History of hit tune "MacArthur Park" (first recorded 1968)

MacArthur Park is a song written by Jimmy Webb that was originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record the song, in 1968. It was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best known covers of the song are Donna Summer's disco arrangement from 1978 and Waylon Jennings' version recorded in 1969. Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman all performed big-band jazz arrangements of the pop song. The lyrics, which include the lines "Someone left the cake out in the rain/I don't think that I can take it/'Cause it took so long to bake it/And I'll never have that recipe again", are symbolic and metaphorical. The song begins as a poem about love, then moves into a lover's lament. When asked by interviewer Terry Gross what was going through his mind when he wrote the lyrics, Webb replied that the lyrics were meant to be symbolic, and they referred to the end of a love affair. Recordings

Richard Harris
The song was first recorded by Richard Harris on his album A Tramp Shining in 1968 and was released as a single. It was an unusual single, running for more than seven minutes, with a long, climactic orchestral break. Harris topped the music charts in Europe and Australia, and peaked at No. 2 on the American charts. The song peaked at No. 10 in Billboard's Easy Listening survey, and was No. 8 for the year on WABC's overall 1968 chart.
Throughout his recording, Harris can be heard using the incorrect possessive form, "MacArthur's Park." Webb has said he tried correcting Harris during re-takes, but gave up when he simply could not (or would not) sing the correct words. MacArthur Park received the Grammy Award for "Best Orchestration" in 1969.

Donna Summer
A multi-million selling vinyl single disco version of "MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer was number one on the American pop music sales charts for three weeks during 1978. Summer's recording, which was included as part of the "MacArthur Park Suite" on her double album Live and More, was eight minutes and forty seconds long on the album. The shorter seven-inch vinyl single version of the MacArthur Park was Summer's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

The 18-minute musical medley "MacArthur Park Suite" incorporated the songs "One of a Kind" and "Heaven Knows". This medley was also sold as a 12" vinyl recording, and it stayed at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart for five weeks in 1978. The versions of this medley in Live and More and in the 12" recording are notably different in choices of the lengths of the slices of the two accompanying songs. "MacArthur Park" was not included on the compact disc version of Live and More due to early CD limitations; however, the album version is available on 1987's The Dance Collection. Notable cover versions The song has been covered more than 50 times, including versions by:

The 5th Dimension Diana Ross & the Supremes Beggar's Opera Glen Campbell Vic Damone Sammy Davis, Jr (twice) Percy Faith Michael Feinstein Maynard Ferguson - M.F.Horn (1971) Ferrante & Teicher The Four Tops Plastic Penny Justin Hayward Gitte Hnning Waylon Jennings (Grammy Award) Long John Baldry Stan Kenton - Live at Redlands University (1970) Liza Minnelli Grimethorpe Colliery Band Hugo Montenegro Only Men Aloud! Elaine Paige Psychotica

The Queers Doc Severinsen Frank Sinatra - Trilogy: Past, Present & Future (2010) [Box Set, CD] The Negro Problem The Three Degrees Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Andy Williams Zumpano Regine Velasquez Sally Yeh Other versions Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Ed Ames each recorded versions utilizing only the middle section. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed recorded an all-instrumental version for their guitar duet album Me & Jerry, winner of the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. The Four Tops recorded their version of the song, omitting the long instrumental breaks of the song, and reached #38 on the Billboard singles chart. The song was also performed by the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in several productions in the mid-1970s. In 1977 Finnish singer-songwriter Hector recorded the song in band called H.E.C. with Finnish lyrics. Hector titled the song in Finnish as "Vanhan kirkon puisto" ("Old Churchs park"), referring to the old church of Helsinki, Hectors hometown. In 1980 the song was performed by Pink Lady on their variety show Pink Lady and Jeff. Mnica Naranjo performed a Spanish version of this song, "Palabra De Mujer", in the 1990s. Moody Blues singer Justin Hayward with Mike Batt and the London Philharmonic Orchestra covered Webb's song on his Classic Blue album. It was also performed by Carrie Underwood in season four of American Idol. UK Hip Hop artist Roots Manuva uses the main chord structure in his 2001 single "Dreamy Days". Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) sings an Italian version called "Parco MacArthur (La Torta in Pioggia)". Noelia Cano, a Spanish singer, had a version in the reality show Operacin Triunfo in 2008.