John Leslie McFarland

John Leslie McFarland (May 12, 1926 – January, 1971) was an American popular music composer and arranger.[1][2]

Career

Early in his career, McFarland wrote several songs for Bill Haley and His Comets: "Rockin' Rollin' Rover", "You Hit The Wrong Note Billy Goat", co-writing "Teenager's Mother" with Curtis R. Lewis.

One of McFarland's earliest songs, co-written with Billy Moore Jr., was "You Dyed Your Hair Chartreuse". It was recorded by Louis Jordan in 1950.[3]

In 1959, he co-wrote "Wang Dang Taffy Apple Tango" with Aaron Schroeder, and the song was recorded by Pat Boone.[4] In 1960, McFarland also co-wrote the hit "Dreamin'" for Johnny Burnette with Aaron Schroeder.

McFarland co-wrote the song "Stuck On You" with Aaron Schroeder for Elvis Presley. The song was Presley's first hit single after two years in the US Army, recorded March 1960. The single rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late-April of that year, and became Presley's thirteenth hit overall.[5][6] "Stuck On You" was one of six Elvis Presley songs featured in the 2002 Disney movie Lilo & Stitch.

McFarland arranged the songs on Aretha Franklin's debut album for Columbia Records Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo and wrote six songs for the album: "Won't Be Long", "Love Is The Only Thing", "Sweet Lover", "Right Now", "Maybe I'm A Fool", and "Blue By Myself".[7]

In 1962, McFarland wrote four songs on Franklin's second studio album with Columbia, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin.[8][9]

McFarland co-wrote the song "Little Children" with Mort Shuman for Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas.[10] The song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in March 1964, and number seven in the US Hot 100 singles chart later the same year.[11][12][13]

In 1967 he co-wrote "Long Legged Girl (with the Short Dress On)" with Winfield Scott for Elvis Presley, and it reached #63 on the Billboard Hot 100.

McFarland struggled with alcohol addiction throughout much of his career.[4][14]

References
  1. Paul Simpson (1 October 2013). Elvis Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of Rock 'n' Roll in Hollywood. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. pp. 370–. ISBN 978-1-4803-6689-3.
  2. "Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia". Jazz Review, May 2011, Jeff Tamarkin
  3. "Old New Orleans". Dead Wax. 1 Feb 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  4. Graham Vickers (28 August 2013). Pomus & Shuman: Hitmakers Together & Apart. Music Sales Group. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-0-85712-800-3.
  5. Ace Collins (1 April 2005). Untold Gold. Chicago Review Press. pp. 150–. ISBN 978-1-56976-507-4.
  6. "Aaron Schroeder, Writer of Hit Songs for Elvis Presley, Dies at 83". New York Times, By DOUGLAS MARTINDEC. 5, 2009
  7. "JOHN LESLIE MCFARLAND". UK Charts
  8. David Ritz (28 October 2014). Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin. Little, Brown. pp. 85–. ISBN 978-0-316-19682-6.
  9. "Portrait of the artist as a young woman". Detroit Metro Times, By Brian Smith June 22, 2011
  10. Joseph Murrells (1978). The Book of Golden Discs. Barrie and Jenkins. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-214-20480-7.
  11. "Little Children by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas Songfacts". songfacts.com.
  12. Ken Emerson (26 September 2006). Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era. Penguin. pp. 186–. ISBN 978-1-101-15692-6.
  13. "Billy J. Kramer | Memories Of The British Invasion, The Beatles And Abbey Road | Interview". Chorus and Verse.
  14. "The Brill Building". Jerome Doc Pomus (26 January 1985). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 9–. ISSN 0006-2510.
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