Neil Sedaka dated Carole King and sang "Oh, Carol" for her in 1958. Explore the details about this and more in this nostalgic story.
My favorite singer in the ’50s and ’60s was Neil Sedaka. This is a review of his career, what got him started in songwriting, songs that made him famous (like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”) and how he rewrote his songs for his children (“Where The Boys Are” became “Where The Toys Are”).
Neil also dated songwriter Carole King, who was born on February 9, 1942. In fact, he wrote the song, “Oh! Carol,” for her in 1958. Carole responded with a song entitled “Oh! Neil,” which I discuss in this article.
Neil Sedaka was born March 13, 1939, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York. His father was the son of a Turkish immigrant and his mother was of Polish-Russian descent.
In 1947, when he was eight, he earned a piano scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music’s Preparatory Division for Children at the behest of his mother, who wanted him to become the next Van Cliburn. And while he eventually fell in love with pop music, Neil continued to play classical music for the rest of his life.
Sedaka began his career writing songs with Howard Greenfield, a neighbor who lived in the same apartment building. They met because Howard’s mother happened to walk by when Neil was playing piano and figured the two boys would get along.
Sedaka was 13, and so ambitious that he’d scratch out singer’s names on records and write in his own name. Greenfield, an aspiring poet and lyricist, was 16.
Greenfield later co-wrote several major hits, including four number ones. He and Fred Keller co-wrote “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” and “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” both recorded by Connie Francis in 1960.
Meanwhile, he and Sedaka co-wrote “Stupid Cupid” for Connie Francis, a #14 hit in 1958 before “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” topped the charts in 1962.
No. But she was Neil’s former girlfriend in the late 1950s. Her real name is Carol Klein. They’d long since broken up and she was married to someone else.
Neil’s first top 10 hit, written in collaboration with Greenfield, was “Oh! Carol.” It was written in 1958 and released as a single in 1959, peaking at #9 on the American charts, but going all the way to #1 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
This was actually my favorite song as a kid. As a young romantic, I memorized the lyrics and sang it over and over.
Neil wrote “Oh! Carol” for Carol Klein. And she later released her own single in response, titled “Oh Neil.” The song didn’t reach the charts, but was noteworthy for being the first release under her new name: Carole King.
The voice of Grandpappy you hear at the end of Carole King’s song remains a mystery. Some people think it was Neil Sedaka himself. But it could also have been Howard Greenfield or Gerry Goffin. It was likely one of them since they are all listed on the original 7" record label.
It’s worth noting that Howard Greenfield was not only good friends with Carole King, he collaborated with her to write “Crying in the Rain,” a 1962 hit for The Everly Brothers. It wouldn’t be unlikely to think they worked on “Oh Neil” together, especially to have a little fun at their mutual friend’s expense.
In addition, Carole was married to another fellow songwriter, Gerry Goffin, from 1959 to 1969, so it’s equally plausible that he could have been the voice of Grandpappy — and for all of the same reasons as Greenfield. Whoever it is, the question remains unanswered.
Neil Sedaka’s heyday was the late 1950s and early 1960s when he had top ten hits with “Oh! Carol” (1959), “Calendar Girl” (1960), “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” (1961), “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (1962), and “Next Door to an Angel” (1962).
His popularity declined with the arrival of the British Invasion and the heavy rock music of the late ’60s, but was revived in the mid-1970s. He had a pair of number ones in 1975, “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.”
The 1970s also saw Sedaka continue his success writing with Howard Greenfield. They penned “(Is This the Way to) Amarillo,” a hit for Tony Christie in 1971, and “Love Will Keep Us Together,” a super smash hit for Captain & Tennille in 1975. Neil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.
I’m not sure if Neil wrote this song when he broke up with Carole King. But I know how strong feelings can make one become creative with the need to talk about it. Or sing about it as Neil had done. See how young he was in this video? Time has surely flown by for all of us.
When you watch this, keep an eye on the girls in the back just for the fun of it. They may have been stand-ins hired for the photoshoot. They must have been happy to have had the opportunity to be on stage with Neil. They seem to be glad to be watching Neil from so close up.
This video of “Calendar Girl” was strange. At one time, Neil is playing the piano as he sings. Then he is standing with the girls. Later, he is suddenly playing a completely different piano! It was evident that they pieced together different shots to complete the video.
After watching this a few times, I realized the piano’s color changed to represent the different days of the calendar. Notice how the days of the calendar behind him have different colors, and the piano changes between white and red. I guess they only had two pianos to do that video.
It was unusual for a video to be in color at that time. It was one of a few that used color technology already. The sexy models add a nice touch to the video, and their costumes are excellent. It looks like Neil was enjoying himself singing with all those girls.
It was such an innocent time back in the ’50s. With the way we think today, that song takes on a totally different meaning. Or maybe he did mean it the way we interpret it.
“Tonight’s the night I’ve waited for because you’re not a baby anymore.”
Possible translation: You’re not jail bait anymore.
“Solitaire” was not very well-known. Neil recorded this one in a music special in 1982 when he was older. Notice the different style of his singing. This video shows his experience as a concert pianist at the Julliard School of Music.
Neil has always been a great piano player, and here he plays while he sings. There are so many times where I just saw him sing to the music without playing the piano.
Neil’s daughter, Dara Sedaka, acquired a lot of his talent by singing with him, and it has been a rare opportunity to see the two of them sing together.
“Should’ve Never Let You Go” was released as a single in 1980 on Elektra Records, and the flipside, “You’re So Good For Me,” though sung by Neil, was actually written by Dara.
Her first writing credit also came via dad, when Neil released the 1974 single, “Bad Blood,” in certain European markets with Dara’s song, “Hey Mister Sunshine,” on the B-side.
Here’s one more with Dara and Neil Sedaka duetting on “Your Precious Love,” the Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson classic made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967.
This track was included on Neil’s 1984 album for Curb Records, Come See About Me, an album of covers from the 1960s. Dara lends her vocal talents to both “Your Precious Love” and “Cathy’s Clown,” the song made famous by the Everly Brothers.
Neil wrote this special song in collaboration with Howard Greenfield, which was released in 1975. It was about a young couple who wished that they could return to simpler time after making it to the top.
In 2009, Sedaka was inspired by his two kids and three grandchildren — twin girls and a grandson — to change the lyrics to his songs to appeal to children.
I love how he cleverly played with words to make them into children’s songs, such as “Lunch Will Keep Us Together,” “Where The Toys Are,” “Laughter in the Rain,” and “Waking Up Is Hard To Do.”
Neil combined them on a CD album with the cover title, “Waking Up Is Hard To Do” 
I gave this CD to a couple of friends for their kids. I found it on Amazon.
Isn’t it amazing what creative ideas come to us when we have children? I think this is priceless.
| Original Version | Children's Version |
|---|---|
| Breaking Up Is Hard to Do | Waking Up Is Hard to Do |
| Where The Boys Are | Where The Toys Are |
| Love Will Keep Us Together | Lunch Will Keep Us Together |
| Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen | Happy Birthday Number Three |
| Crying in the Rain | Laughter in the Rain |
| (Is This the Way to) Amarillo | Is This the Way to Cross the Street? |
Neil talked about how his grandchildren inspired him to rewrite the lyrics to some of his songs when he was interviewed in 2009 by Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas. Listen to him sing “Lunch Will Keep Us Together” in this interview:
Here is a video where Neil brings us up to date in an interview on “Good Morning Britain” in 2017:
I like listening to Neil Sedaka because I can hear and understand his lyrics. Some singers let the music overpower and drown out their voice, or the vocal track isn’t clear. Other singers deliberately mumble their words or make themselves unintelligible.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find that this problem still exists today. I’ve never had that problem with Neil Sedaka, and I still enjoy listening to his music today.
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