Neil Sedaka: In a Classic by Himself

Over the course of nearly 40 years, Neil Sedaka has written and sung hundreds of tunes; has had a street named after him in Brooklyn, his hometown; has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But as hip-hop, alternative rock and grunge music continue to dominate today’s pop radar screen, Sedaka’s adult-oriented, middle-of-the-road fare barely registers a blip.

It’s not the first time his career has stalled. Back in the early 1970s, a huge fan named Elton John came to his rescue. Sedaka signed with John’s fledgling Rocket record label, and John’s faith paid off when two albums (“Sedaka’s Back” in 1974 and “The Hungry Years” in ‘75) and a single (“Laughter in the Rain”) became big sellers.

But these days, at 57, Sedaka--who plays Cerritos tonight and Saturday--says he cares more about his creative urges than his popular appeal. Inspiration recently came via Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Beethoven, Verdi, Rachmaninov and Puccini: “Classically Sedaka,” an album released in England, found Sedaka adding lyrics to 13 famous classical melodies.

“I started out as a classical pianist”--he studied at Juilliard--”and I’ve always had a great passion for classical music,” he said on the phone from a tour stop in Las Vegas. “I always try to do something different, and when I was thinking about my next record, I decided that I wanted to make classical music more accessible for ordinary people, make it less intimidating.”

Sedaka colored his selections with an array of moods and shifting tempos. There is delicate piano soloing in “Steel Blue Eyes” (Beethoven’s “Pathetique”); the bilingual, up-tempo, carnival-like “Santiago” (Verdi’s “Sempre Libera”); and the warmly romantic “Never Ending Serenade” (Chopin Nocturne Opus 9 No. 2 in E flat).

“Classically Sedaka” has sold more than 200,000 copies in England, and Sedaka is negotiating an American release, which he hopes will happen later this year. “I really believe this is the greatest work of my entire recording career,” he said.

But, he added, live concerts still give him the biggest thrill. “It’s my way of reaching people. I’ve received so many letters from fans telling me how my songs have helped them through bad times or over health problems or depression.

“Songwriting is a difficult undertaking that gets harder and harder,” he added, “because you have to top your past work”--which in his case includes “Oh Carol,” “Next Door to an Angel,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Calendar Girl,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” and “Stupid Cupid.”

“I’m writing new songs already for my next album [which he promises will be ‘another surprise’], and I’m also getting involved in a Broadway show, which I can’t say much about at this time.

“You have to keep proving yourself. Listening to people like Oasis, Seal and Annie Lennox makes me write a new collection of songs. It’s wonderful to sing ‘Calendar Girl’ and ‘Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,’ but you need more than that. You have to break new ground. As an artist, I have to choose what I feel is good and hope that the public will go along with it.”

* Neil Sedaka and the Smothers Brothers perform tonight and Saturday at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. 8 p.m. $20-$45. (800) 300-4345.