Simon KC1950
Well-Known Member
I took out a book from the library called "The Complete Dusty Springfield" by Paul Howes. With a forword by Petula Clark. It details every song recorded by Dusty. The track "Something In Your Eyes" has details I never knew and quotes from Richard & Dusty I had never read so I thought I'd upload it here:
SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES
(lead vocals: Dusty Springfield)
Writers: Richard Carpenter/Pamela Phillips Oland
Producer: Richard Carpenter
Arranged by Richard Carpenter
Background Vocals: Richard Carpenter
Record at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, California
Recording Date: Several sessions during September 1986
First US Release: Richard Carpenter album Time (A&M SP 5117) and A&M Single AM-2940 (A-Side)
US Release Date: 8 September 1987 (album)/ 22 September 1987 (Single)
Highest Chart position in the US: No Entry
First UK Release: A&M Single AM 406 (A Side) and Richard Carpenter album Time
UK Release Date: 21 September 1987 (Single) / September 1987 (Album)
Highest Chart Position in UK: 84
Chart Entry (Week Ending): 3 October 1987
Chart Run: 89-98-84
Weeks In Chart: 3
Dusty's collaboration with Rixhard Carpenter on "Something In Your Eyes" must have seemed a backward step after gaining credibility with the Pet Shop Boys but, in fact, the song was recorded before "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" However, the single, taken from Richard Carpenters album Time, wasn't released until the duet with the Pet Shop Boys was in the charts.
Time was Carpenter's first project since the death of his sister Karen and it certainly seemed as if he was looking to fill a gap left by Karen when he called on Dusty and Dionne Warwick to do lead vocals on a couple of tracks.
While Dionne recorded hers in a couple of takes, it was not the same for Dusty.
No sooner had she sung a couple of lines than her insecurities took over and it took an endless number of sessions to finally get her track completed. When Dusty was asked how she felt stepping into the spot previously occupied by Karen, she admitted that she was nervous. "I thought there's no way I can do it as well as Karen did and then I thought that's probably not what he [Richard] wants anyway. Otherwise he wouldn't have asked me"
Dusty elaborated: "Its a strange story because when I did it not only did I have bronchitis at the time but I sort of went in thinking - oh, what a nice album track, and I followed very much what Richard wanted me to do. He's wonderful to work with and we both have hearing like you wouldn't believe and we hear the same things you know. When somethings wrong we both stopped and always we'd stop for the same reason. It's the first time in my life that I've ever come across anybody like that and we always got along really well.
"But as such, I sang it before he put all the other stuff on and of course now, hearing it as a single which I didn't expect, at least not the first single, I'd like to go back and do it all again. You know there are places in it where I really feel that vocally I would like to have done more and, in fact, Richard and I were experimenting in the studio with doing more vocally but because it wasn't surrounded with lots of strings and things and vocal backings, it sounded borderline, strained and a little bit overdone. But now I hear it back and I hear what I was going to do, and what he and I were working on, actually we would have been right to have done it, but it's always in hindsight. I think it's a really pretty song and I'm amazed that it's the first singe"
"After completing the song with Pamela Phillips Oland, the first vocalist who came to mind (other than Karen) was Dusty" says Richard Carpenter. "Karen and I had always enjoyed her work, and I was looking for a vocalist who had their own unique sound. I sent a demo tape to Dusty, who at the time was in Semi-retirement. I received word back that she liked it, and we went on to record the tune in studio D at A&M Studios. I enjoyed working with her. As Dusty is a terrific singer. I remain very pleased with the finished product."
The lush ballad unfortunately only made a brief appearance in the lower regions of the Top 100 in the UK. Of course it might have had more success if released a few years later, when the Carpenters were back in vogue, but Dusty certainly didn't help matters back in 1987. Although she and Richard Carpenter made a video, she refused A&M's invitation to come over and promote the single in the UK. Dusty received no credit whatsoever for her vocal work on either the UK or the US single.
In the states, the record didn't enter the Billboard Hot 100 at all, although it did make the adult contemporary chart, peaking at #12.
SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES
(lead vocals: Dusty Springfield)
Writers: Richard Carpenter/Pamela Phillips Oland
Producer: Richard Carpenter
Arranged by Richard Carpenter
Background Vocals: Richard Carpenter
Record at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, California
Recording Date: Several sessions during September 1986
First US Release: Richard Carpenter album Time (A&M SP 5117) and A&M Single AM-2940 (A-Side)
US Release Date: 8 September 1987 (album)/ 22 September 1987 (Single)
Highest Chart position in the US: No Entry
First UK Release: A&M Single AM 406 (A Side) and Richard Carpenter album Time
UK Release Date: 21 September 1987 (Single) / September 1987 (Album)
Highest Chart Position in UK: 84
Chart Entry (Week Ending): 3 October 1987
Chart Run: 89-98-84
Weeks In Chart: 3
Dusty's collaboration with Rixhard Carpenter on "Something In Your Eyes" must have seemed a backward step after gaining credibility with the Pet Shop Boys but, in fact, the song was recorded before "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" However, the single, taken from Richard Carpenters album Time, wasn't released until the duet with the Pet Shop Boys was in the charts.
Time was Carpenter's first project since the death of his sister Karen and it certainly seemed as if he was looking to fill a gap left by Karen when he called on Dusty and Dionne Warwick to do lead vocals on a couple of tracks.
While Dionne recorded hers in a couple of takes, it was not the same for Dusty.
No sooner had she sung a couple of lines than her insecurities took over and it took an endless number of sessions to finally get her track completed. When Dusty was asked how she felt stepping into the spot previously occupied by Karen, she admitted that she was nervous. "I thought there's no way I can do it as well as Karen did and then I thought that's probably not what he [Richard] wants anyway. Otherwise he wouldn't have asked me"
Dusty elaborated: "Its a strange story because when I did it not only did I have bronchitis at the time but I sort of went in thinking - oh, what a nice album track, and I followed very much what Richard wanted me to do. He's wonderful to work with and we both have hearing like you wouldn't believe and we hear the same things you know. When somethings wrong we both stopped and always we'd stop for the same reason. It's the first time in my life that I've ever come across anybody like that and we always got along really well.
"But as such, I sang it before he put all the other stuff on and of course now, hearing it as a single which I didn't expect, at least not the first single, I'd like to go back and do it all again. You know there are places in it where I really feel that vocally I would like to have done more and, in fact, Richard and I were experimenting in the studio with doing more vocally but because it wasn't surrounded with lots of strings and things and vocal backings, it sounded borderline, strained and a little bit overdone. But now I hear it back and I hear what I was going to do, and what he and I were working on, actually we would have been right to have done it, but it's always in hindsight. I think it's a really pretty song and I'm amazed that it's the first singe"
"After completing the song with Pamela Phillips Oland, the first vocalist who came to mind (other than Karen) was Dusty" says Richard Carpenter. "Karen and I had always enjoyed her work, and I was looking for a vocalist who had their own unique sound. I sent a demo tape to Dusty, who at the time was in Semi-retirement. I received word back that she liked it, and we went on to record the tune in studio D at A&M Studios. I enjoyed working with her. As Dusty is a terrific singer. I remain very pleased with the finished product."
The lush ballad unfortunately only made a brief appearance in the lower regions of the Top 100 in the UK. Of course it might have had more success if released a few years later, when the Carpenters were back in vogue, but Dusty certainly didn't help matters back in 1987. Although she and Richard Carpenter made a video, she refused A&M's invitation to come over and promote the single in the UK. Dusty received no credit whatsoever for her vocal work on either the UK or the US single.
In the states, the record didn't enter the Billboard Hot 100 at all, although it did make the adult contemporary chart, peaking at #12.