Jeff Barry

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JEFF BARRY!!!

2010-04-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2010: On this date in 1938 (hey, that rhymes - how appropriate!), Jeff Barry was born in Brooklyn, NY. By 1960, that little baby had grown up and made a name for himself with his very first hit record as a songwriter, "Tell Laura I Love Her," recorded by Ray Peterson in the States and taken to #1 in the U.K. by Ricky Valance. After this, the hits just kept on a-comin', from the dozens of "girl group" tunes he wrote with then-wife Ellie Greenwich to his work with The Monkees and The Archies, from Robin McNamara and Bobby Bloom to The Klowns and The Illusion, from his fun, singalongable TV theme songs such as "Movin' On Up" from the Jeffersons to his smash hit "I Honestly Love You," written with Peter Allen and taken to the top of the charts by Olivia Newton-John. In 1991, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; and, in 2010, the team became inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well! Happy birthday, Jeff, and congratulations!

The Story Behind the Song

2010-01-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

Jeff Barry is one of a host of top songwriters featured in The Story Behind the Song, a new book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. This book focuses on how, when and why 101 of the world's most popular tunes came into being, with composers sharing their inspirations and influences. Jeff gives readers the history of one of his personal favorites, "Walkin' in the Sun" - which as dedicated Jeff Barry fans might recall was inspired by his father - as well as his first hit as a songwriter, "Tell Laura I Love Her."

The book was written by Jo-Ann Geffen along with veteran Chicken Soup for the Soul authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Foreword is by Lamont Dozier (from the prolific hitmaking team of Holland-Dozier-Holland).

Jeff Barry in the Rock Hall!

2009-12-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS to Jeff Barry for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Jeff, along with the late Ellie Greenwich, are among those slated to receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award (nonperformers) at the Rock Hall induction ceremony in March of 2010. Other recipients include fellow Brill Building songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Inductees in the artist category include ABBA, Genesis, and The Hollies.

For the complete listing of 2010 inductees, visit the Rock Hall official website.

Way to go, Jeff - this is an honor well deserved!

On My Mind: Jeff Barry and Archie Comics

2009-08-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a cool post from the On My Mind blog, showing Jeff Barry being featured in an Archie comic from 1969.

On My Mind: Jeff Barry and Archie Comics

Thanks, Rick, for posting this!

April 3!

2008-04-01T14:38:00.001-07:00

Hi fans,

The man himself, Jeff Barry, has a birthday coming up in just a couple of days - April 3rd to be exact! If you would like to post birthday greetings for him, please head on over to the Jeff Barry fan site message board (that link will take you directly to the birthday thread, where you can add your wishes to those already up there). Jeff's hitting a milestone this year, so, if you love his music (and who doesn't?), then please take a few moments of your time to wish him a happy.

By the way, my goal is to get Jeff inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before his next birthday - this is an honor he truly deserves. (Click HERE to see why.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEFF!!!

Treasure Island Oldies: Andy Kim - Voice Your Choice

2007-10-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Back in the late 60s, Jeff Barry and Andy Kim joined forces to write and record many of the songs we love today - including "Sugar, Sugar," which was a #1 hit for Ron Dante and The Archies. This week, Michael Godin from Treasure Island Oldies is spotlighting Andy Kim with his Voice Your Choice feature. Just click on the link below for the details.

Treasure Island Oldies: Andy Kim - Voice Your Choice

Once there, please choose your favorite of the songs shown in Michael's poll, and he will play the winning song on his show.

Treasure Island Oldies: Andy Kim - Song of the Week

2007-08-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi music fans,

The Song of the Week on Michael Godin's Treasure Island Oldies for the week beginning August 6, 2007 is Andy Kim's wonderful version of "Baby, I Love You." Although this song, written by Jeff Barry with Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, was originally recorded by The Ronettes, who had a Top Forty hit with it, there are many folks who consider Andy's the definitive version - and you can count me among them! Please click on the link below to visit the Treasure Island Oldies blog and to view a cool video of Andy performing this classic.

Treasure Island Oldies: Andy Kim - Song of the Week

Enjoy,

Laura

Making The Monkees

2007-05-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Attention UK fans - Making The Monkees, a documentary about the Pre-Fab Four, will air on Channel 4 this coming Sunday, June 3, 2007 at 10:00 p.m. Jeff Barry, who produced several tracks for the group (including the smash hit "I'm a Believer"), will be appearing in the program. The show will also be simulcast on the Internet, but this is only available to UK residents (darn!). For details, visit the Channel 4 website.

Enjoy,

Laura

Jeff Barry YouTube Group

2007-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, Jeff Barry fans,

Now on YouTube - The Music of Jeff Barry! The aim of this group is to spotlight videos that feature music written and/or produced by Jeff. Click on da link to check it out; and, if you're a YouTube member, feel free to join the group, add videos, and post to the discussion board.

Below is just one example from the more than fifty videos currently posted on the group. Enjoy!

Jeff Barry Fan Site on MySpace!

2007-04-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Attention all Jeff Barry fans,

The Jeff Barry Fan Site now has its own profile on MySpace. CLICK HERE to check it out, and feel free to add us as a friend if you're a MySpace member. The Jeff Barry Fan Site profile page has a bunch of audio and video for your listening and viewing pleasure. It was put together to complement and promote the main site.

If you're a fan of the music of Jeff Barry, and you add us to your Friends list on MySpace, by all means go ahead and post comments to the page sharing your thoughts and comments about Jeff's incredible career.

Thanks for your support, and enjoy the new page.

Laura

Jeff Barry's Birthday Card!

2007-03-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hi, Jeff Barry fans,

It's that time of year again - legendary Brill Building songwriter/producer Jeff Barry has a birthday coming up, on Tuesday, April 3rd, and as usual I'm preparing my annual online presentation for him in the form of a virtual "GREETING CARD", to which Jeff's fans, friends and colleagues from all over the globe can post their birthday wishes. For those of you who'd like to add your voices to the collective HAPPY BIRTHDAY, please click on the link above.

Feel free to add some personal recollections if you'd like ... perhaps you could mention songs of Jeff's that were meaningful to you, or when you first became a fan of his music, or some memories of knowing/working with Jeff (for those of you who've had that pleasure)or other anecdotes you'd like to share with him and with the world. No registration or login is necessary to post on the board.

I hope to get at least one person posting on this special birthday board for each year that Jeff's been alive! So, please, if you're a fan of "Be My Baby" or "Baby, I Love You" or "Sugar, Sugar" or "Leader of the Pack" or "Hanky Panky" or "Da Doo Ron Ron" or "Chapel of Love" or "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy" or "Tell Laura I Love Her," or any of Jeff's dozens of hit songs, please visit the forum and add your greetings. Jeff will be surprised and touched to see lots of posts and feel the love and good vibrations from all of his fans and friends. Let's make this a great birthday year for him!

Mr. Music Man

2007-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Attention Jeff Barry fans:

Mr. Music Man: A Glimpse Into the Life and Career of Jeff Barry, penned by yours truly, is now online at Spectropop. This essay, which is a greatly condensed outline of Jeff's professional life (considering all that he has done during his 47+ years in the music business), covers Jeff's career from its beginnings to the present day. Click on the link to check it out!

I Honestly Like Him!

2007-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

Songwriter-producer Artie Wayne has just published a cool essay on our very own Jeff Barry, entitled Jeff Barry: I Honestly Like Him! Click on the link to check it out. A big THANK-YOU to Artie for such a nice writeup on Jeff.

Christmas - Baby Please Come Home

2006-12-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

It's a holiday tradition - every year, the incomparable Darlene Love makes a Yuletide appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman to sing the Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich/Phil Spector classic, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." Below is her 2006 performance, which includes a little snippet of "Silent Night" as well. Enjoy!

Frankie Miller - "Lie To You For Your Love"

2006-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's another cool video, of Frankie Miller singing his electric version of Jeff Barry's "Lie To You For Your Love," which was also a hit for The Bellamy Brothers in 1985. Enjoy!

Ike and Tina Turner - "River Deep, Mountain High"

2006-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

An electrifying performance of "River Deep, Mountain High" (which is one of Jeff's favorites of his compositions) by Ike and Tina Turner - check out this video from YouTube. The choreography on this one is fantastic!

Performing Songwriter Magazine

2006-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Attention Jeff Barry fans:

Check out the latest issue of Performing Songwriter magazine - the July/August 2006 issue features an interview with Jeff Barry on his work with The Monkees and The Archies. If you're unable to find a copy of Performing Songwriter locally, you can order one through their official website. This should be an article worth reading! (My copy's on its way.)

Laura Speaks!

2006-07-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

How did a 10-year-old girl come to be a Jeff Barry fan in 1968? Simple - just by hearing his music! Check out Laura Speaks, the newest page on the Jeff Barry fansite. Just go to the homepage and click on the link beneath Jeff's photo. And read about how this fan's love for Jeff and his music led to the creation of this website some 36 years later.

Tell Laura I Love Her

2006-06-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

Bear Family Records presents Tell Laura I Love Her, a collection of Ray Peterson's RCA and Dunes masters. Included on the 31-track CD are two composed by Jeff Barry - the title cut, "Tell Laura I Love Her," Jeff's first hit as a songwriter; and "Give Us Your Blessings," which was later recorded by The Shangri-La's. Ray's emotional renditions of both songs will move all but the most jaded listeners to tears! The digipac includes a 44-page booklet featuring a biography by Johnny Vallis (generously sprinkled with quotes from Jeff and from Ray's widow, Claudia Peterson); rare photos; and a discography by Richard Weize.

Vallis's comprehensive bio is a pleasure to read, and the sound quality on the CD is excellent ... two thumbs up on this one!

Jeff Barry's Bubblegum Blues

2006-05-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Now online, from the folks at Scram Magazine - Bubblegum University! This site is chock-full of info on your favorite artists, songwriters, and producers from the days of "Sugar, Sugar" and "Chewy Chewy." Included is a fantastic 1995 interview with Jeff Barry by Don Charles, called Jeff Barry's Bubblegum Blues. Great info in Jeff's own words - check it out!

A Jeff Barry Birthday - April 3

2006-03-31T16:59:00.000-08:00

Jeff Barry has a birthday coming up on Monday, April 3rd, and as a surprise for him, I've set up a special message board where fans and friends can post their birthday wishes. If you've ever danced to "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You," sighed at "Chapel of Love," wept at "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Leader of the Pack," or rocked to "Sugar, Sugar," then you're familiar with the impact this legendary Brill Building composer-producer has had on our lives and sensibilities; his influence on rock and roll cannot be overstated.

I'd like to get as many signatures as possible for this virtual birthday card, so if you've not done so already, please visit here and add your greetings for Jeff. Board registration is not required to post. I'll be surprising Jeff with the link either on Sunday night or Monday morning, so here's your chance to communicate with the man himself and let him know how much his music has meant to you over the years!

Thanks,
Laura

Sold on Song: River Deep, Mountain High

2006-03-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

"River Deep, Mountain High" was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, and was recorded by Ike and Tina Turner in 1966 with Spector producing. The song, which is one of Jeff's favorites of his compositions, was outstanding; Tina Turner's vocals were thrillingly powerful and awesome; and the Phil Spector wall-of-sound production was larger than life. Yet for whatever reason, the record failed to become a hit in the U.S., barely entering the charts before disappearing entirely from airplay. The failure of "River Deep, Mountain High" had such a profound effect on Phil Spector that he virtually retired from the music business for several years.

Yet the song itself endured, as great songs do, and in 1971 it was revived by The Supreme & The Four Tops, who made it into the hit it should have been five years earlier.

Some time ago, during a Net search, I found a UK-based web page called Sold on Song, which is presented on the BBC Radio site. Sold on Song has a page dedicated to "River Deep, Mountain High," focusing primarily on the Ike and Tina Turner version which was a hit in England despite bombing in the States. There is a link to listen to not only Ike and Tina's recording but also several other versions by artists such as Neil Diamond and Deep Purple; the Supremes/Four Tops version is available for a listen as well. Jeff Barry fans in particular will enjoy the content of this page which features a couple of audio clips of Jeff talking about "River Deep, Mountain High." Other sections of the page can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate navigational tabs.

Muddling through "One Day at a Time"

2006-03-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

One of the snappiest sitcom theme songs in the history of the boob tube was penned by Jeff Barry. "One Day at a Time," with its never-say-die lyrics, is an ode to optimism in times of crisis, flat tires, paper cuts, torrential downpours - or, in this case, divorce and single parenthood. The series of the same name aired during the 70's and starred Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr., Valerie Berinelli, and Mackenzie Phillips.

Check out this interesting blog post on DrinkatWork.com which provides commentary and lyrics. The post includes links for listening to the "One Day at a Time" theme and for viewing the opening credits.

The Archies on The World of Kane

2006-03-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

(Above photo, left to right: Ron Dante, Larry Kane, and Jeff Barry, c. 1971)

One of Jeff Barry's biggest accomplishments during his post-Girl Group period of the late 60's-early 70's was his writing and production for the animated group The Archies, fronted by session singer Ron Dante. To read a cool essay on The Archies (complete with links to related sites) and watch a 1970 music video of Ron singing "Sugar, Sugar," visit this page:

The World Of Kane

Thanx to Will Kane for this cool blog post!

Enjoy,
Laura

Jeff Barry Lyrics Pages

2006-03-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

New on the Jeff Barry fan site - the Jeff Barry Lyrics Pages. Ten of Jeff's best are spotlighted, with lyrics and commentary. Just go to the homepage and scroll down a little bit for the link!

Jeff Barry Interview

2006-01-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

To read a recent interview Jeff did with Stephen Meyer from the weekly email newsletter Disc&Dat, visit the main page and click on the link. Many thanks to Stephen for allowing me to publish the interview on Jeff's site.

Photo Gallery

2005-12-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Recently added to the Jeff Barry official fan site is a photo gallery with brand-new pix of Jeff (plus a handful of yours truly, for the brave souls out there). To access the gallery, go to the homepage and click on the prominent link a little ways down the page, or the small link in the navigation menu on top.

Holiday Greetings

2005-12-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

To all my family, friends and fans, may I say I can't tell you how important you all are to me - as I am sure yours are to you - and, as the holidays near, I can only wish each of you what I would wish for myself, which, of course, would be - all things good. :)

Welcome to the official Jeff Barry blog

2005-11-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the experimental blog for songwriter-producer Jeff Barry. This blog will serve in conjunction with the official fan site, Jeff Barry: The Man and His Music. Content to follow!