jimmy webb is a genius, and that's just one of the greatest pieces of songwriting ever, so that's comingmes we've brought you new music from overseas, great new music, and you first heard so many great musicians here and seen so many great programs here, whether it's news or britcoms or dramas. it's all here and it's all because of you, and it only happens because of those phone calls, those pledges, so as you're watching, makehat call. the number's right there on your screen, and coming up, we'll talk more with tim, and wait till you see act two. wait till you see all these great songs just ahead. ♪ hey, hey, hey, hey, world ♪ here i am! ♪ get ready for me, love, 'cause i'm a-comin' ♪ ♪ ba ba ba ba ba ba ♪ spring was never waiting for us, girl ♪ ♪ it ran one step ahead as we followed in the dance ♪ ♪ ba ba ba ba ba da ba ba ba ♪ ba da ba ba ba ba ba ba ♪ between the parted pages and were pressed ♪ ♪ in love's hot, fevered iron like a striped pair of pants ♪ ♪ ba ba ba ba ba da ba ♪ ba ba ba ba da ba ♪ macarthur park is melting through the dark ♪ ♪ all the sweet green icing flowing down

jimmy webb did one of his songs-- and liza minnelli, michael feinstein.d and have fallen in love with the writing of janis ian. i think janis ian's one of the great unsung writers of our time. her song on the other side is a song that i really champion. the writing of beth nielsen chapman, which you may remember from an issue-- rather, an episode of e.r. it's a song called sand and water, i believe. beautiful song. and through the years, i have found joni mitchell at the right time when she didn't have a recording contract and was able to sing her songs. and of course leonard cohen, who is one of the great all-time writers of all time. i think he's a marvelous, marvelous poet-- spiritual, social, poetic, political, searing writer of great songs. now, you encouraged him to perform as well. i did. in fact, we were doing a benefit for wbai, the radio station here in new york, which is still thriving. and i said, "well, i want you to come and be on the show." and i had sung his first two songs that he'd written-- suzanne and a song called dress rehearsal rag.