"MacArthur Park" is a maudlin, theatrical allegory to the loss of love that nearly made it to #1 with Richard Harris, talk singing his way through a spectacular #2 hit production in 1968. That version starts slow, with the song eventually jumping into overdrive during the instrumental bridge where it changed to a bright go go beat! Anyone remember who the "Sour Grapes"? Yeah, they used that part to announce their entry and exit on a psychedelic kids show "The Banana Splits". My parents took us kids to see them at the Michigan State Fair. I will never forget all the kids in families that were there. One amazing afternoon (even for the 9 year old me). But back to the song, which then finished off as a stately ballad, worthy of the Phil Spector-ish closing with the ethereal chorus ending in soprano notes! But then Donna comes along, starts it slow and then starts shouting over the ramped up taking the silly, almost psychedelic lyrics, reaches deep into herself and delivers them with such emotional conviction that I find myself hanging on every word she wailed. I read somewhere where a fan of Donna's said she always sang the words like she was "Waving them around like colorful banners", she made you feel it. Come on, I'm sure we have all felt that "all that green icing, falling down" feeling at sometime right? While the lyrics are wistful, the production is classy and the understated production of Giorgio Moroder pulled you into her universe via the dance floor. I could not get enough of this album when it came out in the fall of 1978. My favorite part of her "MacArthur Park Suite" was the nasty sound of "One Of A Kind", an electronically funky song with the perfect blend of natural instruments to give it a heat all of its own. So here is my specially extended version of "One Of A Kind". And maybe someone can figure out what "MacArthur Park" is really about...

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