Gerry Goffin - Top Lyricist

[phineas117]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Goffin

[phineas117]

wrote many many songs...
including
"will you still love me tomorrow" "pleasant valley sunday"
"go away, little girl", "the locomotion", and "saving all my love for you"
was married to, and wrote many songs with Carole king

[BillySmartsC]

Gerry died on the 19th. R.I.P.

He was the lyricist on such greats as -


Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)

Pleasant Valley Sunday


and many more....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Goffin

[atomicbettie]

He did the theme from Mahogany. I just watched this (awesome btw) movie called God Bless America and it had this spoof of American Idol and William Hung and he sang that song. I will never hear it again without hearing "Do you know??" in a horribly sung shrill man-voice with the tone going up at the end.

I loved Pleasant Valley Sunday. He wrote some great songs.

[ssn5]

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is a timeless classic. RIP

[Linnie]

Poor chap, he was in a very sad condition, even for age 75. Must have been quite ill for a very long time.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...RIES/306200053

http://www.kmov.com/entertainment/Ge...263981991.html

My favorite is his strangely prophetic theme from MAHOGANY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOH6SzDX3l4

The home the young, newly-successful Goffins owned in West Orange, NJ (and where Carole King remained for some years to raise their daughters after the divorce) still stands, complete with some of the eccentric decoration preserved by the current owners, as well as the doorbell which plays one of their songs. (There was a lengthy article in a recent WEIRD NJ magazine about it, but not online.)

The house even inspired a boy who later grew up there to become a musician / children's entertainer.

http://www.mrray.com/bio.htm

[cindyt]

Goffin was a lyricist, not a musician, so I moved the one in Musicians to Behind the Scenes Bigwigs.

[Rosebud666]

Goffin was a lyricist, not a musician, so I moved the one in Musicians to Behind the Scenes Bigwigs.

On behalf of all lyricists, I would just like to say "ouch!" That seems like a demotion.

In any case he certainly had a knack for setting words to music. Musicologically speaking, the Goffin-King team marked an important station along the way from "Brill Building" pop to the singer-songwriters of the 70s.

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" sounds relatively sweet and innocent today, which is probably part of its lasting appeal. At the time, however, it was a very daring song and some radio stations refused to play it.

[Wendy A.]

Carol Kings first husband and songwriter Gerry Goffin has passed. Thanks for the music and RIP Sir. http://www.caroleking.com/news/legen...9-june-19-2014

[cindyt]

On behalf of all lyricists, I would just like to say "ouch!" That seems like a demotion.

Blame it on Wiki.

Carol Kings first husband and songwriter Gerry Goffin has passed. Thanks for the music and RIP Sir. http://www.caroleking.com/news/legen...9-june-19-2014

I moved this post here because, for one thing, it was posted on the wrong category and for another we already had a thread about him.

[phineas117]

thanks cindy.
I couldn't decide whether to put him in notables or musicians.

[Rosebud666]

Carol Kings first husband and songwriter Gerry Goffin has passed. Thanks for the music and RIP Sir. http://www.caroleking.com/news/legen...9-june-19-2014

I played a short set at a local open stage Monday night and my opener was Dylan's "Don't Think Twice", so I prefaced this with a few bars of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and tried to explain who Gerry Goffin was. It was mostly German college kids in the audience, though, so they were too cool to sing along. Fit real nicely all the same. That woman from the Shirelles was right - it is kind of a country song.

[SomeChick]

Lyricists are considered musicians according to the FAQ so I moved this here.

[cindyt]

Lyricists are considered musicians according to the FAQ so I moved this here.

Ooops. My bad.

[phineas117]

the traveling thread~ LOL

[Linnie]

"Do you know where you're going to...?"

We've all heard Carole King's reedy quavering voice and her quirky piano style-- alternately spidery, jangly, and pounding. Are there any recordings of Gerry singing or playing anything? I should think he had to, to get the lyrics and music fitting just right.

Nice photo of young Gerry, before drugs, mental illness, and, it would appear, a host of other health problems turned him into a frail man much older than his years (but who could still crank out many of the most listenable, relatable lyrics of modern times.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-...f=arts&ir=Arts

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituar...620-story.html

[Rosebud666]

"Do you know where you're going to...?"

We've all heard Carole King's reedy quavering voice and her quirky piano style-- alternately spidery, jangly, and pounding. Are there any recordings of Gerry singing or playing anything? I should think he had to, to get the lyrics and music fitting just right.

Nice photo of young Gerry, before drugs, mental illness, and, it would appear, a host of other health problems turned him into a frail man much older than his years (but who could still crank out many of the most listenable, relatable lyrics of modern times.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-...f=arts&ir=Arts

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituar...620-story.html

According to his Wikipedia entry, Goffin released two solo albums. One supposedly included two songs co-written with Bob Dylan. I say "supposedly" because hey, it's Wikipedia.