Product Code Database
Irving Gordon (February 14, 1915 – December 1, 1996) was an American songwriter known for his contributions to the Americana music genre.
Gordon was introduced to Duke Ellington in 1937. Ellington sometimes invited him to put lyrics to his compositions. However, working with Ellington was a difficult commission, since most of the Ellington songs were instrumental pieces whose singable potential only emerged after they had been played and recorded by the soloists in the Ellington orchestra.Benny Green. Obituary: Irving Gordon: Simply Unforgettable. The Guardian (London), December 4, 1996 Features page; Pg. 16 While working as Ellington's lyricist, Gordon wrote the lyrics to "Prelude to a Kiss". He, like many composers, worked out of the Brill Building in Manhattan for many years.
After writing "Mister and Mississippi", Gordon decided he enjoyed puns on state names and later wrote "Delaware", which was a hit for Perry Como.
His 1956 hit for Patti Page, "Mama from the Train", was written to describe the love of a mother who had been born in the old country. Although the lyrics identify her as "Pennsylvania Dutch", the shifts into and out of a minor key mark the melody as Eastern European, and it was widely perceived as a tribute to a Yiddish-speaking mother.
Gordon is perhaps best known for his song "Unforgettable". He also wrote "Allentown Jail", which was played by numerous musicians and told the story of a man who stole a diamond for his girlfriend and ended up in the Allentown jail, unable to make bail. This song was recorded by singers such as Edith Piaf.
Late in his life, Gordon won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year when Natalie Cole re-recorded her father Nat King Cole's earlier hit of "Unforgettable." Gordon wrote both the lyrics and music for "Unforgettable."
Gordon did not care for rock music, which he said was composed not of "melodies but maladies."Irv Lichtman. 10th Yr. For Writers' Haven; Irving Gordon Rages Again. Billboard, June 13, 1992, Artists & Music; Words & Music; p. 18. Gordon told the Los Angeles Times that by 1960 the vogue for rhymed words and hummable melodies had passed, "So I became a tennis pro. I have many lives."Myrna Oliver. Obituary; Irving Gordon; Composer of 'Unforgettable.' Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1996, p. 26, Section: A; Metro Desk.
Gordon's obituary claimed that he wrote the Abbott and Costello baseball comedy routine, "Who's on First?." This claim was never made by Gordon when he was alive, and others have also claimed authorship.
Gordon is noted for his contribution to music and lyrics of the Americana music genre. For example, it was commonly thought that his song "Two Brothers" was about the American Civil War.
For several years before his death, he wrote a musical about Sigmund Freud.
|
|
