Biography Wikipedia
from Wikipedia:
Margo Guryan (born in Far Rockaway, New York City) is a singer/songwriter who blends elements of pop, folk, and jazz. She is best known for her 1968 album Take A Picture. Her songs were recorded by Cass Elliot, Glen Campbell and Astrud Gilberto, among others.
History
Margo Guryan grew up in the suburbs of New York City, and took an interest in music from an early age. Jazz singer Chris Connor recorded her song "Moon Ride" in 1958, while Guryan was still in high school. Connor recorded Guryan's "Lonely Woman", in 1962, which was covered in 1966 by Finnish jazz singer Carola Standertskjöld. At Boston University, she studied classical and jazz piano, idolizing musicians such as Max Roach and Bill Evans. She was primarily a jazz musician until a friend, David Frishberg, urged her to listen to the song "God Only Knows" from the album Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. According to Guryan,
"I thought it was just gorgeous. I bought the record and played it a million times, then sat down and wrote 'Think of Rain.' That's really how I started writing that way. I just decided it was better than what was happening in jazz."
Her song "Sunday Morning" was recorded by Spanky and Our Gang as "Sunday Mornin'". Released in December 1967, it reached #30. In 1968, she released the album Take a Picture, an album full of light, jazz-tinged pop melodies. Guryan refused to tour and the album failed to make an impact. Resigned to this, Guryan withdrew from the professional scene and became a music teacher.
Take a Picture was reissued in 2000 by Franklin Castle Records. A collection of demos entitled 25 Demos was also released. In 2006, the song "Take a Picture" was used in a TV advert for mobile camera phones.
