How An 18 Year-Old Songwriter Became A Superstar

"Wind Beneath My Wings"

It started out as a poem. Then it turned into a song. Then it became a background song for the movie “Beaches.” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59ivoXtmW4] After various song covers at home and abroad, in 1988, Bette Midler made “Wind Beneath My Wings” a #1 hit in the USA. A year later, the song won Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Record_of_the_Year] and Song of the Year. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Song_of_the_Year] Here’s my version.

The Evolution Of A Hit Song

It started out as a poem. Then it turned into a song. Then it became a background song for the movie “Beaches.” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59ivoXtmW4] After various song covers at home and abroad, in 1988, Bette Midler made “Wind Beneath My Wings” a #1 hit in the USA. A year later, the song won Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Record_of_the_Year] and Song of the Year. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Song_of_the_Year] Here’s my version.

Love's Joys and Sorrows Explored in "Sky Blue And Black"

“Sky Blue and Black” is an emotional roller coaster, looking back on the joys and sorrows of love and its lasting impact. Jackson Browne wrote the song over four years and released it on his album “I’m Alive” in 1992. The source material comes from Jackson’s relationship with a famous actress. However, Browne never wants his songs to be identified with his specific life events, so he rarely speaks about his real-life relationships, especially in the context of his music. “It’s a drag even to imagine that people are thinking about [the] relationship instead of their own lives,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Times. “I think if a song is any good, eventually it’ll turn out to be about the life of the listener and not about the life of the writer. Anyway, that’s my hope.” Enjoy my revised version of “Sky Blue and Black” with background instrumentation.

How An 18 Year-Old Songwriter Became A Superstar

Cat Stevens wrote “The First Cut Is The Deepest” when he was eighteen. At the time, he had no intention of becoming a worldwide star performer. He sold the song for thirty pounds to P.P. Arnold, a soul singer who lived near him in London. She released “The First Cut Is The Deepest” on her first album. It reached #18 on the U.K. charts in 1967. Eventually, Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow covered the song, making it a major hit in America. Stevens released his version of the song on his debut album, New Masters. Because he never released “The First Cut Is the Deepest” as a single, the album went largely unnoticed. Despite his shyness, Stevens’ songwriting and singing burst through to make him an international star in the music industry. I’m using Stevens’ version in my cover.

Honoring Love: "I'll Never Find Another You."

The Seekers are an Australian band formed in 1962. The Folk and Gospel group achieved the zenith of their popularity in the mid ’60’s with several hit songs. Their most memorable chart-topper is a song titled “I’ll Never Find Another You.” It reached #1 on the UK charts in 1965, making the Seekers the only Australian band with a #1 hit song outside of Australia. The song reached #97 in the United States, quite a feat in itself. The group has continued to perform to standing ovations around the world into the 1990’s. I am dedicating this song to my wife of 37 years, Bonnie Erens-Gittlin. Without exaggeration, every word in the lyrics of this song applies. I am grateful to have spent my adult life with this woman and the beautiful daughter we have raised. Here’s my cover. Listening to the Heart Brings Peace and Harmony into a Life