The Perfect Song

Album: Both Sides Now (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Famed musical songwriter Andrew Lloyd -Webber penned this song with Leslie Bricusse, who won the Best Original Song Academy Award for Talk To The Animals in 1967. Although the two songwriters are friends, they had never collaborated until they were challenged by their actor pal Sir Michael Caine one day over lunch. "I said to Leslie: 'You give me a great title and I will write a song,' recalled Lloyd Webber to The Daily Mail. "Michael then bet us that we wouldn't come up with anything.

    "Leslie immediately came up with the title, 'The Perfect Song.'" he continued, "and I wrote the melody on the way home in the taxi, emailed it to Leslie and he wrote the lyrics in a day."
  • British singer and radio personality Michael Ball recorded the song for his Both Sides Now LP. "I happened to run into Michael Ball at a Downing Street reception," explained Lloyd-Webber to The Daily Mail, "and he asked me if I had anything new for his album."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.