Susan

Susan - The Buckinghams | Columbia 4-44378 (1967)

SUSAN

The Buckinghams (artists)
Dennis Tufano (lead singer)
Jim Holvay, Gary Beisbier and J W Guercio (composers)
J W Guercio (arranger)
J W Guercio (conductor)
J W Guercio (producer)
Columbia 4-44378 ZSP 135551 (label)
2:48 (time) released November 1967
2:17 (time) released December 1967, Special Rush Reservice JZSP 136010
Diogenes Music, Inc. & Bag O’ Tunes, Inc. (BMI)

…The story on “Susan” is the following:

“Susan” was written backstage in between shows at a club on Rush Street called The Happy Medium, The MOB was appearing in the main room. There was a club below called The Pussycat A Go A Go, where a server who’s name was Susan worked. She later became a Playboy Bunny. We dated a few months and the song was about her.

Regarding the arrangement, etc., Dennis Tufano did an excellent job in singing and interpreting the song, as did Marty Grebb, whose arrangement of the background vocal parts was beautiful.

Of course shock, like everybody else when the “psychedelic section” came up that Jimmy Guercio had added, maybe inspired by The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life”. It had no relevance to what the song was about but, at that time, everyone wanted to emulate The Beatles.

It was only recently that a musician said that Guercio had lifted the whole track from a classical piece. [Guercio inserted Charles Ives’ “Central Park In The Dark” orchestral crescendo in the song “Susan” sounding similar to The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life”.] When Gary (Beisbier) and I first heard it, we thought Guercio had orchestrated that interlude. I assume he paid a “licensing fee” in oder to borrow that piece. I don’t think there was any credit given to the classical composer on the album notes.

Upsetting was when the record came out and Jim Guercio’s name appeared as one of the writers of the song “Susan”. He had a tendency to do that (i.e. “Don’t You Care”). His justification was that he added the “psychedelic part”.

Welcome to the record industry.

Jim Holvay

Billboard Hot 100 01-27-1968 11-Susan