User:Rhsimard/Gayle Caldwell/sandbox

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Gayle Caldwell (20th February 1941-14th April, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter and classically-trained pianist, best known for her vocal performances with the folk-music ensemble The New Christy Minstrels and penning the Frank Sinatra hit Cycles.

Early life and career
As a college freshman, Gayle became a member of the The Roger Wagner Chorale, performing with them at Carnegie Hall. In 1962 she replaced Peggy Connelly in The New Christy Minstrels, recording six albums (Grammy award details??). She then joined with her Christie singing partner Jackie Miller to record for Capitol Records as Jackie and Gayle.  The duo appeared on specials and shows of the 60s and in two beach-party films: Wild on the Beach, in which Gayle performed Winter Nocturne, and Wild Wild Winter, in which she sang Our Love's Gonna Snowball.   She played Rebecca in two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies  and was a guest vocalist on three episodes of The Red Skelton Hour. She also appeared on the The Kraft Music Hall (as writer of Cycles) and Shivaree (as herself in Jackie and Gayle).

Songwriter
Her real passion, though, was as a songwriter, creating works for such performers as Nancy Wilson, Astrud Gilberto, Eddy Arnold, Henry Mancini, Rickie Lee Jones and then-teen idol Donny Osmond. . She commented on the "hard work and rejections" that are part of getting recognised, and that it was through her "youthful energy (and nerve) of youth", that she managed to get her foot through the door.

Her best-known composition is the poignant ballad Cycles, which would become major hit for Frank Sinatra in 1968. The song reached Sinatra through his music director after the demo was sent to Costa by the publishing arm of A&M records and had not met Sinatra prior to this. The Cycles album reached #18 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the single reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. On his TV special Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing, Sinatra prefaced his performance of Cycles with "The records they're buying these days have simple tunes and simple words, but sometimes they manage to express some very profound thoughts."

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Discography and compositions
The following is a partial list of Gayle Caldwell's recordings on which she performed, or for which she wrote.

Discography as performer

With the New Christy Minstrels
 * Ramblin'
 * placeholder 2
 * placeholder 3

Solo
 * Celebration of Life
 * All Is One

Discography as writer

More...?? (Needs complete review)
 * The Birth of Today
 * Celebration of Life
 * Wandering
 * Morning of Lovely Thoughts
 * Cycles
 * Man on the Corner
 * Quiet Prince
 * Lonely Lily
 * Nice People
 * Understanding
 * No One In The Boat
 * One By One
 * Heart's Horizon
 * Cycles
 * Dance Away
 * Quiet Soul
 * Nice To Get Away
 * All Is One
 * My Glove


 * Quiet Soul
 * Nice To Get Away
 * All Is One
 * My Glove