A Lover's Concerto

Last updated
"A Lover's Concerto"
A Lover's Concerto - The Toys.jpg
Single by The Toys
from the album The Toys Sing "A Lover's Concerto" and "Attack!"
B-side "This Night"
ReleasedAugust 1965 (US)
October 1965 (UK)
Genre Pop
Length2:36
Label DynoVoice
Songwriter(s) Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell, Christian Petzold
Producer(s) Linzer and Randell
The Toys singles chronology
"A Lover's Concerto"
(1965)		"Attack!"
(1966)

"A Lover's Concerto" is a pop song written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, based on the 18th century composition by Christian Petzold, "Minuet in G major", and recorded in 1965 by the Toys. "A Lover's Concerto" sold more than two million copies and was awarded gold record certification by the RIAA. [1]

Contents

Their original version of the song was a major hit in the United States and United Kingdom (among other countries) during 1965. It peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 2. [2] "A Lover's Concerto" reached number 1 both on the US Cashbox chart (Billboard's main competitor), and in Canada on the RPM national singles chart. It peaked at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. [3]

History

Linzer and Randell used the melody of the familiar "Minuet in G major" (BWV Anh. 114), which first appeared in J.S. Bach's Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach . [2] The only difference is that the "Minuet in G major" is written in 3
4 time, whereas "A Lover's Concerto" is arranged in 4
4 time. Although often attributed to Bach himself, the "Minuet in G major" is now generally accepted as having been written by Christian Petzold. [4] [5] [6]

The melody had been popularized by bandleader Freddy Martin in the 1940s, in a recording that was released under the title "A Lover's Concerto". [7] [ better source needed ]

Critic Dave Thompson wrote of the Toys' version: "Few records are this perfect. Riding across one of the most deceptively hook-laden melodies ever conceived ... 'A Lover's Concerto' marks the apogee of the Girl Group sound." [2] The song also has an unusual structure that blurs the differences between its verses and choruses. [2] The lyrics begin:

How gentle is the rain
That falls softly on the meadow,
Birds high up in the trees
Serenade the clouds with their melodies

Sarah Vaughan recorded the song for a like-named EP released in Australia in 1965, [8] and the song was also included on her 1966 album Pop Artistry of Sarah Vaughan released in the United States by Mercury Records. [9] Neil Sedaka recorded a version in Italian (with unrelated lyrics), entitled "Lettera Bruciata" ("Burnt Letter"), released as a single in 1966. [10] [11]

Chart history

References

  1. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.  198. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dave Thompson. "A Lover's Concerto - The Toys | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 563. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ Wolff, Christoph (2001). "Bach. III. 7. Johann Sebastian Bach. Works". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN   978-1-56159-239-5.‎
  5. ↑ Williams, Peter F.. 2007. J.S. Bach: A Life in Music, p. 158. Cambridge University Press.
  6. ↑ Schulenberg, David. 2006. The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach, p. 522 and elsewhere.
  7. ↑ "Search". grooveshark.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014 – via Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "Sarah Vaughan – A Lover's Concerto". Discogs . Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Pop Artistry of Sarah Vaughan". Allmusic . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Neil Sedaka – Lettera bruciata". lyricstranslate.com. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Neil Sedaka – Lettera Bruciata". Discogs . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1965-10-25. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  13. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search lever". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved Dec 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Toys: Singles". Officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  15. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  16. 1 2 "1969: The Top 100 Soul/R&B Singles". RateYourMusic. Retrieved Dec 4, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 10/23/65". tropicalglen.com. Retrieved Dec 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN   0-89820-142-X.
  19. ↑ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1965". Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
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