This Magic Moment

"This Magic Moment" is probably the second best known composition by Doc Pomus and his writing partner Mort Shuman. The first, of course, is "Save the Last Dance for Me," which was a Saturday post here in 2021. Doc Pomus -- birth name Jerome Felder -- was the Brooklyn born son of Jewish immigrants, who changed his name to sound (he thought) more like a blues singer. A polio victim at age seven (in 1932, decades before the Salk vaccine, when polio was great), he walked with crutches most of his life, and eventually used a wheelchair. He was the brother of the prominent New York City lawyer Raoul Felder. "Magic Moment," like "Save the Last Dance," was written for Ben E. King and the Drifters, who released it in 1960, reaching 16 on the Hot 100; the original audio is at the bottom of the post. It was covered by Jay and the Americans in 1969, charting at number 6; interestingly, it was originally the B-side for the totally forgettable "Since I Don't Have You." Jay Black also changed his name, from David Blatt, evidently to sound more, well, American.

 

Dylanesque:

Audio only:

Happy birthday, Linda

 

Comments

[Howard E Katz]

Steve has written a lot of provocative and controversial things in his day. But calling "Since I Don't Have You" totally forgettable? This time he may have gone too far.

[anon]

Everything and everyone is measured by a single standard, Howard.
Music, itself, didn't exist before 1955 or so, and stopped being produced circa 1975.
Why does it snow?, the child is asked.

[Joshua Berg]

A magic moment: a walk down memory lane withe the Drifters and Jay and the Americans. Jay's voice made the (all Jewish) group. He had a 4 octave range!

[Steve L.]

Thanks, Howard and Joshua.

Steve