Mortimer Shuman (12 November 1938 – 2 November 1991) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

hits, including "

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...

". He also wrote and sang many songs in French, such as "Le Lac Majeur", "Papa-Tango-Charly", "Sha Mi Sha", "Un Été de Porcelaine", and "Brooklyn by the Sea" which became hits in France.

Life and career

Shuman was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States, of Polish Jewish immigrants and went to Abraham Lincoln High School, subsequently studying music at the New York Conservatory. He became a fan of R&B music and after he met

Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall ...

the two teamed up to compose for

Aldon Music Aldon Music was a New York-based music publishing company, founded by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in 1958. Aldon is regarded as having played a significant role in shaping the Brill Building Sound in the late 1950s and 1960s. History Nevins was a ...

at offices 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 ...

Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. It was built in 1931 as t ...

. Their songwriting collaboration saw Pomus write the

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

and Shuman the

melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

, although occasionally each worked on both. Their compositions would be recorded by artists such as Dion,

The Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and m ...

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, Pop music, pop, rock and roll, Folk music, folk, Swing music, swing, and country music. He started his car ...

, Fabian,

Ajda Pekkan Ayşe Ajda Pekkan (; born 12 February 1946) is a Turkish singer. She is known by the title "superstar" in the Turkish media. Pekkan became a prominent figure of Turkish pop music with her songs, in which she tried to create a strong female figure. ...

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

, and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, among others. Their most famous songs include "

A Teenager in Love "A Teenager in Love" is a song written by Doc Pomus and partner Mort Shuman. It was originally recorded by Dion and the Belmonts, and released in March 1959. It appeared on their album ''Presenting Dion and the Belmonts'' (1959). It reached numb ...

", " Turn Me Loose", "

This Magic Moment "This Magic Moment" is a song composed by lyricist Doc Pomus and pianist Mort Shuman. It was first recorded by The Drifters, with Ben E. King singing lead. Original Drifters version It was recorded first by Ben E. King and the Drifters, at Bell ...

", " Save The Last Dance For Me", " Little Sister", "

Can't Get Used to Losing You "Can't Get Used to Losing You" is a song written by Jerome "Doc" Pomus and Mort Shuman, first made popular by Andy Williams in a 1963 record release, which was a number-two hit in both the US and the UK. Twenty years later, British band the Bea ...

", " (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame", "

" and "

Sweets for My Sweet "Sweets for My Sweet" is a song written by the songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, originally recorded by American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group the Drifters. The Drifters version The group's first single featuring Charlie Thoma ...

". With the advent of the

British invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on b ...

, they moved to London where they penned songs for a number of British musicians. After the partnership with Doc Pomus ended in 1965, Shuman moved to Paris, France, where he wrote songs for

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

and embarked on his own recording career. One of his hits in the early 1970s was "(Il Neige Sur) Le Lac Majeur". He also wrote a couple of hits in the UK (including

The Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...

' "

Sha-La-La-La-Lee "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" was the third song by English R&B-influenced group Small Faces, recorded in December 1965 and released on 28 January 1966, reaching number three in the UK Singles Chart. It was also the first single by the group to feature ...

" and

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

s' "Love's Just A Broken Heart", both co-written with

Kenny Lynch Kenneth Lynch, OBE (18 March 1938 – 18 December 2019) was an English singer, songwriter, entertainer, and actor. He appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s. At the time, he was among the few black singers in British pop music. He was app ...

), as well as a musical, ''Budgie'' (lyrics by Don Black). With the Welsh songwriter

Clive Westlake Gerald Clive Westlake (25 December 1932 – 17 June 2000)Here I Go Again "Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'', the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a ...

", which was recorded by

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke (singer), Allan Clarke and Graham ...

Billy J. Kramer William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally as Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas, Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored hits with several Lennon–McCartney composition ...

enjoyed success with another Shuman song, " Little Children". In 1968, Shuman teamed with

Eric Blau Milton Eric Blau (June 1, 1921 – February 17, 2009) was an author and is best known as the creator of the Off Broadway show ''Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris''. Biography Blau was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 1 ...

and adapted the French lyrics of songs by the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

composer

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

used as the basis of the successful

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production ''

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris ''Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'' is a musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel. Brel's songs were translated into English by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, who also provided the story. The original 1968 Off-Broadway prod ...

''. Some of the songs from the show were subsequently recorded by Scott Walker, including "Jackie" and "Mathilde". Shuman appeared in both the stage revue and the 1975 film adaptation. This was followed the next year with work on the soundtrack of the film ''Sex O'Clock U.S.A.'', which is notable for featuring one of the earliest known gay songs, "You're My Man," while another one of his compositions from the soundtrack, "Baby Come On" (billed under the ''Sex O'Clock U.S.A.'' name during its chart run) become a modest hit on ''Billboard's'' Disco chart, peaking at number 37 in July 1977. He also did many collaborations with the Israeli singer

Mike Brant Mike Brant (born Moshe Michael Brand, he, משה מיכאל ברנד, 1 February 1947 – 25 April 1975) was an Israeli singer and songwriter who achieved fame after moving to France. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let Me Lov ...

, and composed film scores, often French movies, including ''

A Day at the Beach ''A Day at the Beach'' is a 1970 British film based on the 1962 book ''Een dagje naar het strand'' by Dutch author Heere Heeresma. The screenplay was written by Roman Polanski, who was originally intended to be the director, although most of ...

'' (1970), ''

Romance of a Horsethief ''Romance of a Horsethief'' (french: Le roman d'un voleur de chevaux, it, Il romanzo di un ladro di cavalli, hbs, Romansa konjokradice) is a 1971 French-Italian-Yugoslav adventure film directed by Abraham Polonsky. It is loosely based on the 191 ...

'' (1971), ''

Black Thursday Black Thursday is a term used to refer to typically negative, notable events that have occurred on a Thursday. It has been used in the following cases: *6 February 1851, bushfires in Victoria, Australia. *18 September 1873, during the Panic of ...

'' (1974), ''

À nous les petites Anglaises ''À nous les petites anglaises'' (''Let's Get Those English Girls'') is a French film directed by Michel Lang, released in 1976. Synopsis In the summer of 1959 two French schoolboys who have failed their English exams are sent on holidays to t ...

'' (1976), '' Monsieur Papa'' (1977) and ''

The More It Goes, the Less It Goes ''The More It Goes, the Less It Goes'' (french: Plus ça va, moins ça va) is a 1977 French film..
at Louisjourdan.net

'' (1977). Shuman was elected to the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

in 1992. He also worked occasionally as an actor, notably appearing with

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the ho ...

in ''

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane'' is a 1976 cross-genre film directed by Nicolas Gessner and starring Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman, and Scott Jacoby. It was a co-production of Canada and France and written by L ...

'' (for which he was also musical supervisor). He died of cancer on 2 November 1991, leaving his wife, Maria-Pia and their four daughters, Maria-Cella, Barbara, Maria-Pia and Eva-Maria. Doc Pomus had died in March of the same year.

Awards and honors

Shuman was named one of the 2010 recipients of the

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 ...

Award from the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

. He joined his early collaborator Doc Pomus, who was inducted in 1992.

Selected discography

; Albums: * ''

Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...

'' (1976) - certified Record * ''À Nous Les Petittes Anglaises!'' (1990) * ''Distant Drum'' (1991) ; Singles: * "Le Lac Majeur" (1973) * "La splendeur de Rome" (1974) * "Imagine" (1976) * "Machines" (1980)

Selected filmography

(As composer unless otherwise stated) * ''

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1971) * ''Black Thursday'' (1974) * ''Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'' (1975) (Actor and lyricist) * ''

'' (1976) (Actor) * ''A Guy Like Me Should Never Die'' (1976) (Actor and composer) * '' Let's Get Those English Girls'' (1976) * '' Game of Seduction'' (1976) * '' A Real Young Girl'' (1976) * ''High Street'' (1976) (Actor and composer) * ''La Nuit de Saint-Germain-des-Prés'' (1977) (Actor and composer) * ''

The More It Goes, the Less It Goes ''The More It Goes, the Less It Goes'' (french: Plus ça va, moins ça va) is a 1977 French film..
at Louisjourdan.net

'' (1977) (Actor and composer) * ''Monsieur Papa'' (1977) * '' Holiday Hotel'' (1978) * ''The Associate'' (1979) * ''Psy'' (1981) * ''Cent Francs L'amour'' (1986)

References

Notes

*Bloom, Ken. ''American song. The complete musical theater companion. 1877–1995'', Vol. 2, 2nd edition, Schirmer Books, 1996. *Larkin, Colin. ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', Third edition, Macmillan, 1998. *Stambler, Irwin. ''Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul'', St. Martin's Press, 1974.

External links

''Mort Shuman Dies''
Obituary in The New York Times, 4 November 1991 (retrieved 22 January 2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shuman, Mort 1938 births 1991 deaths Songwriters from New York (state) Jewish American musicians Jewish American songwriters Musicians from Brooklyn French-language singers of the United States American expatriates in France American expatriates in the United Kingdom Philips Records artists American people of Polish-Jewish descent 20th-century American singers Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni Deaths from cancer in England 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American Jews American male songwriters