Another score, this time by another Italian. When I looked him up, I found this site, http://www.geocities.com/pieroumiliani/ which gives a pretty funny little blurb on the guy.
lilac and deep blue/velvet symmetry where all emotions are filtered thru sound to encase the listener in suffocating oblivion; i drown in good music like i do in a crowd of people, but for different reasons
from Master Of Reality, available on CD (Warner Bros.)
One of a handful of Quebec artist Michel Pagliaro's (unsuccessful) stabs at the American charts, "Some Sing, Some Dance" is a breezy, acoustic-led pop trifle, lighter than air, with rudimentary lyrics apparently provided by William Finkelberg. A sample:
Ooh you
How would I know just to hold you
How could I show that I want to
'Cause I do wanna hold you
Yes I do
And the following verses expand ever so slightly on that very simplistic base, except by the 3rd terse verse, Michel has sped along from desiring the girl to doubting she could be true, to realizing she, in fact, WAS untrue. Nothing profound here lyrically (and one wonders how comfortable Pagliaro was in 1971 with the English language to keep things this simple), but no matter: The whole package is wrapped in an upbeat, spare but energetic arrangement featuring Pagliaro's acoustic guitar chording, and nice little touches sprinkled throughout, like castanets, shaken tambourine, echoey hand claps, an elegant string arrangement (by Ben McPeak)providing a wonderful counterpoint, and a flamenco-like guitar figure finishing out the brief chorus:
Some sing, some dance
Some like-a romance
I love lovin'
So, even though Michel's been chastened by his lover, he's still coming back for more and longing to still hold this woman...and he loves lovin'...obviously, the magic's in the music here, instead of the lyrics, and it's a little gem of a song. Listen and see if you aren't charmed as well.
from Pagliaro (OOP) (Much) available on CD - Hit Parade (D.E.P.)
George Lagios, produced this life-time hit, which he asked me to write while he and Pag were in a Toronto Recording Studio and I was in Montreal. The effort was penned insome ten (10) minutes, and the lyrics sung and recorded over the telephone. Shortly thereafter, Pag recorded the Hit-- & history took over. A great team effort, never repeated again- UP UNTIL NOW!!!! So....?
If you are familiar with the,by now,well played M and P sound this will surprise you ,a gentle ,light funky ballad with an entirely male led vocal .The measured ,considerate vocal by John Phillips takes the Mamas and Papas into a new mature almost sophisticated territory.Regretably short at 2.20,the previous sunshine pop makes way for new feeelings and concerns ,from a fantastic album callled "People Like us " which seemed to pave the way for what came to be known as AOR,the relentless sunshine of California discovers the humidity of 70,s L.A .This was their last record
from People like us available on CD - People Like Us