Herb & "Close To You"

[Brasil_Nut]

You know, I was surprised that Herb had recorded "Close To You" at all. As a matter of fact, after reading the Bob Thomas book on the Carpenters, I was of the impression that Herb (convinced it wasn't for him), had put it away and eventually presented it to Richard for The Carpenters.

Was anyone else surprised by the inclusion of "Close To You" on LOST TREASURES -- or -- is it a well known fact that he had, indeed, recorded the song and shelved it?

Jon

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It's mentioned in the liner notes to DEFINITIVE HITS that he recorded it, decided it was not for him and then gave it to the Carpenters.

I also remember reading a long time ago that Herb didn't feel good about singing the line, "sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold." I always wondered about that -- could it have been because both of his wives had dark hair?

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I also heard that he had trouble with the line about "Stars fall down from the sky"...but, after hearing the sample[not the whole song yet...], I don't really think Herb had the right feel for the song...Richard and Karen had a much better arrangement. I mean, Herb's version works, but not nearly as well as R&K's does.


It just isn't really HIS song...


Dan

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I also remember reading a long time ago that Herb didn't feel good about singing the line, "sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold."

Aha!! That's it, Mike...that's just what I read. Herb wasn't all too keen about singing that line, shelved it and eventually gave it to Richard Carpenter.

Thanks for refreshing my memory and for everyone's responses!!

Jon

 

[Numero Cinco]

MB: I also remember reading a long time ago that Herb didn't feel good about singing the line, "sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold." I always wondered about that -- could it have been because both of his wives had dark hair?

I don't remember the line that way from the Carpenters' version. Don't the lyrics to the second-strain stanza go like this?

On the day that you were born, the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true:
So they spinkled moondust in your hair
And golden starlight in your eyes so blue.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Nope! It's...

sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold
and starlight in your eyes of blue

 

[Numero Cinco]

spinkled moondust in your hair of gold
and starlight in your eyes of blue

Well, I'll be damned. Forty years self-deceived—about that and, I'd bet, a whole lot more.

 

[Harry]

cough, cough! Too much moondust floating around this thread!



Harry

 

[TonyCurrie]

Off-topic I know but Numero Cinco's faulty recollection of the lyrics reminds me of a wartime song that was always known in our family as

Mersey dotes and dozey dotes
And little lamsitivey
A kiddlie tivy too
Wouldn't you?


The entire family - whilst not understanding a word - agreed these were the correct, if somewhat nonsense, lyrics.

Many many years later, I discovered they were really...












Mares eat oats and does eat oats
And little lambs eat ivy -
A kid ' ll eat ivy too
wouldn't you?

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Tony that is very cool!

 

[Harry]

My mother used to sing that song, Tony. Good song for kids.

http://duchessathome.com/childrensongs/mareseatoats.html

Harry

 

[Brasil_Nut]

My Two Cents in the form of a favorite childhood song:

"Did you ever, ever lose an elephant?"
"It's quite a very silly thing to do!!"
"But There's Something that is even sillier,"
"And that is losing two!!

"Now, that's what we have done today!!"
"Arthur and Celeste have run away!!"
"Their mother is crying worried so,"
"Oh where, oh where did my elephants go?"

"We have lost two little elephants,"
"We're looking north and south and east and west,"
"For 2000 pounds of dear little elephants,"
"Named Arthur and Celeste..."

Jon

...awakening to nursery rhymes...

 

[bob knack]

I used to know the man who had the hit record with "Mairzy Doats". His name was Al Trace, and he held court for many years with his band in the Sherman House hotel here in Chicago.

As Al told it...everybody thought he wrote it. The real author wasn't doing anything with the song and Al bought it for a buck. His record made him a hit. Al did write, "If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked a Cake", and "You Call Everybody Darling".

When I knew him he was in his eighties, and had just finished writing the fight song for, I think it was the Houston Astros.

He was a nice man.

 

[Numero Cinco]

Anyone else ever hear the narcissist's version of "Close to You"?

Why do birds suddenly appear
Ev'ry time I draw near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to me.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Forty years self-deceived—about that and, I'd bet, a whole lot more.

That's OK....for about 25 years I thought the opening line of Sergio Mendes's "Lost in Paradise" was

My little grasshopper at play, cannot fly very high

...when actually it's my little grasshopper airplane.