🎵 AotW AOTW: Captain & Tennille LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER

[Mr Bill]

Captain & Tennille
LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER
A&M SP 4501

Released 1975

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette/CD

Produced by The Captain
Associate Producer: Toni Tennille for Moonlight and Magnolia Productions
+ - Produced by Morgan Cavett


Songs:

• 1. Love Will Keep Us Together (Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield) - 3:24 **
  2. Disney Girls (Bruce Johnston) - 4:49 +*
  3. The Way That I Want To Touch You (Toni Tennille) - 2:46 +*
  4. Cuddle Up (Dennis Wilson/Daryl Dragon) - 3:38
  5. The Good Songs (Toni Tennille/Daryl Dragon) - 3:18
  6. God Only Knows (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) - 3:32 **
  7. Honey Come Love Me (Toni Tennille/Daryl Dragon) - 2:57
  8. Feel Like A Man (Toni Tennille/Daryl Dragon) - 3:14
  9. Broddy Bounce (Daryl Dragon) - 2:32
  10. Gentle Stranger (Toni Tennille) - 3:45
  11. I Write The Songs (Bruce Johnston) - 3:26
  
  All music arranged by The Captain

Musicians:
The Captain - Fender Bass, Piano, Clavinet, ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, Mini-Moog Synthesizer, Clavietta, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Hammond B3, Celeste, Chimes and ARP String Ensemble
Toni Tennille - Vocals, Piano (4, 5, 7, 10)
Hal Blaine - Drums, Congas and Percussion
Ed Greene - Drums (3)
Kenneth Yerke - First Violinist and String Contractor
Michael Price - Trumpet (5, 11)
Background Vocals - Melissa Tennille, Jane Tennille, Louisa Tennille and Toni Tennille

* Engineered by Tommy Oliver and Tom Wallace
** Engineered by Dennis Dragon
Mixing Engineer: Dennis Dragon (except 3 & 9)

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Junie Osaki
Photography: Norman Seeff


Info compiled by Capt. Bacardi (no relation to this Captain!)

 

[LPJim]

Thanks, Mr. B. , for posting this. I've been on the road all week.

This begins a series which runs from 1975 through 1992, concluding with NEW MISERABLE EXPERIENCE (5403) by the Gin Blossoms. Haven't calculated how many years it will take but hope we'll all reach the end of this series in good health.

JB

 

[Mike]

Background Vocals - Melissa Tennille, Jane Tennille, Louisa Tennille and Toni Tennille

I had no idea that this was such a family affair.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I really liked the title song, and rushed this album onto the turntable when it came out....and was disappointed. Too many soppy ballads, not enough of the effervescent pop of the title song.

There are some good songs ("The Way I Want to Touch You" is probably the best) but it's kind of a draggy album. The followup (SONG OF JOY) was much more balanced.

I liked the original album cover better, when it said "The Captain and Tennille." They must have taken a cue from Carpenters in that respect, eh?

 

[Dave]

Like most of the "sane" C&T followers, I satisfied my curiosities of this and their other albums by simply buying Captain & Tennille's Greatest Hits and I may have had a '45' here and there, too...

I agree, this album runs a bit uneven and a few of the follow-up's such as Song Of Joy and to me, Come In From The Rain are what I can give a more thorough and enjoyable listen to...



Dave

 

[Harry]

This album was also later released with the catalog number of SP-4552, and with Spanish vocals re-recorded, as SP-4561 (POR AMOR VIVIREMOS).

The Spanish song titles are:

1. Por Amor Viviremos
2. Mi Mundo Irreal
3. Como Yo Quiero
4. Sentire
5. Vivir Asi
6. Mis Canciónes
7. Lo Sabe Dios
8. No Te Levantes
9. Sentir Señor
10. El Rebote de Broddy
11. Dulce Extraño
12. Es La Canción

The graphics on both front and back covers is identical, with only the text changed to Spanish, and a credit that the translation was handled by Armando Martinez.

This Spanish release would precede the advent of the Latin division of A&M called AyM Discos by almost a decade.

Harry

 

[Mr Bill]

This album was also later released with the catalog number of SP-4552...

I liked the original album cover better, when it said "The Captain and Tennille."

That may explain the different SP#s so close together, though I can think of only a few other examples of a change in cover art resulting in a new SP# (though none as minor as a word change). Perhaps a poll is in order as to how many have it with each of the SP#s...

--Mr Bill

 

[Tom Wallace]

I'm intrigued by the catalog numbers of this one. My copy, obtained a couple of weeks ago on eBay for the princely sum of 99 cents, is SP 3405, which I believe is the first pressing of this record. The 3400 series I believe was a lower-priced series featuring children's albums and new artists, like Captain & Tennille. When they took off, it moved over to the regular-priced series. That's my theory, anyway. Little did I know that it was both 4501 and 4552, however. Very odd.

My copy has a "The" on it. Oh, by the way, though my name appears in the credits, I had nothing to do with the engineering on this album. I was too busy with eighth grade at the time.

Cheers,

Tom (Not the Engineer) Wallace

 

[W.B.]

I'm intrigued by the catalog numbers of this one. My copy, obtained a couple of weeks ago on eBay for the princely sum of 99 cents, is SP 3405, which I believe is the first pressing of this record.

Whatta coincidence, I too have the album (with "The" in the act's name on the top of the cover, as per your copy) in the SP-3405 catalogue number - which was indeed the first pressing. For that matter, both the title song, when released as a single (#1672-S), and the hit issue of "The Way I Want To Touch You" (#1725-S, b/w "Broddy Bounce"), listed the LP catalogue number as SP-3405. It may've been reassigned SP-4501, then SP-4552, thereafter in short order.

I've heard of some albums on A&M with two catalogue numbers (the 1970-71 LP's by Burt Bacharach and Michel Colombier come to mind), but this is the first time I've heard of a record with three catalogue numbers.

B.T.W., I was wondering (speaking of Bacharach and Colombier) when there'd be an "AOTW" of SP-3500 series releases, given its length, if such AOTW's were done week by week, it would be done in about half a year.

 

[Mr Bill]

I've heard of some albums on A&M with two catalogue numbers (the 1970-71 LP's by Burt Bacharach and Michel Colombier come to mind), but this is the first time I've heard of a record with three catalogue numbers.

It actually had four numbers if you include the valu-line # SP3118. Make it five if you include the spanish language version SP4561!

B.T.W., I was wondering (speaking of Bacharach and Colombier) when there'd be an "AOTW" of SP-3500 series releases, given its length, if such AOTW's were done week by week, it would be done in about half a year.

We Moderators are discussing this very issue right now -- we realize that if we continue the current series at the rate of one LP a week we won't get to the end until sometime in 2021!!!

All I can say at this point is watch for an exciting announcement in our AOTW format from Web Maestro Rudy and the rest of us Mods soon!

--Mr Bill

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Posted: Yesterday at 12:42 pm

Subject:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry wrote:
This album was also later released with the catalog number of SP-4552...


Montana Mike wrote:
I liked the original album cover better, when it said "The Captain and Tennille."


That may explain the different SP#s so close together, though I can think of only a few other examples of a change in cover art resulting in a new SP# (though none as minor as a word change).

I'm not positive on this, but I don't think the "act name change" resulted in a catalog number change. I think it had more to do with a price change....wasn't this around the time that the labels were starting to create discount midline series? At that time, different number series were used to denote differnent prices.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

LOVED this album when it came out - I may be a wimp, but it never felt too balld-heavy to me, even as a teenager. Thought the synth work was extraordinary (and in a lot of ways, it was ahead of its time). Hasn't all aged well, but wow - LOVED this record. Anyone else notice an Art Garfunkel connection? (They both recorded "Disney Girls", and Toni sang on Art's BREAKAWAY album.)

 

[Dave]

My Favorite track, "The Way I Want To Touch You" was also covered by The Ray Conniff singers and so was the Neil Sedaka-written title track, combined with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"... In fact, as "Love Will Keep Us Together" fades away, Toni Tennille sings out: "...Sedaka's Back..." and Andy Williams covered it, too...

"Disney Girls" was also covered by Mama Cass Elliot and Jack Jones and nearly EVERYONE made a version of "I Write The Songs", too... And Bobby Goldsboro even did "Cuddle Up"...

Lott'a remakes of songs here, both done by this duet and covered by many...!



Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm not positive on this, but I don't think the "act name change" resulted in a catalog number change.

I think you're right in regards to the change from SP3405 to SP4501... I'm referring to the odd change from 4501 to 4552 roughly a year later when the LP was still selling like hotcakes.

It's not like the Boy Meets Girl release back in the late 80s where the explanation was that the record was brought back into print after being OOP for a couple years and Boy Meets Girl then had a hit on another label (and even then a new # makes little sense)...

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

The only "comeback" about this album was C&T's first single: "The Way I Want To Touch You". It was released first, and it bombed. When the title track became a smash hit, "The Way I Want To Touch You" was re-released and fared much better on the chart. I don't recall if it was assigned a separate catalog number for the re-release or not.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I seem to remember that "Love Will Keep Us Together" was among the last tracks recorded for the album - almost an afterthought....anyone else remember this or am I dreaming this one?

 

[Harry]

The only "comeback" about this album was C&T's first single: "The Way I Want To Touch You". It was released first, and it bombed. When the title track became a smash hit, "The Way I Want To Touch You" was re-released and fared much better on the chart. I don't recall if it was assigned a separate catalog number for the re-release or not.

According to Whitburn, "The Way I Want To Touch You" was released three different times in 1974 on three different labels. First on Butterscotch Castle 001, then on Joyce 101, then on A&M 1624. The song peaked at number 4 in October of '75 when it was released a fourth time on A&M 1725!

"Love Will Keep Us Together" spent four weeks at number 1 in May of 1975.

Harry

 

[W.B.]

According to Whitburn, "The Way I Want To Touch You" was released three different times in 1974 on three different labels. First on Butterscotch Castle 001, then on Joyce 101, then on A&M 1624. The song peaked at number 4 in October of '75 when it was released a fourth time on A&M 1725!

I have that fourth release. I remember, seeing a promo of A&M 1624, below Ms. Tennille's surname on the artist credit on the label, the pronunciation of her surname in parentheses below.

I think the Joyce issue was pressed by Allied Record Co. of Los Angeles, looking at the type fonts used for the label copy.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I also seem to recall that the title track gained a lot of momentum after C&T's appearance on "The Midnight Special" that Herb Alpert hosted in June '75, which also featured Supertramp, Billy Preston and Phoebe Snow.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mr Bill]

Being over 30 years now and memories being sketchy ,I seem to recall that the Butterscotch Castle release was Dennis and Toni's own "vanity label" and they sold these at theior gigs in nightclubs etc. Then a fledgling local label (likely with A&M caliber hopes and dreams) called Joyce picked them up briefly be fore A&M bought C&T away from Joyce. Clearly the comparisons and similarities and potential of label-mates Carpenters weren't lost on anyone on the A&M staff...

--Mr Bill

 

[superbu]

Not sure if this is in keeping with the spirit of the thread, but it's worth noting that the version of "Gentle Stranger" that backed the "Love Will Keep Us Together" single is a different mix than the album version.

The single version features sound effects -- seagulls and ocean waves -- in the background during the opening. This mix has never been isued on CD, to my knowledge.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I also seem to recall that the title track gained a lot of momentum after C&T's appearance on "The Midnight Special"

....which is surprising, considering that their performance on that show was pretty cheesy if my memory serves. The Captain was doing a "one man band" thing and it wasn't too effective....would have been better with a full band. It was obvious they were not as classy an act as Carpenters had been.

 

[LPJim]

Since 4552 is identical to 4501, which we discussed already, I'll skip forward to 4553 next.
JB

 

[LPJim]

POR AMOR VIVREMOS, a Spanish language version of this album, was SP 4561.

JB

 

[Dave]

4. Cuddle Up (Dennis Wilson/Daryl Dragon)

Yow, I'm very long overdue for mentioning this: Bobby Goldsboro covered Captain & Tennille's "Cuddle Up"...!!! Wonder what inspired him to record it and put it on two albums? It appears on Bobby's LP's Goldsboro/Through The Eyes of a Man, United Artists UA-LA424G; 1975 and A Butterfly For Bucky, United Artists UA-LA639G; 1976...



Dave