Paul Leka
Encyclopedia
Paul Leka was an American
songwriter
, pianist
, arranger
, and orchestrator, most notable for his writing associations with the 1960s hits "Green Tambourine
" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
", the latter of which has become a standard song at sporting events.
, Leka was one of four children of Theodore and Dhimitra Leka, immigrants from Albania. His father worked as a short-order cook. Soon after he started taking piano lessons, Paul was writing songs, and by age 16, his brother said, he was trying to sell them to music publishers in New York.
Described as "one of those rare, genuinely prodigious musicians who was too talented to limit himself to actually being a member of one group or recording project", Paul Leka grew up in Connecticut
and played piano as a child and later became a multi-instrumentalist. He played with a group called The Chateaus, who recorded some singles for Coral Records
in the 1960s. Leka soon gave up performing for production and arranging work. He principally wrote songs for and had hits with The Lemon Pipers
(for whom, with Shelley Pinz, he wrote "Green Tambourine
"), The Peppermint Rainbow
in which he produced, arranged, and orchestrated for their song "Will You Be Staying After Sunday?" and Steam
, which featured two of his bandmates from The Chateaus, and who scored a multiplatinum hit with the Leka co-written "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
". Leka is credited in particular with writing the well-known "Na Na Hey Hey" chorus. During this same period, Leka became a producer and arranger for The Left Banke
, producing and arranging the majority of the songs on The Left Banke Too
.
Leka worked in the industry into the 1980s, writing and arranging for artists such as Peter Nero
, Jimmie Spheeris
, Harry Chapin
, REO Speedwagon
, Lori Lieberman
and Gloria Gaynor
.
He died in a hospice near his home in Sharon, Connecticut
on October 12, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, and orchestrator, most notable for his writing associations with the 1960s hits "Green Tambourine
Green Tambourine
"Green Tambourine" was the primary hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track to their debut-album Green Tambourine. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum pop chart-topper. Released towards the end of 1967, it peaked at number one on the U.S...
" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969,...
", the latter of which has become a standard song at sporting events.
Life and career
Born in Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, Leka was one of four children of Theodore and Dhimitra Leka, immigrants from Albania. His father worked as a short-order cook. Soon after he started taking piano lessons, Paul was writing songs, and by age 16, his brother said, he was trying to sell them to music publishers in New York.
Described as "one of those rare, genuinely prodigious musicians who was too talented to limit himself to actually being a member of one group or recording project", Paul Leka grew up in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and played piano as a child and later became a multi-instrumentalist. He played with a group called The Chateaus, who recorded some singles for Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
in the 1960s. Leka soon gave up performing for production and arranging work. He principally wrote songs for and had hits with The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
(for whom, with Shelley Pinz, he wrote "Green Tambourine
Green Tambourine
"Green Tambourine" was the primary hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track to their debut-album Green Tambourine. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum pop chart-topper. Released towards the end of 1967, it peaked at number one on the U.S...
"), The Peppermint Rainbow
The Peppermint Rainbow
The Peppermint Rainbow were an American sunshine pop group from Baltimore, Maryland. They formed in 1967 under the name New York Times, playing to local gigs in the mid-Atlantic states before changing their name to The Peppermint Rainbow in 1968...
in which he produced, arranged, and orchestrated for their song "Will You Be Staying After Sunday?" and Steam
Steam (band)
Steam was a pop-rock music group best known for the 1969 number one hit song and perennial favorite "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." The song was written and recorded by studio musicians Garrett DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, and producer/writer Paul Leka at Mercury Records studios in New York City...
, which featured two of his bandmates from The Chateaus, and who scored a multiplatinum hit with the Leka co-written "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969,...
". Leka is credited in particular with writing the well-known "Na Na Hey Hey" chorus. During this same period, Leka became a producer and arranger for The Left Banke
The Left Banke
The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965 and disbanded in 1969. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina"...
, producing and arranging the majority of the songs on The Left Banke Too
The Left Banke Too
-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals; drums , tambourine , bass * Tom Finn — bass, guitar, backing vocals; lead vocals...
.
Leka worked in the industry into the 1980s, writing and arranging for artists such as Peter Nero
Peter Nero
Peter Nero is an American pianist and pops conductor.-Early life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, As Bernard Nierow, Nero started his formal music training at the age of seven. He studied piano under Frederick Bried...
, Jimmie Spheeris
Jimmie Spheeris
Jimmie Spheeris November 5, 1949 – July 4, 1984) was an American singer-songwriter who released four albums in the 1970s on the Columbia Records and Epic Records labels.He was of Greek descent...
, Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
, REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
, Lori Lieberman
Lori Lieberman
Lori Lieberman is an American singer. She was born in California and grew up in Switzerland, and signed a deal with Capitol Records in the early 1970s. Her self-titled debut album featured the tune "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written by composers Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel after...
and Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
.
He died in a hospice near his home in Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...
on October 12, 2011.
Songwriting credits
- "And I'll Be There" - The Peppermint RainbowThe Peppermint RainbowThe Peppermint Rainbow were an American sunshine pop group from Baltimore, Maryland. They formed in 1967 under the name New York Times, playing to local gigs in the mid-Atlantic states before changing their name to The Peppermint Rainbow in 1968...
- "Blueberry Blue" - The Lemon PipersThe Lemon PipersThe Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
- "Come on Back and Love Me" - SteamSteam (band)Steam was a pop-rock music group best known for the 1969 number one hit song and perennial favorite "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." The song was written and recorded by studio musicians Garrett DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, and producer/writer Paul Leka at Mercury Records studios in New York City...
- "Come on Home Girl" - Steam
- "Do Unto Others" - Steam
- "Don't Stop Lovin' Me" - Steam
- "Everything Is You" - The Lemon Pipers
- "Green Tambourine" - The Lemon Pipers
- "I'm the One Who Loves You" - Steam
- "I've Cried a Million Tears" - Steam
- "I've Gotta Make You Love Me" - Steam
- "It's the Magic in You Girl" - Steam
- "Lonely Atmosphere" - The Lemon Pipers
- "Lots of Pretty Girls" - Tommy James & the ShondellsTommy James & the ShondellsTommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover" — and also charted 12 other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "Crystal...
- "Love and Affection" - Steam
- "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" - Steam
- "New Breed, Now Generation" - Steam
- "One Good Woman" - Steam
- "Pink Lemonade" - The Five Americans
- "Pretty Thing" - The Plum Beach Incident and Gary Lewis & the PlayboysGary Lewis & the PlayboysGary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."-Original members:* Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals...
- "Rice Is Nice" - The Lemon Pipers
- "Rosemary" - The Peppermint Rainbow
- "Run Like the Devil" - The Peppermint Rainbow
- "Shoeshine Boy" - The Lemon Pipers
Production credits
- "REO SpeedwagonREO Speedwagon (album)REO Speedwagon was the debut album by American rock band REO Speedwagon. Released in 1971, it was the only album recorded with singer Terry Luttrell until Kevin Cronin joined the band for R.E.O./T.W.O. The album sold well and produced the fan favorites "157 Riverside Avenue," "Sophisticated Lady"...
" - REO Speedwagon (1971) (with Billy Rose II) - "R.E.O./T.W.O.R.E.O./T.W.O.R.E.O./T.W.O. is the second LP released by the Illinois based rock band REO Speedwagon. Under the leadership of guitarist Gary Richrath, this album continued the musical direction set on 1971's R.E.O...
" - REO Speedwagon (1972) (with Billy Rose II)