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Something in Your Eyes Video

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DJS

DJS

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Ive been a member of this forum for some years now, but have never had the internet at home (just been a sneak member at work at break times etc).
I am now discovering the wonder of the internet and have just seen the video for Something In Your Eyes for the first time ever on Utube.

Fantastic - Richard appears to be really enjoying it.

I do wish Time had not been so unsuccessful critically and commercially, because I think that fact had a lot to do with Richard's lack of solo output since.

Personally I love it and rate it above Karen's solo album and maybe even one of the Carpenters albums.

I can't say the same for P.A.C.C however.

Anyway I'm on line 24/7 now, so will hopefully join in a lot more discussions in the future.
 
Interesting that you should mention the Time album as I recently tracked down a CD copy – it seems to be pretty scarce here in the UK as the last copy I saw was a vinyl album over 10 years ago. I’d always been intrigued about what Richard’s solo album might sound like, given that for this album he wasn’t just playing instrumentals. However, after a few listens I have to confess to being very underwhelmed. Many of the songs aren’t very memorable and some of them seem quite bland. Added to that, Richard’s vocals are surprisingly weak (I’m sure he sounded much better on his “solo” spots on Carpenters albums), so there’s not much to grab you. Something in your Eyes is the clear standout, as it’s one of the only tracks with a bit of force to it, but perhaps also because to me it’s reminiscent of I Just Fall in Love Again and it’s the one track you can most easily envisage Karen singing. Who Do You Love is not bad either, with some nice harmonies, but aside from that it’s largely disposable – it doesn’t surprise me that it didn’t sell. Although in one sense they’re not comparable as they’re from different time periods and (perhaps) were made with different aims in mind, to my mind Karen’s solo album is light years ahead of this.

That said, I’d be interested to know a bit more about the context of Time: was it given much promotion? Do you think A&M and/or Richard were expecting it to be a big success? Something in Your Eyes was a single in the UK I know and I think it grazed the Top 100, but there’s very little mention of Time in anything I’ve read about the Carpenters – the Ray Coleman biography gives it a very short but favourable comment, adding that it “sold moderately” (what this means I have no idea – I would imagine that its sales were much lower than any other Carpenters release), but that’s about it. Perhaps Richard regards it as a failed experiment or because it doesn’t include Karen, few people bother to refer to it?
 
I think Time is a victim of its era - full of synthesised drum sounds and vocals laden with effects, partially to hide the fact that Richard is pretty weak as a lead singer, one of the reasons I think he had 3 other lead singers guest and one additional instrumental track to vary things.

I love some of the songs, but only because they have the same clash harmonies he used on songs with Karen like 'Love Is Surrender', and because they remind me of her (the Dionne Warwick song was meant for Karen but she never got a chance to have Richard play it for her at Christmas time 1982).
 
I appreciate the replies, its the first time I've posted a new topic so thanks again. I do understand your view points, but I have tried to listen to Time without bringing Karen into the equation.
As much I love (and I really do) almost every thing they did and she will always be my favorite singer of all time, Time was a post Karen project, yes some of the songs may have been around before Karen's passing, but this was Richard's first attempt at a solo album. Richard himself has admitted on several interviews I've heard that he is not a lead singer, but I think with a little work, he could have been, A lot of it is to do with confidence and I think with Time he was beginning to find his sound, however because the album bombed, he lost confidence again.
Personally I think that was a huge waste because I really think Richard could done some really strong albums.

Look at Brian Wilson's solo output over the last decade or so.

Brian and Richard are two of the greatest musicians of the last half century.

I remember going to buy Time at release date in 1987, I had prior warning because I was a member of the fan club, and recall walking into W H Smiths and purchasing it on cassette and rushing back to the car to play it.

So there I was sat in my VW Beetle (Bug) and I listened to the whole album before driving home. I do recall being a little shocked at the electronic sound on Say Yeah, but having said that I didn't really know what to expect.
Personally my favorite track is Calling Your Name Again written by a certain R Carpenter and J Betttis.

I think Richard coped with the disappointment and decided not do follow Time up, but can anyone honestly tell me that P,A,C,C is better than Time ? I hope not, P.A.C.C would have been far more interesting had Richard gone the whole hog and done a full classical album, as it is, I hate to say it but its elevator music. I ordered it from Japan on release date at a substantial premium to a UK release and its the only time I have ever been disappointed with a Carpenter release.

One release I would like would be Richard live from the concerts he did at the Carpenter Centre and Japan in the late nineties.

Lastly, I still think Time is more interesting and enjoyable than Karen's solo album. Phil Ramone is a great producer but they were trying create a sound different to the traditional Carpenters sound and in my mind it didn't work. The vocals are too high, it misses Karen's richness and the pronunciation of the some the lyrics is contrived at attempt to sound trendy, it just ain't Karen in my book, but this just reinforces just how good Richard was as an arranger, producer etc etc.
 
I think Time had a lot of merit, I really enjoyed it when it was released, though I concede that it was indeed "of it's time". Would love to see the "SIYE" video!
 
I have to share a story about Richard & Time. I ran into Richard & Mary at a concert for Woody Herman shortly after "Time" came out.

I told Richard how much I enjoyed the album, especially the first track "Say yeah". It was so different, and very "un-Carpenters". I used to play the cut for friends to see if they knew who was singing. No one guessed Richard.

Richard was rather depressed over the reaction to the CD. He said he got lots of letters complaining about "Say yeah". Comments like "How could you..why did you change, etc". He was surprised by the fan reaction.

I thought it was a bold move to try something different. I still like the album.
 
Richard was rather depressed over the reaction to the CD. He said he got lots of letters complaining about "Say yeah". Comments like "How could you..why did you change, etc".
Click to expand...

That's a problem many musicians face. If they keep doing the same thing over and over, they get criticized for not "breaking new ground." If they change their style or explore a new area, they get grilled for "not sounding right anymore."

There are probably quite a few artists who actually managed to pull that off successfully though. Sergio Mendes switched from Brazilian pop to American pop, and also The Doobie Brothers come to mind, because I just heard one of their "later era" songs on the radio.
 
Even though I haven't listened to TIME for several years, I quite enjoyed it when it was released in 1987.

I think, the problem is Richard's voice. For me, his voice is similar to the voice of Peter Cetera, who was the lead singer of CHICAGO and later went solo succesfully. He also recorded a duet with Karen on her solo album: MAKING LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON.

Richard and Peter both sing in a very high key. The difference for me is, this works for Peter, but not for Richard. Why? Because Peter's voice has some sort of masculinity in it, even though he sings in a high key. Richard's voice doesn't.

The second difference is, that Richard is singing too perfect. It doesn't sound natural anymore.

For me, this is the main reason why this album dind't sell very well.

I just watched the SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES video for the first time on youtube. I have waited twenty years to see this video!! And I must say, I am a bit disappointed. There were so many great videos in the Eighties, but this one is kind of boring.
Still great to finally be able to watch it. And Dusty looks and sounds great. Richard should have produced a whole album for her! Like the Pet Shop Boys did for Dusty. I once owned this CD (with the smash songs IN PRIVATE and REPUTATION), but several years ago I gave it to a friend as a present. Now it is out of print.

Is there a video for CALLING YOUR NAME AGAIN, the second single to be released from TIME? And is there a video for IN LOVE ALONE, with Dionne Warwick?

Bruno
 
Is there a video for CALLING YOUR NAME AGAIN, the second single to be released from TIME? And is there a video for IN LOVE ALONE, with Dionne Warwick?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not, this is the only promo that was made. There was also a single in Japan, where they culled the song 'Who Do You Love?' as a single, complete with picture sleeve.

ca_1_b.jpg


In case you're interested, here is the 'Time' cover without the artwork titling:

TIME_RCTBIRD_4x4.jpg


Stephen
 
Thank you for your answer and for the pictures, Stephen!

On Sunday evening, I listened to TIME for the first time in years, and it was an emotional and moving experience. Because despite the fact that I don't like Richard's lead vocals that much, the music is good and it it brings back some nostalgic memories from the Eighties to me.....

Bruno
 
"Time" is a treasure. Even though it was short shelfed, there is plenty of merit to it. Many of the tracks are very good.

BTW, love the pictures. Thanks.
 
I love Dionne Warwick's singing in In Love Alone. I can totally imagine Karen singing it. I remember reading an interview that Dionne Warwick did, and she said it was one of the hardest things she'd ever done, because she knew the song was meant for Karen.

It's also the song Richard had tried to play for Karen before she died. It rained the evening she was supposed to drive over and hear it, and she called Richard and asked if she could come another time, but as fate would have it, she never got the chance.
 
I wish I could remember where, but there was a reference stating something to the effect of Dusty not liking Richard's controlling way. Does any one know of this or if this is true?

In the video they appear to get along just fine.
 
I loved "Time" and always thought that the more muscled sound on some tracks was about time. Pun intended. I also liked it better than Karen's solo as a whole. I would have loved to hear K and R progressing albeit 80's synth. I wish that it had been a commercial success. I would have loved the "sound" to have continued even without the inimitable voice. They should both still be doing solo and group cd's. Sometimes life truly stinks. :rolleyes:
 
wisejester7 said:
I wish I could remember where, but there was a reference stating something to the effect of Dusty not liking Richard's controlling way. Does any one know of this or if this is true?

In the video they appear to get along just fine.
Click to expand...

Well Dusty also had a bit of a reputation for being frustrating in the studio in her latter years. It was a manifestation of her insecurities as she never felt her voice was good enough, and in fact shortly before her death she claimed to only like a handful of recordings in her entire catalogue! I find it remarkable that a woman with one of the greatest female voices of all time could have been so plagued by those feelings of not being good enough. In that respect, the tragedies of both Dusty and Karen seem to have a lot in common. With Dusty there was also the issue of a decade of substance and alcohol abuse and the toll it had taken on her voice. I'm sure much of that frustration was about the fact that her voice was nowhere near as fluid as it used to be, and she was forever claiming she had throat problems or a cold because she was too nervous to step up to the mic in case her voice gave out. So sad.

As far as I know, the actual process of Dusty and Richard working together was fine. Both parties have said nothing but complimentary things about the other. Apparently Dusty took umbrage to not being included on the single sleeve though, as it is credited solely to 'Richard Carpenter' on the front and bears his image alone. Here's the section about 'Something In Your Eyes' from Paul Howes' brilliant book 'The Complete Dusty Springfield' which alphabetically details every song she ever released with release information, chart statistics, quotes from Dusty, etc. It's a fascinating and thorough insight into her work and for any fans interested there's a revised edition coming out in the next couple of months.


Something In Your Eyes
Recording date: several sessions during September 1986

Dusty's collaboration with Richard Carpenter on 'Something In Your Eyes' must have seemed a backward step after gaining credibility with the Pet Shop Boys but, in fact, the song was recorded before 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' However, the single, taken from Richard Carpenter's album Time, wasn't released until the duet with the Pet Shop Boys was in the charts. Time was Carpenter's first project since the death of his sister Karen and it certainly seemed as if he was looking to fill the gap left by Karen when he called in Dusty and Dionne Warwick to do vocals on a couple of the tracks. When Dusty was asked how she felt about stepping into the spot previously occupied by Karen, she admitted that she was nervous. 'I thought there's no way I can do it as well as Karen did and then I thought that's probably not what he [Richard] wants anyway. Otherwise he wouldn't have asked me'.

Dusty elaborated, 'It's a strange story because when I did it not only did I have bronchitis at the time but I sort of went in thinking - oh, what a nice album track, and I followed very much what Richard wanted me to do. He's wonderful to work with and we both have hearing like you wouldn't believe and we hear the same things, you know. When something's wrong we both stopped and always we'd stop for the same reason. It's the first time in my life that I've ever come across anybody like that and we always got along really well. But as such, I sang it before he put all the other stuff on and of course now, hearing it as a single which I didn't expect, at least not the first single, I'd like to go back and do it all again. You know there are places in it where I really feel that vocally I wold like to have done more and, in fact, Richard and I were experimenting in the studio with doing more vocally but because it wasn't surrounded with lots of strings and things and vocal backings, it sounded borderline, strained and a little overdone. But now I hear it back and I hear what I was going to do, and what he and I were working on, actually we would have been right to have done it, but it's always in hindsight. I think it's a really pretty song and I'm amazed it's the first single'.

'After completing the song with Pamela Phillips Oland, the first vocalist who came to mind (other than Karen) was Dusty', says Richard Carpenter. 'Karen and I had always enjoyed her work, and I was looking for a vocalist who had her own unique sound. I sent a demo tape to Dusty who at that time was in semi-retirement. I received word back that she liked it, and we went on to record the tune in Studio D at A&M Studios. I enjoyed working with her. As Dusty herself will admit, she's a character. She has a great sense of humour, and is an absolutely terrific singer. I remain very pleased with the finished product'.

This lush ballad unfortunately only made a brief appearance in the lower regions of the Top 100 in the UK. Of course it might have had more success if released a few years later, when the Carpenters were back in vogue, but Dusty certainly didn't help matters back in 1987. Although she and Richard Carpenter made a video, she refused A&M's invitation to come over and promote the single in the UK. Dusty received no credit whatsoever for her vocal on either the UK or the US single. Could there be a connection?

In the States, the record didn't enter the Billboard Hot 100 at all, although it did make the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at #12.


x
 
Interesting sidenote... I just watched / listened to the Karen 50th birthday radio tribute on YouTube and around the 9 minute mark Karen talks about the vocalists who she enjoys. She mentions, in succession, Dionne and Dusty. How funny!


x
 
Thanks for the information Chris. Probably what I heard was some of what you mentioned ...
*Dusty was frustrating to work with in the studio in her later years
*Dusty's insecurities about her voice
*comparison to Karen
*not being given credits on the singles sleeve
*etc
 
Sadly, throughout the 1970's, Dusty Springfield really had a lot of bouts with personal issues, which she really did manage to channel into some good music and good albums (Cameo (1973), on Dunhill/ABC, the recently-released Longings (1974), also an ABC/Dunhill product, --which was suprisingly kept in the vault for 20-years and finally heard by the public, a few years after her death, and a pair of United Artist LP's, Living Without Your Love (1977) --which includes my favorite number, the Evie Sands-written and recorded, "You Can Do It", an underrated piece which should've made it onto a '45' and It Begins Again (1978) --which includes "That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You", which was also remixed and extended and put on a 12" version, included on Imported CD reissue copies, as well as a forgotten 1982 outing, White Heat, of which I don't even remember what label it was on), despite the frustartion she was causing to herself, as well as those around her, as what you have mentioned...

There was a bit of a revival to her career, working with The Pet Shop Boys on "What Have I Done To Deserve This", much like how Liza Minnelli's Results album, also done with The Pet Shop Boys helped her with a comeback and the appearance with Richard Carpenter was supposedly also one of Dusty's later bright spots, while the old days of recording on Atlantic and singing Burt Bacharach material and doing songs like "Son Of A Preacher Man", were just simply long gone...



Dave
 
I never understood, why neither on the video nor on the single there was written RICHARD CARPENTER FEATURING DUSTY SPRINGFIELD.

I can understand that Dusty was very frustrated by this, and that she didn't want to promote the song with Richard.

By the way, there is a Greatest Hits album called DUSTY: THE VERY BEST OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, which features not only the early years, but also WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS ( a smash hit, a duet with Pet Shop Boys), IN PRIVATE (very succesfull song here in Europe, proudced by Pet Shop Boys), and WHEREVER WOULD I BE (a duet with Darly Hall, a minor hit in Europe in the Nineties). The album doesn't include SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES.

Bruno
 
Bruno said:
...I never understood, why neither on the video nor on the single there was written RICHARD CARPENTER FEATURING DUSTY SPRINGFIELD....
Click to expand...

It should'a been... --But then, that's speaking from "her" perspective...

Bruno said:
I can understand that Dusty was very frustrated by this, and that she didn't want to promote the song with Richard.
Click to expand...

Yes, she was clearly in need of a "career-revivial" and better recognition of that song, may have been the ticket...

Bruno said:
...There is a Greatest Hits album called DUSTY: THE VERY BEST OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, which features not only the early years, but also WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS (a smash hit, duet with Pet Shop Boys), IN PRIVATE (a very succesful song here in Europe, proudced by Pet Shop Boys), and WHEREVER WOULD I BE (a duet with Darly Hall, a minor hit in Europe in the Nineties). The album doesn't include SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES.

Bruno
Click to expand...

--And if only it did...



Dave
 
I did some more research at amazon, and there is in fact also an album by Dusty called ULTIMATE COLLECTION, which features SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES.

Talking about career revival: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS was released before SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES, and this Pet Shop Boys production was the comeback single for Dusty. When SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES was released some weeks later, it was Richard who was less prominent and succesful than Dusty, at least over here in Europe.

I just ordered DUSTY:THE VERY BEST OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD at amazon, along with Michael Buble's new album CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE.

Bruno
being retrospective these days.....
 
Dave said:
Sadly, throughout the 1970's, Dusty Springfield really had a lot of bouts with personal issues, which she really did manage to channel into some good music and good albums (Cameo (1973), on Dunhill/ABC, the recently-released Longings (1974), also an ABC/Dunhill product, --which was suprisingly kept in the vault for 20-years and finally heard by the public, a few years after her death, and a pair of United Artist LP's, Living Without Your Love (1977) --which includes my favorite number, the Evie Sands-written and recorded, "You Can Do It", an underrated piece which should've made it onto a '45' and It Begins Again (1978) --which includes "That's The Kind Of Love I've Got For You", which was also remixed and extended and put on a 12" version, included on Imported CD reissue copies, as well as a forgotten 1982 outing, White Heat, of which I don't even remember what label it was on), despite the frustartion she was causing to herself, as well as those around her, as what you have mentioned...
Click to expand...

'Cameo' and 'Longing' are my favourite Dusty albums, along with 'Dusty In Memphis' of course. They were the last time she really used her 'classic' voice, I think. It became a lot more fragile and breathy from 'It Begins Again' onwards.

'White Heat' was released on the Casablanca album, but shortly after its release the label folded because all their money had been spent on cocaine! It's a great record too, a little Prince-y in places. Very sexually charged and innovative. Dusty was very proud of that one and it's the only album of hers to bear her name as a co-producer.


x

P.S. 'Living Without Your Love' was actually released in 1979, not 1977... so, a year after 'It Begins Again'.
 
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