This week’s song takes this feature back to its torch song roots. It’s a sad song about letting someone you love go because you’re not ready to settle down. The you in question is songwriter Jimmy Webb. How torchy is that?
Webb wrote The Worst That Could Happen in 1967. It’s my second post this week with worst in the title: Trump/Durst: Who’s Worst?
We begin with the original recording by the 5th Dimension. It was not the song that won the group and Webb the Grammys they’re clutching in the featured image.
Oddly enough, Brooklyn Bridge had a bigger hit with this week’s tune than the 5th Dimension.
Finally, the songwriter cut this sad song in 1996.
That’s it for this week. I propose a toast to Jimmy Webb. Thanks for all the great songs. It’s what Bogie, Betty, and Frank would want. Never argue with them.
There will be more Bogart and Bacall content come Sunday. Watch this space.
Sappy, but great. The wedding march coda to the 5th Dimension version!
I wonder how many third verses to Wichita Lineman Jimmy has received over the years?
The story I heard was that Glenn Campbell’s manager was looking for another song with a city in the title (yeah, the record biz used to work that way), and contacted Webb to ask he had anything. Webb, who had never met Campbell but knew of him, said he had a song he was working on called Wichita Lineman. He cut a quick demo of the song and sent it off.
When he didn’t hear back right away, Webb went on to work on other projects. Then out of the blue he gets a call from Campbell who says they just finished Wichita Lineman for his next album. “There’s only two verses; it’s not finished yet!” protested Webb. Campbell laughed and said, “It is now.”
I don’t know if the story is true, but I like it.