Lonely Boy (Andrew Gold song)
Encyclopedia
"Lonely Boy" is a song written and recorded by Andrew Gold
in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? The song features backing vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt
(for whom Gold had previously worked as a producer and backing musician). When released as a single in 1977, the song became a top-twenty hit in both the United States (#7) and the United Kingdom (#11). While it would prove his biggest U.S. hit, Gold's single, "Never Let Her Slip Away", would achieve greater success in the UK.
The song follows the life of a child who feels neglected by his parents after the birth of a younger sister. Many assume this song to be autobiographical of Andrew Gold, yet the artist has denied this, despite great similarities between the lyrics and Gold's own life. The lyric, "He was born on a summer day in 1951", matches Gold's August 1951 birthday, and "In the summer of '53 his mother/Brought him a sister" matches his sister Martha's birthday.
The strongly syncopated
song was also released as an edited single, eliminating the vocal bridge and shortening the instrumental finale.
The song was featured in the film Boogie Nights
(1997).
In 2007, the song was covered separately by the bands Farrah and Lazlo Bane
(whose song "(I'm no) Superman" is used as the main title theme of the TV series Scrubs
).
Andrew Gold
Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....
in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? The song features backing vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
(for whom Gold had previously worked as a producer and backing musician). When released as a single in 1977, the song became a top-twenty hit in both the United States (#7) and the United Kingdom (#11). While it would prove his biggest U.S. hit, Gold's single, "Never Let Her Slip Away", would achieve greater success in the UK.
The song follows the life of a child who feels neglected by his parents after the birth of a younger sister. Many assume this song to be autobiographical of Andrew Gold, yet the artist has denied this, despite great similarities between the lyrics and Gold's own life. The lyric, "He was born on a summer day in 1951", matches Gold's August 1951 birthday, and "In the summer of '53 his mother/Brought him a sister" matches his sister Martha's birthday.
The strongly syncopated
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
song was also released as an edited single, eliminating the vocal bridge and shortening the instrumental finale.
The song was featured in the film Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
(1997).
In 2007, the song was covered separately by the bands Farrah and Lazlo Bane
Lazlo Bane
Lazlo Bane is an alternative rock band hailing from Santa Monica, California, United States. They are well known for collaborating with former Men at Work member Colin Hay, and providing the song "Superman" as the theme for the television show Scrubs...
(whose song "(I'm no) Superman" is used as the main title theme of the TV series Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
).
Personnel
- Andrew GoldAndrew GoldAndrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, handclapsClappingA clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance... - Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Dan Dugmore – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Kenny EdwardsKenny EdwardsKenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Brock Walsh – electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, ARP String EnsembleARP String EnsembleThe ARP String Ensemble, also known as the Solina String Ensemble, is a fully polyphonic multi-orchestral ARP Instruments, Inc. synthesizer with a 49-key keyboard, produced by Solina from 1974 to 1981. The sounds it incorporates are violin, viola, trumpet, horn, cello and contrabass. The keyboard... - Mike BottsMike BottsMichael G. Botts was the drummer of 1970s soft rock band Bread and a studio musician.Born in Oakland, California, Botts grew up in nearby Antioch before moving to Sacramento. While in college, he began playing with a band called The Travellers Three and working as a studio musician...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
– backing vocals - Peter AsherPeter AsherPeter Asher is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a record producer.-Early life:He was born at the Central Middlesex Hospital, a child actor and...
– handclaps