It’s always nice to reminisce with past artists through greatest hits compilations. This isn’t one, but it is darn close. It’s titled Love Songs, and if it included “Calendar Girl” it would be closer to a hits compilation. But I could’ve sworn that “Calendar Girl” was a love song.
Neil Sedaka is a breath of fresh air from the possibly re-emerging pop, overplayed hip-hop and confused rock music that’s played on the radio. Listening to the tango-inspired “You Mean Everything To Me” makes me gag at how dancing has evolved to the body bumping and body groping of today’s generation.
The classic “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” brings fun to the lost art of back-and-forth singing between back-up singers and the artist. Neil Sedaka is a very versatile artist whose songs transcend genres from the blues (“Without A Song”) to the Vegas-style “We Kiss In A Shadow."
My favorite track is the very deep “I Must Be Dreaming” with its rich lyrics and simple composition that emphasize those lyrics. Music today has become a spectacle with its value on showmanship, image and glamor. What it lacks is heart and talent. Most, if not all, of the tracks on Love Songs accentuate Sedaka’s vocals and the lyrics rather than drown out his vocals with instruments and synthesizers.
This might be why “Calendar Girl” was left out because the song combines both strong vocals and strong instruments. This compilation is very strong with some of Sedaka’s best songs.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Temple Stark
Tan, This work of yours now has another venue for success - and more eyes - at the Advance.net Web sites, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers.
One such site is here.
Also please let your contact know, if you had one, that this article, is published at one more place. That helps a lot.
Thank you.
Temple Stark
2 - ROGER
Id Neil Sedaka gay?
3 - Dave Nalle
He has a daughter and has been married, so I suspect not, despite the extreme gayness of his music.
Dave
4 - RogerMDillion
"He has a daughter and has been married"
Why would that lead you to suspect anything? Anthony Perkins was married and had kids, and so was Laurence Olivier. Marriage and offspring aren't exclusive to straight males. Maybe you didn't get the memo.
5 - Kat
Sedaka has been married to his wife Leba since 1962. She was an still is a great beauty and they are still very happily married. However, he hangs out with lots of gay songwriters and lyricists and presents as very gay. So the jury is still out on his sexual orientation.
6 - John krip
Hi I read Neils book and in it he said he stayed with 19 aunts growing up in a small brooklyn flat, I suspect that's why he has the high voice, no males around to copy there voices. This album is great and worth a listen he does have a wife, a son and daughter and 3 grand kids, so I think that's the other topic over, he created 10cc and started abba's carrier the book said, also he holds the record for most played song ever.
7 - tom reynolds
when i was a little kid around 1962/3 i loved sedakas songs. then i recently saw old footage of
him back then doing "sweet sixteen" and he looked and moved like a fag, so i just went on google to find out..still don't know for sure, just curious
i know some men are effeminate without being queer.
8 - Steve
NEIL SEDAKA IS GAY HE IS MARRIED WE ALL KNOW BUT HE IS IN LOVE WITH A 32 YO RUSSIAN GUY. LEBA FOUND IT OUT AND THEY STILL LIVE TOGETHER BUT SHE IS ONLY HER MANAGER AND MOTHER OF HER 2 SONS.
THIS IS ABSOLUTLY TRUE.
9 - mark smith
yes its a true, Im in love with tha tra lalas!! My name a BORAT is very much in love with the USA Music singer Neil Sedaka
He has adopted the no 1 prostitute here in red square "ME" very Nicea, know he go back to kasikstan and play piano together... but not so much... Oh carol
10 - bono rock
whats this????
she is only " her " manager?.
last I knew Sedaka was a male?
11 - silverblog
yeah russians homos..hhmmm I dont think so!
This guy has been watching too much James bond or reading about the poisioned kgb man in UK or is that a SHE...LOL
12 - country
Actually, he does keep a younger (30s) Russian/Ukranian guy, and his wife has been in on the arrangement for years. It's really sad that he doesn't just come out of the closet. It's 2007 for God's sake.
13 - liz
They just did a profile on Neil on CBS' Sunday Morning show (Oct 28, 07). The interviewer never asked him anything related to gayness - that was aired in the interview anyway. However, Neil volunteered that his effeminate behavior was because he (Neil) had "idolized" his older sister as a kid and so had taken to imitating her.
He said when he started school he had to "practice being macho in the mirror" so he wouldn't get beaten up.
I have no personal knowledge of the guy, but in my not so humble opinion this explanation is almost as lame as the infamous "I have a wide stance".
Either Neil is in deep Craigian denial or he's protecting his family/boyfriend from publicity by staying in the public closet.
Whether the Russian boyfriend is true or not, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure all his friends and most of the music/celebrity world help him keep the secret.
14 - Danno
If he isn't gay, he surely acts like one.
I thought he was cool when I was a kid in the 60s
but now that I see how he acts on stage, I'm thinking he is gay and has been all along.
15 - Evan
hes not gay he has a grand child
16 - Neil's Lawyer
Neil is not gay. That's wishful thinking on your part. He's a throwback to a time when it was okay for a guy to just smile and be pleasant without being labeled "effeminate" or other such crap. His ideal partner has always been a Calendar GIRL, each and every day of the year.
17 - A murphy
Kids use the word Gay next to someones name on a blog and in a blink of an eye google searches gay and the persons Name and Everyone is gay!!! it must be true.
get a grip.. sedaka is married and got grandkids.
here is neil, wife, son daughter on a pic I found.
Gossip is the flavor of the day with young kids.
now go blog gay jay leno... now he is gay I put gay and leno...on the same page now go google it is now true, Thanks to google everyone is gay.
18 - Mary Doer
Best gossip story I heard, was Nicole kidman brother was dating tom cruise and if you traced all the hotels and countries he was in her brother was there too, there marriage was an arrangment to hide his gayness. That was great and I told me friends about it for years... it was a great story untill I found out last year on wikipedia Nicole kidman has no brother...haha what a fool I was, I now no longer spread rumors.
Funny..
That was a story from the same gossip blog that had this Sedaka boyfriend story on it but that was about 6 years ago and was posted by a sacked manager of Neil's. I checked this out, Neil has had the same manager for 25 years his wife and his tour manager is the same for 30 years, so I think its bull like the Kidman story??. amazing how google and gossip sites can make people belive silly things, that includes ME!!!
19 - maggi
Who cares? His music is what I'm interested in and I'd like to have the music and words to "The hungry years"
20 - Mary Murphy
Well lets put this stupid gossip to bed once and for all.
Here is Neil and his Kid singing...
So take your gay crap story and well stick it.
He has kids, So that would make him,?? Well straight?..
Lets get back to this CD amazing, great songs.
21 - Paul Z
you know the former NJ governor was married for many years and has children but had a male lover and went on TV to hold a press conference to announce he is a gay man. So anyone that has posted a comment about being married and having children proves you are straight is a complete ignorant fool. Most likely southern or country with their heads buried in a hole.
22 - Evan
Neil Sedaka is a tenor unlike Neil Diamond
23 - Norma
I WANT millions from a fool or anyone! Or at least one million so my husband can quit work & I can get dental implants & a home before this trailer we live in falls totally apart. Also I want to help our church & others. But I know I don't stand a chance, so congratulations to all those that have. I just hope you do some good with it. But even though I "ain't got money", I am rich with family, friends & love.
24 - meanie
Maybe he swings both ways. AC/DC so to speak. The man has talent with his music & that's all that should matter, really. We'll all have to answer one day for the things we do, whether right or wrong. I just hope he's straight. But being married & having kids doesn't make you that way. I've known people who were married & had kids, only to confess after many years that they were gay, so.....
25 - Evan
Happy Valaintines Day Neil Sedaka Fans