Glen Campbell MACARTHUR PARK [live, video]

youtube ^ | I don't know....maybe late 90's | Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell

[FLNittany]

Even if Jimmy Webb didn't write the song for Glen and someone else made it famous - Glen almost always did a better cover while up against acts like The Highwaymen, Linda Ronstadt, and yes - Richard Harris.

[FLNittany]

The guitar solo starting around 5 minutes is what makes this video special - and would also make Clapton, Hendrix, and Van Halen blush.

Cake in the rain lovers will decry Glen's guitar solo as a desecration, while haters will finally find the song tolerable.

[Fish Speaker]

At least he didn’t call it McArthurs Park like Richard and Donna did ...

[dfwgator]

I always thought the original was The Wrecking Crew’s Finest Moment.

[FLNittany]

"I always thought the original was The Wrecking Crew’s Finest Moment."

I'd vote for "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" myself.

[yesthatjallen]

Did he ever find his recipe again? Or was it too much to take (it)?

[Dr. Sivana]

and yes - Richard Harris.

Nope. Not even close. First, Campbell drops the first refrain. Second, though Harris is not the best singer for these sorts of songs, he sells his angst much better. You feel his sense of desperation MUCH more.

Campbell's guitar solo is great, and could have been grafted onto the Harris version with no problem.

Some singers have a song they own.
Neil Harris got MacArthur Park.
Roy Clark, a better guitar player than singer, owns "Yesterday, When I was Young".
Lynn Anderson owns "Rose Garden" (which was written with a male singer in mind).
Tammy Wynette owns "Stand By Your Man".
Artie Shaw owns "Begin the Beguine" (lyrics completely unneeded).
Otis Redding owns "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" (George Michael shows how to make an unintentional parody, regardless of what Mrs. Redding thinks).
Dean Martin owns "Everybody Loves Somebody Some Time".

[FLNittany]

I love Roy Clark as much as I do Glen - along w/ Jerry reed they make up my guitar triumvirate. That said, Glen sang Yesterday When I was Young as well.

[Steely Tom]

I always thought the original was The Wrecking Crew’s Finest Moment.

I'm inclined to agree.

[Steely Tom]

The piccolo part in Rockin' Robin was played by the same guy who played the tenor solo on Theme From The Pink Panther.

[NautiNurse]

Another fine version. My MacArthur Park fav has always been Sammy Davis Jr.

[x]

Who left the cake he baked out in the rain?

How did that person get it, and how come he doesn’t know who it was?

[freedumb2003]

Ringo owns “Octopus’ Garden”

[yesthatjallen]

So many unanswered questions.

MacArthur Park (song)

[Dr. Sivana]

Ringo owns “Octopus’ Garden”

And "Snookeroo". Ringo definitely owns "Snookeroo".

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

And don’t forget Rodger Miller’s King of the Road.

[Dr. Sivana]

And don’t forget Rodger Miller’s King of the Road.

Very good example. I should have mentioned that Glen Campbell DOES own Wichita Lineman.

[dangus]

I liked Wierd Al’s Jurassic Park version.

[dangus]

Impressive shredding. But Clapton isn’t known for his shredding, and while Hendrix was an innovator in some “shredding” techniques, he’s not famous for mere finger speed, either. It’s kinda like hitting a home run and saying it would make Ozzie Smith blush and Rickey Henderson blush. Heck, Clapton is known as “Slow Hand.” Hendrix was legendary for his use of equipment and pedals like a volume pedal to craft the shape of his sound, and the pitch bender; as well as for innovative chords and tonalities; and yeah, just like Henderson could actually blast it, he totally shredded; it’s simply not what made him a legend. Meanwhile, Van Halen DOES hit notes much faster than Campbell, but by relying on an entirely different technique (2-handed tapping) that makes the comparison unfair to Campbell.

Campbell, of course, is not famous for his shredding (even in the loose sense I’m using it), but I love that he’s saying, “Hey, I can do what those metal guys do, too!” Because he IS really good. But superlatives like that don’t convince people that Campbell is great, only that in your exaggeration you picked the first three rock guitarists you could think of.

[Mr. K]

Glen Campbell was a very good guitarist.

[dangus]

Absolutely! That’s why I made sure to write, “Campbell, of course, is not famous for his shredding ... Because he IS really good.”