Neil Sedaka is back again

LOS ANGELES, Colo., March 27 (UPI) -- Clay Aiken's rendition of "Solitare" has given songwriter Neil Sedaka his first hit since the Captain & Tennille's 1976 hit "Lonely Night (Angel Face)."

Aiken's version of the Neil Sedaka/Phil Cody song "Solitare -- the B-side of the single "The Way," debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 at No. 4, while the "The Way"/"Solitaire" topped the Hot 100 Singles sales tally, Billboard.com reported.

Sedaka told Billboard.com that he expected "The Way" to be the title that appeared on the Hot 100. The new rendition of "Solitaire" gave Sedaka a songwriting chart span of 45 years, dating back to the debut of Connie Francis' "Stupid Cupid" on July 28, 1958.

"Solitaire," popular with Aiken fans since he performed it in the competition in Fox's "American Idol" last year, was recorded but not included in Aiken's debut CD "Measure of a Man."

However, fans continued to request the song and it shot up in popularity after Aiken performed it as a guest on "American Idol" on March 17.

Sedaka, who just turned 65, has written about 1,000 songs including the hits "Calendar Girl," "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen," "Next Door To An Angel" and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."