Elvis Presley & 'MacArthur Park'

[Marlena]

Jimmy Webb the celebrated songwriter of such classics as MacArthur Park, Galveston, Wichita Lineman, Up, Up and Away, The Highwayman, and Didn't We recently talked about Elvis Presley's love for MacArthur Park and how the King came to not record the song.

'He loved MacArthur Park, Webb said of Presley. 'I don't say that to brag. It's been documented. I have a tape of him singing it'. 'At that time, though, I wanted to get a song done by Elvis Presley'.

'But as I was leaving after meeting with Elvis, (Presley's manager) Col. (Tom) Parker followed me to the door and said, 'I guess we won't be seeing you here again'. I said, 'Oh, really?'

Parker wanted only songs to which he could get full publishing rights, and as Webb said, 'I didn't need Elvis to record MacArthur Park. It was already a number one hit. Col. Parker was a crude man'.


By Jeff Piorkowski - Sun News

[utmom2008]

Interesting info, but this was already posted about 30 minutes ago.