Mary's Song

[AMCsince70]

Did you notice that Mary's Song was written by the same composer as Jill's Song, Cary Gold?

Is is just me, or did the singer's voice sound just like Kate Mulgrew?
I know another name was listed in the credits...but do you think it was really KM and she just wanted to use a different name in the credits?

[Luray]

It sure sounded like Kate Mulgrew.

That certainly was one of the cheesier moments I've seen on this show! LOL I'd love to meet a guy who dons a three-piece suit for a picnic in the park.

[AMCsince70]

It sure sounded like Kate Mulgrew...

Thank you, thank you!

The cadence and pronunciation of certain words were definitely part of the inflections/intonations in Mary's voice! I don't remember catching it the first time I watched Ryan's Hope...since back in the day I was probably entranced by one of the first music videos I had seen...(Remember, MTV didn't start until the early 80s ;)).

Sure, it looks corny now, but I remember thinking how romantic an on-location NYC shoot of a love song looked. (It was even great to see the Twin Towers again, in the background.)

[AMCsince70]

We've had 3 showings of the Jack and Mary video...each of them a bit different.

I love how Jack was trying to imitate that bicycle scene from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"...the one where Paul Newman was riding the old wobbly bike, looking randomly from side to side.

[AMCsince70]

Now we've been treated to the Chinatown/Little Italy version of Mary's Song. Music videos like this...during the pre-MTV time of the 70s...were really unique.

I love how I can pick out Kate Mulgrew's voice and intonations. (Back in the day, I really believed that "Robin Grean" was the singer.)

[AMCsince70]

It was great to see the old shiny metal NYC playground equipment during the most recent installment of Mary's Song...the slick "sliding pond" that would burn in the sun...the metal swings that someone could stand on while swinging...the old-time see saw. (The current day, plastic playground equipment is toned down...for safety reasons.)

And Mary looked wide-eyed adorable in her white bucket hat.

[AMCsince70]

Giving this a little bump...and hoping we haven't seen (or heard) the last of Mary's Song.:)

[Luray]

We keep hearing Seneca's lovelorn song over and over and over and over and ... *bump* ... again. Why not Mary's?

[GL1979]

Watching this weekend, my sister refused to believe that wasn't Kate Mulgrew singing, even though the credits say differently

[buddharich]

Is there anything on that Kate Mulgrew site about her singing?? Has anybody ever heard of a singer named "Robin Grean"?? It's funny to hear these songs all these years later - nowadays they get permissions to use popular songs, which I imagine must cost a fortune! (;

[AMCsince70]

I think a reason RH may have used their own actors (Kate Mulgrew, John Gabriel) to sing those original songs was to make it easier to get permission/ownership to use the songs on the show. For that same reason, since Corey Gold, RH's Music Director, wrote both of the RH original songs: "Mary's Song" and "Jillian's Song."

Kate's voice comes out so clear in that song. She likely had her own reasons why she wanted to use a stage name to disguise that she was indeed the singer.

[lorettalockhorn]

Is there anything on that Kate Mulgrew site about her singing?? Has anybody ever heard of a singer named "Robin Grean"?? It's funny to hear these songs all these years later - nowadays they get permissions to use popular songs, which I imagine must cost a fortune! (;


If you google Robin Grean, you will find that she was a studio singer for Tony Orlando. When his songs became hits, he had to hire Dawn. Guess studio musicians don't do appearances. She sang background for others too, including Bette Midler, I think.

[AMCsince70]

Wow! That is so interesting!

A friend of mine was a studio singer, he did back up for Barry Manilow back in the 70s. (I can still hear his harmonies in the song, "It's a Miracle!") He had a gorgeous voice, but he didn't have "the look" of a back up singer so he didn't go on tour.

It's possible the same happened with Robin Grean...a great voice but either she was someone who did not want to be in front of an audience, or who didn't look like a a typical back up singer.

My hearts of hearts is still hoping Robin Grean was indeed Kate Mulgrew's alter ego as a singer...and that she used that stage name to disguise herself.

[lorettalockhorn]

...and that she used that stage name to disguise herself.

Can you do that? Or do people do that? Get your friend to get the lowdown for us! (I love some of the Barry Manilow stuff. :x )

[AMCsince70]

My friend used to work for ASCAP and BMI in the 70s. He had a gorgeous voice so he did studio work...but he didn't have "the look" for stage work...and that's fairly typical in the music business.

Look at Debby Boone's career...she had one of the top hits in the late 70s, but she was considered not "edgy" enough for the music business. So she went into singing voice overs for commercials and had a fabulous career. Richard Marx had similar struggles...a gorgeous voice, but he was not getting recognition...so he went into the background and wrote/writes dozens of top hits for other singers.

I'm just wondering if the same happened with Kate Mulgrew...but I have no way of checking that.

[lorettalockhorn]

Kate's biography is pretty complete and she doesn't seem to have many secrets. Do you really think she did voice work? And used the name of a known singer? Somehow, I don't see it. But who knows?

Richard Marx. That name is familiar.

[donna ann]

I really think that is Kate Mulgrew's voice. I so love how this show keeps playing those flashbacks I have to half groan half laugh and say oh no not again. But we'll miss them when they are gone.
As for having to have the "look" to be in the music biz- how about Barry White! What a voice and then nothing like you expect him to look.

[Luray]

But we'll miss them when they are gone.
Isn't that the truth! :]

[AMCsince70]

I agree that the voice sound soooo much like Kate Mulgrew.

Does anyone have a photo of credited artist, Robin Grean?

[AMCsince70]

Nice instrumental version of "Mary's Song" incorporated into the show today :clap:, as both Jack and Mary long for each other and wish things were different between them.

[AMCsince70]

I know it's corny by today's standards, but giving Mary's Song a friendly bump. :)

[Luray]

I can take Mary's Song a lot easier than that horrific song Seneca sings about Jill. Bleah!

[buddharich]

And we haven't even gotten up to Jillian's OTHER song, Ken George Jones' "Jillian"!!! (:

I like the use of the music for Mary's song whenever they start to think about each other!!!...

[AMCsince70]

At this point, I imagine Jack's the one thinking about Mary and longing for her...

They have a long way to go in reuniting as a couple...but Mary's Song will be there when that happens. :)

[AMCsince70]

How poignant was the playing of Mary's Song while both Jack and Mary struggled over removing their wedding rings...

[AMCsince70]

I missed the first couple of weeks (about the first month of RH in "real time") of the show's beginning, so here's a question:

Were those clips of Mary and Jack (picnic, bike riding, stolls) take from actual scenes that occurred during their first dates together, or were they "retakes" for the sake of the song?

[GL1979]

I think thse scenes were filmed specially for the song.

It has been good lately for me to ff and help me get through the many episodes I am behind. My sister and I were commenting that we did not remember thatsong had been on so many times, didn't have ff back then so we must have just used it as a break.

[AMCsince70]

Have you noticed that Mary's Song now plays in the background whenever Jack and Baby Ryan are together?

[GL1979]

Ii watched a marathon saturday (at least 20 episodes) and woke up with that song in my head.

[donna ann]

It must be so nice to have that many to see at one time. What do you think of Rae?

[rhgholtl4evr]

That is definitely Kate Mulgrew's voice and I never thought otherwise. She has a very distinctive voice as far as I'm concerned and I would recognize it anywhere if I heard it. It sounded exactly the same when she played Captain Janeway on the Star Trek series.

You like Rae - cool - start a separate thread about her. It's so hard not to discuss other people or subjects in a thread that's about something else isn't it ?

[donna ann]

I have always maintained that it is Kate's voice. And I can't stomach Rae.

[GL1979]

^^^ I don't like Rae either.

[AMCsince70]

Mary's Song makes its appearance once again...as it was woven throughout the reconciliation scenes in Ryan's basement.

[AMCsince70]

And Mary's Song held a place at Jack and Mary's wedding, too. Not sure if we'll hear it on the their Irish honeymoon...

[Luray]

Only if it's played on a pennywhistle.

[rhgholtl4evr]

My friend used to work for ASCAP and BMI in the 70s. He had a gorgeous voice so he did studio work...but he didn't have "the look" for stage work...and that's fairly typical in the music business.

Look at Debby Boone's career...she had one of the top hits in the late 70s, but she was considered not "edgy" enough for the music business. So she went into singing voice overs for commercials and had a fabulous career. Richard Marx had similar struggles...a gorgeous voice, but he was not getting recognition...so he went into the background and wrote/writes dozens of top hits for other singers. I'm just wondering if the same happened with Kate Mulgrew...but I have no way of checking that.

Carole King also wrote songs for other singers for years until 1969 when she came out with her 1st album, "Writer". But her 2nd album "Tapestry", was the album that became a big hit because of her talented writing and also because of her unusual scratchy vocal style that was just thrilling and trendy for the era. She is also not the classic feminine beauty, which also appealed to us "anti-social outcast hippies". When one-hit-wonder Kim Carnes came out with "Bette Davis Eyes" some years later, she very much reminded me of Carole's voice. Kim's pretty much disappeared but Carole is still writing, performing and releasing CD's now instead of albums :]


And we haven't even gotten up to Jillian's OTHER song, Ken George Jones' "Jillian"!!!

Uh-Oh... watch out for those spoilers Buddha - we have been duly warned by the Soapcentral MOD's ever-watchful eyes upon us...;)

[AMCsince70]

Ah ha! Finally, we hear "Mary's Song" in Ireland...as Mary and Jack are cavorting on the sandy West Ireland coastline.

[Luray]

Ah ha! Finally, we hear "Mary's Song" in Ireland...as Mary and Jack are cavorting on the sandy West Ireland coastline.

All I could think of was: "For God's sake! It's November -- that water must be freezing! They're going to catch their deaths ... !"

*chuckle* Probably the first time I saw that, when I was 18, I wasn't thinking anything even close to that. LMAO.

[buddharich]

It's actually December! Sorry about the spoiler, it's easy to forget in the spur of the moment.... duly noted!!

[Luray]

Well, technically ... the scenes were shot in October and November. But I can't imagine the water being much warmer there in July, you know?

[AMCsince70]

Our very last scenes with Kate Mulgrew as Mary...when she and Jack were stepping off the plane when they came home from their honeymoon...and we heard "Mary's Song"!

Nice touch. :)

[AMCsince70]

Time will tell if we'll still be hearing "Mary's Song" in romantic scenes with Jack and the new Mary.