Everyday Creation
Everyday Creation is about living our purpose, lifting our vibes, and expressing our creativity for the highest good. The show's title refers to three types of creation: The ways we express ourselves (for example, with art, music and so many other pursuits fueled by purpose and passion); the parts of life that fill us with awe — birth, death, love, the big picture; and our innate personal power to create our best possible lives while also making the world a better place. You’ll hear conversations with terrific guests on matters we care about, as well as spiritual perspectives, personal essays on being our best selves, and episodes simply for information and fun. I'm your host Kate Jones, welcoming you to Everyday Creation.
Everyday Creation
Tribute to Bob Feldman, featuring Sheldon Zoldan
In the late 1950s, Bob Feldman started writing songs with a neighbor, Jerry Goldstein. Richard Gottehrer joined them in 1962. The three are known for writing the 1963 hit song “My Boyfriend’s Back" and for their group the Strangeloves, which had a number 11 hit with "I Want Candy." The trio also produced the McCoys’ number one hit “Hang on Sloopy.”
In this video, you can watch the Strangeloves performing "I Want Candy" in the mid-'60s. And, for fun, here you can watch Bow Wow Wow's much later version. It's quite the understatement to say that there's a difference between the two.
This tribute to Feldman is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.
Feldman also is the author of a pocket book, "Simply Put! Thoughts and Feelings from the Heart," which is available in paperback, hardcover or on Kindle. The picture in the chapter markers is of Feldman from his author page on Amazon. I put a picture of the cover of his book in the chapters at the end of the tribute.
Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.
My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them. He also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible.
Kate:
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Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation. This is
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your host, Kate Jones, with one of 44
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tributes
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to significant figures in the music industry
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who passed away in 2023.
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My guest Sheldon Zoldan,
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a longtime writer and newspaper editor,
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wrote these short biographies
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and recorded them.
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Each one is an intriguing
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glimpse into the life and impact of someone
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who contributed
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to the soundtracks of our lives. Here's what
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Sheldon has to say in this tribute.
Sheldon:
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The name might not be familiar,
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but songs he wrote, sang, and produced are.
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Bob Feldman was part of a three-person
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song factory.
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Some they wrote for others, and some they
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kept for themselves
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as the group the Strangeloves.
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Feldman died August 23rd.
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No cause of death was given. He was 83.
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Feldman grew up in Brooklyn in a Jewish Orthodox family.
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He studied for a while to be a cantor, but rock 'n' roll won out.
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He was a high school classmate with Neil Sedaka.
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He sang with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand in an all-city choir.
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He started writing songs with a neighbor, Jerry Goldstein, in the late 1950s.
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Richard Gotteher joined them in 1962.
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They wrote "My Boyfriend's Back in 1963, and it became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot. 100 for the Angels.
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They took the attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them" when the British Invasion arrived.
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They created the Strangeloves. They said they were from Australia and grew up on a sheep farm.
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They had three top 40 hits, "Night Time," number 30;
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"Cara Lin," number 39; and "I Want Candy," number 11.
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They either wrote the Song of the Day about an exotic dancer they saw at the 1964 World's Fair, or a character in the 1958 novel "Candy" by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg. Take your pick.
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Several groups revived the song over the years, including the Bow Wow Wow's version that reached Number 62 on the Hot 100 in 1982.
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The Strangeloves dissolved, but the trio never quit working. They produced the McCoys' number one hit "Hang On Sloopy."
Kate:
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This is Kate again. Please go to the description for more information and to hear the song that Sheldon referenced.
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If you enjoyed this tribute. Please check out the rest of them.
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Although some of the names are not as familiar as others, the biographies are equally intriguing.
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Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation. Please share this episode with anyone who might enjoy it.
