My first thought was no, not yet. I just finished those biographies of Paul Simon and other pop figures. So I do not think I should get into another one so soon. After all, I still have to work my way through Life by Keith Richards and I am looking forward to a new one about The Beatles.
On the other hand though, this is The Cake and the Rain, a memoir by Jimmy Webb, who is one of the greatest pop composers of our time. No way I can pass this up. I recall that back in the ‘70s era, songwriters and artists worshipped at the imaginary shrine of Jimmy, waiting with bated breath for each new song or surprising arrangement. He seldom disappointed.
You will not find that sort of adulation strange if you will take a look at this list of Jimmy’s compositions, most of which were recorded before he was 25 years old. Worst That Could Happen, Up Up And Away, Galveston, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Didn’t We, Wichita Lineman, All I Know, Where’s The Playground Susie, Never Gonna Ba The Same, Do What You Gotta Do, How Sweet It Is, What Ever Happened To Christmas, Everybody Gets To Go To The Moon, P.F. Sloan, All I Know, Postcard From Paris and, of course, Macarthur Park.
The title of the book The Cake and The Rain was taken from Macarthur Park, which Jimmy originally intended for The Association. But the boy group turned it down. Not a surprise really. Written as a cantata in four movements, Macarthur Park was too long at seven minutes. Back in 1968, pop songs usually had a verse and a chorus and maybe a bridge. The changes in mood and tempo were considered too distracting. Besides, who had heard of lyrics like “someone left the cake out in the rain”? Macarthur Park seemed dead from the start.
But not. British actor Richard Harris, fresh out of Camelot, wanted to record an album and he chose Macarthur Park to be his first single. Not everybody was impressed. The song was in fact proclaimed The Worst Song Ever Written several times. But listeners did not care. They found much to love about Jimmy’s composition and in no time at all, the song was zooming up the charts. Richard was turned into a pop star and Jimmy had another big hit. Macarthur Park was later successfully covered by other artists. The biggest version was by disco diva Donna Summer. Grammys for Macarthur Park were added to those Jimmy already had for Didn’t We, By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Up, Up And Away.
This and other tales make up The Cake In The Rain. Jimmy is not only a gifted songwriter, singer and arranger. He is also a brilliant writer with a light, bantering story-telling style that keeps the reader glued to the pages of his book. By the way, unlike other celebrities, he did this all by himself, with no ghostwriter. And he held back nothing. Here is little Jimmy in Oklahoma, a Baptist preacher’s son forbidden to listen to the radio. Here is Jimmy star-struck while meeting his idols as a young composer. Jimmy living the fast life of celebrity friends, Cobra racers and Hollywood mansions accessorized by sex, drugs, booze and rock ’n roll.
Jimmy survived all that and is now telling his tale. Pleased as punch over his renewed spirituality, he sees the past with a benign perspective. He has several Hall of Fame awards, Grammys and other trophies including an Ivor Novello Special International Award from the UK. He is happy about a life spent among the greats, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, the Supremes, Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, the Fifth Dimension and even Kanye West plus many others who have recorded his songs. How fascinating to find all these encounters recalled lovingly and given to us to relish in this book. What an enjoyable read.
I also find Jimmy’s sense of history most admirable. The book contains lists. Every award he ever received, every song he ever composed, every recording he ever made, every artist who ever recorded his songs and others. This is quite a find, especially for somebody like me who often gets frustrated over the lack of documentation about the accomplishments of Filipino artists.