Love in the Shadows - Neil Sedaka (1976) 3/31/23

Phil Cody, lyricist for "Love in the Shadows," Neil Sedaka's "Great Song of 1976" has never been happy with it...and has listed several reasons. These include:

#1: He felt the sexual innuendo in the song was the wrong choice for Neil.

#2: He thought that even with the disco/R&B style arrangement, his lyrics were unsuccessful in evoking the New York Dance Club scene in the '70s (especially the infamous Studio 54), where couples went to dance--and grope each other in a dark corner.

#3: He wanted to make the the point that in those days, it was okay for couples to show public displays of affection, but sexual harassment of strangers (like on a subway) was NOT okay. In the end, however, he thought the point required more clarification---impossible in a 3 minute song.

Phil also called "Love in the Shadows" a "marginal hit."

Me thinks Mr. Cody is a bit too self-critical. Neil didn't seem to share any of those opinions, and had no qualms about releasing the song as a single from his album, "Steppin' Out."

Neil's fan base and radio listeners made it an international Top 10 hit: #4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, #6 on Canada's Matching Chart, and #8 in France.

Phil Cody may not have made all of his points clear, but "Love in the Shadows" by Neil Sedaka is far from "marginal." It's clearly a "Great Song of 1976." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PYtoKH3Vhg

Tomorrow: You can't flip that switch! Coming Soon: Great Songs of the '80s!