Mark Barkan

July 4, 1934 – May 8, 2020

Brooklyn-raised Barkan started out as a writer in the famous Brill Building (where other songwriters included Carole King and Burt Bacharach) during the 1960s, and struck gold when Manfred Mann had a hit with his song Pretty Flamingo in ’66. His co-composition The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) was used as the theme tune of TV show The Banana Splits.He also collaborated with former Blue Öyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard. Barkan was 85.