From ANGEL HEART
Written by Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is a legendary songwriter who has written some absolute masterpieces like “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “MacArthur Park,” “Up, Up And Away,” “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress,” and countless others. Together with Burt Bacharach, he is probably the most successful professional pop composer of the past 40 years. Like Bacharach, he has also released a number of solo records with good artistic results even though never achieving solo chart success.
The album showcased here, “Angel Heart,” was released in 1982 and it pairs Webb with David Foster, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Dean Parks, and all the best session aces of this time period. The sound of the record is typically LA and follows the footsteps of Art Garfunkel (who recorded several of Webb’s songs) and Stephen Bishop, who guests here together with many big names like Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Valerie Carter, Graham Nash, and Daryl Hall.
We picked “God’s Gift” out of this record because it is a beautiful song with bittersweet lyrics and a very prominent piano part played by Foster. Another key element is an elegant guitar solo played by Steve Lukather along with Jeff Porcaro and Bob Glaub driving the rhythm section.
Jimmy Webb isn’t the best singer ever, but he sings quite well throughout the whole record helped by the great guest singers. “Angel Heart” is full of great compositions like “Scissors Cut” and “In Cars,” both tender ballads covered by Art Garfunkel, and “Nasty Love,” a rock ballad with interesting changes whose intro sounds a lot like Hall & Oates’ “Wait For Me” that David Foster produced in 1979.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/god_s_gift.mp3|titles=God’s gift|artists=Jimmy Webb]
Lead Vocal: Jimmy Webb
Piano: David Foster
Electric Piano: Jimmy Webb
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Bass: Bob Glaub
Electric Guitar: Steve Lukather
Acoustic Guitar: Fred Mollin
Synthesizer: Matthew McCauley
Percussion: Fred Mollin
Background Vocals: Fred Mollin & Matthew McCauley
Produced by Matthew McCauley & Fred Mollin
Lyrics
Life used to be such a beautiful thing
Eights months of summer
Four months of spring
But now you are changing
Girl, where have you been
There’s a rain coming down
There’s a storm moving in
*Don’t start thinking that you are God’s gift
Just because I love you
Don’t start thinking you’re God’s gift
To me
When you were my prisoner, I treated you kind
When you were in need
And loving me blind
You better be careful,
Girl you don’t lose
Something you need
And get something you don’t want
* repeat