Alan O'Day
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Alan Earle O'Day (October 3, 1940 – May 17, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for writing and singing " Undercover Angel," a million-selling Gold-certified American No. 1 hit in 1977. He also wrote songs for many other notable performers, such as 1974's
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
No. 1 hit " Angie Baby" and
the Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...
' No. 3 Gold hit " Rock and Roll Heaven". In the 1980s he moved from pop music to television, co-writing nearly 100 songs for the Saturday morning '' Muppet Babies'' series, and in the 1990s he wrote and performed music on the
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
series '' Really Wild Animals''. O'Day also collaborated with
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
on a series of popular songs in Japan including "Your Eyes", "Magic Ways", "Christmas Eve" and "Fragile" (which rapper
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
interpolated in " Gone, Gone / Thank You").


Life and career


Early years

O'Day was born in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States, the only child of Earle and Jeannette O'Day, who both worked at the ''
Pasadena Star-News The ''Pasadena Star-News'' is a paid local daily newspaper for the greater Pasadena, California area. The Pasadena ''Star-News'' is a member of Southern California News Group (formerly the Los Angeles Newspaper Group), since 1996. It is also par ...
''. Earle took newspaper photos and did publicity for the
Palm Springs Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
Chamber of Commerce. Jeannette wrote for the ''Star News'', as well as being a
schoolteacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
in Thermal, California, and other schools in the
Coachella Valley The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
. O'Day stated that he remembered creating melodies on a
xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Each bar is an idiophone tuned to a pitch of a musical scale, whether pentatonic or heptatonic in the case of many African ...
at the age of six. By the fifth grade, his favorite artist was
Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician, bandleader and conductor specializing in spoof arrangements and satire of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment wer ...
, and he was serenading his classmates on the ukulele. At Coachella Valley Union High School, after participating in a band called The Imperials, he started his own
rock'n'roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African American music such as jazz, rhythm and ...
band, The Shoves, with heavy influences from
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, and
Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...
, who appeared on KABC-TV/Los Angeles' Hub Talent Show on August 25, 1958. A third band, The Renés (O'Day, Oscar Arias, Eddie Arias, Ernie Gurrola, Sal Velasquez, Johnny Alvarez and Don Duarte), played Latin and Mexican standards mixed with rock and roll tunes and gave him the opportunity to write his own songs. In 1958, R&B pioneer
Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...
auditioned the Renés after an auditioning singer they were backing didn't pass muster. Impressed with their playing and the O'Day compositions, Otis recorded and produced the band performing three O'Day originals and a few covers at El Dorado Studios in Hollywood over a few sessions, but the recordings were never released as all the members of the Renés were minors. In 1961, he found work via a friend from high school, Arch Hall Jr., whose father, Arch Hall Sr., was an independent movie producer. The senior Hall wrote and produced films that starred the junior Hall, and O'Day helped out with the sound, in 1962, acting as music editor on the film '' Eegah'' and musical director on '' Wild Guitar'', sound recorder on 1963's '' The Sadist'', and sound mixer on the 1964 ''What's Up Front!'' After ''Eegah,'' Arch Jr. and O'Day put together a four-piece band (called The Archers) played in clubs on the Sunset Strip such as
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...
and
Pandora's Box Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod related that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing curses ...
and served as the backing band for Dobie Gray. Around 1965, O'Day was in the band Alan & Bob & Denny, a show group that did pop songs and some comedy. They played nightclubs in the Pasadena and Hollywood area, and were on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'' on November 14, 1965, as the backup band for singer-actress-comedian
Virginia O'Brien Virginia Lee O'Brien (April 18, 1919 – January 16, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and radio personality known for her comedic singing roles in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals of the 1940s. Life and career O'Brien primarily performed in ...
.


Songwriter

In 1969, he signed with E.H. Morris Music, followed by Warner Brothers Music in 1971, writing "The Drum", which became a hit single for Bobby Sherman. In 1974, three more of his songs did well: "Train of Thought", recorded by
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
, "Rock And Roll Heaven", recorded by
The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...
, and " Angie Baby", recorded by
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
. "Angie Baby" hit No. 1 at the end of December 1974 and became one of Reddy's biggest-selling singles. In a 2006 article, O'Day said the song took three months to write; originally, it was loosely based on the character in the
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' " Lady Madonna". To make the character ("Angie") more interesting, he based her on a neighbor girl he had known who seemed "socially retarded". O'Day also thought of his own childhood; an only child who was often ill, many of his days were spent in bed with a radio to keep him company. O'Day showed the unfinished song to his therapist, who pointed out that the character's reactions were not those of a retarded person; O'Day then switched Angie from mentally "slow" to "crazy". This expanded to her living in a dream world of lovers, inspired by the songs on her radio. When an evil-minded neighbor tries to enter her room to take advantage of the girl, he is instead drawn into her reality, literally shrinking him down into her radio, "never to be found."


Solo career

O'Day released his first solo album, ''Caress Me Pretty Music'' in 1973. The album was not a major commercial success and he temporarily put his recording career on hiatus. In 1977,
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 the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
formed Pacific Records as a label for their composers who also performed, through
Warner Communications Warner Media, LLC (doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warner ...
. O'Day was the first and only artist signed to the label, and its first release was " Undercover Angel." The song, which he described as a "nocturnal novelette," was released in February 1977. Within a few months it had become No. 1 in the country, and has sold approximately two million copies. It was also a hit in Australia, reaching No. 9 on the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
. ("Undercover Angel" also landed O'Day in an exclusive club as one of only a handful of writers/performers to pen a No. 1 hit for themselves ''and'' a No. 1 for another artist.) A follow-up single, "Started Out Dancing, Ended Up Making Love" stalled at No. 73, marking O'Day's second and last appearance on the US chart. Three years later, in March 1980, a song called " Skinny Girls" reached No. 11 on the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
. In 1981, O'Day co-wrote "Your Eyes" with singer-songwriter
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
, which became a hit in Japan. This was one of many collaborations between O'Day and Yamashita, including songs such as "Fragile" and "Theme From Big Wave". O'Day left Warner Brothers in 1982 to write and self-publish. In 1983, he was invited to Tokyo to co-write six more songs with Yamashita for his album ''Big Wave.'' The collaboration yielded a Gold Disc Award in Japan. In February 2013, the label 1st Phase Records released a new album titled ''Make Me Believe''. Co-produced by Alan O'Day and Ken Kaufman featuring country music recording artist Paul Scott, including two new original songs co-written by O'Day: "Uh-Uh (What She Wants)," and an unofficial NASCAR national anthem titled "NASCAR CRAZY". NASCAR Crazy" is a co-write by Alan O'Day and Ken Kaufman.


Television

In 1983, O'Day met San Francisco's singer-songwriter Janis Liebhart, with whom he co-wrote a children's song for a new Saturday morning animated TV show,
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating ''Fraggle Rock'' ( ...
's '' Muppet Babies''. Within eight years they had written almost 100 songs for the program, which won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, and has since been syndicated internationally. The collaboration continued after ''Muppet Babies'', as O'Day and Liebhart co-wrote for other children-focused projects, including
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
's '' Really Wild Animals'', a series of videos which they helped produce and on which they also sang. They also worked on some children's products for Alaska Video. O'Day lived in
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, to write and perform, and was also a musical and creative consultant. In 2012, he wrote and sang the title tune for the film, ''You Don't Say.''


Death

O'Day died on May 17, 2013, in Westwood, California after a battle with brain cancer. His interment was at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in
Coachella, California Coachella ( , commonly ) is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. It is the namesake and easternmost city of the Coachella Valley, in Southern California's Colorado Desert. Originally a railroad town, Coachella is a prominen ...
.


Awards

* " Angie Baby", US gold record * " Undercover Angel", US gold record * " Muppet Babies", nominated for an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
* " Really Wild Animals", Parents' Choice Award * "Big Wave"
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
collaboration, Gold Disk Award, Japan


Discography


Albums

*1973: ''Songs by Alan O'Day (vol. 1)'' *1973'': Caress Me Pretty Music'' *1977: ''Appetizers'' *1979: ''Oh Johnny!'' *1994: ''Music from National Geographic's Really Wild Animals,'' (Janis Liebhart & Alan O'Day) *2001: ''Undercover Angel 2001'' (City Man Music, BMI, Warner/Chappell Music, ASCAP 634479217920) *2008: ''I Hear Voices''


Singles

*1964: "I Want a Girl for Xmas" (as Alan O'Day & the Knights) *1970: "Heavy Church" / "House on Sunrise Avenue" (co-produced by Snuff Garrett) *1973: "Somewhere She Is Sleeping" (produced by Dallas Smith) *1977: " Undercover Angel" / "Just You" (#1 U.S., #1 CAN, #4 NZ, #9 AUS, #43 UK) *1977: "Started Out Dancing, Ended Up Making Love" / " Angie Baby" (#73 U.S., #39 NZ, #72 CAN) *1977: "Soldier of Fortune" (#103 U.S.) *1978: "Satisfied" *1979: "Oh Johnny!" / "People Who Talk to Themselves" (#124 U.S.) *1980: "Skinny Girls" / "Oh Johnny!" (#11 AUS, #110 U.S.) (above six produced by Steve Barri) *2008: "I Hear Voices" *2012: "You Don't Say"


Credits

Source: * "Theme from Eegah", 1961 (co-written and recorded by Arch Hall Jr & the Archers) * "Wild Guitar", 1962 (co-written and recorded by Arch Hall Jr & the Archers) *"Yes I Will", 1962 (recorded by Arch Hall Jr & the Archers) *"Funky Funky Feelin", 1964 (recorded by Dobie Gray) *"No Top (Just a Suit)", 1964 co-written by Charlene Groman (recorded by Danny Hamilton) *"Back to Oklahoma", 1970 (recorded by Ned Miller) *"Heavy Church", 1970 (recorded by
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
and Al Wilson) *"House on Sunrise Avenue", 1970 (recorded by Bonnie Guitar) *"American Movie", 1971 (recorded by
Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
not-yet-released) *"Are You Old Enough", 1971 (recorded by
Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ell ...
) *"Caress Me Pretty Music", 1971 (recorded by David Clayton-Thomas, Susan Hart, Dewey Martin,
Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...
, Patrick Norman, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Lon Satton, Bobby Sherman, & Foster Sylvers,) * "The Drum", 1971 (recorded by Bobby Sherman), No. 29 U.S. (Other recordings by Marti Caine, Pete Fountain,
Lill-Babs Barbro Margareta Svensson (9 March 1938 – 3 April 2018), known by her stage name Lill-Babs, was a Swedish singer, actress and television host. From the early 1950s until her death in 2018, she was one of Sweden's best-known and popular singers ...
& the
Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed The Four Mills Brothers and originally known as Four Boys and a Guitar, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and g ...
) *"Gifts", 1971 (recorded by Bells, Tony Christie, Saori Minami & Bobby Sherman as "Tonight I Chipped a Piece Off of the Sun") *"Good Time Song", 1971 co-written with Artie Wayne (recorded by Bobby Sherman) *"You Better Start Singing Soon", 1971 (recorded by Mike Clifford) *"American Family", 1972 (recorded by Larry Carlton, Raiders, & the Vogues) * "Easy Evil" 1972 (recorded by Long John Baldry, Sonny Bottari U.S. #139, Captain & Tennille, Larry Carlton,
Climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...
,
Coven A coven () is a group or gathering of Witchcraft, witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English lan ...
,
Jackie DeShannon Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers; August 21, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and radio broadcaster who has had many hit song credits beginning in the 1960s, as both a singer and composer. She was one of the first female singer-son ...
, Friends of Distinction, Patsy Gallant,
Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer who achieved fame and success during the 1970s and 1980s. His career ended after he was convicted of downloading child pornography i ...
, Bobby Hart, Hedva & David, Marcia Hines,
Mieko Hirota was a Japanese singer. Her nickname was Mico (also spelled ''Miko''). Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pop and jazz in places like Tachikawa, which was frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at ...
, Walter Jackson, John Kay U.S. #92,
Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
, Lettermen,
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,
New Birth To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
, Johnny Nicol, Tony Orlando & Dawn,
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, Marlena Shaw,
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...
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Sugarloaf A sugarloaf was the usual form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process in which dark molasses, ...
, Sylvia U.S. R&B #61,
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
,
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, Travis Wammack U.S. #85 and Nancy Wilson, among others) *"Spin Away", 1972 (recorded by Lettermen, Saori Minami & Ted Neeley) *"Day Becomes Night", 1973 (recorded by Bobby Sherman) *"Dirty Movies", 1973 (recorded by Flash Cadillac) *"Do Me Wrong, But Do Me", 1973 (recorded by Mel Carter, Chris Christian, Homo-sapiens, Jack Jones,
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...
, Megan McDonough, Julie Rogers, Wilma Reading & not-yet-released
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
) * "Flashback", 1973 (recorded by
The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...
, co-written with Artie Wayne, #82 US, #30 US AC, #75 US R&B, #60 Australia) (Other recordings by
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...
#100 U.S.,
Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "A ...
, Blue Swede,
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
, Stein Ingebrigtsen, Tom Jones, & Bjorn Skifs) *"Get It Off, Get It On", 1973 (recorded by Saori Minami, produced by George Clinton) *"Like A Main Theme", 1973 (recorded by
Nana Mouskouri Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( ; born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer and politician. Over the span of her career, she has released an estimated 450 albums in at least thirteen languages, including Greek language, Greek, French language, French, ...
) *"Rubberene", 1973 co-written with Mat Camison & Maurice Vidalin (recorded by Davy Jones) * " Angie Baby", 1974 (recorded by
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
), No. 1 U.S., produced by Joe Wissert. (Other recordings by
Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United S ...
, Chelsea Cullen,
Syd Dale Syd Dale (20 May 1924 – 15 August 1994) was an English self-taught composer and arranger of big band, easy listening and library music. His themes and underscore music played an important role on television, radio and advertising media of the ...
,
Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include " I Know Him So Well" (a chart-topping duet with Elaine Paige), " Answer Me" and " January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK ...
, Anne Lise Gjostel,
George Greeley George Greeley (born Georgio Guariglia; July 23, 1917 – May 26, 2007) was an Italian-American pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, recording artist and record producer who is known for his extensive work across the spectrum of the entertain ...
, Dick Heckstall-Smith,
Hanne Krogh Hanne Krogh (born 24 January 1956) is a Norwegian singer and actress from Haugesund and Oslo. Krogh is among the most selling record artists in Norway ever. She represented Norway alone at the age of fifteen at the "Eurovision Song Contest 1971" ...
as "Rare Lina", Stephanie Lai as "Mo Wei Ai Shang Be!",
Reg Livermore Reginald Dawson Livermore (born 11 December 1938) is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer, designer, director, lyricist and writer and former television presenter. Biography Early life From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an ...
, Paul Mauriat, Pete Moore, Erick Sermon on "Hip Hop Radio", Uncle Devil Show &
Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian on 15 August 1944) is a Bulgarians in France, Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. Her performances often featured ela ...
.) *"Every Man Wants Another Man's Woman", 1974 (recorded by
Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...
, Gene Redding & Sami Jo). *"Real Emotion", 1974 (recorded by
Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...
) * " Rock and Roll Heaven", 1974, co-written by Johnny Stevenson (recorded by
The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...
), No. 3 U.S., produced by Dennis Lambert, Eddie Lambert, and Brian Potter. (Other recordings by
Climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...
No. 102 U.S. Flash Cadillac, Sonny Geraci, Ricky May,
Ronnie McDowell Ronald Dean McDowell Sr. (born March 25, 1950) is an American country music artist. McDowell charted more than 30 top-40 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music charts. Two of his singles – " Older Women" and " You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputati ...
/
Bill Medley William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half of the Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Medley produced a n ...
/ John Schneider as "Country Heaven" and Zdravko Colic.) *"Rock 'n' Roll ABC's", 1974 (recorded by Freddie Cannon No. 107 U.S.) * "
Train of Thought The train of thought or track of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected discourse or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to ...
", 1974 (recorded by
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
) – No. 18 U.S., No. 22 Canada, produced by Snuff Garrett. (Other recordings by
Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 h ...
, Steppenwolf & Sylvia Vartan) * "Annie Annie Over", 1975 (recorded by Steppenwolf) *"Blue Finger Lou", 1975 (recorded by
Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...
) (Also recorded by Vicki Brown, Bobby Edwards, Family Four, Donny Most, Tony Orlando & Dawn, & Gro Anita Schonn, ) *"Catch My Breath", 1977 (recorded by
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
& not-yet-released
Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...
) *"I Know Who I Am", 1977 (recorded by Robin Frederick) *" Undercover Angel", 1977 (recorded by
Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (born Cheung Fat-chung; 12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. One of the most influential cultural icons in the Sinophone, Sinophone world, Cheung was known for his debonair demeanor, flamb ...
, Jurgen Drews as "Unnahbarer Engel", Grethe Kausland, Pete Moore,
Wess Wesley Johnson known by his stage name Wess (August 13, 1945 — September 21, 2009) was an American-born Italian singing, singer and bass guitarist, perhaps mostly known for representing Italy along with Dori Ghezzi at the Eurovision Song Conte ...
as "Se Non Fossi Matto", Kari Tapio as "Unten Enkelit" &
Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian on 15 August 1944) is a Bulgarians in France, Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. Her performances often featured ela ...
as "Mon Ciel de Lit".) *"Satisfied", 1978 (recorded by Mary MacGregor) *"Love at First Night", 1979 (recorded by Kim Hart, Australia Top 10, New Zealand Top 20) *"Every Night", 1980 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by
Mariya Takeuchi is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and record producer. With over 16 million records sold, Takeuchi is one of the List of best-selling music artists in Japan#10 million to 19 million records, best-selling music artists in Japan and is deemed th ...
) *"Dear Daisy", 1982 (recorded by Sonny Shroyer) *"Your Eyes", 1982 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by Jun Fukamachi, Marilyn Martin,
Bonnie Pink , known by her stage name Bonnie Pink, is a Japanese people, Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She writes and composes all her songs, and plays guitar and piano. Asada has said that the name Bonnie Pink is random and has no special meanin ...
, Diane Reeves,&
Mariya Takeuchi is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and record producer. With over 16 million records sold, Takeuchi is one of the List of best-selling music artists in Japan#10 million to 19 million records, best-selling music artists in Japan and is deemed th ...
,) *"I Love You Eyes", 1983 (recorded by Ray Price) *"Talk Crazy to Me", 1983 co-written by Margaret Harris (recorded by Girl Talk, Mie &
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) *"Ballad 20 (The Next Thing To You)" co-written by Major Stanfield & Kazuko Kobayashi (recorded by Masahiko Kondo) *"Hungry", 1984 co-written by K.A. Parker (recorded by Mie & Priscilla Wright) *"I Love You (Part 2), 1984 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by 14 Karat Soul) * "Jody", 1984 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by Jeffrey Foskett, & Kalapana) *"Magic Ways", 1984 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) *"Only With You", 1984 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by Jeffrey Foskett) *"Theme from the Big Wave", 1984 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) *"Mermaid", 1985 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) *"One Step Beyond", 1985 co-written by Steven A. Williams (recorded by
Arashi is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 199 ...
& Shonentai) *"Lady Blue", 1986 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by Tom Keane) *"Replace the Face", 1987 (recorded by Dave Mason & Steppenwolf) *"Girl in White," 1988 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Also recorded by 14 Karat Soul & Tom Keane) *"Love and Let Live" 1988 (recorded by
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) *"Christmas Eve (English version)", 1991 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Other recordings by All 4 One, Beni,
Commodores Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and Soul music, soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as m ...
, Charlie Green, Eric Martin,
Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in Musical theatre, musicals on Broadway theatre, Broadway, she has been Honorific nicknames in popular music, nicknamed the "Queen of ...
, Modern Folk Quartet &
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) *"Get Back in Love", 1992 co-written by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
. (recorded by 14 Karat Soul) *"There's Only One Ariel" 1992 co-written by Janis Liebhart (recorded by Kath Souci/Aleta Braxton/Angie Jaree/Janis Liebart/Susie Stevens on Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea) *"Fish", 1996 co-written by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
(recorded by Jeffrey Foskett) *"Fragile", 1998 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
) (Interpolated by
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
in " Gone, Gone / Thank You"). *"Wangan Skier (Here We Go Now)", 1998 co-written by Tatsuro Yamashita (recorded by Shonentai), No. 15 Japan * "Love Can Go the Distance", 2000 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
), No. 18 Japan (Also recorded by Jeffrey Foskett) *"My Summer Love", 2005 co-written by Yoshiyuki Sahashi (recorded by Emi Fujita) *"Window Shopping", 2005 co-written by Seiji Kameda (recorded by Emi Fujita) * "Angel of the Light", 2008 (co-written and recorded by
Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...
), No. 4 Japan *"Shy Boy", 2008 (co-written and recorded by Ryan Laird) *"Elmo Didn't Mean To", 2011, co-written by Christine Ferraro & Janis Liebhart (Recorded by
Elmo Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show ''Sesame Street''. A furry red monster who speaks in a high-pitched falsetto voice and frequently refers to himself in the third person, he hosts the last full 15-minute segmen ...
)


See also

* List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States


References


External links

* *
Interview With Alan O'Day
* Just Plain Folks, (1998)



* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oday, Alan 1940 births 2013 deaths American male singer-songwriters Deaths from brain cancer in California Singers from Los Angeles Singer-songwriters from California Musicians from Hollywood, Los Angeles Burials at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery