''Take a Picture'' is a 1968 album by singer-songwriter

Margo Guryan 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 a ...

. It is her sole album release.

History

Previously primarily a songwriter, Margo 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). John Simon produced and arranged "Don't Go Away" prior to leaving to produce

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

. Simon had worked on an arrangement of "Think of Rain" for

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 pl ...

that was not used, which incorporated aspects of Bach's " Air on the G String". This inspired the writing of "Someone I Know", which incorporates " Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". The album 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, 6 April 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 insure strong sales". 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.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Margo Guryan # " Sunday Morning" – 2:20 # "Sun" – 2:36 # "Love Songs" – 2:37 # "Thoughts" – 2:25 # "Don't Go Away" – 2:04 # "Take a Picture" – 3:08 # "What Can I Give You?" – 2:31 # "Think of Rain" – 2:25 # "Can You Tell" – 2:34 # "Someone I Know" – 2:46 # "Love" – 5:26

Personnel

*Kirk Hamilton – bass, flute * Buddy Saltzman – drums *John Hill – guitar * Paul Griffin – keyboards * Phil Bodner – oboe Technical *

Fred Catero Fred Catero (February 4, 1933 – October 6, 2022) was an American record producer and engineer. Catero was originally from New York City, where he worked for CBS Records/Columbia, recording artists such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Invit ...

, Glen Kolotkin, Lou Waxman, Roy Segal – engineer

References

{{Authority control 1968 debut albums Albums produced by John Simon (record producer) Bell Records albums Albums with cover art by Joel Brodsky