Peter Allen--I Go To Rio (1976)

      Peter Allen was an Australian singer/songwriter who was discovered by Mark Herron, who was married to Judy Garland at the time. Allen would soon marry her daughter, Liza Minnelli in 1967 until 1974.

      Throughout the 70's and 80's, he would earn his reputation as a great songwriter, writing hits for Olivia Newton-John ("I Honestly Love You"), Melissa Manchester (Don't Cry Out Loud) , Rita Coolidge (I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love), among many others. In 1981 he received an Oscar for Arthur's Theme (The Best You Can Do) along with Burt Bacharach, Carol Bayer Sager, and Christopher Cross. He was a great entertainer on the stage as well. The tapes I've seen of some of them are full of humor and joy as it was hard not to at least smile at his acrobatic, over the top persona.

     Taken from his 1976 album, "Taught By Experts", "I Go To Rio" was a great encapsulation of his stage energy. It never became a hit, as none of his solo singles did, but he was a distinctive entertainer and songwriter that should not be forgotten.