Lesley Gore

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Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore photographed in the early 1960's
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Background information
Birth name Lesley Sue Goldstein
Also known as Lesley Gore
Born May 2, 1946 (1946-05-02) (age 63)
Origin New York City, New York,
United States
Genre(s) Pop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals
Voice type(s) Alto[1]
Years active 1963– present
Associated acts Sue Thompson, Brenda Lee
Website lesleygore.com

Lesley Gore (born May 2, 1946 as Lesley Sue Goldstein) is an American singer-songwriter of the "girl group era". She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit, "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of 1963-1967. At the time of her birth, her family was in the process of changing their names back to their Russian name (Gore).

Contents

[edit] Biography

Gore was born in New York City, New York, United States. She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, in a Jewish family. Her father, Leo Gore, was a wealthy manufacturer of children's clothes and swimwear; she also had younger brother, Michael. Lesley was a junior at the Dwight School for Girls in nearby Englewood when "It's My Party" became a #1 hit.[2]

[edit] Career: 1960s and 1970s

Gore's first hit was followed by many others, including "Judy's Turn to Cry" (the sequel to "It's My Party") (U.S. #5), "She's a Fool" (U.S. #5), the proto-feminist "You Don't Own Me" (U.S. #2), "That's The Way Boys Are" (U.S. #12), "Maybe I Know" (U.S. #14), "The Look Of Love" (U.S. #27) and "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" (U.S. #13). Her record producer was Quincy Jones, who would later become one of the most famous producers in American music.

Instead of accepting the television and movie contracts that came her way, Gore chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College in New York. This limited her public career to weekends and summer vacations, and undoubtedly hurt her career. Nevertheless, throughout the mid-1960s, Gore continued to be one of the most popular female singers in the United States and Canada.

Gore was given first shot at recording "A Groovy Kind of Love", but her then-producer Shelby Singleton refused to let her record a song with the word "groovy" in it; The Mindbenders went on to record the song, and it went to #2 on the Billboard charts.[3] Gore also released "Wedding Bell Blues" as a single in 1969, but her version flopped, while the Fifth Dimension's spent three weeks at #1. However she was able to sing the 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy).

By the late 1960s, her popularity had decreased with the advent of harder-edged psychedelic music. Her last major hit was the Bob Crewe-produced "California Nights" (U.S. #16), which she performed on both the January 19 and January 25, 1967, episodes of the Batman TV series, in which she guest-starred as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions. In the episodes, she lip-synched to her songs "California Nights" and "Maybe Now"[3] (the latter was for some reason cut from most later broadcasts of the episodes). Afterwards, she maintained a lower profile in the music industry, performing at concerts and in cabarets. She also kept busy writing songs, including composing songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film, Fame, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here on My Own", written with her brother Michael.[4] The song was a Top 20 hit for Irene Cara.[citation needed]

[edit] Return to recording in 2005

Gore played concerts and appeared on television throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 2005, she recorded her first album of new material since 1976 (Love Me By Name) — Ever Since — with producer/songwriter Blake Morgan for Engine Company Records (a small independent label). In addition to extensive national radio coverage and critical acclaim from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, and other national press, three songs from Ever Since have been used in television shows and the film Better Angels, in CSI: Miami's fourth season premiere episode, "Words We Don't Say", in an episode of The L Word, and "It's Gone", in the Jeff Lipsky-directed film Flannel Pajamas.

[edit] Sexual orientation

Gore announced in 2005 that she is a lesbian.[5] She stated further that she did not know her own sexual orientation until she was in her late teens at Sarah Lawrence College.

Some commentators consider the lyric content of some albums, notably Someplace Else Now, to contain implicit references to Gore's sexuality. Her altering of known song lyrics was also thought to have implied her orientation as in her album The Canvas Can Do Miracles. On that album she covered the song "You're the One That I Want" (from the film Grease), altering the line "cause I need a man" to "cause I need a friend".

Gore provided musical aid for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart, which featured a character (played by Bridget Fonda) whose struggles over her sexual orientation were similar to Gore's. Beginning in 2004, Gore could be seen hosting the PBS television series, In the Life, which focused on LGBT issues. Gore currently lives with her partner of more than 23 years.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

Year Single
Both sides from same album except where indicated		 US Pop Singles Album
1963 "It's My Party"
B-side: "Danny" (from the forecoming album Boys Boys Boys)		 1 I'll Cry If I Want To
"Judy's Turn to Cry"
B-side: "Just Let Me Cry"		 5
"She's a Fool"
B-side: "The Old Crowd"		 5 Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts
1964 "You Don't Own Me"
B-side: "Run Bobby, Run"		 2
"Je Ne Sais Plus" ("I Don't Know Anymore")
Face B: "Je N'Ose Pas"		 - Single only
"That's the Way Boys Are"
B-side: "That's The Way The Ball Bounces"		 12 Boys, Boys, Boys
"I Don't Wanna Be a Loser"
B-side: "It's Gotta Be You"		 37
"Maybe I Know"
B-side: "Wonder Boy"		 14 Girl Talk
"Hey Now" / 76
"Sometimes I Wish I Were a Boy" 86
1965 "Look of Love"
B-side: "Little Girl Go Home"		 27
"All of My Life"
B-side: "I Cannot Hope For Anyone" (non-LP track)		 71 The Golden Hits of Lesley Gore
"Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows"
B-side: "You've Come Back" (from Girl Talk)		 13 Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts
"My Town, My Guy & Me"
B-side: "A Girl In Love"		 32 My Town, My Guy & Me
"I Won't Love You Anymore (Sorry)"
B-side: "No Matter What You Do" (from My Town, My Guy and Me)		 80 Lesley Gore Sings All About Love
1966 "We Know We're in Love"
B-side: "That's What I'll Do"		 76
"Young Love"
B-side: "I Just Don't Know If I Can" (non-LP track)		 50
"Off and Running"
B-side: "I Don't Care" (from My Town, My Guy & Me)		 108 California Nights
"Treat Me Like A Lady"
B-side: "Maybe Now"		 115
1967 "California Nights"
B-side: "I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)"		 16
"Summer and Sandy"
B-side: "I'm Fallin' Down" (from Magic Colors)		 65 Golden Hits Vol. 2
"Brink of Disaster"
B-side: "On A Day Like Today"		 82 Magic Colors
"Magic Colors"
B-side: "It's A Happening World"		 -
1968 "Small Talk"
B-side: "Say What You See"		 124 Singles only
"He Gives Me Love (La La La)"
B-side: "Brand New Me" (non-LP track)		 91 Golden Hits Vol. 2
"I Can't Make It Without You"
B-side: "Where Can I Go" (from Magic Colors)		 124
"I'll Be Standing By"
B-side: "Look The Other Way"		 - Single only
1969 "Take Good Care (of My Heart)"
B-side: "I Can't Make It Without You"
B-side (East Coast pressings): "You Sent Me Silver Bells" (from Magic Colors)		 -
"98.6-Lazy Day"
B-side: "Summer Symphony"		 -
"Wedding Bell Blues"
B-side: "One By One"		 -
1970 "Why Doesn't Love Make Me Happy?"
B-side: "Tomorrow's Children"		 -
"Come Softly to Me"
B-side: "Billy & Sue's Love Theme"
Featuring Oliver; shown as "Billy & Sue"		 -
"When Yesterday Was Tomorrow"
B-side: "Why Me, Why You"		 -
1971 "Back Together"
B-side: "Quiet Love"		 -
1972 "She Said That"
B-side: "The Road I Walk"		 - Someplace Else Now
1975 "Immortality"
B-side: "Give It To Me, Sweet Thing"		 - Love Me By Name
1975 "Sometimes"
B-side: "Give It To Me, Sweet Thing"
A-side also features The Brothers Johnson		 -

[edit] Selected albums

Year Album US Peak
1963 I'll Cry If I Want To 24
Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts 125
1964 Boys, Boys, Boys 127
Girl Talk 146
1965 My Town, My Guy & Me 120
The Golden Hits of Lesley Gore 95
1966 Lesley Gore Sings All About Love -
1967 California Nights 169
1968 Magic Colors (cancelled) -
Golden Hits Volume 2 -
1972 Someplace Else Now -
1975 Love Me By Name -
1982 The Canvas Can Do Miracles -
2005 Ever Since -

[edit] Television appearances

[edit] References

  1. ^ "LESLEY GORE Ever Since ...", The Washington Post, September 16, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2007. "Instead, Ever Since is a cozy pop cabaret album, an intimate showcase for Gore's now hazy alto and contemplative delivery."
  2. ^ Retro, Ricky. "It's her party, and it's Spector's turn to cry", The Star-Ledger, May 24, 2004. "ONE DAY IN 1963, 16-year-old Lesley Gore was driving home from the Dwight School For Girls in Englewood when she heard a song on the car radio that knocked her out."
  3. ^ a b c Hoekstra, Dave. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070311/ai_n18709695 "Our favorite Lesley Gore moments"], Chicago Sun-Times, March 11, 2007. Accessed May 31, 2007. "Who says debuting a new single on a TV show is such a new idea? Gore did it on -- gulp -- "Batman" in January 1967. And not only did she appear on the show to sing "California Nights," she did so in character -- as one of Catwoman's minions: Pink Pussycat. The episode was titled "That Darn Catwoman," and Gore reprised her role that same season in another episode, "Scat! Darn Catwoman."... Some amusing trivia: Gore was offered the song "A Groovy Kind of Love," but her producer wouldn't allow her to record a song with the word "groovy" in it."
  4. ^ Jones, Chad. "It's still her party, and Lesley Gore's not crying", Oakland Tribune, April 21, 2006. Accessed May 31, 2007. "The disc includes her stripped-down, almost Marianne Faithful- like version of You Don't Own Me as well as Out Here On My Own, the Academy Award-nominated song she wrote with her brother, Michael Gore, from the movie Fame."
  5. ^ AfterEllen.com - Interview with Lesley Gore

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore"
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