Artist:Mary MacGregor
Song:Torn Between Two Lovers
Album:Singers and Songwriters: Late '70s
Torn Between Two Lovers topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1976. It was the only big hit for Mary MacGregor. Some of her other songs charted so she is not technically a one hit wonder. But most music fans will only remember Torn Between Two Lovers. She was born May 6, 1948 in St. Paul, MN. Mary studied piano as a child and was in bands as a teen. After attending the University of Minnesota, Mary toured as a backup singer. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary hired her to tour with him and she appeared on his 1975 album Love Songs. After signing with Ariola America, Mary recorded her 1976 debut album Torn Between Two Lovers at Muscle Shoals. Yarrow produced with Muscle Shoals keyboard player Barry Beckett. That's him playing piano in the video. Torn Between Two Lovers topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. Yarrow wrote the song with Muscle Shoals staff songwriter Phil Jarrell. Why was the song a hit? I think people thought it was by Olivia Newton-John. Mary said in Fred Bronson's book The Billboard Book of Number One hits that she hated the song because it was about infidelity and it kept her away from home and her own marriage broke up. Though some of her other singles charted, Mary was unable to repeat the success of Torn Between Two Lovers. She recorded two albums for Ariola and one for RSO. You can get Torn Between Two Lovers on this 2CD Time Life various artists budget comp. Though she never recorded again, Mary continued to tour in the 80s and 90s. It looks like she retired in 2000. Here's Mary MacGregor performing Torn Between Two Lovers on The Midnight Special 1977.
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