We’re going back a ways in this latest excavation of the Grammys’ past. 1968 witnessed an interesting race for the Song of the Year award. A relatively tight circle of artists and writers formed the nominees.
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“Up, Up And Away”, written by Jimmy Webb and performed by The Fifth Dimension, took the award that evening. We’re here to give the nominees the once-over and decide who should have won.
“My Cup Runneth Over” by Ed Ames
Even with swirling psychedelia and gritty R&B making a huge impact on music, easy listening classics that would have sounded right at home in the pre-British Invasion era still could find a place. Case in point: “My Cup Runneth Over”, written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (not that Tom Jones) for a 1966 musical. Ames, who had gained notoriety acting on television, possessed a stately vocal style that fit songs like these quite well.
“By The Time I Get To Phoenix” by Glen Campbell
The first of two nominations for both writer Jimmy Webb and singer Glen Campbell in this category. Webb overflowed with incredible songs at this point in his career. And Campbell found his way into those slippery melodies and incisive narratives better than anybody. Give credit to Webb for finding a new way to write a farewell song, as his narrator imagines the girl left behind at every distant port of call.
“Gentle In My Mind” by Glen Campbell
John Hartford didn’t have the songwriting C.V. that Jimmy Webb possessed. But he knocked out a fascinating, bluegrass-tinged track that certainly recalled some of Webb’s winners that Glen Campbell recorded. Harford does an amazing job tying all his stream-of-consciousness musings together with the refrain that focuses on that one special person. And Campbell’s unwavering vocal suggests that the narrator will get to her, if only in his mind.
“Up, Up And Away” by The 5th Dimension
Jimmy Webb apparently once received an offer for a hot-air balloon ride from a friend of his. That got the ball rolling on this piece of happy pop that gave The 5th Dimension their biggest hit to date. It all sounds a little bit dated now. And it’s odd that Webb was honored for probably the simplest lyrics he ever delivered. If anything, the song’s arrangement deserves the most praise out of anything here.
“Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry
No, we’ll never know what was thrown off that bridge. But none of us would have cared had Gentry not drawn us in with the power of the story. She paints the picture so vividly that you can almost feel the sweltering heat in the air. More than anything, you can sense the desperation of these characters to somehow break out of their dead-end existence. The way Gentry downplays the tragedy makes it more devastating.
The Verdict
“Up, Up, And Away”, the winner of the award that night, comes off as too saccharine to be deserving. “My Cup Runneth Over” beams in from another musical era. And “Gentle On My Mind”, while impressive, meanders a bit.
“Ode To Billy Joe” stands as an undeniable story-song classic. But we’re choosing “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, perhaps the ultimate manifestation of the musical chemistry between Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell.
Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images
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