Songwriter Tandyn Almer ('Along comes Mary') RIP

Posted by 'StereoScout' on BSN:

Tandyn Almer Co-Writer Of 'Along Comes Mary' & 'Sail On Sailor' Passes



Tandyn Almer, who co-wrote the Association hit "Along Comes Mary", and the Beach Boys' "Sail On Sailor" with Brian Wilson, died Tuesday (January 8) from complications of respiratory and cardiac illnesses at his home in McLean, Virginia. He was 70.

After the success of "Along Comes Mary", Almer was featured alongside Frank Zappa, Graham Nash, Roger McGuinn, and Brian Wilson in Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution, a 1967 CBS News special presented by Leonard Bernstein. He released the single "Degeneration Gap" in 1969 and wrote, co-wrote, or produced numerous songs performed by other artists throughout the era, including The Purple Gang, Garden Club, and The Beach Boys. Almer was a close friend of Brian Wilson and collaborated with him in the early 1970s on several projects, including an aborted album of rerecorded Beach Boys songs with more topical lyrics for A&M Records and the Beach Boys singles "Marcella" and "Sail On, Sailor". During this period, Almer also invented a water-pipe called the Slave-Master, described by Jack S. Margolis and Richard Clorfene in A Child's Garden of Grass as "the perfect bong".
Almer attended Los Angeles City College.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Almer wrote a number of songs for Washington, D.C.'s annual Hexagon (comedy show) satirical revue. He has also written several "fake books" consisting of simplified arrangements of popular songs. A member of Mensa International, he had lived in the Washington, D. C. area since 1977.

 

Quite a renaissance man. He will be missed.

 

Along Comes Mary and Sail On Sailor are two of my favorite songs.

RIP

 

RIP

 

Thank you for reporting this sad news. His work brought great pleasure to me growing up. Rest in peace....

 

Tragic news. I convinced some folks at Almo Irving Rondor Music to dig out some Tandyn demos for me (some of them appear to be on the forthcoming Sundazed collection), and wow (!), what great stuff it is, totally cool and pretty much unlike anything else coming out at the time (late '60s.) He was an interesting guy, I'm sad to see him go before he gets the acclaim he deserved.

 

That's two gems right there. I was just playing "Sail on Sailor" last right, RIP.

 

R.I.P.

Some wonderful psychedelia from Garden Club:

 

RIP
Quite the legacy just in those two songs alone.
Sail on, sailor.

 

Today at 4PM (pacific) an all new episode of my Internet radio show, "Come To The Sunshine," will go live on www.luxuriamusic.com featuring vinyl singles from Svensk, The Third House, The Staccatos, Adam, Mike & Tim, The Daily Flash, The Move, The Wailers, The Playground, Plastic Penny, Springfield Rifle, The Rumbles Ltd., Mid Day Rain, George Bean, The Promise and Lemon Tree.

Part 2 of the program features a tribute to Tandyn Almer with music from The Association, The Ballroom, Eddie Hodges, The Kitchen Cinq, Peter And The Wolves, The Paper Fortress, The Sure Cure, Pleasure featuring Billy Elder and The Beach Boys. We will also pay our respects to Trevor Gordon, with music from his work with the Bee Gees, Marbles and cuts from his rare 1970 solo album, Alphabet.

 

RIP. "Sail On Sailor" is a favorite of mine.

 

Very sad news.

Listening to your tribute show podcast right now and enjoying it immensely. A very thorough and loving tribute to a fascinating and talented music maker.

Thanks

woody

 

Sad news about Tandyn's passing. RIP.

I did enjoy the radio tribute from Andrew on his Come to the Sunshine show.