'I Believe You' is the ONLY Carpenters single that did nothing for me. I've mentioned this before, but the only way I even knew about it was because I obsessively checked the Carpenters listings in the big yellow 'Phonolog' book they would have displayed at Musicland. It had an arrow pointing to the title, and it had apparently just come out that week! My timing was great. Musicland carried the Top 100 singles, so there it was....just one or two copies in the store.
I took it home, and could tell by the opening orchestral flourishes that it was NOT a hit, and that it sounded rather Lawrence Welk oriented. Just too sugary and schmaltzy....not the kind of tune that should have come out in the fall of 1978 (of all periods). It has grown on me since, but I've never included it on any of the myriad compilations tapes/CDs I've made through the years for friends. Just doesn't have 'it'. The 'freckled little girl' line doesn't do it any favors, but what really bugged me more was the Glinda Good Witch of the North harps and strings.
I took it home, and could tell by the opening orchestral flourishes that it was NOT a hit, and that it sounded rather Lawrence Welk oriented. Just too sugary and schmaltzy....not the kind of tune that should have come out in the fall of 1978 (of all periods). It has grown on me since, but I've never included it on any of the myriad compilations tapes/CDs I've made through the years for friends. Just doesn't have 'it'. The 'freckled little girl' line doesn't do it any favors, but what really bugged me more was the Glinda Good Witch of the North harps and strings.