Mary MacGregor
Encyclopedia
Mary MacGregor is an American
singer, best known for singing the 1976 song
"Torn Between Two Lovers
", which topped the Billboard
charts for two weeks.
, Minnesota
. She began studying piano
at age six, and was singing with bands
by the time she was a teenager. After attending the University of Minnesota
, MacGregor began to tour the country with various acts and caught the attention of Peter Yarrow
from Peter, Paul & Mary. She soon joined Yarrow, singing backup on a solo
tour, and made an appearance on his Love Songs album.
Signed to Ariola America records, MacGregor released her debut single
, "Torn Between Two Lovers
", in late 1976. The new year saw the single top both the pop charts
and adult contemporary charts, selling over a million copies In addition, it reached #3 on Billboard's Country chart and also reached the UK Top Five. Two further singles from the album of the same name, also written and produced by Yarrow, charted but were overwhelmed by the success of the title track.
MacGregor admitted in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson
that she hated her own chart-topper, chiefly because she had little sympathy for the narrator of "Torn Between Two Lovers", a woman who confesses to her husband that she is having an affair, but pleads with her husband to stay with her and accept the situation. MacGregor also said that the song indirectly led to the breakup of her own marriage, because her career kept her away from home so often that her relationship with her husband strained, and they decided to separate. MacGregor did acknowledge that the song was successful because it appealed to listeners who had found themselves in the situation described in the lyrics.
She released several more albums, and had three more minor chart singles (including the song "Good Friend" from the 1979 Bill Murray
film Meatballs
).
In 1980, MacGregor won best song and best performance at the 'World Popular Song Festival' in Tokyo, Japan with "What's The Use
," which she had co-written.
For the 1981 Japanese Anime
movie, "Aideu Galaxy Express 999
," MacGregor wrote and performed two songs. They were "Sayonara" and "Love Light".
In the mid-1980s, MacGregor performed in nightclubs around the Central Coast of California with Mary and the Blue Jays, a trio composed of MacGregor, James Royce on bass, and Jim Kennedy
on guitar.
Just when it seemed that MacGregor had retired from the music industry, in 1999, she teamed up with fellow musician
friends, Joe Ghiglia and John Holt to form The Mary MacGregor Band. The result was a CD called Perfect Yellow House.
She is also mentioned in the liner notes of 1976's The Steamboat Album as doing vocals for one of the tracks, "Rabbit Ears". The album was recorded by Yampa River Records in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, best known for singing the 1976 song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Torn Between Two Lovers
Torn Between Two Lovers
"Torn Between Two Lovers" is the title of a pop song written by Peter Yarrow and Phillip Jarrell. It was inspired by Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel, Dr. Zhivago, which featured a man in love with two women. Yarrow originally intended the song to be sung by a man...
", which topped the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts for two weeks.
Career
MacGregor was born in St. PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. She began studying piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at age six, and was singing with bands
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
by the time she was a teenager. After attending the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, MacGregor began to tour the country with various acts and caught the attention of Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow is an American singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote one of the group's most famous songs, "Puff, the Magic Dragon"...
from Peter, Paul & Mary. She soon joined Yarrow, singing backup on a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
tour, and made an appearance on his Love Songs album.
Signed to Ariola America records, MacGregor released her debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Torn Between Two Lovers
Torn Between Two Lovers
"Torn Between Two Lovers" is the title of a pop song written by Peter Yarrow and Phillip Jarrell. It was inspired by Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel, Dr. Zhivago, which featured a man in love with two women. Yarrow originally intended the song to be sung by a man...
", in late 1976. The new year saw the single top both the pop charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and adult contemporary charts, selling over a million copies In addition, it reached #3 on Billboard's Country chart and also reached the UK Top Five. Two further singles from the album of the same name, also written and produced by Yarrow, charted but were overwhelmed by the success of the title track.
MacGregor admitted in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
that she hated her own chart-topper, chiefly because she had little sympathy for the narrator of "Torn Between Two Lovers", a woman who confesses to her husband that she is having an affair, but pleads with her husband to stay with her and accept the situation. MacGregor also said that the song indirectly led to the breakup of her own marriage, because her career kept her away from home so often that her relationship with her husband strained, and they decided to separate. MacGregor did acknowledge that the song was successful because it appealed to listeners who had found themselves in the situation described in the lyrics.
She released several more albums, and had three more minor chart singles (including the song "Good Friend" from the 1979 Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
film Meatballs
Meatballs (film)
Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. It is noted for the first film appearance of Bill Murray in a starring role and for launching Reitman into a distinguished career of financially successful comedies including Stripes and Ghostbusters , both starring Murray...
).
In 1980, MacGregor won best song and best performance at the 'World Popular Song Festival' in Tokyo, Japan with "What's The Use
What's The Use (Mary MacGregor song)
"What's the Use" is the title of a song by Mary MacGregor. In 1980, MacGrego won the Yamaha Music Festival with best song and best performance. The record was released in Japan.-Track listing:...
," which she had co-written.
For the 1981 Japanese Anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movie, "Aideu Galaxy Express 999
Galaxy Express 999
is a manga written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto, as well as various anime films and TV series based on it. It is set in a space-faring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer their minds into mechanical bodies, thus achieving practical immortality.The manga won the...
," MacGregor wrote and performed two songs. They were "Sayonara" and "Love Light".
In the mid-1980s, MacGregor performed in nightclubs around the Central Coast of California with Mary and the Blue Jays, a trio composed of MacGregor, James Royce on bass, and Jim Kennedy
James Kennedy (social psychologist)
James Kennedy is an American social psychologist, best known as an originator and researcher of particle swarm optimization. The first papers on the topic, by Kennedy and Russell C. Eberhart, were presented in 1995; since then more than ten thousand papers have been published on particle swarms...
on guitar.
Just when it seemed that MacGregor had retired from the music industry, in 1999, she teamed up with fellow musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
friends, Joe Ghiglia and John Holt to form The Mary MacGregor Band. The result was a CD called Perfect Yellow House.
She is also mentioned in the liner notes of 1976's The Steamboat Album as doing vocals for one of the tracks, "Rabbit Ears". The album was recorded by Yampa River Records in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | CAN | |||
| 1976 | Torn Between Two Lovers Torn Between Two Lovers (Mary MacGregor album) Torn Between Two Lovers is Mary MacGregor's first album. It is out-of-print and was never issued on CD.- Track listing :Side One:# "Mama" # "This Girl "... |
17 | 3 | 28 | Ariola |
| 1978 | ...In Your Eyes | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | Mary MacGregor's Greatest Hits Mary MacGregor's Greatest Hits - Track listing :Side One:# "Torn Between Two Lovers"# "The Wedding Song "# "Memories# "This Girl "# "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"# "In Your Eyes"Side Two:# "I've Never Been To Me"# "For A While"... |
— | — | — | |
| 1980 | Mary MacGregor Mary MacGregor (album) Mary MacGregor is Mary MacGregor's fourth and final album, released in 1980. It is out of print and was never issued on CD.- Track listing :Side One:# "Dancin' Like Lovers"# "You're Just Between Love"# "Somebody Please"... |
— | — | — | RSO |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | |||
| 1976 | "Torn Between Two Lovers Torn Between Two Lovers "Torn Between Two Lovers" is the title of a pop song written by Peter Yarrow and Phillip Jarrell. It was inspired by Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel, Dr. Zhivago, which featured a man in love with two women. Yarrow originally intended the song to be sung by a man... " |
1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Torn Between Two Lovers |
| 1977 | "The Girl (Has Turned Into a Woman)" | 46 | 27 | 36 | 60 | 23 | 38 | |
| "For a While" | 90 | 38 | 86 | 77 | 14 | — | ||
| 1978 | "I've Never Been to Me I've Never Been to Me "I've Never Been to Me" is a sleeper hit single performed by American singer Charlene Oliver née D'Angelo.-Chart history:Upon its initial release in 1977, the song reached number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In 1982, renewed interest in the song led to the single reaching Number 3 in... " |
— | — | — | — | 29 | — | In Your Eyes |
| "Memories" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" | 81 | 23 | — | — | — | — | Mary MacGregor's Greatest Hits | |
| 1979 | "Good Friend" | 39 | 11 | — | 86 | 6 | — | Mary MacGregor |
| 1980 | "Dancing Like Lovers" | 72 | 31 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Somebody Please" | — | — | — | — | — | — |