Songwriter/producer Terry Melcher whose collaborators included the Beach Boys, Gram Parsons, Ry Cooder and The Byrds, has passed away at the age of 62. Melcher’s production credits included the Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn” and their version of “Mr. Tambourine Man”.
The son of actress Doris Day, Melcher’s name is known to crime buffs as a onetime boarder at the residence of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski, having moved out before Charles Manson’s crew went on their killing spree.
Sir:
“Graham” Parsons? It is not “Graeme” either, although I might put “Messages From The Cakekitchen” on later tonight. I think it remiss not to mention Melcher’s pivotal role in Charlie’s musical career, inc. the Beach Boys’ recording of “Cease To Exist” on “20/20” (even if the song was lamely– if amusingly now– retitled “Never Learn Not to Love”).
Hallelujah All The Way Home,
dw iii
Even with water in your lungs, you’re a better speller than me, Dennis.
It would be difficult for the beach boys to keep the title when they changed the lyric from ‘cease to exist’ to ‘cease to resist’. It is otherwise a very interesting melodic chord structure and a great vocal and production effort from Dennis Wilson (the first). Gram Parsons is short for Ingram Parsons by the way.