Songwriter Liz Thorsen - Alias? Recluse?

October 26, 2015 5:43 AM

So I've fallen in love with this song, and am interested in any other songs of the ostensible songwriter Liz Thorsen. But there is zero information about her anywhere I can find.

She is credited with two songs on an album by singer Mary Hopkin (where Lani Hall got it, I assume): Earth Song/Ocean Song (discogs link with songwriting credits)

It initially looks like it could be a crediting alias for Mary's own songs, as she's not credited with any song on the album otherwise (maybe there was a contract issue). But searching gives an interview with about the album in question (here) which contradicts this:

Both ‘Earth Song’, which closed Side One of the vinyl LP, and ‘Ocean Song’, which was the album finale, were written by American writer Liz Thorsen. “We couldn’t believe that she wasn’t as big as Joni Mitchell,” says Tony. “But she was very low profile. We never heard an album by her, just isolated tracks.” For Mary, the two Liz Thorsen songs became personal. “Tony played me her demos and I was blown away,” she says. “I very much identified with her sensitive style.”

There's no other information about her that I can find though (let alone a recording), and it's a -gorgeous- song. Can anybody shed any light on this obscure mystery?

posted by solarion to Media & Arts (1 answer total)

Here is another song covered by Mary Hopkin. In the comments section someone writes that the songwriter, Liz Thorsen is named Liz Allen now and is also an artist and poet. Googling around, I simply learned that Liz was considered a respected, though obscure and not very prolific, songwriter in the 60s folk era, and she is American. Mary Hopkin has been quoted to say that she was surprised Liz wasn't as big as Joni Mitchell, but she kept a very low profile. Thanks for the question, it led me to some wonderful music:

Earth Song
posted by Beethoven's Sith at 9:35 AM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]