| “A Lover’s Concerto” | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Toys | ||||
| from the album The Toys Sing “A Lover’s Concerto” and “Attack!” | ||||
| B-side | “This Night” | |||
| Released | August 1965 (US) October 1965 (UK) |
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| Format | 7″ | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:36 | |||
| Label | DynoVoice Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell, Christian Petzold | |||
| Producer(s) | Linzer and Randell | |||
| The Toys singles chronology | ||||
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“A Lover’s Concerto” is a pop song written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, and recorded in 1965 by The Toys.
Their original version of the song was a major hit in the United States and United Kingdom (among other countries) during 1965. It peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 2, and reached number 1 both on the US Cashbox chart (Billboard ‘s main competitor), and in Canada on the RPM national singles chart. It peaked at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. “A Lover’s Concerto” sold more than two million copies and was awarded gold record certification by the R.I.A.A..
The melody of Minuet in G major by Petzold was first popularized by bandleader Freddy Martin in the 1940s; Martin’s recording was released under the title “A Lover’s Concerto”.
Critic Dave Thompson wrote of the Toys’ version, “Few records are this perfect. Riding across one of the most deceptively hook-laden melodies ever conceived … ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ marks the apogee of the Girl Group sound.” The song also had an unusual structure that blurred the differences between its verses and choruses.
The lyrics begin with:
- How gentle is the rain
- That falls softly on the meadow,
- Birds high up in the trees
- Serenade the flowers with their melodies
Linzer and Randell based the melody on the familiar “Minuet in G major” (BWV Anh. 114) from J.S. Bach’s Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. One key difference is that the “Minuet in G major” is written in 3/4 time, whereas “A Lover’s Concerto” is arranged in 4/4 time. Although often attributed to Bach himself, the “Minuet in G major” is now believed to have been written by Christian Petzold.
In subsequent years, “A Lover’s Concerto” has been recorded by numerous other notable artists, including Cilla Black, Kelly Chen, the Delfonics, Doris, the Fleetwoods, Audrey Hall, Doyle Lawson, the Lennon Sisters, Mrs. Miller, the Peanuts, the Pearls, Perrey and Kingsley, the Supremes, Carla Thomas, Tight Fit, Leslie Uggams, and Sarah Vaughan.
Version By Sarah Vaughn
Karina rendered the song in Spanish as “Concierto para enamorados” in 1966: that same year Alma Cogan made a German translation “So Fängt Es Immer An”. Also Kai Lind (fi) recorded the Finnish rendering named “Aamukonsertto”. It was also covered in Japanese by the group SA under the title “Delight”. The American singer Neil Sedaka recorded an Italian version, “Lettera bruciata”.
Spanish Version By Karina
Percy Faith – Instrumental
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