A L B U M   C R E D I T S

Reissue coordinator: Phil Milstein
Executive producer: John Zorn
Associate producer: Kazunori Sugiyama
Original recordinga: Michael Barr
Re-recording engineer: Allan Tucker at Foothill Digital
Cover art: Peter Blegvad
Package design: Heung-Heung Chin
Special thanks: Above all to Michael Barr, but bountifully also to Tom Ardolino, Jacqueline Babbin, Jello Biafra, Kate Biggar, Conrad Capistran, Carleton Carpenter, Bob Cobert, Dame Darcy, Peter de Rome, Ellery Eskelin, Jad Fair, Milt Gabler, Bernard Geis, Karen Glancy, Seymour Glass, David Greenberger, Daniel Johnston, Ellie Marshall, Pat McGrath, Gary Myers, Gerald Posner, Wayne Rogers, Eric Spilker, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Buddy Valentino, and Chandler Warren.

 

T H E   W O R K   O F   D I O N   M c G R E G O R

- A L B U M S -

  • Robert Cobert's "Frankie And Johnny," An American Legend in Two Acts, music and book by Robert Cobert, lyrics by Dion McGregor (MGM E3499, 1957).
  • "Try Your Wings," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Blossom Dearie LP Give Him The Ooh-La-La (Verve MV 2081 (mono only), c.1958).
  • "Hello Love," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Blossom Dearie LP My Gentleman Friend (Verve MGV 2125 (mono); MGVS 6112 (stereo), c.1960). Note: Lawrence D. Stewart's liner notes read: "Michael Barr and Dion McGregor, who have gained a rock & roll success, here demonstrate with ‘Hello Love' that theirs is a facility for the supper-club lament."
  • "The Hate Song," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On LP Julius Monk's Postprandial Prank: Dressed To The Nines (MGM E39140C, 1961).
  • The Dream World Of Dion McGregor (He Talks In His Sleep), Dion McGregor (Decca DL 4463, 1964).
  • "Where Is The Wonder," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Barbra Streisand LP My Name Is Barbra (Columbia 9136, 1965).
  • "Your Wings," music by Anita O'Day. On Anita O'Day LP Recorded Live At The Berlin Jazz Festival (MPS 20750, recorded 1970, released 1973). Note: Although the composition is credited here to O'Day herself, the song is clearly "Try Your Wings," and was indisputably written by McGregor and Barr. O'Day's explanation is that the credit error was an oversight, and acknowledges that she did not write the song. The 1970 Berlin Jazz Festival was considered a triumphant comeback performance for O'Day. Anita Colton chose her pseudonym "O'Day," by the way, because it was Pig Latin for "dough."

    - 4 5 s -

  • "Be My Next," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Joel Grey 45 "Be My Next" / "Shoppin' Around" (Capitol 3866, 1958).
  • "Rockin' Teens" / "Be My Next," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. Mac & Mike 45 (Glory 273, 1958). Note: McGregor's only known recording as a singer.
  • "Closer To The Blues," wr. Leonard Reed-Dion McGregor. On Joyce Webb 45 "You've Got A Whole Lot Of Living To Do" / "Closer To The Blues" (Golden World/Ric Tic/J&W 102, c.1965).
  • "Where Is The Wonder," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Barbra Streisand 45 "My Man" / "Where Is The Wonder" (Columbia 43323, 1965).
  • "Laughing To Keep From Crying," wr. D. McGregor-M. Bar [sic]-L. Reed. On Joyce Webb 45 "Laughing To Keep From Crying" / "It's Easier Said Than Done" (Golden World/J&W 108, c.1966).
  • "Where Is The Wonder," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. On Barbra Streisand 45 "The Morning After" / "Where Is The Wonder" (Columbia 44532, 1968).

    - B O O K S -

  • The Films Of Greta Garbo, compiled by Michael Conway, Dion McGregor, & Mark Ricci (Citadel/Bonanza, New York, 1963). Note: McGregor contributed stills to several other volumes in this series, all co-compiled by Ricci, owner of The Memory Shop. The Garbo book, however, is the only one for which McGregor received cover credit.
  • The Dream World Of Dion McGregor, Dion McGregor (Bernard Geis Associates, New York, 1964). Note: The front cover states, "No one wrote this book," although the back cover, featuring a photo of McGregor fast asleep in his bed, contradicts this with the caption, "PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR AT WORK."

    - S H E E T   M U S I C -

  • "Where Is The Wonder," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. Sheet music for recording by Barbra Streisand (Keys, 1965). Note: Cover art is similar to that of My Name Is Barbra album, featuring photo of Streisand as a young girl. McGregor and Barr's names are printed prominently above the photo.

    - F I L M ,   T V   &   V I D E O -

  • Strange Holiday, Arch Oboler (filmed 1942, released 1946). Note: According to Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide, Strange Holiday is about a "businessman who returns from vacation to find U.S. democracy overthrown. This was originally sponsored by General Motors and intended to be shown only to its employees!" Strange Holiday was once a staple of late-night TV, but has never been released to video and is now quite rare.
  • Shot In The Ass At Montauk Point, Charles Colby (c.1953, unreleased). Note: An experimental short, shot in 16mm black & white and running about 15 or 20 minutes, that starred McGregor, with a score by Bob Cobert. Shot In The Ass At Montauk Point was not the movie's official title, but Cobert says that it's the name those involved always referred to it by, and that he can no longer remember its actual title.
  • "Where Is The Wonder," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. In video release of Barbra Streisand TV special My Name Is Barbra (CBS Fox Video 3519, 1986).
  • Mumbo Jumbo, Peter de Rome (1973). In video release of The Erotic Films Of Peter de Rome, (Bijou Video, Chicago, 1990). Note: McGregor makes a fleeting appearance (laughing at magazine pictures of Judy Garland, in a segment entitled "Fags & Mags") in a non-sex role in this 10-minute silent erotic comedy.

    - T H E A T E R -

  • "The Hate Song," music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor. Included in Dressed To The Nines (Julius Monk's Upstairs At The Downstairs, New York, 1960). Note: New York impresario Julius Monk was known for staging a series of annual revues, aimed at showcasing new talent, under the catch-all title Upstairs At The Downstairs. Each revue was given a successive number as part of its specific title. Thus, Dressed To The Nines was the ninth show in the series.
  • Who's Happy Now?, Oliver Hailey (Eugene O'Neill Foundation, Waterford, Conn., 1967). Includes songs by Michael Barr and Dion McGregor. Note: For this autobiographical play, Barr and McGregor's four songs were written in the manner of the protagonist as a young child. The show was mounted again in '67 as part of the premiere season of the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Another Taper production of the show was televised by PBS in 1975.
  • Dream World, music by Michael Barr, lyrics by Dion McGregor and Michael Barr, book by Michael Alves (The Six O'Clock Musicals, New York, 1993, workshop production). Note: An early version of Barr's musical of The Dream World Of Dion McGregor, but without the dream-tapes. Michael Alves portrayed our hero.


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