Workin' on a Groovy Thing (Neil Sedaka album)
Workin' on a Groovy Thing is a 1969 studio album containing the works of American pop singer Neil Sedaka. The album was recorded while Sedaka was touring Australia in late 1969; he recorded it on a one-off basis for the Sydney, Australia-based label Festival Records; by that time his career had slumped, and his contract had not been renewed by his former label in the USA, RCA Victor. It was recorded in Festival's studios in Sydney, Australia. It was co-produced by Sedaka and Festival house producer Pat Aulton. The LP featured many notable Australian session players of the period including guitarist Jimmy Doyle (later a member of jazz-rock band Ayers Rock) and veteran jazz musician John Sangster.
| Workin' on a Groovy Thing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1969 | |||
| Recorded | Festival Records Sydney, Australia | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Festival, MCA | |||
| Producer | Neil Sedaka, Pat Aulton | |||
| Neil Sedaka chronology | ||||
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| Alternate cover | ||||
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In the United Kingdom, the album was released on the MCA label under the title Sounds of Sedaka.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Puppet Man" | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Johnny Walker, Old Grandad, Jackie Daniels and You" | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Ebony Angel" | 4:21 |
| 4. | "Wheeling, West Virginia" | 3:31 |
| 5. | "You with Darkness on Your Mind" | 3:22 |
| 6. | "The Love of a Woman" | 3:28 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Workin' On a Groovy Thing" | 4:01 |
| 8. | "The World I Threw Away" | 2:58 |
| 9. | "Don't Look Over Your Shoulder" | 2:28 |
| 10. | "Cellophane Disguise" | 2:39 |
| 11. | "The Girl I Left Behind" | 3:06 |
| 12. | "Summer Symphony" | 2:51 |
Personnel
- Neil Sedaka - vocals, piano
- Alan Turnbull - drums
- Len Hutchingson - bass
- Jim Doyle, Mal Clarke - guitars
- Mal Cunningham - piccolo & flute
- John Sangster - percussion
- Alan Nash, Bob McIvor - brass section leaders
- Gordon Bennett, Lal Kuring - string section leaders
- John Farrar - arrangements
Singles
In Australia, one single was released, "Wheeling, West Virginia", which reached No. 20 on the Australian pop chart in 1970. "The Love of a Woman" served as the B-side.
In the UK, "Ebony Angel" was released as a single, with "Puppet Man" as its B-side.
Re-issue
This album itself has not seen a re-issue since its original 1969 release, but the contents of the album are available as tracks 15-26 of the second disc of the 2002 compilation album, Let the Good Times In.
