Various Artists - Clowns Exit Laughing: The Jimmy Webb Songbook

2022 CD collection.

After a period of establishing his credentials as a writer with Motown’s West Coast office, Jimmy really came into his own in the mid-60s with classic songs like ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’, ‘Wichita Lineman’ and ‘Up Up And Away’. Everyone wanted to record a Jimmy Webb copyright, and a great many people did as this CD demonstrates.

Although Jimmy has never stopped writing, “Clowns Exit Laughing” naturally concentrates on a time when a new Jimmy Webb classic seemed to appear every other week. As is always Ace’s policy with the Songwriter Series, each featured artist performs only one song but we are sure that inclusions by the likes of Tony Joe White, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and other major names will disappoint nobody.

Also included for collectors are several rare, seldom heard original versions of songs primarily associated with other artists, such as Don Ho’s original of ‘Galveston’ and James Darren’s first recording of ‘Didn’t We’.

    1 By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Glen Campbell
    2 Up, Up and Away - Dionne Warwick
    3 Carpet Man - the Nocturnes
    4 When Eddie Comes Home - the Everly Brothers
    5 I Need You - Shane Martin
    6 Honey Come Back - Chuck Jackson
    7 Where's the Playground, Susie? - Everything But the Girl
    8 Midnight Mail - Joey Scarbury
    9 The Moon's a Harsh Mistress - the Walker Brothers
    10 Wichita Lineman - Tony Joe White
    11 Didn't We - James Darren
    12 MacArthur Park - Waylon Jennings & the Kimberlys
    13 I Keep It Hid - the Supremes
    14 Do What You Gotta Do - Nina Simone
    15 Galveston - Don Ho
    16 The Worst That Could Happen - B.J. Thomas
    17 Requiem: 820 Latham - Mel Tormé
    18 Magic Garden - Dusty Springfield
    19 Rosecrans BLVD. - the 5th Dimension
    20 Which Way to Nowhere - the Brooklyn Bridge
    21 Clowns Exit Laughing - the Fortunes
    22 P.F. Sloan - Rumer
    23 Highwayman - Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson
    24 If This Was the Last Song - Dee Dee Warwick with the Dixie Flyers