Jimmy Webb talks music, drugs, his new book, and 'MacArthur Park'
San Diego Union-Tribune
By George Varga
July 16, 2017
- Jimmy Webb_Photo Credit Henry Diltz-gcf.jpg (34.66 KiB) Viewed 12000 times
This is a good interview if you haven't read Jimmy's memoir (I haven't done so yet although I was gifted a copy which I much appreciate) about the dark side of his life in the sixties.
It includes an explanation about why he had stopped writing pop music ("Up Up and Away") and "geographical" and other songs specifically for Glen Campbell. (I had always wondered why their collaborations had discontinued, even though Jimmy continued to write songs that Glen obviously loved and recorded.) Jimmy explains he wanted to escape his reputation as a middle-of-the-road pop songwriter and therefore decided to change-up his career. From the article:
Just how middle-of-the road Webb was considered is perhaps best documented in 1970’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised,” a searing, proto-rap anthem by Gil Scott-Heron.
It includes the line: The (revolution’s) theme song will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell.
“Being considered part of the right-wing establishment was a characterization that I reacted to very vehemently,” Webb recalled. “I was not that. Those were not my politics.
“My whole life then was reflexive: ‘Don’t turn me into Donnie Osmond.’ I was a famous guy, for a songwriter. So don’t say that I’m not going to write the theme song for the revolution — I am going to write the theme song for the revolution! --Jimmy Webb
Question for the "Webbheads" who read this JW topic on the forums here: Did Jimmy eventually write the theme song for the political revolution in America that started in the sixties? If so, which of his penned songs is considered as such?
You can read the full article here:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/ent ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If you would like to
listen to the official version of Scott-Heron's anthem of revolution, “The Revolution Will Not be Televised”, jump over to YT using this link:
https://youtu.be/vwSRqaZGsPw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
It is probably safe to assume the rapper was not a fan of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. lol
BTW, the thumb print image above is shared from this article (and other recent sources that published it). It was taken by Henry Diltz, the famous rock and roll photographer.
~Dee