Torch (Carly Simon album)
| Torch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | The Power Station, New York City. | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop | |||
| Length | 35:02 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Mike Mainieri | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Torch is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's eleventh album, and tenth studio album, released in 1981.
It was Simon's first album devoted to standards, namely torch songs, relating unrequited love or rejection. The album also features one Simon original, "From the Heart".[1] The album was recorded during her marriage break up to James Taylor, which was announced shortly after the release of the album.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
Cover artwork
The man whose arm Simon is tugging on the cover is American actor Al Corley, known for playing Steven Carrington on the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. The photographer was Lynn Goldsmith.[2]
Singles
"Hurt" was the only single released from the album. It just missed the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 106 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
"Not a Day Goes By" was included on Simon's 2002 career spanning collection Anthology.[3] "From the Heart" was included on Simon's 2015 career retrospective Songs From The Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection).[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue of Blue" | Nicholas Holmes, additional lyrics by Carly Simon | 3:38 |
| 2. | "I'll Be Around" | Alec Wilder | 2:30 |
| 3. | "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" | Duke Ellington, P.F. Webster | 3:46 |
| 4. | "I Get Along Without You Very Well" | Hoagy Carmichael | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Body and Soul" | Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green | 4:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hurt" | Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs | 3:21 |
| 2. | "From the Heart" | Simon | 2:47 |
| 3. | "Spring Is Here" | Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Pretty Strange" | Jon Hendricks, Randy Weston | 2:59 |
| 5. | "What Shall We Do with the Child" | Holmes, Kate Horsey, additional lyrics by Simon | 2:44 |
| 6. | "Not a Day Goes By (from the Broadway show Merrily We Roll Along)" | Stephen Sondheim | 2:40 |
| Total length: | 35:02 | ||
Personnel
- Carly Simon – lead vocals
- Warren Bernhardt – acoustic piano (1, 3, 5-9, 11), synthesizer (4), arrangements (8)
- Mike Mainieri – arrangements (1-7, 9, 10, 11), acoustic piano (4), vibraphone (5), marimba (10)
- Hugh McCracken – guitar (1, 2, 6), acoustic guitar (7)
- Lee Ritenour – guitar (2, 3, 9)
- Jay Berliner – classical guitar (10)
- Anthony Jackson – bass guitar (1, 3, 6, 9)
- Eddie Gomez – acoustic bass (5)
- Rick Marotta – drums (1, 3, 9)
- Grady Tate – drums (5)
- Jerry Marotta – drums (6)
- David Sanborn – alto saxophone (1, 3)
- Phil Woods – alto saxophone (5)
- Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (6)
- Randy Brecker – trumpet solo (9)
- David Nadien – violin solo (8)
- Don Sebesky – orchestration arrangements (1, 9, 11)
- Robert L. Freedman – orchestration arrangements (2)
- Marty Paich – orchestration arrangements (3, 4, 5, 8)
Production
- Producer – Mike Mainieri
- Production Coordination – Christine Martin
- Engineer – Scott Litt
- Second Engineer – Garry Rindfuss
- Mixing – Scott Litt (Tracks 1-7, 9, 10 & 11); Tony Bongiovi (Track 6).
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
- Art Direction – Bill Gerber and Simon Levy
- Design – Bill Gerber
- Photography – Lynn Goldsmith
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Pop Albums | 50 |
Album - International
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Australia | 77[5] |
| 1981 | Canada | 50[6] |
| 1981 | Japan | 56[7] |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Hurt" | Pop Singles | 106 |
References
- ^ "Carly Simon Official Website - From The Heart lyrics". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ San Francisco Art Exchange. "Carly Simon, Torch by Lynn Goldsmith". Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ "Carly Simon Official Website - Anthology". Retrieved 2014-12-21.
- ^ "Carly Simon Official Website - Songs from the Trees". Retrieved 2016-02-08.
- ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.