When "It's My Party" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 1963, Gore's label, Mercury Records rushed to record a sequel. The sequel, "Judy's Turn to Cry," was recorded on May 14, 1963. In "It's My Party," the singer was in tears because her boyfriend Johnny left with her best friend Judy. In "Judy's Turn to Cry," the singer kisses another boy at another party in order to make Johnny jealous and Johnny hits the other boy and returns to her. In the chorus, which also opens the song, the triumphant singer gloats that "Well now it's Judy's turn to cry, Judy's turn to cry, Judy's turn to cry; 'cause Johnny's come back to me." Until then the singer's "tears just fell like rain drops" because "Judy's smile was so mean." With its emphasis on crying—in this case Judy rather than the singer—the song fit in with the theme of the album I'll Cry If I Want To, in which most of the songs involved someone crying.
Back in 1963 master producer Quincy Jones discovered seventeen-year-old Lesley Gore, already a professional singer but not yet signed to a recording contract. Jones quickly rectified that lack, and her most famous release, "It's My Party," just as quickly went to Number 1 on the Mercury label. It's a sad song; her second single was the happier sequel, "Judy's Turn to Cry," a Number 5.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed that Lesley Gore had struck gold with her songs about uneasy relationships, so her third release went back to this familiar territory. "She's a Fool" is another romantic triangle, with poor Lesley the unhappy one. it earned her another Number 5, her third major success in three tries.
And after came "You Don't Own Me," her most interesting song (I think :) ). In an era of "I Will Follow Him," "(I Want to Be) Bobby's Girl," "Johnny Angel" and the like, "You Don't Own Me" was a slap in the face. This time, Lesley Gore is directly addressing her boyfriend, and negotiating their relationship in terms that sound dangerously close to equality. The public loved it, and the song spent 3 weeks as Number 2. ("I want to Hold Your Hand" was firmly entrenched as Number 1 at that time.)
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