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Neil Sedaka On 'Song Travels'

"I like the emotional criers," Neil Sedaka says of ballads.
Courtesy of the artist
"I like the emotional criers," Neil Sedaka says of ballads.

Neil Sedaka is synonymous with popular music. For more than 50 years, he's written, performed and produced the soundtrack for America's collective psyche. Sedaka had a string of early-1960s pop hits, and his songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Elvis Presley and The Monkees, among others. Sedaka is truly a balladeer at heart.

"I think there are three kinds of songs, it's only my theory: psychological, emotional and spiritual," Sedaka says. "When you write psychologically or intellectually, you have a tune in your mind and you re-write it. It's an intellectual approach. The emotional is my favorite because it comes from my kishkas; it comes from my soul. It's a catharsis, you get it out, you cry it out, you let it go. The spiritual writing of the song is where you're chosen as a vehicle and it comes from something up above. You don't move; it writes itself. It's very spooky, but that's happened to me just a few times."

On this episode of Song Travels, host Michael Feinstein and his guest talk and play iconic pop and great standards, including one of his many hits: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do."

Subscribe to the Song Travels Express podcast.

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