MUSIC WEEK OCTOBER 8,1977

|| 1111^=^=1111 II ^^^=1111^=1 recorded by such names as Johnny AT THE young age of 16, Marvin arrangements for a medley of songs Mathis,- Tony Bennett and Shirley Hamlisch wrote his first hit tune, a called Take Me Along wluch Liza Bassey. "That project started after song called Sunshine Lollipops And sang to her mother onstage.' somebody played me some tapes of Rainbows for a film featuring Lesley One of Hamlisch's biggest various chorus dancers talking Hamlisch- Gore. It was a success which has led successes to date has been wit together. He asked me if I thought him to his present day position as Barbra Streisand and The Way We that there was a musical there one of America's lop composers, Were. Originally it was intended that somewhere, and I could see that with such credits as the Broadway Streisand should perform the song there was a good basis for a show, I musical A Chorus Line, and the on camera during the rilm of the was working on A Chorus Line's music for films like The Way We same name, and she did the music for at least 13 months," Were and The Spy Who Loved Me. soundtrack recording about five Hamlisch says. the way to Hamlisch's musical career started months before the film was Although he admits to not having at the age of seven when he went to completed. "By the time filming was seen many British musicals, the Juilliard School of Music in New completed, she had gone off the Hamlisch feels that one reason why York; less than a year later he was number, and asked me if Td write they are not as successful as writing his first songs although it another song, so I did The Way We American ones is because the British a chorus was not until the mid-Sixties that his Were Number Two," the composer career finally took off with the recalls. "Barbra preferred that song musical tradition is still very much success of Sunshine Lollipops and because it was fresher, but finally based on music hall. "There is Rainbows. During a recent visit to the decision was made to revert to certainly the talent in the UK; I did London, for the BBC TV recording theoriginalThe Way We Were." all the music for The Spy Who of his own concert at the Royal That song sold two million copies Love Me In London, and the calibre Albert Hall, when he conducted the for Streisand in the US alone, as well of the musicians was excellent. In of hit songs Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he as appearing on the soundtrack LP addition Britain has produced one of recalled: "At that lime Lesley Gore and being the title track of another the best ever musicals, Oliver! I can was recording for Mercury and her chart-topping LP by her. Although remember someone bringing me producer Quincy Jones wanted a she failed to get the song away in back an album of the music, when it suitable song for a film that she was Britain, Perry Como also had a first opened in London, and I was making — it was one of those beach minor success with it, before Gladys knocked out by it. London is party and bikinis type of movies, Knight and the Pips had a massive probably the only place in the world and when they heard my song they hit a year later with their version. where there are equally excellent thought it would be ideal for one of Hamlisch adds: "I had first facilities for recording music for the beach sequences. The next thing worked with Streisand 12 years films, TV and radio." I knew I had a hit record, and 1 before, when she was appearing in Hamlisch's musical collaborators reckon that it must have been one of the Broadway musical Funny Girl, have included the late Johnny the shortest in the history of pop and I was the rehearsal pianist. She Mercer (they wrote a song together music, because the total running is a tremendous person to work for, called Life's The Way You Make It), time was only about one minute and and it was one of the most thrilling Paul Anka, and most recently, 45 seconds." moments of my career. Streisand is a Carole Bayer Sager. He has also Shortly afterwards Hamlisch perfectionist and a professional — if composed with Paul Williams — started composing for a fellow high she feels that you are not trying as "We did a number called Lovers school student — Liza Minnclli. hard as you can, then she gets really Kids And Fools, and I was "We'd known each other a long mad. Since I also like everything convinced with a title like that it time, and although we were not at perfect, we managed to get along would be a huge hit. It turned out the same high school, we were good pretty well together." that we could't even get arrested friends. One of Liza's first Hamlisch's biggest musical with that song, and it has never been recordings was of my song The success has been A Chorus Line, a issued to this day." Travelling Life which she recorded box-office hit on Broadway, and He has no specific projects to for her debut Capitol album, and now repeating itself at the Theatre work on at the moment, although he also sang at the London Palladium Royal, Drury Lane. The show has says "I enjoy doing three things, with her mother in 1964. Judy also spawned one of the hit films, shows and songs, and I hope Garland had asked me to work on standards of the Seventies, What I to continue giving all three equal that show, and I did the musical Did For Love, which has been attention in the future."

INTRODUCING SPARKS

For the first time on their new label CBS-a great new album INTRODUCING SPARKS featuring the new single A BIG SURPRISE' CBS5593

Due for release 1 soon ■■

NS3

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- Produced by Terry Powell, Ron Mael & Russell Mael 82284 CBS

Records & Tapes PAGE 50