Kelly Gordon

Kelly Gordon (19 November 1932 - 1 August 1981)^[1] was an American singer, songwriter and record producer.

Works

"That's Life", a song he co-wrote with Dean Kay, had numerous cover versions including one by Frank Sinatra.^[2] Some of his compositions at that time went to well known performers like The Temptations, Nichelle Nichols, Aretha Franklin or James Brown.^[3]

In 1967 he produced Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe", a song with nine Grammy Awards nominations in 1968 and three wins.^[4] The Rolling Stone Magazine puts that title at position 419 of his "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" listing.^[5]

When Gordon fell ill with lung cancer, Peggy Gordon cared for him until he died in 1981.^[6]

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

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)

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