⭐ Official Review [Single]: 22. "ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG"/"I HAVE YOU" (1940-S)

Which side is your favorite?

  • Side A: "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song"

    Votes: 58 95.1%
  • Side B: "I Have You"

    Votes: 3 4.9%

  • Total voters
    61
Of the two, had to go with side A. Should have charted much higher. Light and bouncy with a great summer-like feel (Yacht Rock?). Video perfectly fits the song (with a beautifully vivacious Karen). I can't really recall hearing the song on the radio back in 1977. Didn't come upon it until my "Carpenters conversion" much later. Seemed like all you heard back then was Dreams by "Fleetwood Mac" (continually) and then towards the later part of the year disco had firmly established itself with the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. The album rock FM station I listened to back then would not play any Carpenters. James Taylor - yes, Carole King - yes, Paul Simon - yes. Not even Superstar, written by a pretty "cool" long-haired songwriter; not even Goodbye To Love with a pretty "cool" guitar solo by a long-haired rock guitarist. Ziltch! The LA area had a few MOR FM stations but their ratings were very low. Almost all of the albums I own resulted in me hearing a single on the radio that I really liked, then I usually bought the album. AYGFLIALS just didn't get enough exposure to the record buying masses. Disco killed the Top 40 radio star. Too bad MTV was not up-and-running then. Could you imagine that video selling that record?! Would they have put it in their rotation?, probably not, Carpenters "not cool"! Side B is probably very popular with the karaoke crowd but nothing really compelling about it although a nice vocal by Karen (as usual).
 
The A-side murders the B-side. It's not even close. Richard KILLED this rhythm arrangement. I would actually love to hear this without the orchestration. Richard was famous for doing too much and he did too much here. This has a very nice groove and the orchestration bogs it down a bit. I love the backgrounds on it. It didn't call for your typical Carpenter vocal treatment so Richard gave it something different and it works brilliantly. Great tune and great Karen performance for sure!

Ed
 
Side A for me. I also love the backing vocals on this, I think they're absolutely perfect.

I know they used different singers for the background vocals, but is Karen's voice the predominant one we hear in the backing vocals throughout the song? Or are her backing vocals restricted to the saxophone solo?

The thirds that are done underneath the second half of the sax solo in 'All You Get From Love Is A Love Song' also feature her head voice. Link
 
I love this Song, one of my favorites which I think is a bit underrated. I love the emotion and phrasing in the line "Now the tears in my eye's are ever blinding". The way Karen does that in one breath is perfect.

Here are some other chart positions:
US-
Billboard Hot 100: #35
Easy Listening: #4
UK: #54
Australia: #89
Canada: #38
Canadian easy listening: #5
Japan: #68

Year end chart:

US Adult Contemporary:
1977: #29
Thankfully, even though Singapore is such a small country, we knew better and brought this song to #2 (a little later, we brought Sweet Sweet Smile to #1) :wink:
 
Thankfully, even though Singapore is such a small country, we knew better and brought this song to #2 (a little later, we brought Sweet Sweet Smile to #1) :wink:

Thanks Calvin, I've been collecting all the chart positions but haven't been able to find any for countries like Singapore. Do you know where I can get all of the chart positions for Singapore?
 
Ditto, basically, to most other posts here. Darn fine song, I'm not as surprised it didn't chart better, I remember that time well, and the C's were showing some wear in the market. Agreed with Rumbahbah regarding double-tracking Karen's voice leading to some "diffuse" lyrical presentation.

1977...Richard may have hated disco but the C's probably could have had several big disco hits had they been so inclined. It's funny how so many people consider - even to this day - non-disco artists who made a disco hit or two as "selling out". Heck, even the Rolling Stones did it :wink: I don't think it would have harmed their career to have done so; in fact it would probably have extended it, again, commercially speaking.

Not trying to change the subject, it just hit me watching this video that as good as Karen looks here, in less than 6 years she'll be gone.
 
1977...Richard may have hated disco but the C's probably could have had several big disco hits had they been so inclined. It's funny how so many people consider - even to this day - non-disco artists who made a disco hit or two as "selling out". Heck, even the Rolling Stones did it :wink: I don't think it would have harmed their career to have done so; in fact it would probably have extended it, again, commercially speaking.

Carpenters' were perceived as square as square could be. They never could have succeeded taking a run at disco. Karen on her own might have had a sliver of a chance but Richard doing disco? I honestly don't think so.

Ed
 
Carpenters' were perceived as square as square could be. They never could have succeeded taking a run at disco. Karen on her own might have had a sliver of a chance but Richard doing disco? I honestly don't think so.

Ed

I'm not so sure. And to be clear, I wasn't suggesting they try to "become a disco band" - rather that they record a few disco-oriented songs, as many other non-disco acts did at that time.

I think you are right though, that it would have been easier for Karen alone - especially if she partnered up with someone in a duet, as was so often done then (Donna Summer/Barbara Streisand, for example).
 
I'm not so sure. And to be clear, I wasn't suggesting they try to "become a disco band" - rather that they record a few disco-oriented songs, as many other non-disco acts did at that time.

I think you are right though, that it would have been easier for Karen alone - especially if she partnered up with someone in a duet, as was so often done then (Donna Summer/Barbara Streisand, for example).

Oh, I'm with you. It's just that Richard didn't do "trendy" well at all. The few times he's tried to be "on trend", it's been a disaster. He just wasn't hip enough to do it. They had a very nice A/C niche and Richard, for the most part, couldn't stretch beyond it. Even when he did do other things (some of "Passage"), he didn't stay with it long and it wasn't successful. Also, Richard was not into disco. Heck, he asked his sister not to cut any for her solo record - a request she obviously ignored with "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind".

Notice I haven't said a thing about "Want You Back In My Life Again" and "Say Yeah!"

Ed
 
Not trying to change the subject, it just hit me watching this video that as good as Karen looks here, in less than 6 years she'll be gone.

That's a very sobering, sad observation. It's shocking how rapid her decline was from 1980 onwards.
 
Oh, I'm with you. It's just that Richard didn't do "trendy" well at all. The few times he's tried to be "on trend", it's been a disaster. He just wasn't hip enough to do it. They had a very nice A/C niche and Richard, for the most part, couldn't stretch beyond it. Even when he did do other things (some of "Passage"), he didn't stay with it long and it wasn't successful. Also, Richard was not into disco. Heck, he asked his sister not to cut any for her solo record - a request she obviously ignored with "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind".

Notice I haven't said a thing about "Want You Back In My Life Again" and "Say Yeah!"

Ed

Yeah, the more I think about it, I think you're right. Even had Richard opted to try a few disco-ish songs purely for commercial reasons, he'd have not pulled it off well. That's in no way a slam of Richard; maybe we are both underestimating him. I just agree with you that he'd probably not have been able to "get it right" given his overall strengths and weaknesses, and dislike of the genre anyway.

I do think, had Karen done a duet with a big star - Donna Summer, ONJ, even work with the guys from Chic - either a one-off or possibly on her solo album, for example - it could have gone over very well. Might have even compelled A&M to release it. But I'm starting to digress into the weeds here.

@newvillefan - yes, sobering and sad indeed. Exactly how I felt when I wrote that comment in my previous post.
 
Hands down and no contest I voted for the A side as I first heard it on the radio albeit very briefly I thought the term "Dirty old Shame "was most appropriate to my 10 year old ears at the time it should have been a top 10 hit and that's the shame of it in my opinion. I do remember
Hearing more muzak instrumental versions of AYGFLIALS on the radio More often than The Carpenters original and I do believe the rise of Disco did a lot to hinder groups and artists like the Carpenters
 
The DJ at KEX indicated that ALL YOU GET...would be debuting that evening. I waited to no avail. zComes bedtime with headphones squarely in place I drift off slightly. With one ear tuned to the dial I heard the opening notes where my eyes shot open. Even before Karen uttered a note I instinctively knew my girl was moments away. Late that night a rare surprise. Awoken by those radio friendly vocals. There were sweet dreams afterward.
 
Does anyone know why Richard said that All You Get From Love Is A Love Song should not have been a single? Did he mean that the timing of its release was not very good, or that it should have stayed an album cut only?

I don't remember hearing the song on the radio. Ever. But that's probably because I grew up in a small city in the middle of nowhere, lol. It wasn't until years later that I finally heard the tune and fell instantly in love with it (as well as the video). But I'm perplexed by Richard's comments.
 
Goofus, as Single, was released August 1976 ('peaking' in late September 1976 )
and
All You Get From Love Single was released May 1977.

Now, the Passage LP
Press Kit (which presumably went to Radio Stations ?)
sports two 8X10 photos taken from Hush LP Sessions,
thus, the short-fall (as far as chart action)
of this "new" single and of the "new" album might have been torpedoed
ahead of time.
Perhaps, radio-dj's felt that the earlier
Goofus was indicative of the direction which
Passage was heading,
therefore,
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
was simply ignored.

As much as I like Hush, I love Passage,
and was completely bewildered at its failed chart action.
And, ever since, have wondered why the three singles did relatively poorly,
as did the album. Too bad !
Great singles, great album !
 
Does anyone know why Richard said that All You Get From Love Is A Love Song should not have been a single? Did he mean that the timing of its release was not very good, or that it should have stayed an album cut only?

I don't remember hearing the song on the radio. Ever. But that's probably because I grew up in a small city in the middle of nowhere, lol. It wasn't until years later that I finally heard the tune and fell instantly in love with it (as well as the video). But I'm perplexed by Richard's comments.

Where has Richard said that? He's changed his mind over the years about the merits of a number of songs, but I don't ever recall him saying anything other than positive things about 'All You Get From Love is a Love Song'. There's an interview with Karen (can't remember where it's from the late 1970s or early 1980s) where she too says that they were really pleased with it and were very surprised at its disappointing chart peak.
 
^^The 40th Anniversary Box Set:
where Richard provides commentary to the Songs on the Gold DVD:
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song,
"...very fond of the song...in hindsight, never should have been a single...just a good album cut..."
 
^^The 40th Anniversary Box Set:
where Richard provides commentary to the Songs on the Gold DVD:
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song,
"...very fond of the song...in hindsight, never should have been a single...just a good album cut..."

I did not know that. Richard's revisionism has really gone into overdrive in recent years!

In one sense, given that it didn't the goods commerically, perhaps he's right. But I'd say that 'All You Get From Love...' has aged better than many of their singles from the same period ('Solitaire', 'Sweet Sweet Smile', all of the Hush singles). And it's hard to imagine what they could have released in its place. It might have been interesting to go for 'Bwana', but I don't see it working as a lead single, particularly following the equally strange (ableit far inferior) 'Goofus'.
 
In one sense, given that it didn't the goods commerically, perhaps he's right. But I'd say that 'All You Get From Love...' has aged better than many of their singles from the same period ('Solitaire', 'Sweet Sweet Smile', all of the Hush singles). And it's hard to imagine what they could have released in its place. It might have been interesting to go for 'Bwana', but I don't see it working as a lead single, particularly following the equally strange (ableit far inferior) 'Goofus'.

Love Song was the strongest possible contender (commercially) on the album to release as a single, so if he's now saying it should have remained an album track, then nothing from the album was worthy of single release!

B'Wana is the one they didn't try out as a single that I think they should have. It was strong enough to open the album, so why they didn't go for it as a left-of-field single I'm not sure.
 
I did not know that. Richard's revisionism has really gone into overdrive in recent years!

In one sense, given that it didn't the goods commerically, perhaps he's right. But I'd say that 'All You Get From Love...' has aged better than many of their singles from the same period ('Solitaire', 'Sweet Sweet Smile', all of the Hush singles). And it's hard to imagine what they could have released in its place. It might have been interesting to go for 'Bwana', but I don't see it working as a lead single, particularly following the equally strange (ableit far inferior) 'Goofus'.
I don't think anyone ever knew about Goofus as a single and those certain few apparantly ignored it. I am a die hard fan and I did not know about it until almost 15 years later when I acquired a copy of the fan mail. As a teenager, I was not permitted to join such things. What did chart could have been a little promotion. As fans, we know about pictures and years taken, but I doubt the regular DJ had that keen of an eye for they tried to find any excuse not to play a Carpenters song, for after all, a new song would mean a need for rotation of others from years past and that was not wanted either. With very little play and such a low chart number of Goofus, Bwana She No Home would have probably been welcome. However, I Just Fall In Love Again, would have at least been a slow dance number and everything was related to dance in 1977. With the great instrumentation used in Bwana it could have possible been something others wanted to learn on a guitar or piano. If any advertisement of the band was given, it may have helped, too. Now I am describing US in Georgia. Thank God for the Christmas LP. It made people eager to talk about Carpenters again. Richard should know best, especially in retrospective scenarios, since he was absorbed in the music business as a top selling artist with Karen.
 
^^The 40th Anniversary Box Set:
where Richard provides commentary to the Songs on the Gold DVD:
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song,
"...very fond of the song...in hindsight, never should have been a single...just a good album cut..."

Forgot about that. He's completely wrong, of course. It's got "single" written all over it...for someone else. They were, commercially, pretty cold at that point and little would have worked.

Ed
 
Love Song was the strongest possible contender (commercially) on the album to release as a single, so if he's now saying it should have remained an album track, then nothing from the album was worthy of single release!

B'Wana is the one they didn't try out as a single that I think they should have. It was strong enough to open the album, so why they didn't go for it as a left-of-field single I'm not sure.

I think it might have been too unexpected. "All You Get..." worked because it still sounded like Carpenters while ratcheting up the groove. "B'wana" is a great tune but it sounds nothing like Carpenters. There's nothing else like it in their catalog and certainly not on that album. They couldn't have followed it.

Ed
 
^^All I can think of--regards to Passage--
is that radio dj's would immediately have felt that Passage is less of a "Passage"
if you have as the first single , All You Get From Love Is A Love Song--which is very much
in the Carpenters' style. (Not a slow ballad, mind you, but still a solid Carpenters-type record.)
Why not start off with a Single which denotes more of a "Passage" ?
Needless to say--All You Get From Love--is a great Single.
I'm more inclined to believe that nothing at this point in time would have worked--
Carpenters were simply anathema. A shame, really.
(How that First TV Special made #6 in the ratings bewilders me, though !
Airing, as it does--Dec 1976-- between Hush and Passage release dates).
 
Forgot about that. He's completely wrong, of course. It's got "single" written all over it...for someone else. They were, commercially, pretty cold at that point and little would have worked.

Ed

I agree Ed. I still think they did a heck of a job with that master, even if things had cooled off for them by that point. Great song, great hooks and melody, stellar arrangement and beautifully sung by Karen.
 
I'm more inclined to believe that nothing at this point in time would have worked--
Carpenters were simply anathema.

And that, really, sums up where they stood by 1977 as far as radio and the record buying public were concerned. They'd become outdated, the record buying public had moved on to some degree and musical trends had overtaken them.

Richard has said he felt it was just a matter of time that they'd return with a smash hit single in later years. I totally disagree with that statement. Look at the discography of similar artists like Manilow. He released single after single in the 80s and most, if not all, didn't even chart. I'm surprised Manilow's record label even supported that instead of just saying "look, stick to albums and tours as you're never going to top the charts again". I think that's where the Carpenters would have ended up in the 80s and beyond. Richard would have hated it.
 
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