⭐ Official Review [Single]: 10. "GOODBYE TO LOVE"/"CRYSTAL LULLABY" (1367-S)

[Sabar]

I love both songs, but Goodbye to Love wins by a neck. I love the dramatic and unusual melody. I'm always amused by the drama queen lyrics. Karen's vocal is flawless. Plus an iconic guitar solo. Crystal Lullaby is a great album track. The vocal of that song really falls in the sweet spot of Karen's range. So rich, warm, and beautiful. Lullaby also has one of Joe Osborn's best performances. It also has one of my favorite moments on a Carpenter's record: the vocal chord they hit at 3:16 is sublime.

.

 

[Jarred]

dancing clowns with tassels made of fur' though. Sounds like the stuff of nightmares!

That line helps give the song even more of a perfect, haunting edge!

 

[GaryAlan]

Can't remember if this has been mentioned before:
It took TWO takes for the Peluso guitar solo in Goodbye To Love,
according to Richard Carpenter.

 

[Martin Medrano]

I like crystal lullaby its such a nice song. Its haunting.

 

[CraigGA]

I listen to Crystal Lullaby more but as a single Goodbye To Love wins. This song has always been I can take or leave it song but it has redeeming values that keep me attached to it. From the solo interlude before the bridge to the end of the song I simply love. The verses are dry to me. For example, I find the verses from I’m Caught Between Goodbye and I Love You better but it did not get this attention to arrangement that GTL did. Plus the lyric is better to me on the latter than GTL. I know I’m most likely in the minority but GTL did show the world that we have a great songwriter in Richard and that they can write and perform their own songs!

 

[John Adam]

Epic!




.............That's All Folks!

 

[GDBY2LV]

So long John. We will miss you here at the Forum. Take care of the islands so we can come visit them again when all is safe and well. Hope you check in sometime in the future. Aloha

 

[GaryAlan]

The 15 Best Anti-Love Songs to Escape Valentine’s Day Delirium​

"Check out these hits and deep cuts where musicians roll their eyes -- or shake their fists -- at love."

Carpenters “Goodbye to Love” (1972)​

"Karen Carpenter was just 22 when she sang this poignant ballad, in which she seemed resigned to a life alone. The best moment: the tender way she sings “I guess I’ve always known.” Tony Peluso’s fuzz guitar solo made this one of the first power ballads. The Richard Carpenter/John Bettis song reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 in August 1972." – P. Grein

Source:

The 15 Best Anti-Love Songs to Escape Valentine’s Day Delirium

Check out these hits and deep cuts where musicians roll their eyes — or shake their fists — at love.

www.billboard.com

 

[GaryAlan]

Cashbox, March 18, 1972:
"Karen and Richard had to return to their recording session. There's an obligation, after all, to those families to make good product available to them.
We promised to meet again, and discuss Karen's statement that their personal musical tastes were very decidedly non -MOR.
"We like The Beatles, The Chi -Lites, Rare Earth, The Stylistics and The Mothers of Invention. But we owe it to our audiences to stay within certain musical boundaries. A lot of that stuff we couldn't do if we wanted to, anyway. You don't have to sound like somebody to like them."
Here:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...:CR-Page-0037.pdf#search="goodbye carpenters"

Cashbox Magazine, singles reviews, picks-of-the-week (July 1, 1972):
CARPENTERS (A&M 1367) Goodbye To Love (3:50) (R. Carpenter, J. Bettis).
"Another tune of theirs that grows and grows. Richard co -penned; funky guitar adds spice to the most notable Jack Daugherty production.
Flip: no info. available."
July 15, 1972
Goodbye To Love, Carpenters:
32% (no. radio stations adding title this week)
72% (no. radio stations to have added title to date).

Cashbox, ( December 30, 1972):
Top 100 singles of 1972
#72 Goodbye To Love

Finally, this album review July 1st, 1972, Cashbox:
A SONG FOR YOU Carpenters:
"The new Carpenters. Where to begin? The cover, maybe. It's a beautiful deep red, almost hypnotizing.
Moving along to the record inside, we have nothing to offer but praise. Opening with Leon Russell's masterwork, A Song For You,
Karen and Richard offer warm and irrefutable proof that in their particular field they have no equals.
There's a lot of variety on this album and a nice air of playfulness.
Listen to Flat Baroque, for example. Less surprising but no less welcome are hits like Hurting Each Other and It's Going To Take Some Time.
Watch this album rocket into the top ten."

 

[Tony]

It's certainly interesting to read that the Carpenters were listening to the Stylistics because the beginning of "Strength of a Woman" is almost note-for-note the same as "Betcha By Golly Wow".

"We like The Beatles, The Chi -Lites, Rare Earth, The Stylistics and The Mothers of Invention. But we owe it to our audiences to stay within certain musical boundaries. A lot of that stuff we couldn't do if we wanted to, anyway. You don't have to sound like somebody to like them."

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

It's certainly interesting to read that the Carpenters were listening to the Stylistics because the beginning of "Strength of a Woman" is almost note-for-note the same as "Betcha By Golly Wow".

It really is. It's a near-copy of Paul Riser's string arrangement. They'd worked with him prior when he arranged "I Believe You."

Ed

 

[GaryAlan]

As of 12/30/1972,
Goodbye To Love, did not make the cut for "singles selling a million copies or more."

Cashbox:
Carpenters:
*(They Long To Be) Close To You
*We've Only Just Begun A&M
*For All We Know
*Rainy Days & Mondays
*Superstar
*Hurting Each Other

Here:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1972/Cash-Box-1972-12-30-OCR-Page-0066.pdf#search=%22carpenters%20goodbye%20to%20love%22

 

[A&M Retro]

Very cool! Would love to see the whole list.