I Write the Songs /Bruce Johnston/

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_6cwUso8CA

It was on The Top Of The Pops, on July 10, 1975. The single from David's album 'The Higher They Climb, The Harder They Fall'. On July 26th the song reached number 11 on the UK chart. The author of the song and David's album producer , Bruce Johnston wasn't very happy with David's choice.He thought that the 'Higher They Climb , The Harder They Fall ' was a great concept album with one weak track - 'I Write the Songs' .Bruce Johnston : 'I've always kind of wondered if David thought - maybe I better record it because I know it could be a hit - it's kind of life insurance - I know David always says he was the first one to record it but it really was Capitan and Tennille.' (Mike Morsh (The Vinyl Dialogues)

Whatever  the story was I love that song , and this live version is even better than a recorded one. I think  that his performance also shows us why some people loved David and some.. didn't . David Cassidy was very aware about it : 'I knew there were some people who hated me as a performer, who viewed me with utter contempt. (..) People seemed to either love me or hate me.' ( David Cassidy : Could It Be Forever , 2007).

I think ,and it's of course my opinion, that for some people David's style was too much theatrical (of lack of a better word). It was because first of all he was a very skilled actor who also was a great interpreter of songs.That's why the covers he made were often better than originals. Each song was like an acting task : work on the lyrics, what is the meaning of the song, what can I add from my own experiences ( and he wasn't afraid to bare his emotions) and ...costums and stage movement. That's why David looked different  depending on what he sang..When he sang a rock song he looked like an epitome of a rock star..The same man one year later, in 1976.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsuhi6UnX-k

As we know, it was someone else's version of 'I Write the Songs' which got a Grammy Award for the Song Of The Year. Barry Manilow's. His single was released just 3 months after David's  , in October 1975. And because of Barry, I've learned that I'm a David Cassidy's fanatic..It was about 3 years ago, I was carried away a little bit, and wrote an emotional post on DC site..how Barry's version was dull..and that it was so unfair..you know, and one fellow-fan answered me that many people actually loved Barry's singing and I shouldn't have written such things..she finished her post : 'Do you know Weronika, from what word ' a fan' is.?.' It was a valuable lesson. You can listen to Barry's version for yourself, I haven't changed my mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHIdHIWfnl4

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/David_Cassidy_tijdens_de_opnames_-_NA_-_928-0296.jpg



Comments

  1. Encarni2/5/21, 12:57 AM

    The difference is that David sings with all feeling and that is transmitted, I love this song, of course performed by David. ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  2. Weronika2/5/21, 6:23 AM

    Yes, of course. If I had to choose one DC's song (what a task!) I think it would be this one. Real magic..

    ReplyDelete

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