| Margo Guryan was a N.Y.C. beatnik who was started out her music career in jazz,writing songs and crafting lyrics for major artists. Then she heard the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and discovered that pop music could hold the same beauty as bop. In the mid-1960s, Guryan's idiosyncratic, lovingly crafted pop tunes were covered by such topflight singers as Mama Cass, Bobbie Gentry, Harry Nilson, Julie London and Jackie DeShannon, with Spanky & Our Gang having a major hit with "Sunday Morning." In 1968, Guryan recorded her debut LP Take A Picture, which proved to be the perfect showcase for her elegant songs and fragile vocal style (which falsely carries a hint of a foreign accent akin to Astrud Gilberto or a less guttural Claudine Longet - both of whom covered Guryan numbers). Even though Take A Picture melded the three B's - bossa nova, baroque pop and the Beatles - to stellar effect, the label it was on folded and the album disappeared without a trace. Margo Guryan transitioned away from pop gamine to LA music teacher but Take A Picture became a much sought after collector's item and her legend continued to grow over the years. In 2000, Take A Picture was re-released to much praise, and its success prompted a second CD of previously unreleased demos to finally see the light of day. Find Margo Guryan cds and Margo Guryan records on RPM Records. |
