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Kelly Gordon

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Kelly Gordon (*19 November 1932, †1 August 1981[1] at age of 49 from lung cancer) was an US american singer and song writer in the area of blues, blues-rock and rhythm and blues, and beyond by using smaller and also big band arrangements. During his advanced life with music he went frequently into the role of a producer. He is further assumed having taken part as non-credited background singer in a few fellow songs.

Works

Gordon had a few promotional and single attempts around 1963 with a total of six titles for the mass markets by means of the Mercury Record Corporation. None of them reached far enough to get him finally famous as an artist. Still he had many chances for creating music, for example with Gilbert for the TV detective series "Burke's law" and other productions that ran on Four Star Television.

His self sung published song "That's Life" (1963), that he co-authored with Dean Kay, has found many artists doing recordings and releases of cover versions including from Frank Sinatra (1966) so that song started appearing in Sinatra's contemporary publications as well as long after throughout many of Sintara's nearly uncountable best-of albums. Some of his compositions at that time went to well known performers like The Temptations, Nichelle Nichols, Aretha Franklin or James Brown.[2]

In 1967 or maybe even earlier he had evidently joint with Capitol Records. With this step he went in close touch with a pool of promising or already successful artists and music professionals. By this time Gordon took over the producer duty for Bobbie Gentry and her self-written and -performed song "Ode to Billy Joe" (1967) - its said he was the one to discover her by a sample song that he got to his hands. This her title went into the contest for the Grammy Awards 1968 with a total of 9 category nominations (5 nominees per group) and a total of 3 wins.[3] The Rolling Stone Magazine puts that title at position 419 of his "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" listing.[4]

Gordon continued this duties and coped with further people for the production of Gentry's and Glenn Campbell's album "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1967). For the song "Sittin' Pretty" he co-authored with Bobbie Gentry and then he acted as the producer for the whole album Local Gentry (1968) where that song amongst others went in. He also took over the producer works of "Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell" (1968), the tenth album of these two singers. And once more he was the producer for one of Gentry's albums: "The Delta Sweete" (1968, due to lesser initial success repackaged for UK: "Way Down South, 1972") that got created for the EMI budget label mfp. (In later times for the 1994/95 best-of album pair "The Essential Glen Campbell" for each of it he receives mentioning as being one of the producers.)

For the 1968's film "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?", with Doris Day and other stars, the same name theme song was written by Dave Grusin and Kelly Gordon, and to be sung by The Lettermen.

Gordon is considered the original April 1969 first time recorder of the song He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother written and composed by the duo Russell/Scott. The title had relatively moderate market response. Nevertheless his original recording made noticeably better results in abroad where he scored a respectable #6 in the French charts. His recording was even once presented to Joe Cocker as a reference, but it were rejected by Cocker as he did not believe that the song will become a hit for him. In September 1969 the song got world famous in form of a re-interpretation done by The Hollies and was since then seeing many more cover versions from various artists. In 1969 Gordon further publish his first and only LP with ten titles, including his current hits along with his older song "That's Life", and named the album "Defunked" - making this his all time biggest in length, self attributed audio release legacy to the world.

For the 1970/71 TV series "Headmaster" he joint with Patrick Williams for being the theme music composers.

Personal life

When her long time producer Kelly Gordon felt finally ill for lung cancer, Gentry took him to her grounds and cared for him until he died in 1981.[5]

Awards

Grammy Awards 1968 for "Ode to Billy Joe" for which Gordon took part as the producer:

  • Award:
    • Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(S) Or Instrumentalist(S): Bobbie Gentry
    • Female Contemporary Vocal Solo: Bobbie Gentry
    • Female Vocal Performance: Bobbie Gentry
  • Nomination:
    • Album Of The Year
    • Best Engineered Recording
    • Contemporary Album
    • Contemporary Single
    • Record Of The Year
    • Song Of The Year

Discography

Albums

Kelly Gordon: "DEFUNKED" (subtitle: big blues party), Capitiol Records, vinyl LP (1969)
Side 1:

Side 2:

  • Some Old Funky Blues Thang - 3:28 - Kelly Gordon (ASCAP)
  • Ain't That The Truth Ruth - 1:54 - Kelly Gordon (ASCAP)
  • Picadilly Willie - 3:20 - Kelly Gordon, Shorty Rogers (ASCAP)
  • Love Took My Heart And Mashed That Sucker Flat - 2:11 - Kelly Gordon (BMI)
  • If That Don't Get It, It Ain't There (Instrumental) - 2:35 - Kelly Gordon, Shorty Rogers (ASCAP)
  • That's Life - 3:07 - Kelly Gordon, Dean Kay (BMI)

Kelly Gordon on CD (resembles "DEFUNKED" LP track list, date unknown)

  1. Tenny Boppin' Child
  2. Games People Play
  3. Independently Poor
  4. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
  5. Some Old Funky Blues Thang
  6. Ain't That The Truth Ruth
  7. Picadilly Willie
  8. Love Took My Heart And Mashed That Sucker Flat
  9. If That Don't Get It, It Ain't There (Instrumental)
  10. That's Life

Singles & EPs

Kelly Gordon: Mercury Record Corporation (1963)

  • LET ME TELL YA JACK - 2:18 - Kelly Gordon, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Vocal produced by: Herschel Gilbert, Four Star Television Music (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only
  • TEARS, TEARS - 2:10 - by Ray Johnson, sung by Kelly Gordon in Four Star TV "Burke's Law" (1963), Arranged by: Shorty Rogers - BNP Music Pub. (ASCAP), vinyl for broadcast only

Kelly Gordon: (Mercury, 1963)

  • A Phonograph Record - 1:58 - Kelly Gordon, Arranged by: Dave Gates, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Four Star Television Music (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only
  • I'll Never Be Free - 2:46 - Benny Benjamin, George David Weiss, Arranged by: Gerald Wilson, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Laurel Music Corp. (ASCAP), vinyl for broadcast only

Kelly Gordon: (Mercury, 1964, two versions, first one without the second track)

  • You're A Star Now - 2:15 - Joy Byers, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Hill & Range Songs (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only
  • Take A Letter Miss Jones - 2:15 - Gene Ecceles, Don McGinnis, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Four Star Television Music (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only

Kelly Gordon: EMI, Capitol Records, vinyl 2-sided single (1969 - for US market; France market version had vice versa track list)

  • independently poor - 2:42 - Kelly Gordon, Mike McKinley, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, Chappell
  • some old funky blues thang - 3:28 - Kelly Gordon, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, ASCAP

Kelly Gordon: EMI, Capitol Records, vinyl 2-sided single (1969-1970 - four editions for four different national markets)

  • "HE AIN'T HEAVY... HE'S MY BROTHER" - 4:49 - Bob Russell, Bobby Scott, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, B.I.E.M.
  • That's Life - 3:07 - Kelly Gordon, Demon Key, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, Chappell

References

  1. ^ Kelly Gordon short profile at the BBC
  2. ^ All Music archive: Kelly Gordon credits
  3. ^ Nominees and Winners of Grammy Awards 1968
  4. ^ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
  5. ^ Bobbie Gentry had the most gorgeous legs ever: On the record with Grammy-winning arranger Jimmie Haskell

see also: Discogs database: Kelly Gordon

Category:American songwriters Category:American record producers

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