Theater of the Imagination

Series 1, Episode 6: Songs of Love and Heartbreak

February 04, 2021 Peter Link Season 1 Episode 6
Theater of the Imagination
Series 1, Episode 6: Songs of Love and Heartbreak
Show Notes Transcript

There is an arc, a kind of universal story, to this Episode #6 of Scattershot Symphony.  It is a song cycle of the rise and fall (and the eternality) of Love … specifically romantic love.  Love, certainly one of the most important concepts dealt with by each of us in life on Planet Earth, is looked at and listened to in song on many different angles as our story is told.  

Love and heartbreak, passion and tragedy, all investigated through the songs of the past 40 years written and produced by Peter Link, promise an unforgettable journey.  Please join us on the ride.  Bring with you an open heart and a sensitive soul.

Scattershot Symphony is presented by Watchfire Music. Learn more about this episode at their website watchfiremusic.com

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Scattershot Symphony #6

Songs Of Love And Heartbreak

Volume 1 (Romance)

Welcome to:

Scattershot Symphony

The Music of Peter Link

(That’s me.)


People ask me, “Why “Symphony? You’re not a classical composer.” 

Well, Wikipedia defines “Symphony” as: 

an extended musical composition 

most often written by composers for orchestra – 

often presented in several movements. 



And so, I bring you the music of a lifetime of composition – 

often presented in several movements.  

That’s the nature of these podcasts – 

a scattershot look, at a lifetime of music …


From a variety of genres;

Pop, Rock, R&B, Reggae, Gospel, Musical Theater, Funk, Inspirational and ...

... whatever ...


Basically the music we all grew up on


(Deep Echo)

All from the labyrinthine (la·br·in·thn) mind of composer, Peter Link


(That’s me.)


So, strap on them headphones.  

We’re 90% music with just a smattering of commentary.


And for god sakes,  


 (Crowd)


Turn it up!


This week being the sixth episode of this podcast series, I prefer to let the music do the talkin’.  However, if you need to know more about me, please visit Wikipedia.com – Peter Link.    


This episode is entitled “Songs Of Love And Heartbreak - Volume 1”

Phlutterphase Hang Music Cue

What a word ... Love! Possibly the most important word in the English language.  After all, what other concept is more important to our lives ... than love.


So it is not at all surprising that there are millions of songs addressing the subject from every conceivable angle.  In my life as a songwriter, I have followed suit. Having fallen in love, having loved and loved again, having jilted ... and having been jilted, I have traversed the hallowed halls of love all my life and lived to tell about it. And tell about it, I have.


So much so, that it will take two episodes, Volume One and Volume Two, to bring you my best thoughts on the subject.  So this Volume One will investigate love of the romantic nature and Volume Two will take a close look at Love ... above and beyond. What does that mean? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see ...


I did not write our first song.  Rather, it was written by a trio of three of the greatest songwriters of our time — lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and music by Michel Legrand.  I had the privilege of producing, arranging and orchestrating this particular version for Julia Wade.


It begins today’s journey with hope ... hope and the grateful satisfaction of finding someone to love.  The quest, the chase, the allure of seduction, the mating game.  The very stuff of novels and films, of ballet and song.


Julia Wade - On My Way To You


Reeling from a short lived, but broken marriage, Julia left the West Coast looking for a new start and a complete change of life that would focus only on her career and NOT include involvement in any form of romantic relationship.  She was absolutely resolute in her decision. Having recently moved to New York City and career driven, one Sunday morning, she decided to visit our church. 


After the service, as friends gathered in the foyer, we were introduced ...


Julia Wade — There Was You




Falling in love ... oh my goodness, is there anything in life like it? No. Oh perhaps winning the Olympics, winning the lottery, skydiving, eating a pint of Haagen Daz ... all fantastic, but limited to the few.  Whereas falling in love can happen to each of us, to all of us.  No, there is no experience like it.  When it happens, all is well ... even if the rest of life appears not to be.  Love simply conquers all.


This next song captures that spirit of no holds barred, far elevated beyond mere seduction, powerful and nurturing love at its best.  Jenny Burton simply brings it with her full force.


Jenny Burton — You Knock Me Off My Feet




The deepest of romantic love can be wondrous and confusing at the same time.  When falling further and further, the bottom is so unpredictable, the journey so verdant, the feelings so breathless, the time so foreign to our normal ways of life ... that we can sometimes lose ourselves in the heat of it all.  I’ve been there.  I’ve done that.  It can run the fine line between pleasure and pain.  And sometimes the higher the pleasure, the deeper the pain.  One has to be careful, full of care -- in a time when one is so completely care free.  


Peter Link — Love Never Touched Me Like This

What is it to fall in love?  I believe that each of us sees in each other the best of who we are.  And the best of who we are so completely overshadows the human, the foibles, the all mosts, even the smelly sox ... that during the courting, the hoping, the foreplay ... we all try to be the very best of ourselves.  We bring flowers, we wear our best, we fuss over our hair (yes, ladies, even men do that) we work to say just the right things ... and each of us tries to bring on the magic ... the magic of our true selves.  And when we fall, we each recognize the magic in each other  ... and we fall ... and fall ... and fall ... (into Dream Reverb)


Lawrence Hamilton and Jenny Burton — The Magic Is You




For some, that magic lasts forever.  For others, it becomes impossible to maintain the level of the best of us every moment.  It’s a problem that I like to call, “just being human.”  And so the magic begins to fade.


But it’s not time to talk about that yet.  Let’s first go back to “For some, that magic lasts forever.”


Probably my all-time favorite love song I’ve ever heard, was written for the musical, Camelot, by Broadway greats, Alan Lerner and Fritz Lowe.  If you don’t know who these two guys are, they also wrote My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon and Gigi.  I had the incredible experience of working with Alan Lerner, the Lyricist and Book-writer after Fritz Lowe, the composer, had passed away.  Alan was a master lyricist who could write a perfect lyric in a day or a month.  No matter how long it took him, it came out perfect.  His flawless work was always a huge lesson to me, as a young composer, teaching me to work until I got it right.  By the time he would hand the lyric over to me, it would be jaw dropingly perfect.


Alan, sadly, passed on before we could finish the musical we were working on together, and I knew that I could never replace an Alan Lerner.  But years later, while producing Broadway star Steve Blanchard’s album, Steve, one day said, “I wanna record “If Ever I Would Leave You from Camelot.”  Ahh, my favorite love song.  He got no argument from me ...


So, right now you each get to listen to a perfect lyric — set to music by Alan’s perfect partner, Fritz Lowe.  I produced, arranged and orchestrated the song, but it was Steve Blanchard who really put the finishing touches on the song with a wondrously compelling vocal.  This one’s as good as it gets.  For me, the perfect love song ...


Steve Blanchard — If Ever I Would Leave You




I’m a loyal person.  I’ve always known that 20 minutes in the sack with the wrong person could never equal the lifetime of unhappiness, pain and guilt that getting caught could cause.  So cheating is extremely repugnant to me.  I always thought it was unforgivable.  Then it happened to me.  At first it WAS unforgivable.  I was resolute.  I would not forgive. I was inflexible, adamant, intractable.


I began to write this next song.  I would show her just how much she hurt me ... somehow, the song did not turn out that way.


Then Jenny Burton took this song all the way to the moon and back.  It’s gotta be one of the top five recordings she ever made.


Jenny Burton — Love Runs Deeper Than Pride




But then, sometimes, no matter how hard you both try, it just doesn’t work out. The flame burns down, the fire dies.  Especially in marriage it’s important to rekindle the flame periodically.  So, throw another log on. 


Cuz romance is a tricky thing.  At first it rushes in and consumes.  But it’s hard to maintain in the everyday rush of life.  As husband and wife and even now, those who have just lived together for a time, ya’ gotta work it.  It takes effort by both to keep the passion.  Two people can’t possibly be magical day after day like in the beginning.  It takes a lot of work.  And sometimes the love just isn’t deep enough to get ya’ over the rough spots.  Yet love is love ... and love is infinite and eternal, but sadly sometimes becomes like a misplaced sock. Ya’ know it’s there ... somewhere, but ya’ just can’t find it. And so love just takes a back seat to ... to ... whatever.  To all the stuff that seems like its real important, but never really is.  These are the saddest of times ...


Jenny Burton — Wasn’t It Good For You




And then, finally, one of you gives up.  Rarely do both parties give up at exactly the same time.  Usually, the rejected gets the short end of the stick. But make no bones about it, both are hurt.  Because, for both, love still exists — it’s just been buried by all the problems, by all the misunderstandings – and it no longer has presence.  Sometimes the breakup is sudden; sometimes both see it coming.  But when it happens, it’s always one of the most devastating moments of our lives. Why? Because love gets lost – buried under the debris of misunderstanding and misplaced moments.


Jenny Burton — A Pile Of Tears




And yet, sometimes a breakup, as painful as it might be, is a good thing.  


Yours Truly, recorded over 35 years ago ...

You Only Took Me Halfway There





Regrets.  Missed moments.  Bad timing.  All the human negatives ... yeah, sometimes it just doesn’t work out.  No matter how hard you both try ... it just wasn’t meant to be. (Music) Regrets ... Missed moments.  Bad timing.  


Steve Blanchard and Judy MacLane, from the musical, Sundown

Another Time

So, do I leave you at this unhappy ending?  Not a chance.  Yeah, this episode is about heartbreak, but it always comes back to love.  Each of us have a chance to love again.  So we mend our hearts and heal our hurts and live to love again.  What’s the alternative? To never love at all?  No way. I’ll always risk the hurt and try again. Because, for me, it is the quintessential experience of life on Planet Earth. And so I leave you with this ...

Anthem



Well, there ya’ have it.  Scattershot Symphony.  Episode 6


Next, Episode 7

The Gospel Truth


In the music world various genres come and go.  Disco, swing, progressive jazz, rock n’ roll, even hip hop will fade away, but Gospel music, the music grounded in the African American church and soul., seems to live on through the generations and its joy and reverence prove eternal. That’s The Gospel Truth.

So, please join us.  We promise to raise the roof.


Also, please rate and subscribe ...


And thanks to The Jenny Burton Experience for their support on Jenny’s Love Runs Deeper Than Pride.


And also Margaret Dorn for her singing and background vocal arrangements on that as well as You Only Took Me Halfway There, 

singing with Darryl Tookes and Jillian Armsbury.


And lastly, background vocalists on Wasn’t It Good For You, Margaret Dorn, Danny Madden, Lawrence Hamilton and Stephanie James.


Thank You To …


Watchfire Music, Nathan Burgdorff and the entire staff for all your work in producing and promoting this podcast.  


A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our Associate Producer for all your invaluable knowledge and good vibes.


And a posthumous thanks to Ludwig Van Beethoven for your opening 4 bars.


Julia

(over playout music)