tape recorder, a borrowed Roland drum machine, a Korg SB-100 Synthetic Bass, and a NED Synclavier owned by producer Mike Thorne.

AEROSMITH - ANGEL

Released: January 5, 1988

Charts: US: #3    UK: #69 

"Angel" is a power ballad released in 1988 as the third single from the band's “Permanent Vacation” album, it became a major hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, it was the band's highest-charting single. As of 2024, it ranks second behind "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," which became Aerosmith's first and only #1 hit on the Hot 100 in 1998.

"Angel" was written by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and songwriter Desmond Child. At the urging of John Kalodner from Geffen Records, Aerosmith brought in outside writers like Child to help them recover from two underperforming albums, “Rock in a Hard Place” and “Done with Mirrors”. Although initially resistant, the band saw success with Child's input, especially on "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)." "Angel" marked a departure from Aerosmith's usual sound. It was a relationship ballad, lacking the band's typical humor and edge. While it became a hit, longtime fans criticized it for being too soft. Tyler himself has mixed feelings, once suggesting that Kalodner "ruined his career" by pushing the band in that direction.

According to songwriter Desmond Child, "Angel" was inspired by Steven Tyler's relationship with Teresa Barrick, whom Tyler had recently started dating and later married in 1988. Child recalled how Tyler referred to Barrick as his "angel," which became the theme of the song. Child also noted that Tyler’s delivery of the word "angel" reminded him of Mick Jagger’s performance of "Angie," influencing the repeated use of the word in the lyrics. The song, which reflected Tyler's personal life, became a commercial success and opened the door for Aerosmith to explore more ballads, such as "Cryin'," "Crazy," and "What It Takes”,  although Tyler initially viewed the song as too pop-oriented and resisted performing it live for many years.

Directed by Marty Callner, who also helmed their previous video, the clip combines footage from Aerosmith's 1988 North American tour with a variety of rock video tropes such as "guitarist on a deserted highway," "band in a back alley," and scenes of smashing through a wall. With strong production values and a hit song, the video was guaranteed heavy rotation on MTV.

 

BACCARA - YES SIR, I CAN BOOGIE

Estrena: abril de 1977

Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (1 setmana)

"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" és una cançó del duet vocal espanyol Baccara, llançada el 1977 com el primer senzill del seu àlbum debut “Baccara”. La cançó va ser escrita per Frank Dostal i Rolf Soja, qui també la van produir. Va tenir un èxit significatiu a Europa, mantenint-se un rècord de 20 setmanes al número 1 a Suècia, i és notable per ser l'únic número u de Baccara al Regne Unit, on va passar una setmana al capdamunt de la llista de senzills britànica l’octubre de 1977. No va ser llançada als Estats Units, ja que a la seva discogràfica d’allà no els va agradar la cançó. Curiosament la cançó es va llançar l’abril de 1977, però a Espanya, el país d’origen del duet, no es va publicar fins a novembre gràcies a l’enorme èxit del single arreu d’Europa.

Baccara, un duet espanyol format per les ballarines de flamenc Mayte Mateos i María Mendiola, va ser descobert per l'executiu de RCA Leon Deane mentre actuaven per a turistes a les Illes Canàries. Van ser ràpidament signades pel segell i, just abans de volar a Alemanya, es va escriure la lletra i la música d'acompanyament de "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie". Després de gravar dues cançons a Alemanya, van tornar a Espanya per filmar un programa de televisió.

La cantant britànica Sophie Ellis-Bextor en va gravar una versió com a pista addicional per al seu segon àlbum d'estudi “Shoot from the Hip”. També es va llançar com a cara B del seu single "I Won't Change You".

El 2020, "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" va ser adoptada pels aficionats de la selecció de futbol d'Escòcia després de la seva classificació per a l'Eurocopa 2020 de la UEFA. La cançó havia guanyat atenció local el 2015 quan un vídeo del defensa de l'Aberdeen Andrew Considine fent un playback disfressat amb aquesta cançó va esdevenir viral. Després de la victòria d'Escòcia sobre Sèrbia per classificar-se al seu primer gran torneig des de 1998, vídeos dels jugadors cantant-la es van fer virals. María Mendiola de Baccara va expressar la seva disposició a regravar la cançó per Escòcia. Aquesta renovada popularitat va portar la cançó a reentrar a la llista de singles del Regne Unit al número 57 al novembre de 2020.

Baccara es va convertir en el primer duet femení a tenir un número 1 al Regne Unit, sent aquest el 414è número u britànic, i el primer artista espanyol en arribar a aquesta posició. El 1978, Baccara va representar Luxemburg al Festival de la Cançó d’Eurovisió amb la seva cançó "Parlez-Vous Français?", que va quedar en setena posició.

BACCARA - YES SIR, I CAN BOOGIE

Released: April 1977

Charts:  UK: #1 (1 week)

“Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" is a song by the Spanish vocal duo Baccara, released in 1977 as the first single from their debut album “Baccara”. The song was written by Frank Dostal and Rolf Soja, who also produced it. It became a significant hit across Europe, spending a record 20 weeks at #1 in Sweden, and is notable for being Baccara's only number one single in the United Kingdom, where it spent one week at the top of the UK Singles Chart in October 1977. It wasn't released in the US as their record company there didn't like the song. 

Baccara, a Spanish duo consisting of flamenco dancers Mayte Mateos and María Mendiola, were discovered by RCA executive Leon Deane while performing for tourists in the Canary Islands. They were quickly signed to the label and, just before flying to Germany, the lyrics and backing track for "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" were written. After recording two songs in Germany, they returned to Spain to film a TV show.

British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor recorded a cover of "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" as a bonus track for her second studio album “Shoot from the Hip”. It was also released as the B-side of her single "I Won't Change You".

In 2020, "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" was adopted by fans of the Scotland national football team after their qualification for UEFA Euro 2020. The song had gained local attention in 2015 when a video of Aberdeen defender Andrew Considine miming to it in drag went viral. After Scotland's victory over Serbia to qualify for their first major tournament since 1998, videos of the players singing the song went viral. María Mendiola of Baccara expressed her willingness to re-record the song for Scotland. The renewed popularity led to the song re-entering the UK Singles Chart at number 57 in November 2020.

Baccara became the first female duo to have a #1 hit in the UK, with this being the 414th UK #1, and the first Spanish act to reach that spot. In 1978, Baccara represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Parlez-Vous Français?", which placed 7th.