Another promo film from '70 shot in studio B for those that haven't seen it:
Love Is Surrender [Studio B - Promo Film] 1970
Love Is Surrender [Studio B - Promo Film] 1970
"Love Is Surrender" Promo film
- Thread starter Chris May
- Start date
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Of all the early tracks, this is my absolute favourite and always has been. Those layered juxtaposed harmonies on the choruses are sublime.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
I've always loved this song, as well. My very first album, given to me by my sisters on my 11th birthday, was 'Great Hits of The Carpenters Vol 2 1969-1973' and this was the third track, after 'Top of the World' and 'Sing'. I just about wore that album out.
The next year, I found the album, 'Close to You' and bought that. Of course, 'Love is Surrender' is on that, as well. And I wore that disc out.
By the way, the promo film clip that Chris May posted, above, was even screened on Australian TV the year it was released. It was screened on the ABC, (Australian Broadcast Corporation), on a show called Hit Scene. 'Close to You' was the second-biggest hit in the country for the entire year of 1970, so you can see why the producers would have screened 'Love is Surrender', (or anything else they could get their hands on), as well.
The next year, I found the album, 'Close to You' and bought that. Of course, 'Love is Surrender' is on that, as well. And I wore that disc out.
By the way, the promo film clip that Chris May posted, above, was even screened on Australian TV the year it was released. It was screened on the ABC, (Australian Broadcast Corporation), on a show called Hit Scene. 'Close to You' was the second-biggest hit in the country for the entire year of 1970, so you can see why the producers would have screened 'Love is Surrender', (or anything else they could get their hands on), as well.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
Boy is the audio and video ever out of synch on that clip!
But you’ve got to wonder, if the spent money making a music video for “Love Is Surrender”, was it being considered for an ‘A’ side single release. As far as I know it was never released as even a ‘B’ side.
But you’ve got to wonder, if the spent money making a music video for “Love Is Surrender”, was it being considered for an ‘A’ side single release. As far as I know it was never released as even a ‘B’ side.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
It’s funny but I don’t think I ever considered it even as B-side material. That’s not to take away from how great it is...it’s just too short. It holds up really well as a great album cut and the fact they put it as track 2 on the first side of the album shows how much they thought of it.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
'Love is Surrender' was the 'B' side of 'Top Of the World' in Australia, which may indicate that it was the 'B' side in Japan, too. (Just a few of our releases were the same as the Japanese releases around that time).
Many of you probably know that 'Top of the World' was released as a single in Australia at the end of 1972, (and in Japan around the same time). It debuted on the Australian Top 100 on February 5th, 1973, climbed to Number 1 and was amongst the 15 biggest hits of the year.
I think this is probably why 'Love is Surrender' was chosen for the 'Great Hits of The Carpenters Volume 2 1969 to 1973' album. Other album tracks chosen for that album were 'Let Me Be the One', which was thrashed daily on a national TV station as 'Let us be the ones you turn to', (with session singers singing), 'Reason to Believe', which had been a double-sided Number 1 single for Rod Stewart a couple of years before, 'Get Together', which had been a hit for The Youngbloods, 'This Masquerade', which was yet to be a hit for George Benson and '(A Place to) Hideaway', which was just a great song and performance.
'Love is Surrender' is a fantastic recording.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
Sorry, Newvillefan, I obviously misread your quote. I thought it said 'I don't think it was ever considered even as 'B' side material'.
Another Son
Well-Known Member
It's possible that the single was flipped during its six-month ride on the charts and 'Love is Surrender' played on the radio, although I didn't ever hear it. Of course, this was all two or so years after the 'Love is Surrender' promo clip had been made, though.
I'm sure I've seen a clip of this video in one of the documentaries, but have never seen the whole thing before.
It's interesting how the video reinforces the point that in their very early days, the idea seemed to be that Karen was just 'part of the band' playing on the drums rather than the lead singer. The camera doesn't focus on her for very long outside of her solo vocal lines in the song.
Re the song, although I prefer the 1971 live BBC version as it sounds so much 'clearer' than the recorded version, it is, as Jarred notes, a nice little fresh breeze of a track. The harmonies on this one in the chorus are particularly good. Although it's short, I can see why it might have been considered as a possible single - it was catchy enough to have some potential on that front. Indeed, as I noted in another thread, allegedly it was planned as a UK single a the start of 1971 and was even given a catalogue number, although it seems it wasn't actually released in the end.
It's interesting how the video reinforces the point that in their very early days, the idea seemed to be that Karen was just 'part of the band' playing on the drums rather than the lead singer. The camera doesn't focus on her for very long outside of her solo vocal lines in the song.
Re the song, although I prefer the 1971 live BBC version as it sounds so much 'clearer' than the recorded version, it is, as Jarred notes, a nice little fresh breeze of a track. The harmonies on this one in the chorus are particularly good. Although it's short, I can see why it might have been considered as a possible single - it was catchy enough to have some potential on that front. Indeed, as I noted in another thread, allegedly it was planned as a UK single a the start of 1971 and was even given a catalogue number, although it seems it wasn't actually released in the end.
‘Love Is Surrender’ was practically always the second song in concert sets from at least 1970-1975, so that says plenty for how much they thought of it, as well. It’s a great track with awesome, energetic harmonies.
It is surprising they never used it for a b-side (along with a number of other songs on the ‘CTY’ album).
It is surprising they never used it for a b-side (along with a number of other songs on the ‘CTY’ album).
Danny Woodhams?
Carpe diem
Well-Known Member
Count me in as a big fan of this song. I love the youthful enthusiasm. It's too short though. Agree with Newvillefan about those great harmonies! Really like the "spoon sound" on the 2nd half of the song. First noticed from the 1971 BBC TV Special that Karen sang Richard's part which seemed to carry-over into their concerts. Richard should have stayed with his part of the vocals IMHO.
Guitarmutt
Well-Known Member
Or the other drums in the kit are too quiet.
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