Bonner And Gordon
Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner (aka Barten) first drew attention as members of the Magicians, a New York-based quartet active between 1965 and 1966. When the group collapsed, Bonner released an unsuccessful solo single the following year, The Heart Of Julie Jones, which was produced by Jack Nitzsche. Bonner and Gordon then launched a songwriting career which flourished with Happy Together and She'd Rather Be With Me, two US number 1 singles for the Turtles. Further Top 20 entries followed with You Know What I Mean and She's My Girl, while the pair also wrote hits for Gary Lewis (Jill), Petula Clark (Cat In The Window) and the Mojo Men (Me About You). Bonner/Gordon songs were covered by many other artists, including Bobby Darin and the Righteous Brothers. The duo joined Lovin' Spoonful drummer Joe Butler to assist him complete his group's final album, REVOLUTION/REVELATION '69, but Bonner and Gordon's partnership was eventually sundered at the end of the decade. Although the pair were reunited in 1974 following Bonner's ill-fated solo career, they were unable to recapture the innocent warmth of those early compositions.