Singles That Shouldn't Have Been Singles
- Thread starter SongForYou
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"Lovelines" would have been a hit as-is a year or two earlier, when that Rod Temperton/Quincy Jones/Michael Jackson Off The Wall sound was in fashion. The sounds on that solo album came a year or two too late IMHO. It was a pop/dance formula that was a little tired at that point.
Regarding "All You Get...", part of its problem was it was released in 1977. By that time, the AM/FM radio split was in full force. You had the old time big-hit AM radio stations that were beginning to lose their punch, and the upstart FM stations that were attracting more and more listeners as AM/FM radios were mandated in cars for a few years by this point.
This was the beginning of the fractionalization of radio, where stations that at one time tried to cater to everyone, found that they were losing their desirable adult audience to those new FM stations. Rock stations on FM were becoming massively popular - remember, this was the heart of what is now Classic Rock. Back then it was all new and current and attracting a large crowd.
You also still had a number of FM soft easy listening stations that were attracting the older crowd and played in dentist's offices, stores, etc. Those chopped away even more of the audience from the old powerhouse AMs. And newer stations were finding other ways to chip at those stations' audiences, with formats like dance, disco, soul, etc.
So here you have a great record by Carpenters, "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song". The rock stations weren't going to touch it, as it was not cool enough. The disco, soul, dance stations didn't want any part of it. And even the soft EZ listening stations didn't play it because it was too harsh!
That left it to the fading AM powerhouse stations that were losing audience like crazy. They played it for sure, but it was falling on fewer and fewer and largely deaf ears.
Naturally this scenario wasn't totally true in all markets. Smaller markets tended to have fewer stations and those that were around still tried to appeal to wider audiences, but in the larger markets, where most of the population was, this fractionalization of radio formats contributed a lot to the disenfranchising of Carpenters music and listeners. And it only got worse as time went on as stations' focuses became more and more narrow and they honed in on certain segments of the population.
We've discussed before the heavily researched "high negatives" that Carpenters brought to the table, and it became clear that very few radio stations would play their stuff in order to avoid any tune-out factor, a fate worse than death to a radio station.
Harry
This was the beginning of the fractionalization of radio, where stations that at one time tried to cater to everyone, found that they were losing their desirable adult audience to those new FM stations. Rock stations on FM were becoming massively popular - remember, this was the heart of what is now Classic Rock. Back then it was all new and current and attracting a large crowd.
You also still had a number of FM soft easy listening stations that were attracting the older crowd and played in dentist's offices, stores, etc. Those chopped away even more of the audience from the old powerhouse AMs. And newer stations were finding other ways to chip at those stations' audiences, with formats like dance, disco, soul, etc.
So here you have a great record by Carpenters, "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song". The rock stations weren't going to touch it, as it was not cool enough. The disco, soul, dance stations didn't want any part of it. And even the soft EZ listening stations didn't play it because it was too harsh!
That left it to the fading AM powerhouse stations that were losing audience like crazy. They played it for sure, but it was falling on fewer and fewer and largely deaf ears.
Naturally this scenario wasn't totally true in all markets. Smaller markets tended to have fewer stations and those that were around still tried to appeal to wider audiences, but in the larger markets, where most of the population was, this fractionalization of radio formats contributed a lot to the disenfranchising of Carpenters music and listeners. And it only got worse as time went on as stations' focuses became more and more narrow and they honed in on certain segments of the population.
We've discussed before the heavily researched "high negatives" that Carpenters brought to the table, and it became clear that very few radio stations would play their stuff in order to avoid any tune-out factor, a fate worse than death to a radio station.
Harry
Toolman
Simple Man, Simple Dream
I'm sure it made zero difference in the grand scheme of things, but I remember worrying that the lyric "it's a dirty ol' shame" was not going to go over well with folks who'd already pegged Carpenters as squeaky-clean. There was also a press release that accompanied "Passage" which featured K&R discussing how much they didn't like milk. I suppose was meant to be a joke but it just seemed silly, considering the quality of the project involved.
Agree that AYGFL is a great track and one that I requested (unsuccessfully) for our local station to give a chance. Also remember being impressed at how good the actual 45 rpm disc sounded, at a time when most single records were cr*p.
Agree that AYGFL is a great track and one that I requested (unsuccessfully) for our local station to give a chance. Also remember being impressed at how good the actual 45 rpm disc sounded, at a time when most single records were cr*p.
If they had held it a couple of years until the Urban Cowboy thing broke big, maybe. But on the crest of the disco wave, no.
Rudy: True. "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song" made it to #4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart (as opposed to #35 on the Hot 100).
Interestingly, though, that was still poor performance for the Carpenters in that format. #4 tied it with "Goofus", and the only Carpenters singles that came before it that ranked lower on the Adult Contemporary chart were "Bless The Beasts and The Children" (#26) and "Ticket To Ride" (#19).
It was also the highest they'd get from then on, with one exception..."Touch Me When We're Dancing" made #1 on the AC chart.
gregnewyorkcity
Member
I just totally despise SING because of those kids - makes me retch. And then of course there's the inexplicable GOOFUS -- how anyone at A&M or R&K thought that it was a single defies all explanation (it should have been buried deep in the ground somewhere, the LaBrea Tar Pits, somewhere, and not come anywhere near being an album cut, let alone a single. Just jawdroppingly terrible.
gregnewyorkcity
Member
Totally agree. I mean, just look at Richard's handling of My Body Keeps Changing...... His self-serving liner notes and comments (the whole I Told Her Not To Do Disco smear) and yet he includes it as a cut on From The Top (or whatever that four disc box set is called now). It's such a transparently hypocritical way of winning the game...... (By the way, there have been some absolutely terrific in-the-last-couple-of-years remixes of My Body -- and I've heard it played at some majorly edgy NYC clubs as well. Plus Cole Medina's loop of Karen on the left-off "It's Really You" made big waves in the Buddha Bar-like club scene too.l
suburbia99
New Member
"Jambalaya" made number 12 in the UK in 1974
We didn't get "Goofus" as a single in the UK.
Full UK chart history can be seen here: http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/carpenters/
Reading this thread, it seems that there were a few differences in singles releases over in the U.S.
Peter
Did The Blue Ridge Rangers (John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival) version of "Jambalaya" chart in the U.K? It was coming down the charts in the USA as the Now and Then LP was released, no doubt explaining why A&M didn't issue a single here.
suburbia99
New Member
The Blue Ridge Rangers never had a hit single OR album in the U.K.
I have to admit - until I read your post I had never heard of them I'm afraid!
Peter
Peter:
"Them" was "him"...John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revivial, playing all the instruments and singing. The album cover showed him in silhouette multiple times to create the illusion of a band.
Here it is. Peaked at #16 in Billboard here in the States:
suburbia99
New Member
That is indeed a good version isn't it? I have of course heard the old Hank Williams version a long time ago.
I love discovering things I was unaware of and being pleasntly surprised!
Thanks very much for taking the trouble to post that.....
Peter.
Dave
Well-Known Member
Got the orig. album that this is on I LOVE YOU & MORE EVERY DAY (He's shown singing at The Grand Ole Opry on the back cover) plus a CD or two w/ it, which has all re-recorded 1950's hits and orig. versions of songs he did from this era... Except for one set on which this is the ONLY original song from this era & the other remaining tracks are re-recorded '50's songs, of which I thought I'd be missing something if I didn't have it, and besides I felt sorry for it sitting in the rack after I'd grabbed the rest o' Pat's stuff!
-- Dave
-- Dave
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