Alan Earle O'Day (October 3, 1940 – May 17, 2013) He also wrote songs for many other notable performers, such as 1974's Helen Reddy No. 1 hit "Angie Baby" and "Rock and Roll Heaven" (originally by Climax and made famous by the Righteous Brothers). 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 series Really Wild Animals. O'Day also collaborated with Tatsuro Yamashita on a series of popular songs in Japan including "Your Eyes", "Magic Ways", "Christmas Eve" and "Fragile" (which rapper Tyler, the Creator interpolated in "Gone, Gone / Thank You").

Life and career

Early years

O'Day was born in Hollywood, California, United States, the only child of Earle and Jeannette O'Day, who both worked at the Pasadena Star-News. Earle took newspaper photos and did publicity for the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce. Jeannette wrote for the Star News, as well as being a schoolteacher in Thermal, California, and other schools in the Coachella Valley.

O'Day stated that he remembered creating melodies on a xylophone at the age of six. By the fifth grade, his favorite artist was Spike Jones, 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 band, The Shoves, with heavy influences from Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Fats Domino, 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.

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 on November 14, 1965, as the backup band for singer-actress-comedian Virginia O'Brien.

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, "Rock And Roll Heaven", recorded by The Righteous Brothers, and "Angie Baby", recorded by Helen Reddy. His interment was at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in Coachella, California.

Awards

  • "Angie Baby", US gold record
  • "Undercover Angel", US gold record
  • "Muppet Babies", nominated for an Emmy Award
  • "Really Wild Animals", Parents' Choice Award
  • "Big Wave" Tatsuro Yamashita 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,) (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 and Al Wilson)
  • "House on Sunrise Avenue", 1970 (recorded by Bonnie Guitar)
  • "American Movie", 1971 (recorded by Peggy Lee not-yet-released)
  • "Are You Old Enough", 1971 (recorded by Mark Lindsay)
  • "Caress Me Pretty Music", 1971 (recorded by David Clayton-Thomas, Susan Hart, Dewey Martin, Anne Murray, 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 & the Mills Brothers)
  • "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, Coven, Jackie DeShannon, Friends of Distinction, Patsy Gallant, Gary Glitter, Bobby Hart, Hedva & David, Marcia Hines, Mieko Hirota, Walter Jackson, John Kay U.S. #92, Peggy Lee, Lettermen, Lulu, New Birth, Johnny Nicol, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Genya Ravan, Merl Saunders, Marlena Shaw, Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Sugarloaf, Sylvia U.S. R&B #61, Three Dog Night, Sarah Vaughan, John Travolta, 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, Megan McDonough, Julie Rogers, Wilma Reading & not-yet-released Barbra Streisand)
  • "Flashback", 1973 (recorded by The 5th Dimension, co-written with Artie Wayne, #82 US, #30 US AC, #75 US R&B, #60 Australia) (Other recordings by Paul Anka #100 U.S., Cilla Black, Blue Swede, Cher, 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)
  • "Rubberene", 1973 co-written with Mat Camison & Maurice Vidalin (recorded by Davy Jones)
  • "Angie Baby", 1974 (recorded by Helen Reddy), No. 1 U.S., produced by Joe Wissert. (Other recordings by James Collins (Songwriter), Ray Conniff, Chelsea Cullen, Syd Dale, Barbara Dickson, Anne Lise Gjostel, George Greeley, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Hanne Krogh as "Rare Lina", Stephanie Lai as "Mo Wei Ai Shang Be!", Reg Livermore, Paul Mauriat, Pete Moore, Erick Sermon on "Hip Hop Radio", Uncle Devil Show & Sylvie Vartan.)
  • "Every Man Wants Another Man's Woman", 1974 (recorded by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gene Redding & Sami Jo).
  • "Real Emotion", 1974 (recorded by Anne Murray)
  • "Rock and Roll Heaven", 1974, co-written by Johnny Stevenson (recorded by The Righteous Brothers), No. 3 U.S., produced by Dennis Lambert, Eddie Lambert, and Brian Potter. (Other recordings by Climax No. 102 U.S. Flash Cadillac, Sonny Geraci, Ricky May, Ronnie McDowell/Bill Medley/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", 1974 (recorded by Cher) – No. 18 U.S., No. 22 Canada, produced by Snuff Garrett. (Other recordings by Gene Pitney, Steppenwolf & Sylvia Vartan)
  • "Annie Annie Over", 1975 (recorded by Steppenwolf)
  • "Blue Finger Lou", 1975 (recorded by Anne Murray) (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 & Anne Murray)
  • "I Know Who I Am", 1977 (recorded by Robin Frederick)
  • "Undercover Angel", 1977 (recorded by Leslie Cheung, Jurgen Drews as "Unnahbarer Engel", Grethe Kausland, Pete Moore, Wess as "Se Non Fossi Matto", Kari Tapio as "Unten Enkelit" & Sylvie Vartan 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) (Also recorded by Mariya Takeuchi)
  • "Dear Daisy", 1982 (recorded by Sonny Shroyer)
  • "Your Eyes", 1982 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (Also recorded by Jun Fukamachi, Marilyn Martin, Bonnie Pink, Diane Reeves,& Mariya Takeuchi,)
  • "I Love You Eyes", 1983 (recorded by Ray Price)
  • "Talk Crazy to Me", 1983 co-written by Margaret Harris (recorded by Girl Talk, Mie & Pia Zadora)
  • "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) (Also recorded by 14 Karat Soul)
  • "Jody", 1984 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (Also recorded by Jeffrey Foskett, & Kalapana)
  • "Magic Ways", 1984 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita)
  • "Only With You", 1984 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (Also recorded by Jeffrey Foskett)
  • "Theme from the Big Wave", 1984 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita)
  • "Mermaid", 1985 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita)
  • "One Step Beyond", 1985 co-written by Steven A. Williams (recorded by Arashi & Shonentai)
  • "Lady Blue", 1986 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (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) (Also recorded by 14 Karat Soul & Tom Keane)
  • "Love and Let Live" 1988 (recorded by Olivia Newton-John)
  • "Christmas Eve (English version)", 1991 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (Other recordings by All 4 One, Beni, Commodores, Charlie Green, Eric Martin, Idina Menzel, Modern Folk Quartet & Pentatonix)
  • "Get Back in Love", 1992 co-written by Tatsuro Yamashita. (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 (recorded by Jeffrey Foskett)
  • "Fragile", 1998 (co-written and recorded by Tatsuro Yamashita) (Interpolated by Tyler, the Creator 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), 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), 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)

See also

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

References

  • Interview With Alan O'Day
  • Just Plain Folks, (1998), "The Story Behind the #1 Hit: Alan O'Day and Angie Baby"
  • A Muse's Muse Interview with Songwriter, Alan O'Day