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Which ones are 1 and 2, toolman
...hmmm. Perhaps if they changed 'dirty old shame' ( and Paul Williams has stated that they tended to change lyrics), to "It's a f*cking damn shame', that it would have both given street cred, and a #1 hit.The 'dirty old shame' lyric never phased me in the States. In fact, I've never really thought about it. Sounds better than 'rotten old shame'.
...hmmm. Perhaps if they changed 'dirty old shame' ( and Paul Williams has stated that they tended to change lyrics), to "It's a f*cking damn shame', that it would have both given street cred, and a #1 hit.
Yeah, there really is a great propulsive funk groove to this song that's spot on. . .it's become a favourite of mine. . .but you're right. . .it could have been anybody's lead on it. Perhaps better would have just been 5 minutes of instrumental but with more of those great Puerling splashes of vocal blasts which sound soooo good. Not sure but I think that's the only time anyone else ever did a vocal arrangement for their blended voices (actually, isn't there a little bit on First Snowfall "folks put runners etc. . ." that Peter Night arranged with a nice Andrews Sisters feel). Sometimes you forget just how well they blended. . .genetically. .. and it's refreshing to hear those melted tones in the hands of someone other than Richard.
But yeah, you know a track's good when you don't mind the lead being inconsequential. . .especially when that lead's from your favourite singer.
I'd come to the rescue of Two Sides, though. They had a real gift for lilting country/pop and I find most of my favourite cuts fall into that category (Reason To Believe, When It's Gone, Uninvited Guest etc.)
Man Smart should have been bumped, however. . . replaced by "You're the One" and the almost recorded Rescuers track "Someone's Waiting". Having a single from the number one US film (as Rescuers was) would surely have shifted a few hundred thousand more albums, regardless of whether radio stations deemed them turn-table poison. Can you imagine. . .all the kids pestering their parents for "that song from the disney film" Xmas of '77. It may not have helped their street-cred (. . . by that point could anything!!??) but it would have put them back in the Top Ten.
A BBC Radio 1 deejay joked back in '77 that because of Karen's phrasing on "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song", that it sounded like Karen was using the lyric......"that the best love songs are written with a broken arm"
If you listen to the Passage interview they gave in 1977, I still get the idea that much of the album was in Richard's control, he mentions that he bought the Klatuu LP and he was a sci fi buff and how he wanted to record and arrange this piece. Later he is asked how does he pick songs for Karen and he said something like, first he has to like the song and it has to "hit"him, then he says is this something that is it meant for Karen to sing then he arranges it, he says in that order.
I never really listened to this album much on vinyl. I think I purchased it in about 1983ish. I was 18 and didn't really "get" the album. Over the years I have listened to parts of the album on the compilations and have learned to appreciate more of the songs over the years. Recently I listened to the entire album (vinyl) one evening. I really enjoyed the album as a whole. Had a whole new appreciation for it.
Jonathan
Passage was an album that I first purchased on cassette (from the RCA Music Club) and then,soon
afterward, on LP (1977).
So, I loved it quite a bit back in the day.
Could not understand why no one else, known to me, got as much of a kick out of those three singles from this album.
The Cover Art was colorfully creative and perfectly complemented the enclosed gems placed on vinyl.
Another missed opportunity for a Grammy Award, as far as I am concerned.
Diversity from Carpenters, indeed.
I hadn't heard there was a Disney song "almost" recorded.... Could this have made it to the studio and be one of the ones in the vault that we haven't heard - or have we heard - it was not recorded? Just looked the song up - and I can hear Karen singing it... Thanks,Yeah, I think much of "Christmas Portrait" is others. He was in the throws of his addictions at that point and he's termed it a Karen solo album before. His arrangements are conspicuously absent too.
She barely matters. The rhythm section (of which Richard is not a part, btw) is killin' it. Love the sax punctuating the bass too. Nice arranging from Richard. You also have to love that the bulk of the tune is two chords. They repeat ad nauseum...and you don't care! Deft writing from Franks.
I get what you mean but we'd already heard them do tunes like that before. They decided to switch up their sound on "Passage" and it would have been nice if they'd have "gone left" with all the tunes instead of just some. What could it have hurt? Sales were already sluggish. The result didn't do well anyway. One imagines an album without the "safe stuff" wouldn't have fared any worse.
Yes! This! "You're The One" is a fantastic tune (even with an at times awkward lyric) but Karen sings the fool out of it! It might be her best vocal on anything! I would love to hear that sans strings. Richard put them on just about everything and they weren't always needed. The melody was strong enough to stand on it's own. In terms of street-cred, they never had any ("Sing," anyone?) so "The Rescuers" tune wouldn't have been the worst move either.
Ed
I hadn't heard there was a Disney song "almost" recorded.... Could this have made it to the studio and be one of the ones in the vault that we haven't heard - or have we heard - it was not recorded? Just looked the song up - and I can hear Karen singing it... Thanks,