Kelly Gordon

Kelly Gordon (19 November 1932 – 1 August 1981)[1] was an American singer, songwriter and record producer.

Work

"That's Life", a song he co-wrote with Dean Kay, had numerous cover versions including one by Frank Sinatra.[2] Some of his compositions at that time went to well known performers like The Temptations, Nichelle Nichols, Aretha Franklin or James Brown.[3]

In 1967, he produced Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe", a song with nine Grammy Awards nominations in 1968 and three wins.[4] Rolling Stone put that title at position 419 of its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" listing.[5]

Personal life

When Gordon fell ill with lung cancer, Gentry cared for him until he died in 1981.[6]

Awards

Grammy Awards 1968 for "Ode to Billy Joe" for which Gordon took part as the producer:

  • Award:
    • Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(S) Or Instrumentalist(S): Bobbie Gentry
    • Female Contemporary Vocal Solo: Bobbie Gentry
    • Female Vocal Performance: Bobbie Gentry
  • Nomination:
    • Album Of The Year
    • Best Engineered Recording
    • Contemporary Album
    • Contemporary Single
    • Record Of The Year
    • Song Of The Year

Discography

Albums

Kelly Gordon: "DEFUNKED" (subtitle: big blues party), Capitiol Records, vinyl LP (1969)
Side 1:

  • Tenny Boppin' Child - 3:55 - Kelly Gordon, Lee Majors (ASCAP)
  • Games People Play - 3:35 - Joe South (BMI)
  • Independently Poor - 2:42 - Kelly Gordon, Mike McKinley (BMI)
  • He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - 4:50 - Bob Russell, Bobby Scott (ASCAP)

Side 2:

  • Some Old Funky Blues Thang - 3:28 - Kelly Gordon (ASCAP)
  • Ain't That The Truth Ruth - 1:54 - Kelly Gordon (ASCAP)
  • Picadilly Willie - 3:20 - Kelly Gordon, Shorty Rogers (ASCAP)
  • Love Took My Heart And Mashed That Sucker Flat - 2:11 - Kelly Gordon (BMI)
  • If That Don't Get It, It Ain't There (Instrumental) - 2:35 - Kelly Gordon, Shorty Rogers (ASCAP)
  • That's Life - 3:07 - Kelly Gordon, Dean Kay (BMI)

Kelly Gordon on CD (resembles "DEFUNKED" LP track list, date unknown)

  1. Tenny Boppin' Child
  2. Games People Play
  3. Independently Poor
  4. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
  5. Some Old Funky Blues Thang
  6. Ain't That The Truth Ruth
  7. Picadilly Willie
  8. Love Took My Heart And Mashed That Sucker Flat
  9. If That Don't Get It, It Ain't There (Instrumental)
  10. That's Life

Singles and EPs

Kelly Gordon: Mercury Record Corporation (1963)

  • LET ME TELL YA JACK - 2:18 - Kelly Gordon, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Vocal produced by: Herschel Gilbert, Four Star Television Music (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only
  • TEARS, TEARS - 2:10 - by Ray Johnson, sung by Kelly Gordon in Four Star TV "Burke's Law" (1963), Arranged by: Shorty Rogers - BNP Music Pub. (ASCAP), vinyl for broadcast only

Kelly Gordon: (Mercury, 1963)

Kelly Gordon: (Mercury, 1964, two versions, first one without the second track)

  • You're A Star Now - 2:15 - Joy Byers, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Hill & Range Songs (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only
  • Take A Letter Miss Jones - 2:15 - Gene Ecceles, Don McGinnis, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Vocal produced by: Jack Tracy, Four Star Television Music (BMI), vinyl for broadcast only

Kelly Gordon: EMI, Capitol Records, vinyl 2-sided single (1969 - for US market; France market version had vice versa track list)

  • independently poor - 2:42 - Kelly Gordon, Mike McKinley, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, Chappell
  • some old funky blues thang - 3:28 - Kelly Gordon, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, ASCAP

Kelly Gordon: EMI, Capitol Records, vinyl 2-sided single (1969-1970 - four editions for four different national markets)

  • "HE AIN'T HEAVY... HE'S MY BROTHER" - 4:49 - Bob Russell, Bobby Scott, Arranged by: Tommy Oliver, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, B.I.E.M.
  • That's Life - 3:07 - Kelly Gordon, Demon Key, Arranged by: Shorty Rogers, Produced by: Kelly Gordon - Capitol, Chappell

References
  1. "Kelly Gordon - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC.
  2. Spencer Leigh (25 September 2015). Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Life. McNidder and Grace Limited. pp. 380–. ISBN 978-0-85716-088-1.
  3. "Kelly Gordon - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  4. "Grammy Award Nominees 1968 - Grammy Award Winners 1968". Awardsandshows.com.
  5. "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 7 April 2011.
  6. Roberts, Jeremy (28 January 2017). "Bobbie Gentry had the most gorgeous legs ever: On the record with Grammy-winning arranger Jimmie…". Medium.com. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
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