f
kovsky and many others and
written original lyrics for them."
Chopin's "Nocturne," for ex-
ample, has become "Never End-
ing Serenade," with Sedaka lyrics
that are very poetic and very ro-
mantic.
"I have completely reinvented
Neil Sedaka's career, and it's
been quite an experience," the
singer-songwriter said. "This
new album is probably the most
exciting album I've done. I use
the original scores played by a
symphony orchestra so it's very
pure and authentic sounding."
The style change came about
after the entertainer had a mil-
lion-selling album in Europe two
years ago and was asked to do an-
other recording. He began to pon-
der what would bring a unique
dimension to his performances.
"I first thought of doing stan-
dards like the ones by Irving
Berlin, Cole Porter and George
Gershwin," said the 55-year-old
songsmith. "Then I thought,
`Why would they buy me when
they can buy Frank Sinatra and
Tony Bennett doing that?'
"I asked myself, 'What can I do
that no one else can do?' Soon I
decided what I should do is clas-
sical music, which I feel is hav-
ing a turnaround now.
"I recently performed this mu-
sic with the Richmond Sympho-
ny, and it was an absolute smash.
I think that people were quite
shocked to hear me sing in this
way, but if Virginia was any kind
Nell Sedaka: Performing at Pine Knob
June 5.
Classic Sedaka
Neil Sedaka goes back to his classical roots
to perform his lyrics to symphonic compositions.
Mr. Sedaka attended Juilliard.
He was a student at the prep
school for eight years and at the
college for two.
At 13, he was nominated by
Arthur Rubinstein as the finest
classical pianist in the New York
State high schools. That same
year, he met neighbor Howard
Greenfield, and the two began to
collaborate on writing pop songs,
teaming up for both the words
and music.
Success came while Mr. Seda-
ka was still a teen-ager, and be-
tween 1959 and 1963, the duo
sold more than 25 million records
including "Happy Birthday,
Sweet Sixteen," "Oh Carol," "Cal-
endar Girl" and "Next Door to an
Angel."
"I was a very shy, 19-year-old
kid who never studied voice when
I was whisked around the world
singing my own songs," recalled
Mr. Sedaka. "I didn't realize the
discipline I had to have, the seri-
ousness about it, the money that
it would bring and all the temp-
tations.
"I was pretty much of a
mama's boy, and I traveled with
my father and mother for many
years so they kept me in tow."
Mr. Sedaka, who last appeared
at Pine Knob nearly five years
ago and has done some private
shows here since then, recalls
coming to Michigan in the '70s to
promote "Laughter in the Rain."
"I remember one radio station
that was very important for pop
music, and it was difficult to get
on it," he said. "1 met with the
program director, and she said
she wouldn't play my recording.
Later, the song was No. 1 on the
charts, and she was forced to play
it."
Throughout his career, Mr.
Sedaka has culled lyric ideas
from all elements of his life—peo-
ple, relationships, places, books,
moods, feelings, dreams.
"I don't write for controversy,"
he said. "I never wrote a song
about current events.
"I write for enjoyment and
emotion. Each song is a kind of
buildup. A song like 'Laughter
in the Rain' couldn't be written
in one day. It needed many pre-
vious years of writing and trial
and error."
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
While Mr. Sedaka has been oc-
cupied with composing and per-
forming, his wife of 31 years,
eil Sedaka fans will hear during symphonic compositions. of indication, I think I have a very Leba, has been occupied with
more than Sedaka pop
"I will do the numbers that important collection here."
managing his professional pur-
classics when they attend people know me for—'The Hun-
Mr. Sedaka finds the response suits, dealing with agents and
his June 5 concert at the gry Years,' 'Laughter in the Rain,' particularly rewarding because promoters. A television film
Pine Knob Music The- `Love Will Keep Us Together' and it takes him back to his early about their relationship is in the
atre.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,' "Mr. years of instrumental instruction, works.
While the first half of Sedaka said.
practice and performance when
"I think our story makes for a c.1
the program will include rock 'n'
"Then I will sing and play in he aspired to become a concert pi- very interesting movie," Mr. >-
roll hits he has written and the operatic style of my latest al- anist.
Sedaka said. "Leba was 16 when
recorded, the second half will fea- bum, Classically Sedaka. I've
Growing up in Brooklyn, I met her. I was 19, and I had the
ture selections from a new album taken the great melodies of where his father took him to a
that joins Sedaka words with en- Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Tchai- Sephardic temple every week, SEDAKA page 79
69