Our Last Song Together

Album: Sedaka's Back (1975)
Charted: 31
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Sedaka's autobiography Laughter In The Rain was published by Elm Tree of London in 1983; in this he revealed that life was not exactly a bowl of cherries even after reaching the top of his profession. With the rise of progressive rock, he was rapidly falling out of fashion. His latest release was a commercial failure, and didn't get air time in an album chart dominated by the likes of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.

    He wrote: "In the record business you can go from a star to a has-been within six months" adding bitterly, "In 1970 I couldn't get arrested. No record company would touch me". Because of this, he parted company with his lyricist, Howard Greenfield. The two last songs they wrote together were titled disparately "Our Last Song Together" and "Love Will Keep Us Together."

    The latter was a big hit; the former incorporates in its lyrics references to many of the songs they wrote together.
  • "Our Last Song Together" has been covered by Nana Mouskouri, among others, and any attempts to write Sedaka's musical obituary were startlingly premature. In 1976 he won no less than five BMI awards and Song Of The Year for "Love Will Keep Us Together." In 1983 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, and in 2007, the classically trained Sedaka broke new ground when his first symphonic piece, Joie De Vivre, saw its world premiere by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. In March 2010 he was in Britain for the opening of Laughter In The Rain, a musical based on his life and songs, which opened at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. Sedaka's appearance on stage with Wayne Smith, who played the youthful singer-songwriter, caused some embarrassment for one theatre critic; Ed Ewing said he thought he was dead!

    Howard Greenfield died in 1986 a few days short of his 50th birthday, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame five years later. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?