Alan Lee Gordon (April 22, 1944 – November 22, 2008[1]) was an American songwriter best known for songs recorded by the Turtles, Petula Clark, and Barbra Streisand.
He worked with various popular musicians, including Blues Magoos, Alice Cooper, the Archies, the O'Jays, Lynn Anderson, Flo & Eddie, Frank Zappa, Helen Reddy, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Tammy Wynette, the Lovin' Spoonful, Bobby Darin, and Freddy Fender.
In 1967, the Turtles version followed The Beatles' "Penny Lane" into the #1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending three weeks there.
It was named one of the Top 50 songs of the 20th century by BMI, having generated over 5 million performances on American radio by 1999, placing it in the same league as the Beatles' "Yesterday", and "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel.
Some of the films that featured Gordon-penned songs include The Naked Gun, Muriel's Wedding, Shrek, The Simpsons Movie, 27 Dresses, and Freaky Friday.