A Lover's Concerto

History#

Linzer and Randell used the melody of the familiar “Minuet in G major” (BWV Anh. 114), which first appeared in J.S. Bach’s Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. The melody had been popularized by bandleader Freddy Martin in the 1940s, in a recording that was released under the title “A Lover’s Concerto”. Critic Dave Thompson wrote of the Toys’ version: “Few records are this perfect. Riding across one of the most deceptively hook-laden melodies ever conceived … ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ marks the apogee of the Girl Group sound.” The song also has an unusual structure that blurs the differences between its verses and choruses. and the song was also included on her 1966 album Pop Artistry of Sarah Vaughan released in the United States by Mercury Records. Neil Sedaka recorded a version in Italian (with unrelated lyrics), entitled “Lettera Bruciata” (“Burnt Letter”), released as a single in 1966.