What if "(They Long to Be) Close to You" Doesn't Hit?

[goodjeans]

It's a fine line. While artist image mattered, A&M wanted to make money, and "Sing" did very well commercially.

There was also a compounding effect of "Sing" that was beyond Carpenters' control---Clint Holmes' "Playground In My Mind" was on the charts at the same time (released a couple of weeks later), so there were two top five records with a childrens' sing-along:



I was programming radio at the time, and each song actually accelerated the burnout of the other.

Very interesting comment.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I hopped on the disco train full steam ahead after the Now & Then album. What a waste Side 2 was. I remember buying one 45 afterward - Solitaire. Bought nothing, even after she died. Now was released and a few people said it was a boring money grab on the back of a dead money maker. I did hear Now once on the radio and that was it. Don't know when I dipped my toe back into the Carpenters water. Glad I did.

I agree totally. Oldies just exacerbated the "goody four shoes" issue. The last thing they should have done was help that along and Richard, lacking time for new material, gave us that insipid oldies medley. Awful choice IMHO.

Ed

 

[newvillefan]

Though I understood Jerry Weintraub's vision of bringing the Carpenters into the living rooms across the country via television specials to help broaden their appeal and hopefully increase record sales, the plan could have been executed better. The first special in 1976 was excellent in my opinion but I felt the Space Encounters special in 1978 was an embarrassment with a poor theme choice (regardless of the Star Wars craze) and an even more disappointing choice of quests.

I might be in the minority but I think hiring Jerry Weintraub as their manager was the wrong move. He pushed them into television and the result was some atrocious TV specials and guests, and most of them were only saved by the quality of the music.

 

[byline]

I hopped on the disco train full steam ahead after the Now & Then album. What a waste Side 2 was. I remember buying one 45 afterward - Solitaire.

I continued buying albums on up through Voice of the Heart ... though I stopped loving them at a different time. A Kind of Hush was the first Carpenters album that didn't enthrall me from start to finish. I loved Now & Then, in part because I had seen them live and heard them perform the oldies medley, which got the audience most engaged. It was just fun, and fun was something their show needed. The fact that they seemed to enjoy performing it pulled the audience in.

I have a different take on whether including the oldies medley was a smart move. American Graffiti came out in 1973, and the soundtrack featured a slew of golden oldies. As I recall, Richard and Karen weren't aware of the film and its eventual success, so their decision to use the medley on the album had nothing to do with that. It was borne out of necessity, due to their relentless touring schedule which restricted Richard's ability to write or seek out album material, meaning they had to come up with filler. But it certainly was timed well, given that Now & Then was released before American Graffiti. So you could look at this as a stroke of genius, however unintentional it was. Or as just plain, old good luck.

Much to my surprise, Rolling Stone gave Horizon a good review. The author, Stephen Holden, was especially complimentary of the new direction they took with "I Can Dream, Can't I?" Special praise went to Karen for the depth and maturity of her singing. When Rolling Stone dishes out that kind of praise (knowing they were loathe to do so, when it came to the Carpenters), it strikes me as a smart move to make, artistically:

Beautifully orchestrated and coarranged by Billy May, one of the finest studio band leaders and arrangers of the Fifties and Sixties, "Dream" is such a gem of updated schmaltz it makes me wish that veteran masters of the studio like Gordon Jenkins, Ray Ellis, Nelson Riddle and Percy Faith would be encouraged to collaborate with other best-selling MOR acts of the Seventies.

Cue Linda Ronstadt (eight years later).

And it's true that they were trying new things. I appreciated that, even if I also understand the complaint that overall, this album was too slow. But at least Richard and Karen's overdubbed stacked vocal harmonies were still there. When the OK Chorale started to intrude more and more, that's when I started to get turned off. It's part of what ruined "I Need to Be in Love" ... and yes, I do know that the chorale first appeared in "I Can Dream, Can't I?" But Billy May arranged that song to give it that particular dreamy, 1940s style, in very much the same way Nelson Riddle would later arrange for Linda Ronstadt.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I might be in the minority but I think hiring Jerry Weintraub as their manager was the wrong move. He pushed them into television and the result was some atrocious TV specials and guests, and most of them were only saved by the quality of the music.

Just when you thought nothing could have made them squarer... Yeah, bad move. Time has passed and it'd be fun to see them again but I totally get why Richard doesn't want them out there. The first two are just rife with schlock and the "MMM" special feels entirely to PBS and stiff. None of them exactly scream "edgy" and none of them helped them commercially in the slightest.

Ed

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I continued buying albums on up through Voice of the Heart ... though I stopped loving them at a different time. A Kind of Hush was the first Carpenters album that didn't enthrall me from start to finish. I loved Now & Then, in part because I had seen them live and heard them perform the oldies medley, which got the audience most engaged. It was just fun, and fun was something their show needed. The fact that they seemed to enjoy performing it pulled the audience in.

I have a different take on whether including the oldies medley was a smart move. American Graffiti came out in 1973, and the soundtrack featured a slew of golden oldies. As I recall, Richard and Karen weren't aware of the film and its eventual success, so their decision to use the medley on the album had nothing to do with that. It was borne out of necessity, due to their relentless touring schedule which restricted Richard's ability to write or seek out album material, meaning they had to come up with filler. But it certainly was timed well, given that Now & Then was released before American Graffiti. So you could look at this as a stroke of genius, however unintentional it was. Or as just plain, old good luck.

Much to my surprise, Rolling Stone gave Horizon a good review. The author, Stephen Holden, was especially complimentary of the new direction they took with "I Can Dream, Can't I?" Special praise went to Karen for the depth and maturity of her singing. When Rolling Stone dishes out that kind of praise (knowing they were loathe to do so, when it came to the Carpenters), it strikes me as a smart move to make, artistically:



Cue Linda Ronstadt (eight years later).

And it's true that they were trying new things. I appreciated that, even if I also understand the complaint that overall, this album was too slow. But at least Richard and Karen's overdubbed stacked vocal harmonies were still there. When the OK Chorale started to intrude more and more, that's when I started to get turned off. It's part of what ruined "I Need to Be in Love" ... and yes, I do know that the chorale first appeared in "I Can Dream, Can't I?" But Billy May arranged that song to give it that particular dreamy, 1940s style, in very much the same way Nelson Riddle would later arrange for Linda Ronstadt.

I kinda think that's the moment they should have moved away from trying to play the "contemporary hits" game. It was nothing Richard was good at. This is the kind of thing they should have been doing and this could have been the springboard to doing it. Likely, A&M wouldn't have gone for it but it would have saved them from the headache of trying unsuccessfully to figure out what modern audiences wanted and from the horror that was "Made in America."

Ed

 

[newvillefan]

Time has passed and it'd be fun to see them again but I totally get why Richard doesn't want them out there.

I watched Space Encounters again a couple of months ago and it’s still as atrocious as the first time I saw it.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I watched Space Encounters again a couple of months ago and it’s still as atrocious as the first time I saw it.

Yeah, it's utterly cornball. At NO point was that a good idea. Like...LOL!!!

Ed

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I have a different take on whether including the oldies medley was a smart move. American Graffiti came out in 1973, and the soundtrack featured a slew of golden oldies. As I recall, Richard and Karen weren't aware of the film and its eventual success, so their decision to use the medley on the album had nothing to do with that. It was borne out of necessity, due to their relentless touring schedule which restricted Richard's ability to write or seek out album material, meaning they had to come up with filler.

Given how well the Bacharach medley on CARPENTERS was received, can we really write off the oldies medley on NOW & THEN as "filler"? Especially given its lyrical connection to the centerpiece of the album---"Yesterday Once More"?

But it certainly was timed well, given that Now & Then was released before American Graffiti. So you could look at this as a stroke of genius, however unintentional it was. Or as just plain, old good luck.

Well, this needs some context. American Graffiti wasn't the start of the nostalgia thing---it was actually nearing the peak.

1969:

• Sha Na Na appears at Woodstock.
• Richard Nader launches his "Rock and Roll Revival" concerts at Madison Square Garden, with Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, The Coasters, The Shirelles and---Sha Na Na.
• Jay and the Americans go top 10 with a cover of The Coasters' "This Magic Moment" (1960)
• The Dells go top 10 with a remake of their own "Oh What A Night" (1959)

1970:

• Eddie Holman peaks at #2 with a cover of Ruby and the Romantics' "Hey There Lonely Girl" (1963)
• Brian Hyland peaks at #3 with a cover of The Impressions' "Gypsy Woman" (1961)
• Tom Jones goes Top 15 with a cover of Ben E. King's "I Who Have Nothing" (1963)

1971:

• Donny Osmond goes to #1 with a cover of Steve Lawrence's "Go Away Little Girl" (1963)
• Aretha Franklin peaks at #2 with a cover of Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" (1961)
• Dave Edmunds peaks at #4 with a cover of Gale Storm's "I Hear You Knocking" (1955)
• Donny Osmond peaks at #7 with a cover of Roy Orbison's "Sweet and Innocent" (1958)

1972:

• "Grease" opens on Broadway
• WCBS-FM New York and KRTH-FM Los Angeles launch 24-hour all-oldies formats
• ABC airs a pilot of "Happy Days" inside "Love, American Style" but doesn't commit to a series
• Don McLean goes to #1 with "American Pie", filled with references to early rock and roll
• Chuck Berry has his first #1 single ever and his first top ten since 1964 with "My Ding-A-Ling". The live album peaks at #8
• Michael Jackson peaks at #2 with a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin'" (1958)
• Robert John peaks at #3 with a cover of The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (1961)
• Donny Osmond peaks at #3 with a cover of Paul Anka's "Puppy Love" (1960)
• Rick Nelson peaks at #6 with "Garden Party", an account of his experience at one of the Richard Nader "Rock and Roll Revival" concerts in 1971 when he tried to play newer material and was booed
• Donny Osmond peaks at #9 with a cover of Freddie Scott's "Hey Girl" (1963)
• Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen peak at #9 with a cover of Johnny Bond's "Hot Rod Lincoln" (1960)

1973:

• January: Elton John goes to #1 with "Crocodile Rock", an original that heavily references early rock and roll
• January: Loggins and Messina peak at #4 with an early rock and roll sound for "Your Mama Don't Dance"
• January: Johnny Rivers peaks at #6 with a cover of Huey "Piano" Smith's "Rockin' Pneumonia-Boogie Woogie Flu" (1957)
• March: Jermaine Jackson peaks at #9 with a cover of Shep and the Limeliters' "Daddy's Home" (1961)
• April: Donny Osmond peaks at #8 with a cover of Johnny Mathis' "The Twelfth of Never" (1958)
• May: Carpenters release Now & Then. It peaked at #2 and went Gold in two weeks
• July: Carpenters peak at #2 with "Yesterday Once More", referencing early 60s rock and roll
• August: "American Graffiti" opens in U.S. theaters. It was the third highest-grossing movie of the year at $115 million, trailing only "The Exorcist" and "The Sting".
• August: The "American Graffiti" two-record soundtrack is released, with 41 songs, 39 of them original hits from between 1954 and 1964 and two covers by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids ("At The Hop" and "She's So Fine"). It peaked at #10 and went Gold in four months
• August: Bobby "Boris" Pickett re-charts with his own original recording of "Monster Mash" (1962)
• November: Marie Osmond peaks at #5 with a cover of Anita Bryant's "Paper Roses" (1960)

And after that, the hits, as they say, kept on comin':


1974:

• "Happy Days" premieres on ABC in January.
• Grand Funk goes to #1 with a cover of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion" (1962)
• Ringo Starr goes to #1 with a cover of Johnny Burnette's "You're Sixteen" (1960)
• The Righteous Brothers peak at #3 with "Rock and Roll Heaven", referencing departed rock artists
• First Class peaks at #4 with "Beach Baby", which references the late 50s/early 60s in a similar way to "Crocodile Rock"
• Donny and Marie Osmond peak at #4 with a cover of Dale and Grace's "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" (1963)
• Carly Simon and James Taylor peak at #5 with a cover of Charlie and Inez Foxx's "Mockingbird" (1963)
• David Essex peaks at #5 with "Rock On", which references James Dean.
• Cat Stevens peaks at #6 with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" (1963)
• Reunion peaks at #8 with "Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me), which namechecks early rock and rollers

1975:

• Tony Orlando & Dawn go to #1 with a cover of Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart" (1960), retitled "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)
• Carpenters go to #1 with a cover of The Marvelettes' "Please Mister Postman" (1961)
• Linda Ronstadt goes to #1 with a cover of Dee Dee Warwick's "You're No Good" (1963)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #2 with a cover of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved" (1960)
• James Taylor peaks at #5 with a cover of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (1964)
• Chicago peaks at #5 with "Old Days", filled with nostalgic Boomer references
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #5 with a cover of Martha and The Vandellas' "Heat Wave" (1963)
• Ringo Starr peaks at #6 with a cover of The Platters' "Only You" (1956)
• Donny and Marie Osmond peak at #8 with a cover of Tommy Edwards' "Morning Side of the Mountain" (1959)

1976:

• "Laverne & Shirley" premieres on ABC in January
• The Four Seasons go to #1 with "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)", which was more disco than nostalgia, but the Four Seasons kinda brought their own that tied in with the title (when they were at their peak as a group)
• Captain and Tennille peak at #4 with a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Shop Around" (1961)
• Pratt & McClain peak at #5 with the theme from "Happy Days"
• The Beach Boys peak at #5 with a cover of Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music" (1957)
• Dr. Hook peaks at #6 with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen" (1959)
• Neil Sedaka peaks at #8 with a new version of his "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (1962)

1977:

• Shaun Cassidy goes to #1 with a cover of The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1962)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #3 with a cover of Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou" (1963)
• Bob Seger peaks at #4 with "Night Moves", which references "a song from 1962"
• James Taylor peaks at #4 with a cover of Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man" (1960)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #5 with a cover of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy" (1958)

1978:

• "Grease" opens in theaters in June. Original songs hit the charts. Frankie Valli's "Grease" and John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John's "You're the One That I Want" both go to #1. Olivia's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" peaks at #3. Olivia and Travolta's "Summer Nights" peaks at #5
• George Benson peaks at #7 with a cover of The Drifters' "On Broadway" (1963)

1979:

• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #7 with a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Ooh Baby Baby" (1965)

So K&R were neither too early or too late, but pretty much right on the crest of the wave.

Much to my surprise, Rolling Stone gave Horizon a good review. The author, Stephen Holden, was especially complimentary of the new direction they took with "I Can Dream, Can't I?" Special praise went to Karen for the depth and maturity of her singing. When Rolling Stone dishes out that kind of praise (knowing they were loathe to do so, when it came to the Carpenters), it strikes me as a smart move to make, artistically:

To me, "Only Yesterday" and "I Can Dream, Can't I" are the pinnacles of the album. Holden was one of Rolling Stone's more mature reviewers, willing to give credit where it was due.

Cue Linda Ronstadt (eight years later).

Linda struck gold where others had mined less successfully (in commercial terms) ahead of her---Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey (1970), Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night (1973) and Carly Simon's Torch (1981). I loved Linda's trilogy with Nelson Riddle, but my favorite is still Harry Nilsson with Gordon Jenkins.

 

[AM Matt]

By the way, Donny Osmond remake of "Hey Girl" B side flip single is the remake of Billy Joe Royal 1966 song "I Knew You When" (which radio stations played in early 1972) which later Linda Ronstadt did in late 1982.

 

[byline]

Given how well the Bacharach medley on CARPENTERS was received, can we really write off the oldies medley on NOW & THEN as "filler"? Especially given its lyrical connection to the centerpiece of the album---"Yesterday Once More"?

While I agree with you that I would not consider it filler, I'm pretty sure Richard did. But for me, the medley and "Yesterday Once More" are what tie the album together as a concept. The only other album of theirs that I would consider a concept album is A Song for You.

Thanks for the excellent stats that give a picture of the oldies wave they were cresting!

 

[Michael Hagerty]

While I agree with you that I would not consider it filler, I'm pretty sure Richard did.

I wouldn't be so sure. From the 1974 Rolling Stone cover story:

"Richard carries a great many things in his head. Every pop hit since 1962, for instance..."

Pair that with the cars in his collection, and I'm inclined to think Richard had affection for the era, wanted to do the medley, gave it significant thought and effort, and was well aware of what was going on musically at the time.

 

[byline]

This observation ties over into some of our conversation here. Quoting Mike Blakesley, who described his own reaction to the Carpenters' albums as time went by:

I thought the newer records were still good, they just didn't have the same adventurousness, variety, or innovation of the earlier records. They ditched the Rich vocals, they starting doing more and more "soft" material, more and more "oldies" (which RC himself said should have ended after "Postman"), there were less Carpenters background vocals, fewer Carpenter/Bettis songs, etc. The albums just got boring.

I happen to agree with Mike's assessment. But the interesting thing to me, which I often forget, is that having Richard sing lead on some of the songs not only showcased, by contrast, just how remarkable Karen's voice was, but Richard's leads also gave their albums a variety that was lacking when they solely featured Karen on lead vocals. We can ask, and many do, "Well, why wouldn't you have Karen sing all the leads? She's clearly the superior singer." And that's true. But two or more things can be true at once. And, for me, both of those things are true: Yes, Karen was the superior singer. And yes, without Richard singing any lead vocals, the albums lacked a certain stylistic rhythm, that ebb and flow they had when he did.

Inspired by our discussions here, I listened to Close to You and A Song for You, which in my opinion are the two greatest Carpenters albums. Close to You is the first album I heard, so it will always be my sentimental favorite. And musically, it contains some of their greatest, most innovative work. A Song for You is the one where everything came together to pull their talents (Karen's and Richard's, plus all the assembled musicians and recording team) into a masterpiece. I haven't listened to A Song for You all the way through in a long time. And I must say, "Road Ode" hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought, "This was Karen's life." She was singing about herself.

 

[Harry]

Please don't leave Karen out of the equation when it comes to choosing to sing the oldies. She grew up in the same house and same era as Richard, and loved many of those same old records. Both Karen and Richard, once established artists, knew that they had the ability to re-work some of those old songs, and they had the desire to do so. And the musical climate said, "Yeah, go for it."

 

[byline]

I wouldn't be so sure. From the 1974 Rolling Stone cover story:





Pair that with the cars in his collection, and I'm inclined to think Richard had affection for the era, wanted to do the medley, gave it significant thought and effort, and was well aware of what was going on musically at the time.

Richard and Karen undoubtedly had an affection for the era. That's why they came up with the oldies medley to incorporate into their live show. But that wasn't why they included it on Now & Then. The reality was, Richard didn't have enough material, and he was facing a looming touring deadline. From Carpenters: The Musical Legacy by Mike Lennox & Chris May (this paragraph follows one listing material that was ready or underway for the album):

Otherwise, however, Richard had nothing for the new album. "I was in big trouble," he says, "because we were scheduled to be back on the road." So, just as he padded The Tan Album's second side with a concert favorite, the "Bacharach/David Medley," Richard brought the Carpenters' latest road show highlight–the oldies medley–into the studio.

However, he gave this stage-to-studio adaptation far greater thought. Richard wanted the album version of the medley to recreate the experience he and Karen had listening to those oldies when they were first released.

So, while it's true that this idea started as filler, I think it grew into something greater in the production process, thanks to Richard's and Karen's love of this music.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Richard and Karen undoubtedly had an affection for the era. That's why the came up with the oldies medley to incorporate into their live show. But that wasn't why they included it on Now & Then. The reality was, Richard didn't have enough material. From Carpenters: The Musical Legacy by Mike Lennox & Chris May (this paragraph follows one listing material that was ready or underway for the album):

Otherwise, however, Richard had nothing for the new album. "I was in big trouble," he says, "because we were scheduled to be back on the road." So, just as he padded The Tan Album's second side with a concert favorite, the "Bacharach/David Medley," Richard brought the Carpenters' latest road show highlight

Thanks for this. I need to get and read the book. Way overdue.

 

[Mark-T]

Thanks for this. I need to get and read the book. Way overdue.

It's a terrific read from any angle.

 

[byline]

Thanks for this. I need to get and read the book. Way overdue.

Oh yes, it's excellent! It's remarkable to me how much Richard remembers, and also all the documentation he kept. It's good to see each album, and also the singles, individually showcased with his memories, thoughts and reflections on what was happening at the time. This book is an invaluable resource for any fan of the Carpenters. The fact that it is so well written and illustrated with photos makes it that much better.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Ordered. It'll be here Wednesday.

 

[Portlander]

Thanks byline, just what we all need for the New Year is an even more informed, articulate and knowledgeable Michael. Us commoners won't stand a chance now!

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Thanks byline, just what we all need for the New Year is an even more informed, articulate and knowledgeable Michael. Us commoners won't stand a chance now!

Just a kid from Bishop, California who knows how to look stuff up.

 

[kprather]

Let's remember that "filler" and "half-hearted" are not synonyms. Just because Richard had to do it out of time constraints doesn't mean he was going to throw his hands up and do just anything. It was still gonna be something he and Karen loved, and something they could do well.

 

[Randy M]

Not totally - after all, it did give us Karen's wonderful takes on JOHNNY ANGEL, OUR DAY WILL COME & THE END OF THE WORLD - unfortunately partial takes, but come on, it's Karen Carpenter singing - never a waste, always well worth the price of admission!

I love the songs on side 2 of Now & Then, but the DJ thing spoils it. It's like trying to have a conversation with someone and someone else keeps butting in or talking over you. I know the DJ rap word for word every time I used to listen to it. The same with Calling Occupants. You got the DJ & the aliens ruining the song. I don't like the rest of the song with it's hokey pokey corny arrangement, so it is easy to hit the skip button with that one. I don't listen to music for the laughs.

On a side note: I never understood comedians releasing comedy albums or the people who buy them. I know the joke after the first time it's told (says the person who holds Lily Tomlin's 4 comedy albums close to his heart.)

 

[Randy M]

Given how well the Bacharach medley on CARPENTERS was received, can we really write off the oldies medley on NOW & THEN as "filler"? Especially given its lyrical connection to the centerpiece of the album---"Yesterday Once More"?



Well, this needs some context. American Graffiti wasn't the start of the nostalgia thing---it was actually nearing the peak.

1969:

• Sha Na Na appears at Woodstock.
• Richard Nader launches his "Rock and Roll Revival" concerts at Madison Square Garden, with Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, The Coasters, The Shirelles and---Sha Na Na.
• Jay and the Americans go top 10 with a cover of The Coasters' "This Magic Moment" (1960)
• The Dells go top 10 with a remake of their own "Oh What A Night" (1959)

1970:

• Eddie Holman peaks at #2 with a cover of Ruby and the Romantics' "Hey There Lonely Girl" (1963)
• Brian Hyland peaks at #3 with a cover of The Impressions' "Gypsy Woman" (1961)
• Tom Jones goes Top 15 with a cover of Ben E. King's "I Who Have Nothing" (1963)

1971:

• Donny Osmond goes to #1 with a cover of Steve Lawrence's "Go Away Little Girl" (1963)
• Aretha Franklin peaks at #2 with a cover of Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" (1961)
• Dave Edmunds peaks at #4 with a cover of Gale Storm's "I Hear You Knocking" (1955)
• Donny Osmond peaks at #7 with a cover of Roy Orbison's "Sweet and Innocent" (1958)

1972:

• "Grease" opens on Broadway
• WCBS-FM New York and KRTH-FM Los Angeles launch 24-hour all-oldies formats
• ABC airs a pilot of "Happy Days" inside "Love, American Style" but doesn't commit to a series
• Don McLean goes to #1 with "American Pie", filled with references to early rock and roll
• Chuck Berry has his first #1 single ever and his first top ten since 1964 with "My Ding-A-Ling". The live album peaks at #8
• Michael Jackson peaks at #2 with a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin'" (1958)
• Robert John peaks at #3 with a cover of The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (1961)
• Donny Osmond peaks at #3 with a cover of Paul Anka's "Puppy Love" (1960)
• Rick Nelson peaks at #6 with "Garden Party", an account of his experience at one of the Richard Nader "Rock and Roll Revival" concerts in 1971 when he tried to play newer material and was booed
• Donny Osmond peaks at #9 with a cover of Freddie Scott's "Hey Girl" (1963)
• Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen peak at #9 with a cover of Johnny Bond's "Hot Rod Lincoln" (1960)

1973:

• January: Elton John goes to #1 with "Crocodile Rock", an original that heavily references early rock and roll
• January: Loggins and Messina peak at #4 with an early rock and roll sound for "Your Mama Don't Dance"
• January: Johnny Rivers peaks at #6 with a cover of Huey "Piano" Smith's "Rockin' Pneumonia-Boogie Woogie Flu" (1957)
• March: Jermaine Jackson peaks at #9 with a cover of Shep and the Limeliters' "Daddy's Home" (1961)
• April: Donny Osmond peaks at #8 with a cover of Johnny Mathis' "The Twelfth of Never" (1958)
• May: Carpenters release Now & Then. It peaked at #2 and went Gold in two weeks
• July: Carpenters peak at #2 with "Yesterday Once More", referencing early 60s rock and roll
• August: "American Graffiti" opens in U.S. theaters. It was the third highest-grossing movie of the year at $115 million, trailing only "The Exorcist" and "The Sting".
• August: The "American Graffiti" two-record soundtrack is released, with 41 songs, 39 of them original hits from between 1954 and 1964 and two covers by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids ("At The Hop" and "She's So Fine"). It peaked at #10 and went Gold in four months
• August: Bobby "Boris" Pickett re-charts with his own original recording of "Monster Mash" (1962)
• November: Marie Osmond peaks at #5 with a cover of Anita Bryant's "Paper Roses" (1960)

And after that, the hits, as they say, kept on comin':


1974:

• "Happy Days" premieres on ABC in January.
• Grand Funk goes to #1 with a cover of Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion" (1962)
• Ringo Starr goes to #1 with a cover of Johnny Burnette's "You're Sixteen" (1960)
• The Righteous Brothers peak at #3 with "Rock and Roll Heaven", referencing departed rock artists
• First Class peaks at #4 with "Beach Baby", which references the late 50s/early 60s in a similar way to "Crocodile Rock"
• Donny and Marie Osmond peak at #4 with a cover of Dale and Grace's "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" (1963)
• Carly Simon and James Taylor peak at #5 with a cover of Charlie and Inez Foxx's "Mockingbird" (1963)
• David Essex peaks at #5 with "Rock On", which references James Dean.
• Cat Stevens peaks at #6 with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" (1963)
• Reunion peaks at #8 with "Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me), which namechecks early rock and rollers

1975:

• Tony Orlando & Dawn go to #1 with a cover of Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart" (1960), retitled "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)
• Carpenters go to #1 with a cover of The Marvelettes' "Please Mister Postman" (1961)
• Linda Ronstadt goes to #1 with a cover of Dee Dee Warwick's "You're No Good" (1963)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #2 with a cover of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved" (1960)
• James Taylor peaks at #5 with a cover of Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (1964)
• Chicago peaks at #5 with "Old Days", filled with nostalgic Boomer references
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #5 with a cover of Martha and The Vandellas' "Heat Wave" (1963)
• Ringo Starr peaks at #6 with a cover of The Platters' "Only You" (1956)
• Donny and Marie Osmond peak at #8 with a cover of Tommy Edwards' "Morning Side of the Mountain" (1959)

1976:

• "Laverne & Shirley" premieres on ABC in January
• The Four Seasons go to #1 with "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)", which was more disco than nostalgia, but the Four Seasons kinda brought their own that tied in with the title (when they were at their peak as a group)
• Captain and Tennille peak at #4 with a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Shop Around" (1961)
• Pratt & McClain peak at #5 with the theme from "Happy Days"
• The Beach Boys peak at #5 with a cover of Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music" (1957)
• Dr. Hook peaks at #6 with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen" (1959)
• Neil Sedaka peaks at #8 with a new version of his "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (1962)

1977:

• Shaun Cassidy goes to #1 with a cover of The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1962)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #3 with a cover of Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou" (1963)
• Bob Seger peaks at #4 with "Night Moves", which references "a song from 1962"
• James Taylor peaks at #4 with a cover of Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man" (1960)
• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #5 with a cover of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy" (1958)

1978:

• "Grease" opens in theaters in June. Original songs hit the charts. Frankie Valli's "Grease" and John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John's "You're the One That I Want" both go to #1. Olivia's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" peaks at #3. Olivia and Travolta's "Summer Nights" peaks at #5
• George Benson peaks at #7 with a cover of The Drifters' "On Broadway" (1963)

1979:

• Linda Ronstadt peaks at #7 with a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Ooh Baby Baby" (1965)

So K&R were neither too early or too late, but pretty much right on the crest of the wave.





To me, "Only Yesterday" and "I Can Dream, Can't I" are the pinnacles of the album. Holden was one of Rolling Stone's more mature reviewers, willing to give credit where it was due.



Linda struck gold where others had mined less successfully (in commercial terms) ahead of her---Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey (1970), Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night (1973) and Carly Simon's Torch (1981). I loved Linda's trilogy with Nelson Riddle, but my favorite is still Harry Nilsson with Gordon Jenkins.

Unfortunate for me, Carly Simon & Torch was the beginning of my divorce from Carly. She released several albums like Torch and began chasing trends. A few nights ago I was thinking about Carly Simon and came to the conclusion that if she never put out another album after Spy 1979, I wouldn't mind. There are some great songs after that, but not albums.

 

[newvillefan]

Unfortunate for me, Carly Simon & Torch was the beginning of my divorce from Carly. She released several albums like Torch and began chasing trends. A few nights ago I was thinking about Carly Simon and came to the conclusion that if she never put out another album after Spy 1979, I wouldn't mind. There are some great songs after that, but not albums.

There are probably a few members here who feel the same about the Carpenters post-1975.