One of the Greats gone at (ironically) 78
One of my favorite "Swing" albums, The Brian Setzer Orchestra's "The Dirty Boogie", has a lot of swing re-makes of old rock songs. Two of those that grabbed my attention were "Nosey Joe" and "You're the Boss". I liked those enough to glance curiously at the credits, to find that the originals of those two were by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. (In fact, I believe that "You're the Boss" was originally performed by Elvis Presley and Marylin Monroe. My album has the vocals done by Brian Setzer and Gwen Stefani.)
And today, from the article to which DM Wellard linked, I found out that Leiber and Stoller also wrote Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, and Stand By Me. What a way to find out!
They also wrote Love Potion No9, Poison Ivy and Is That All There Is and Lieber wrote Spanish Harlem with Phil Spector.
Leiber and Stoller also wrote "Yakety Tak" and "Kansas City". I read that in the cnn.com article.
Also sadly passed on the same day Nick Ashford..
Writer of 'Ain't no Mountain High Enough' and 'You're All I Need To Get By'
EDIT: I meant "Yakety Yak".
]Hound Dog, as a sidenote, wasn't written for Elvis. It was a hit by Big Mama Thornton that Elvis liked so when he went to the majors, whichever record company it was (I can't remember) hired Lieber and Stoller where they wrote songs for Elvis. "Hound Dog", of course, is written to be sung about a man, and Lieber and Stoller used to call Elvis's version "stupid" behind his back.
Before that, they were more famous for their work for not-yet major label Atlantic when it was a hip r&b and soul label. Yakkety Yak by the Coasters, for example.
]Hound Dog, as a sidenote, wasn't written for Elvis. It was a hit by Big Mama Thornton that Elvis liked so when he went to the majors, whichever record company it was (I can't remember) hired Lieber and Stoller where they wrote songs for Elvis. "Hound Dog", of course, is written to be sung about a man, and Lieber and Stoller used to call Elvis's version "stupid" behind his back.
Yes, and I already mentioned liking two ADAPTATIONS of Leiber and Stoller songs. Furthermore, I don't think I've ever heard the original "Love Potion No. 9" but I listened to a lot of Tijuana Brass as a child, so I know Herb Alpert's version of it.
Maybe that's a good thing. You know, it's a sign that Leiber and Stoller songs are versatile.
Elvis Presley--"You're So Square" from Jailhouse Rock
Love Potion #9 I think it was originally by the Clovers, but here's British Invasioners The Searchers doing it.
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Ashford and Simpson, one of my all-time fave Motown singles. It makes me cry.
Is That All There Is-Peggy Lee
Oh, the ennui!