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"So Long, Dad"
Single by Manfred Mann
B-side"Funniest Gig"
Released25 August 1967
Recorded22–23 June & 21 July 1967
StudioDe Lane Lea, London
Genre
Length2:38
LabelFontana
Songwriter(s)Randy Newman
Producer(s)Denny Cordell
Manfred Mann singles chronology
"Sweet Pea"
(1967)
"So Long, Dad"
(1967)
"Mighty Quinn"
(1968)
Audio
"So Long, Dad" on YouTube

Background and composition[edit]

Randy Newman, pictured in 2012, wrote the song inspired by Harpers Bizarre.

By early 1967, British pop group Manfred Mann had scored three top-ten singles in the United Kingdom since recruiting their new bassist Klaus Voormann and lead vocalist Mike d'Abo, "Just Like a Woman", "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James" (both 1966) and "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown" (1967).[1] However, on 5 May 1967, Fontana Records released Manfred Mann's fourth single on the label, an instrumental cover of Tommy Roe's 1966 hit single "Sweet Pea".[2] Unlike all three singles previous to it, "Sweet Pea" became a relative chart failure for the band, only reaching number 36 on the Record Retailer chart in June of that year.[1] Concurrently, Randy Newman had established himself as a respected songwriter in the UK, having written the number 4 hit "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" for Alan Price.[3] Newman and Manfred Mann allegedly became aquainted through producer Denny Cordell, who had previously worked with Price and knew about Newman's material, finding it suitable for the band.[4]

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "So Long, Dad"
Chart (1967) Peak
position
New Zealand (Listener)[5] 8
UK (Record Retailer)[1] 52

Notes and references[edit]

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c Brown 2000, p. 545.
  2. ^ McGuinness 1997, p. 2.
  3. ^ Hunt, Elle (5 January 2023). "Randy Newman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  4. ^ McGuiness 1997, p. 6.
  5. ^ "Manfred Mann - Listener". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 11 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Sources[edit]

[Category:Songs written by Randy Newman] [Category:1967 songs] [Category:1967 singles] [Category:Manfred Mann songs] [Category:Songs about fathers] [Category:Fontana Records singles] [Category:Harry Nilsson songs] [Category:Randy Newman songs]