This track opens with a twinkling sound, and a thick chord carried by harmonized vocals. It quickly builds into a ‘Mission Impossible’–like jazzy groover, with piano and bongos. Although this seems to owe a great debt to Lalo Schifrin, the overall sound is somehow very different and refreshing.
available on CD - Up! The Psycho Mellow (Schema)
27 Feb 06 ·jezandliz1: Not sure why this has been listed in the French section as Barbara Moore is, I think, English.
The whole album is fantastic though for fans of wordless female voices like Edda Dell'Orsa and a dreamy long-forgotten-summer vibe. Worth every penny of the steep import(Japanese_)cost. 28 Feb 06 ·n-jeff: Barbara Moore was the go-to gal for wordless vocals on the UK session scene, she did soem great work on things like "Sort of Soul" by Birds and Brass etc.
What lies in the future is a mystery to us all. There may come a time when I will see that I've been wrong. But for now this is my song. And it's "Goodbye to love".
Waves of vocals raining down.
A guitar solo that refuses to die.
from A Song for You (A&M) available on CD - Carpenters Gold (A&M)
22 Mar 06 ·FlyingDutchman1971: Excellent track. A lot of fans were upset by the guitar solo at the end of the song, feeling that the Carpenters had sold out to the hard rock sound that bands like Led Zepplin were creating at the time.
Regular visitors to this site will know I'm partial to this song and to the era of this recording. But nothing could have prepared me for the mind-blowing grooviness this Petula Clark version from 1968. It has a 'slightly too slow to dance to' funkiness, kind of like the tastiest version of 'Watermelon man' you ever heard. The arrangement has piano, bouncy drums, peppy brass, flutes, and to top it all, some beautiful strings adding some complexity to what is basically a simple bluesy composition.
Isn't it great when you come across a track and just think 'this is the best thing ever'?
The entire CD is great - 28 of Petula's grooviest tracks. I recommend it!
from The Other Man's Grass (Is Always Greener) (Pye NSPL 18211) available on CD - Feelin' Groovy (Sanctuary)
22 Mar 06 ·FlyingDutchman1971: Ah, Ms. Pet! She is one of my favorites too. I've managed to get my hands on most of her 60's catalog, including the original album this song comes from. Thanks for mentioning her!
k.d. Lang also does a beautiful rendition of this great torch song on her album "Shadowland".
A perfect song. I love every note. The mood is desolate, yet warm and reassuring as well. The bassline and guitar playing recall some of the great early-period New Order tracks. The track fades in beautifully with bass, drums, and guitar. The drums and bass are steady, while the effects-laden guitar shimmers over the top. Liz Fraser's vocal is at first understated, until the chorus begins. Her voice soars as a simple piano sound joins the mix. The chords are simple, almost inevitable, but the instrumentation and execution are quite stunning.
from the single Aikea-Guinea (4AD BAD501) available on CD - Aikea-Guinea (4AD)
23 Mar 06 ·audioadventures: Another one of my favourites of all time. Gives me goosebumps. 26 Mar 06 ·leonthedog: Yes, I remember playing this EP over and over back when it was only on vinyl... Although "Kookaburra"
is, in my opinion, even more heavenly! Like angels
comforting you...
The Carpenters have become like Abba were for me about 15 years ago - I can lose hours at a time just listening to their best songs with the volume up high. I actually never really dared to venture beyond my favorites from Abba's hits, but with the Carpenters I have a few LPs and recently picked up a 5-CD reader's digest set, allowing me to hear some less famous tracks by them.
This track is a bit of a revelation for me. Highly produced, early 70s. Piano-led, with strings, guitar, bass etc, and Richard providing some backing vocals. Karen's singing is beautiful as ever, although her voice sounds a bit funny - she over-pronounces words like 'goes'. The verse is plaintive and moody, while the brief chorus is funky in that glorious way tracks from the early 70s can be funky. This section is reprised with pretty sick flute playing!
In all, a really beautiful track that for me showcases all the best things the Carpenters have to offer. The band are still stigmatized by many, for reasons I'm not exactly clear on. I understand that this kind of highly produced, clean sounding music might not be for everyone, but if you've just been put off listening to them because they're not very cool, maybe give this track a try!
from A song for you (A song for you) available on CD - Magical Memories of the Carpenters (Reader's Digest)
10 Apr 06 ·FlyingDutchman1971: You are not alone in you love of the Carpenters! I am proud to say that I have every studio album produced by Richard and Karen and still play them all the time. I need to pull them off the shelves and post a few songs on here... thanks for bringing it to my attention! 17 Apr 06 ·callgirlscene: I like the Carpenters too. They have a pristine flawless and happy quality that is slightly unreal. It's fascinating and yet there's a kind of tragic undercurrent in some of their music too.
