Torch (Carly Simon album)
Torch is the 10th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 1, 1981.
| Torch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 | ||||
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| Singles from Torch | ||||
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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.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
Writing in Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden called the album "a gorgeous throwback", stating Simon's "magnificent alto, with its rough-and-tumble lows and wistful highs, has never sounded better." He singled out the track "Not a Day Goes By" as "Torch's moment of truth", a "big, direct ballad", and "Simon's vocal makes you feel each stab of pain." He concluded "though Torch may be too sophisticated to storm the charts, it's nevertheless a superb example of modern mood music, performed with grace, gusto, sensuality and intelligence."
In a retrospective review from AllMusic, William Ruhlmann similarly singled out the track "Not a Day Goes By", stating that Simon delivers it "with heartbreaking conviction."
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
Musicians
- Carly Simon – lead vocals
- Warren Bernhardt – acoustic piano (1, 3, 5–9, 11), synthesizers (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 (United States)[5]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard 200 | 50 |
Album – International
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Australia[6] | 77 |
| Canada[7] | 50 | |
| Japan[8] | 56 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Hurt" | Hot 100 | 106 |
References
- "Carly Simon Official Website – From The Heart lyrics". Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - San Francisco Art Exchange. "Carly Simon, Torch by Lynn Goldsmith". Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- "Carly Simon Official Website – Anthology". Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- "Carly Simon Official Website – Songs from the Trees". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- "Carly Simon – Chart history - Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- 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 January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.