In the summer of 1963 Boomers world wide were zapped by Lesley Gore’s “It’s my Party,” produced by a then 30 y/o Quincy Jones, whose embellishments—adding Latin-sounding rhythms, double tracked vocals and effective horn parts—helped propel “Party” to #1 for four weeks. It’s a classic, that periodically gets re-recorded—covered—and the newest iteration is a mash up by newcomer Melanie Martinez.
“Pity Party” is the first single from Melanie’s debut album and its underpinning is the famous chorus from “It’s My Party.”
In Lesley Gore’s version, her boyfriend “Johnny” hooked up with “Judy” and that pretty much ruined the party.
Melanie throws a party, too, but nobody shows up, so she then throws a tantrum, smashing her birthday cake with her bare hands, and then tearing the fluff out of her stuffed animals.
“Pity Party” is new, and it’s already in the top 50 on the Top 40 charts.
I love that 20-year old Melanie is using a snippet from a song that her grandmother might have listened to, and while music is timeless, videos are not, and Melanie and Lesley’s visual “Look”—their personas– could not be more different: Lesley Gore was just 17 when she recorded “Party,” so demure and lady-like in her perfect “flip” hairdo and pearls, while Melanie, is WILD, with purple hair, several tattoos, and out of control emotions.
But it’s not the ladies that we most enjoy when we listen to “Pity Party,” rather, it’s that this familiar melody has been resurrected for a new generation.
Melanie Martinez
You may remember her from 2012’s “The Voice.” She wasn’t the season winner, but she earned a following that led to a a major label record contract.
It’s My Party
Among many other, lesser knowns, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin covered ‘”It’s My Party” in 1981, and it was #1 in the UK for four weeks (just like the original one was in the US.)
Bryan Ferry covered the song for his 1973 album “These Foolish Things.”