Margo Guryan (September 20, 1937 – November 8, 2021) was an American songwriter, singer, musician and lyricist. As a songwriter, her work was first recorded in 1958, although it was for her 1960s song " Sunday Mornin'", a hit for both

Spanky and Our Gang Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s sunshine pop band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' comedies of the 1930s (known to modern audiences as ''The Little Rascals''), because of the s ...

and Oliver, that she is perhaps best known. Her songs have also been recorded by Cass Elliot,

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

and

Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert, March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. She gained international attention in the 1960s following her recording of the song "The Girl from Ipanema". Biography Astrud Gilbe ...

, among others. As a performer, she is best known for her 1968 album '' Take a Picture'', the sole album release in the initial phase of her career. The album was re-released in 2000, and followed by a compilation entitled ''25 Demos'' (2001). In 2014 the American record label

Burger Records Burger Records was an American independent record label and record store in Fullerton, California, United States. The label was founded in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard, members of the power pop band Thee Makeout Party. The record/video s ...

released another compilation named ''27 Demos'' on cassette.

Life and career

Early life

Margo Guryan grew up in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in the neighborhood of Far Rockaway, Queens. Her parents met at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, where her mother majored in piano, and her father, also a keen pianist, in liberal arts. Guryan wrote poems from an early age, and moved on to writing songs soon after being introduced to the piano in childhood.Interview with songwriter Margo Guryan
accessed May 14, 2014. Initially interested in the popular music of the time, as well as the classical music she was studying, Guryan became interested in jazz at college.
musictimestwo.blogspot.co.uk; accessed May 14, 2014. She studied classical and jazz piano at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

, idolizing musicians such as

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

and

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, and switched from piano to composition in her sophomore year in order to avoid performing. While still in high school, Guryan was sent to

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

's Frank Music, whose Herb Eiseman sent her on to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, where she performed her songs for Jerry Wexler and

Ahmet Ertegun Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...

, who signed her up to song contracts, and had a demo session with

Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recording ...

.MARGO GURYAN: INTERVIEWED BY NOBODY (07.20.10)
/ref> She was signed by Atlantic, initially as a performer, but her initial attempts at recording were not successful, due in part to her inexperience and in part to a range break in her voice (as Guryan stated, "I couldn't damn sing!"). The label instead retained her as a writer. Jazz singer Chris Connor recorded her song "Moon Ride" in 1958, while Guryan was still at university, and in 1962, Ms. Connor had recorded " Lonely Woman" with Guryan's lyrics.Profile

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

; accessed May 17, 2014. Another early recording of her work was by

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

, who recorded "I'm On My Way to Saturday" for '' The Many Moods of Belafonte'' (1962). She attended the Lenox School of Jazz in 1959, where she met and worked with

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

and

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...

, and was taught by Bill Evans, Max Roach,

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

, Jim Hall,

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

and

Gunther Schuller Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician. Biography and works Early years Schuller was born in Queens, New York City, ...

, among others. Following this, Lewis and Schuller signed her to MJQ Music. She was primarily a jazz musician in this period, married to jazz trombonist and pianist

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Ge ...

and writing lyrics for jazz pieces by composers including John Lewis, Ornette Coleman and

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

. Songs of this period, with her lyrics, were recorded by Chris Connor,

Freda Payne Freda Charcilia Payne (born September 19, 1942Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944.) is an American singer and actress. Payne is best ...

Nancy Harrow Nancy Harrow (born October 3, 1930, New York City) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Career Harrow studied classical piano beginning at age seven, then decided to pursue careers in dancing and singing. She released an album for Candid ...

and

Alice Babs Hildur Alice Nilsson (26 January 1924 – 11 February 2014), known by her stage name Alice Babs, was a Swedish singer and actress. She worked in a wide number of genres – Swedish folklore, Elizabethan songs and opera. While she was best known i ...

, among others.Profile
mjqmusic.com; accessed May 14, 2014.

"Think of Rain"

Popular music passed Guryan by until, after her divorce from Brookmeyer, her friend

Dave Frishberg David Lee Frishberg (March 23, 1933 – November 17, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and lyricist. His songs have been performed by Blossom Dearie, Rosemary Clooney, Shirley Horn, Anita O'Day, Michael Feinstein, Irene Kr ...

urged her to listen to the song "

God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album '' Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a Baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and its subversion of typi ...

" from the album ''

Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the ...

'' by

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

. According to Guryan,

"I thought it was just gorgeous. I bought the record and played it a million times, then sat down and wrote 'Think of Rain.' That's really how I started writing that way. I just decided it was better than what was happening in jazz."

Guryan played Creed Taylor, for whom she was at the time working as a secretary, a tape of some of her newer songs, and he pointed her in the direction of April-Blackwood, the publishing arm of

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. At April-Blackwood she met David Rosner, who would become not only her producer but also her husband. Rosner signed her up, and suggested she double-track her voice on demos, to compensate for the difficulties she had had previously and produce a better sounding vocal. "Think of Rain" was recorded by

Bobby Sherman Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943), known professionally as Bobby Sherman, is an American retired paramedic, police officer, singer, actor and occasional songwriter who became a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a s ...

Jackie DeShannon Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers, August 21, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and radio broadcaster with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards, as both singer and composer. She was one of the first female singer-songw ...

and

Claudine Longet Claudine Georgette Longet (born 29 January 1942) is a Franco-American singer, actress, dancer, and recording artist popular during the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Paris, France, Longet was married to American singer and television entertainer Andy ...

in 1967.

The Cyrkle The Cyrkle was an American rock band active in the early and mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball" and " Turn-Down Day". Career The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (who also p ...

and

Nilsson Nilsson is a Swedish surname and the fourth most common surname in Sweden. The name is a patronymic meaning "Nils's son". Nils was a very common name, especially in 19th century Sweden. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 89.8% of all known bea ...

also recorded versions''A&B Signs Margo Guryan'', Billboard, January 27, 1968, p. 8 although neither was released. "Sunday Morning" was recorded by

as " Sunday Mornin'". Released in December 1967, it reached No 30.

Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is a retired American singer-songwriter, who was one of the first female artists in America to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Sou ...

and

sang it as a duet in 1968. Also in 1968,

Marie Laforêt Marie Laforêt (born Maïtena Marie Brigitte Doumenach; 5 October 1939 – 2 November 2019) was a French singer and actress, particularly well known for her work during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1978, she moved to Geneva, and acquired Swiss citize ...

released "Et si je t'aime", a French version of "Sunday Mornin'" with lyrics by

Michel Jourdan Michel Yves René Leray (2 June 1926 – 4 August 1985), better known by the stage name of Michel Jourdan, was French film actor. Jourdan died in Paris on 4 August 1985, at the age of 59. Selected filmography * '' The Passenger'' (1949) * '' Mam ...

. Oliver also released a version of "Sunday Mornin'" which reached #35 in the US charts in 1969. "Sunday Mornin'" was listed as one of the "102 most performed songs in the BMI repertoire during 1968".

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

and Julie London both released versions of two songs by Guryan: McRae performing "Can You Tell" and "Don't Go Away" on ''The Sound of Silence'' (1968) and London releasing "Sunday Mornin'" and "Come to Me Slowly" on ''

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy "Yummy Yummy Yummy" is a song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968. Their version reached No. 4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in June and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It has since been covered by many ar ...

'' (1969).

Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. He received 33 Grammy nominations, 5 Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles ...

commissioned Guryan to write a Christmas song for Claudine Longet, and the result was "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You", a 1967 single. Saint Etienne later covered the song on a Christmas fanclub release.

''Take a Picture''

Guryan signed to

Bell Records Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 in New York City by Arthur Shimkin, the owner of the children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny ...

as an artist, recording an album, ''Take a Picture'' (1968), full of light, jazz-tinged pop melodies, produced and arranged initially by John Simon, then when he became unavailable, by John Hill, both overseen by David Rosner. The musicians on the record included Hill on guitar, Kirk Hamilton (flute, bass), Phil Bodner (oboe), Paul Griffin (keyboards) and Buddy Saltzman (drums).Profile
tangents.co.uk; accessed May 14, 2014. It was preceded by a single entitled "Spanky and Our Gang", a tribute to the band who had had a hit with "Sunday Morning", backed with her own version of "Sunday Morning".''Top 60 Pop Spotlight'', Billboard, April 6, 1968, p.63 The single was included on the Japanese reissue of ''Take a Picture''. ''Take a Picture'' was praised by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', who remarked on Guryan's "fine sound" which it characterised as "commercial" and said "should ensure strong sales".Billboard Album Reviews - Special Merit Picks, ''Billboard'', October 19, 1968, p. 72 However Guryan refused to tour, having been married to a jazz musician and having seen "too much - performing required an agent, and a manager and a lawyer and a booking person and... you got ''owned'' by these people - they told you where to go, how to look, how to dress, what to say, and I didn't want that! ..I guess I had about enough 'daddy' when I was five, and I just didn't like being told what to do." As a consequence of this, the label ceased promoting the album and it thus failed to make an impact. Resigned to this, Guryan withdrew from performing, although she continued as writer for April-Blackwood for several years afterwards, and worked with Rosner producing records for other artists. Taking classical piano lessons after this led her to becoming a piano teacher herself, and producing music books for students. In 1994, Hal Leonard published ''The Chopsticks Variations'', a set of 14 variations by Guryan on

Euphemia Allen "Chopsticks" (original name "The Celebrated Chop Waltz") is a simple, widely known waltz for the piano. Written in 1877, it is the only published piece by the British composer Euphemia Allen (under the pen name Arthur de Lulli). Allen—whose br ...

's well-worn "

Chopsticks Chopsticks ( or ; Pinyin: ''kuaizi'' or ''zhu'') are shaped pairs of equal-length sticks of Chinese origin that have been used as kitchen and eating utensils in most of East and Southeast Asia for over three millennia. They are held in the do ...

described it as a "charming set of variations on the famous tune: clever, witty, at times tender and elegant, at other times punning and ribald".

Resurgence

Interest in Guryan's recordings underwent something of a revival in the 1990s, particularly in Japan. British band Saint Etienne covered "I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You" for a 1998 fan club single. Linus of Hollywood met with Guryan in 1999, and as well as covering two of her songs on his ''Your Favourite Record'' album, reissued ''Take a Picture'' on his Franklin Castle Records imprint (in conjunction with

Oglio Records Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. The label issues compilations of rare 1980s modern rock and new wave songs, many previously unreleased on CD. In addition to releasing new material by artists such ...

) in 2000.

Trattoria Records Trattoria Records is a Japanese record company formed by Keigo Oyamada in 1993. The record company was founded by Keigo Oyamada in 1993 and is currently owned by Polystar, a group of independent record labels. Current roster * Keigo Oyamada ...

(Japan) and Siesta Records (Spain) also reissued the album. In 2001, a collection of demos entitled ''25 Demos'' was released by Franklin/Oglio. An alternate version entitled ''Thoughts'', released by UK-based RPM Records, has the 25 demos, plus two recordings of Guryan singing songs written by others. These tracks were also compiled by Burger Records on a 2014

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

entitled ''27 Demos'', which Oglio again released on CD. To promote the re-release, Guryan issued a music video for the album track "California Shake", co-written by Richard Bennett. In 2006, the song "Take a Picture" was used in a TV advert for mobile camera phones. In 2007, Guryan released a new single via British label Pure Mint Recordings, entitled "16 Words". The song referenced then US President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

2003 State of the Union Address The 2003 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 28, 2003, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 108th United States Congress. It ...

, in particular the phrase " The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa", which forms the entirety of the lyric. Other songs were attempted in the same session but not completed. The b-side was "Yes I Am", "an angry little ditty that I wrote for

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

". In 2009, Oglio Records released a CD of Guryan playing ''The Chopsticks Variations''.

Last years

Her husband, David Rosner, died in 2017. Guryan died November 8, 2021, at the age of 84 at her home in Los Angeles.

Discography

Albums

* '' Take a Picture'' (1968) * ''25 Demos'' (2001) * ''The Chopsticks Variations'' (2009) * ''27 Demos'' (2014) * ''29 Demos'' (2016)

Singles

* "Spanky and Our Gang" (1968) * "16 Words" (2007)

Songs recorded by other artists

As songwriter

* "Moon Ride" - Chris Connor (1958) * "I'm On My Way to Saturday" -

Leon Bibb Leon Bibb (born October 5, 1944 in Butler, Alabama) is an American news anchor and commentator for WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a member of the BGSU Board of Trustees. Leon Bibb was the first African American primetime news anchor in Ohio. ...

(on ''Leon Bibb Sings'', 1961),

(on '' The Many Moods of Belafonte'', 1962) * "Four-Letter Words -

Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, jazz, a ...

(on ''

All About Miriam ''All About Miriam'' is the 1966 ninth studio album of Miriam Makeba (LP Mercury 134029)Billboard - Nov 19, 1966 ALL ABOUT MIRIAM Miriam Makeba. Mercury MG 21095 (M); "... Not only does she excel in an almost-patented "Click Song," but also in so ...

'', 1966) * "Think of Rain" -

(on ''For You'', 1967),

(on ''The Look of Love'', 1967),

Lesley Miller Lesley Miller (born April 18, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter. As a recording artist, she released several singles between 1964 and 1969. As a backing vocalist, she has recorded for numerous artists such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Da ...

(b-side to "Teach Me To Love You", 1967),

(b-side to "Cold Girl", 1967)

Monique Leyrac Monique Leyrac, (26 February 1928 – 15 December 2019) was a Canadian singer and actress who popularized many songs by French-Canadian composers. Early life Leyrac was born Monique Tremblay in Montreal, Quebec.Alexis Luko, Rachelle Taylor an ...

(as "Pense a la Pluie", with French lyrics by

, 1967), The Split Level (on ''Divided We Stand'', 1968) * " Sunday Morning" -

(1967),

and

(on '' Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell'', 1968),

(as "Et Si Je T'Aime", with French lyrics by

, on ''Album : 4'', 1968), Oliver (1969), Julie London (on ''

'', 1969),

Sue Raney Raelene Claire Claussen, known professionally as Sue Raney (born June 18, 1940, in McPherson, Kansas) is an American jazz singer. Raney was signed by Capitol Records in 1957 at age 17. That same year, she recorded her debut album, ''When Your Love ...

(on ''With A Little Help From My Friends'', 1969), Linus of Hollywood (2000),

Baja Marimba Band The Baja Marimba Band was a musical group led by marimba player Julius Wechter. Formed by producer Herb Alpert after his own Tijuana Brass, the Baja Marimba Band outlasted the Tijuana Brass by several years in part due to TV producer Chuck Barris ...

Dick Wellstood Richard MacQueen Wellstood (November 25, 1927 – July 24, 1987) was an American jazz pianist. Career He was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. Wellstood's mother was a graduate of the Juilliard School who played church organ. Wellst ...

Richard "Groove" Holmes Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of " Misty". Career Holmes's first album, on Pacific ...

* "I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You" -

(1967), Saint Etienne (1998) * "I Love" -

The Lennon Sisters The Lennon Sisters are an American vocal group made up of four sisters. The quartet originally consisted of Dianne (aka DeeDee; born Dianne Barbara, December 1, 1939), Peggy (born Margaret Anne, April 8, 1941), Kathy (born Kathleen Mary, Augu ...

(on ''On The Groovy Side'', 1967) * "Can You Tell" -

(on ''The Sound of Silence'', 1968) * "Don't Go Away" - Carmen McRae (on ''The Sound of Silence'', 1968) * "Come To Me Slowly" - Julie London (on ''Yummy, Yummy, Yummy'', 1969), Samantha Jones (on ''A Girl Named Sam'', 1970) * "Thoughts" -

Monica Zetterlund Monica Zetterlund (born Eva Monica Nilsson; 20 September 1937 – 12 May 2005) was a Swedish jazz singer and actress. Through her lifetime, she starred in over 10 Swedish film productions and recorded over 20 studio albums. She gained int ...

(as "Tankar Om Dej Och Mej", with Swedish lyrics by

Tage Danielsson Tage Danielsson (; 5 February 1928 – 13 October 1985) was a Swedish author, actor, comedian, poet and film director. He is best known for his collaboration with Hans Alfredson in the comedy duo Hasse & Tage. Career After graduation from ...

, released on ''Volym Fyra - I valet och kvalet (1967-1973)'', 1995) * "I Think a Lot About You" - Cass Elliot (on '' Don't Call Me Mama Anymore'', 1973) * "Shine" - Linus of Hollywood * "Love Songs" -

Fuck ''Fuck'' is an English-language expletive. It often refers to the act of sexual intercourse, but is also commonly used as an intensifier or to convey disdain. While its origin is obscure, it is usually considered to be first attested to aro ...

(on ''Homesleep Singles Club #4'', 2003) * "Love" -

Dawn Landes Dawn Landes (born December 5, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is originally from around Louisville, Kentucky but spent many years living and performing in Brooklyn, New York. As a recording artist she has released five f ...

(on '' Sweet Heart Rodeo'', 2009) * "More Understanding Than a Man" (lyric and music by Guryan) - Nancy Harrow (on ''You Never Know'', 1963), Alice Babs (released on ''As Time Goes By'', recorded 1960–1969) *"California Shake" - Ben Lester (2020) *"The Hum" -

Bedouine Azniv Korkejian, known by her stage name Bedouine (born July 16), is a Syrian-American musician. She has lived in a number of cities and countries, including Saudi Arabia, Houston, Syria, and Boston. History Early life Korkejian was born in ...

(2020) *"Think Of Rain" - Pearl & The Oysters (2021) Guryan wrote two pieces on ''Lenox School Of Jazz Concert 1959'', an album credited to

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...

As lyricist

* " Lonely Woman" (lyrics by Guryan, music by

) - Chris Connor (1962),

(on ''

After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!! ''After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!'' is the debut album of Freda Payne, released in 1964. Duke Ellington's "Blue Piano" makes its first album appearance, while the majority of the songs on this album are cover songs and jazz standard ...

'', 1964),

Carola Standertskjöld Carola Christina Standertskjöld-Liemola (23 March 1941 – 12 November 1997), professionally known as Carola, was a Finnish jazz and pop singer. Her style was partially inspired by American singers of the 1950s. Simultaneously, it was in the spi ...

(1966) * "Milano" (lyrics by Guryan, music by

) - Chris Connor * "This Lovely Feeling" (lyrics by Guryan, music by

) -

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

(1963) * "If I Were Eve" (lyrics by Guryan, music by John Lewis) -

(on ''You Never Know'', 1963),

(released on '' As Time Goes By'', 2009, recorded 1960–1969) * "No-one" (lyrics by Guryan, music by Arif Mardin) - Arif Mardin, featuring

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer. Biography Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and h ...

(on ''

All My Friends are Here ''All My Friends Are Here'' is a studio album by Turkish-American record producer, arranger, and composer Arif Mardin, released on June 15, 2010. It is the album that Arif Mardin referred to as his life's work, featuring performances by artists wh ...

'', 2010) * "Song for the Dreamer" (lyrics by Guryan, music by John Lewis) - Nancy Harrow (on ''You Never Know'', 1963), Alice Babs / Nils Lindberg's Orchestra (on ''Music With A Jazz Flavour'', 1973) * "To Welcome the Day" (lyrics by Guryan, music by Ornette Coleman) -

Judy Niemack Judy Niemack (born March 11, 1954) is an American jazz vocalist. Early life Judy Niemack was born in Pasadena, California to a musical family. She began singing in a church choir from the age of seven.Judy Niemack biography at All About Jazz ...

(on ''Long as You're Living'', 1990), Pat Thomas, Malcolm McNeill * "I Want to Sing a Song" (lyrics by Guryan, music by

Gary McFarland Gary Robert McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 3, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. '' Down Beat magazine'' said he made "one ...

) -

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

(on '' All The Sad Young Men'', 1962)

References

External links

Official site
(archived snapshot)
Margo Guryan
on

* *
Article in Mean Street Magazine

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guryan, Margo 1937 births 2021 deaths American women singer-songwriters Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni Musicians from the New York metropolitan area Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American women