Simon, Carly
Carly Simon
Singer, songwriter
Pop singer-songwriter Carly Simon first gained attention in the music world in 1971 with her first hit single, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be.” Though perhaps most famous for her 1972 smash “You’re So Vain,” she has had many other hits, including “Anticipation,” “The Right Thing to Do,” and “Coming Around Again.” After a career slump in the mid-1980s, Simon returned with the latter song, and also won a 1989 Academy Award for best film theme for her hit “Let the Rivers Run.”
Simon was born into a famous family; her father, Richard Simon, was a co-founder of the Simon & Schuster publishing company. Yet both her parents were musically inclined, and introduced her to the music of composers Richard Wagner and George and Ira Gershwin. Simon continued expanding her musical horizons, being exposed to the folk genre as a schoolgirl. One of her teachers at her private school was folk great Pete Seeger, and one of her first boyfriends took her to many of Odetta’s concerts. She attended Sarah Lawrence College for a few years, but dropped out to form a folk duo with her sister Lucy. Meanwhile, her eldest sister, Joanna, was pursuing a career as a professional opera singer.
Carly and Lucy billed themselves as the Simon Sisters, and managed to obtain gigs in small clubs on the east coast. Eventually they won an opportunity to perform on the television variety program “Hootenanny,” and recorded an album on Kapp Records. This was not an overwhelming success—the most popular single, “Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod,” reached the dizzying height of seventy-eighth on the charts. The sisters stopped working together after Lucy’s marriage in 1965.
After going solo, Simon encountered rock manager Albert Grossman, who wanted to bill her as the female Bob Dylan, but she was uncomfortable with that style. For a brief period in 1969, she served as one of the lead singers for a rock band called Elephant’s Memory. She had also formed a songwriting partnership with one of her childhood friends, Jacob Brackman. In 1970, Simon sang a demonstration tape of some of their songs; it circulated among some record companies, was rejected by Columbia, but provoked great interest at Elektra. Simon’s solo debut was a self-titled 1971 album that received almost immediate critical acclaim. Timothy Crouse in Rolling Stone claimed that “some of the songs on [Carly Simon ] sound like [John] Updike or [J.D.] Salinger short stories set to music.” He was also impressed by Simon’s “superbly controlled voice.” The disc featured a hit single, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be.” That year, Simon garnered a Grammy Award as best new artist.
Simon followed her debut with Anticipation, which featured
For the Record…
Born June 25, 1945, in New York, N.Y.; daughter of Richard Simon (a publisher); married James Taylor (a singer-songwriter) in November, 1972 (divorced 1981); children: Sarah, Ben; married Jim Hart (a writer), December 23, 1987. Education: Attended Sarah Lawrence College.
Pop, rock, ballads singer and songwriter; member of folk duo the “Simon Sisters” with sister Lucy during the early 1960s; lead singer for rock group Elephant’s Memory, 1969; solo recording artist and occasional concert performer, 1971—. Wrote film score for Heartburm, c. 1987.
Awards: Grammy Award, 1971, for best new artist. Academy Award, 1989, for best motion picture theme, “Let the Rivers Run,” from Working Girl.
Addresses: Residence —Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Record company —Arista Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10019.
the hit title track, and another minor hit, “Legend in Your Own Time.” “Anticipation” supposedly took its inspiration from Simon’s brief relationship with fellow singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, but by November, 1972, she had married another singer-songwriter, James Taylor. At roughly the same time, Simon launched what was to become her trademark smash, “You’re So Vain,” from the album No Secrets. The latter became her first gold album, and also included the hit, “The Right Thing to Do.” She followed this triumph with 1974’s Hotcakes, which was cited by Cue magazine as the year’s top album in the pop category, and featured the hit singles “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain” and a duet remake with Taylor of the old rhythm and blues song, “Mockingbird.”
But with success came problems. It is a good idea to tour in order to promote a recording career, but Simon suffered from severe stage fright. She managed to get through her earlier concerts without audiences sensing her fear, but temporarily abandoned public performances in 1974 after the birth of her first child. When she was persuaded by Elektra executives to do a tour in 1981, she collapsed from fright in the middle of a concert. She also had many personal stresses at the time—she was divorcing Taylor and her young son had just undergone kidney surgery. Simon finally managed to give another concert in 1987 near her home in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Simon’s popularity continued. She had a hit in 1977 with “Nobody Does It Better,” the theme from the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me,” and another in 1978 with “You Belong to Me.” The latter came from the album Boys in the Trees, which went platinum. But from this peak, Simon’s career began to descend. She scored in 1980 with “Jesse,” but the rest of the early 1980s were bleak, and her 1985 album Spoiled Girl “just bombed,” she admitted to Jane Hall in People.
Simon started a comeback in 1987 when she was asked to score the film Heartburn. The theme she wrote for it, “Coming Around Again,” became her biggest hit in years. She included the song on an album of the same title; she switched to Arista Records to release it. Coming Around Again also featured the hits “Give Me All Night” and “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of,” in addition to an interesting remake of “As Time Goes By.” Simon followed this up with yet another triumph, writing and performing the theme for the film Working Girl. The inspiring “Let the Rivers Run” garnered its composer an Academy Award for best motion picture theme.
Selected discography
(With sister, Lucy) The Simon Sisters (includes “Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod”), Kapp, 1964.
Carly Simon (includes “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”), Elektra, 1971.
Anticipation (includes “Anticipation” and “Legend in Your Own Time”), Elektra, 1971.
No Secrets (includes “You’re So Vain,” “The Right Thing to Do,” and “We Have No Secrets”), Elektra, 1972.
Hotcakes (includes “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain” and “Mockingbird”), Elektra, 1974.
Playing Possum (includes “Attitude Dancing,” “Slave,” “Waterfall,” and “More and More”), Elektra, 1975.
Another Passenger (includes “It Keeps You Runnin’”), Elektra, 1976.
Boys in the Trees (includes “You Belong to Me”), Elektra, 1978.
Spy, Elektra, 1979.
Come Upstairs (includes “Jesse”), Warner Bros., 1980.
Torch, Warner Bros., 1981.
Spoiled Girl, Warner Bros., 1985.
Coming Around Again (includes “Coming Around Again,” “Give Me All Night,” “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of,” and “As Time Goes By”), Arista, 1987.
My Romance, Arista, 1990.
Have You Seen Me Lately?, Arista, 1990.
Also recorded the singles “Nobody Does It Better” and “Let the Rivers Run.”
Sources
Cue, December 9, 1974.
McCall’s, May 1987.
People, April 27, 1987; August 17, 1987; January 11, 1988.
Rolling Stone, April 29, 1971; June 18, 1987.
—Elizabeth Thomas
Simon, Carly
Carly Simon
Singer, songwriter
Completed Trilogy of Standards
Establishing herself during the early 1970s, Carly Simon’s latest release stretches her range and completes the trilogy of her standards. Film Noir, released in 1997 by Arista, features her sultry voice against an orchestra. Recorded mostly live, the album celebrates films of the 1940s, although not all cuts actually were in films. Reminiscent of another era, the mysterious and sometimes seductive music creates a romantic mood and evokes a sense of drama. The music conjures scenes set in a smoke filled bar, featuring the likes of Humphry Bogart and Lauren Bacall playing scenes to such music. Simon proves once again that she is no lightweight in the style department, and she continually seems able to delight an audience with the variety of resources she pulls from her creative well. Her latest album adds to the long list of classics by this classy singer and songwriter.
Simon was born in New York City on June 25, 1945 to Richard Simon, a co-founder of the Simon and Schuster publishing company, and Andrea Simon. She has two sisters, Lucy and Joanna, and a brother, Peter, all artists, musical or otherwise. Both of her parents were musically inclined. Simon grew up listening to the music of George and Ira Gershwin and Richard Wagner. She was exposed to folk music as a school girl, and after dropping out of Sarah Lawrence College after a few years, she and her sister, Lucy, formed a folk duo called the Simon Sisters. The pair performed at small clubs along the east coast, eventually performing on the television show Hootenanny. Soon afterwards they recorded an album with Kapp Records and their most popular single, “Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod,” reached number 78 on music charts. The Simon Sisters stopped performing together in 1965 after Lucy married.
For a short time in 1969, Simon was the lead singer for a rock band called Elephant’s Memory. She also sang jingles during this period. Soon a demo was favorably considered by Elektra Records, and in 1970 she signed with them. Her 1971 debut, Carly Simon, received much positive attention. Timothy Crouse of Rolling Stone, noted Simon’s impressive vocals and described her voice as, “superbly controlled.” Crouse also noticed a literary connection in Simon’s music; he said, “some of the songs on [Carly Simon]sound like [John] Updike or [J.D.] Salinger short stories setto music.” Simon earned a Grammy in 1971 for best new artist.
Nobody Did It Better
Simon followed her debut with a string of successful singles and gold albums during the 1970s. Her No Secrets album released in 1972 would become the first
For the Record…
Born on June 25, 1945, in New York City; daughter of Richard (publisher) and Andrea Simon; married James Taylor (singer/songwriter) on November 3, 1972 (divorced 1981); children: Sally, Ben; married James Hart (writer/businessman) December 23, 1987; Education: attended Sarah Lawrence College.
During the early 1960’s, Simon and sister Lucy performed as a folk duo called the Simon Sisters; performed as lead singer for the rock group, Elephant’s Memory, 1969; after singing jingles and making demos for two years, signed with Elektra label in 1970; released debut album, Carly Simon, 1971;No Secrets, 1972; during the early 1980s suffered severe stage fright; rebounded in 1987 with Coming Around Again; wrote scores for several motion pictures including co-writing hit “Nobody Does It Better” with Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager for the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me; has published five children’s books; wrote children’s opera Romulus Hunt, which premiered in 1993; appeared on several television programs during the 1990s; reunited on stage with ex-husband James Taylor for a concert benefiting the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, 1995.
Awards: Grammy for Best New Artist, 1971; Academy Award and Golden Globe for “Let The Rivers Run” from Working Girl, 1989; platinum cerification for Coming Around Again, 1988; inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame, 1994; nominated for Grammy, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance for Film Noir, 1998.
Addresses: Home —Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Record Company —Arista Records, Inc., Arista Building, 6 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Fan Club—The Carly Simon Fan Club, The Fan Emporium, P.O. Box 679, Branford, CT 06405. Websites—www.aristarec.com.
of many gold albums, and included the hit, “You’re So Vain.” This was followed by Hotcakes in 1974, which was called the year’s top album in the pop category by Cuemagazine; that release included hit single, “Haven’t Got Time For The Pain,” and a duet with husband of two years, James Taylor, “Mockingbird.” These would be followed by others. Simon’s style of fashioning songs from autobiographical material caused much speculation about who her songs were written about.
In 1974 Simon took a break from live performing after the birth of her first child, although she continued recording and released several additional albums from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s. In 1977, she had a hit with the theme “Nobody Does It Better,” from the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. Her 1978 album, Boys In The Trees, would go platinum.
The first half of the 1980s were difficult for Simon personally and professionally. She was in the process of a divorce from Taylor, and her young son, Ben, had undergone a serious kidney operation. After being pushed by Elektra executives to tour in 1981, she eventually collapsed from exhaustion and stage fright during a concert. This was followed by her 1985 album, Spoiled Girl, which even she admitted to People interviewer, Jane Hall, “just bombed.”
Came Around Again
Simon rebounded in 1987 after penning the theme, “Coming Around Again,” for Mike Nichols’s film Heartburn. The hit was also released on an album of the same name, and included other hits, “Give Me All Night,” and “As Time Goes By.” Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Hoer-burger said Coming Around Again, “… is a strong reminder of how refreshing a diversion Carly Simon can be.” Coming Around Again was released on her new label, Arista Records, in 1987.
This was followed up with another hit single “Let The Rivers Run,” from the film, Working Girl, which she wrote and performed. This theme earned her an Academy Award, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe Award. Also in 1987, she married writer and businessman James Hart on December 23; she recovered adequately from stage fright and performed aconcert close to home in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The concert was filmed for an HBO special. In 1988, she released her gold album, Greatest Hits Live.
Simon’s popularity and success as a singer and songwriter continued into the 1990s. She wrote the score for the film, Postcards From The Edge, and released Have You Seen Me Lately?, in 1990 which included eleven new songs by Simon and guest performances by sister, Lucy, and Judy Collins. Also in 1990 she released the second of her set of jazz/standards, My Romance. In 1992 she composed and recorded the soundtrack for the movie, This Is My Life, which spawned one of Simon’s best love songs, “You’re The Love Of My Life.” She also performed on the hugely popular Frank Sinatra Duets album, and wrote five children’s books and the children’s opera Romulus Hunt for the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the John F. Kennedy Center.
In November 1994, Simon released what she called “… the most personal album, in a sea of personal albums that I have ever made.” Simon discussed her sources for the majority of her material at her online fan club site at www.fanemporium.com. With the exception of two songs, all the cuts from Letters Never Sent were written or co-written by Simon inspired by a real box of letters that Simon had written and never sent. “Like A River,” was written soon after her mother’s death and stemmed from Simon’s strong desire to communicate with her mother. Reviewers agreed that this effort was a great success. Entertainment Weekly gave Letters a “B+” rating, and called Simon’s action, “a daring move that pays off.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it the “best collection since the 70s.”
The following year, in December of 1995, Arista released a boxed set, Clouds In My Coffee, which was a retrospective on a prolific career spanning from 1965 to 1995. It includes many of her previous hit songs, some new, some live, and some previously unrecorded cuts. Marjorie Rosen of People called the collection, “…some kinda wonderful.” A Billboard reviewer called the collection, “… a must have for the Carly Simon fan and a long deserved tribute to an artist who has made immeasurable contributions to American pop, folk, and rock.”
Some of the cuts include remixes of her timeless classics as well as two songs from her duet album with sister Lucy. Simon’s first demo, recorded in 1965, “Play With Me” is included. In conjunction with the upcoming release of the retrospective, Simon kicked off her first concert tour in 14 years with performances in 16 cities. She received glowing reviews including one from Steve Morse of the Boston Globe, who commented on the high level of confidence that Simon displayed in a March 1995 performance at the Boston’s Avalon. She was joined by daughter, Sally, singing Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally.” Simon “stopped commuters in their tracks” according to People, during a live performance in New York’s Grand Central Terminal on April 2, 1995. The performance was filmed and later released by PolyGram, called LiveAt Grand Central; it also aired on Lifetime TV.
Completed Trilogy of Standards
Simon’s latest release, Film Noir, on Arista in 1997, completes her trilogy of standards. The first, Torch, 1981, and second, My Romance, 1990 were quite successful. The majority of songs included on this album hail from movies of the 1940s. The seductive, mysterious music sets a romantic mood, remindsone of another era, and evokes a sense of the drama reminiscent of the silver screen. Simon’s sultry, smoky voice againstthe orchestra increases the lush, sensual sound of this production. The cuts were mainly taped live, giving the album a fresh, unrehearsed feeling. She and co-producer, Jimmy Webb, harmonize together on the Frank Loesser song, “Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year.” Simon sang another duet, “Two Sleepy People,” a sweet, light love song, with longtime friend, John Travolta.
The CD is an enhanced cassette disk (ECD) which contains multimedia files that can be used to interface with the Simon World Wide Web site and offers free time on America Online. Simon’s son, Ben Taylor, joins in on several cuts. The reception of Film Noir has been deservedly positive; New York Post reviewer Liz Smith called the latest release, “… the sexiest CD of the year.” Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald said, “… the first-take vocal aspect lends spontaneity and warmth.”
Cohen also noted how Simon “… constantly shifts stylistic gears,” on the newest album. Perhaps this is a factor which has aided Simon in maintaining the longevity of her professional success. Constantly looking for new ways to utilize her wealth of creativity, whether it be literary, insinging style, or the range of material from which she pulls themes, Simon continues to delight fans. She told People in November 1997, that continuing her tradition of always doing the opposite of her last, her next work will be “a stripped-down set of originals called Stark.” Her fans will wait in anticipation.
Selected discography
(With sister Lucy) The Simon Sisters (includes “Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod”), Kapp, 1964.
Carly Simon, Elektra, 1971.
Anticipation, Elektra, 1971.
No Secrets, (includes “You’re So Vain”), Elektra, 1972.
Hotcakes, (includes “Haven’t Got Time For The Pain” and “Mockingbird”), Elektra, 1974.
Playing Possum, Elektra, 1975.
Another Passenger, Elektra, 1976.
(Contributor) The Spy Who Loved Me (soundtrack, includes “Nobody Does It Better”), 1977, reissued Alliance, 1996.
Boys In The Trees, Elektra, 1978.
Spy, Elektra, 1979.
Come Upstairs, Warner Bros., 1980.
Torch, Warner Bros., 1981.
Spoiled Girl, Epic, 1985.
Coming Around Again, (includes “Coming Around Again,” “Give Me All Night,” and “As Time Goes By”), Arista, 1987.
Greatest Hits Live, Arista, 1988.
(Contributor) Working Girl (soundtrack, includes “Let The Rivers Run”), Arista, 1989.
My Romance, Arista, 1990.
Have You Seen Me Lately?, Arista, 1990.
(Contributor) This Is My Life (soundtrack, includes “You’re The Love Of My Life”), Warner Bros., 1992.
Frank Sinatra’s Duets, Capitol, 1993.
Letters Never Sent, (includes “Like A River”), Arista, 1994.
Clouds In My Coffee, (includes “Play With Me”), Arista, 1995.
Film Noir (includes “Spring Will Be A Little Late” and “Two Sleepy People”), Arista, 1997.
Selected writings
Amy And The Dancing Bear (juvenile), Doubleday, 1989.
Postcards From The Edge, score, 1990.
The Boy of The Bells (children’s book), Doubleday, 1990.
The Fisherman’s Song (children’s book), Doubleday, 1992.
Romulus Hunt (an opera for children), 1992.
Midnight Farm (children’s book), Simon and Schuster, 1997.
The Nighttime Chauffeur (children’s book), Doubleday.
Sources
Books
Rees, Dafydd, and Luke Crampton, Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Dorling Kindersly, 1996.
Romanowski, Patricia, and Holly George-Warren, editors, The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Fireside, 1995.
Periodicals
Billboard, December 2, 1995; December 16, 1995; January 27, 1996, p. 107; September 6, 1997; October 4, 1997.
Boston Globe, November 13, 1994; March 14, 1995.
Cue, December 9, 1974.
Entertainment Weekly, November 11, 1994, p. 77.
InStyle, July 1995, pp. 62-68.
Miami Herald, September 12, 1997.
New York Post, October 8, 1997.
MOJO, November 1997.
People, August 17, 1987, pp. 38, 40; April 17, 1995; December 18, 1995, p. 23; November 3, 1997.
Rolling Stone, April 29, 1971; June 18, 1987, p. 85.
Toronto Sun, October 25, 1997.
TV Guide, May 13, 1995, p. 46.
USA Today, March 8, 1995; December 19, 1995.
Online
www.arista.rec.com/aristaweb/CarlySimon/main.html
www.cdnow.com
www.fanemporium.com/carlysimon/history.htm
www.ziva.com/carly/clouds_pr.html
Additional information was provided by Arista Records.
—Debra Reilly
Simon, Carly
Carly Simon
Singer, songwriter
Best known for the enigmatic 1972 hit "You're So Vain," Carly Simon established herself during the 1970s' singer-songwriter boom. Possessing a stirring yet sweet folk voice, a knack for confessional lyrics, and an earthy sexuality, she was the hottest female star in the days before disco. Like her former husband James Taylor, she eventually earned great critical acclaim for her reinterpretations of standards. The multi-talented Simon has written scores for films such as Piglet's Big Movie, contributed an Oscar-winning song to the hit comedy Working Girl, and has written five successful children's books.
Simon was born in New York City on June 25, 1945, to Richard Simon, a co-founder of the Simon and Schuster publishing company, and Andrea Simon. She had two sisters, Lucy and Joanna, and a brother, Peter, all artists, musical or otherwise. Both of her parents were musically inclined. Simon grew up listening to the music of George and Ira Gershwin and Richard Wagner. She was exposed to folk music as a schoolgirl. "Odetta was my idol," she told Joe Smith for his book Off the Record. "I wanted to sing like her. Then I heard Joan Baez, and it didn't seem possible that I could ever sound like her. Then I heard Judy Collins. I was a senior in high school. When you think you're a singer yourself, the people who influence you are the people you can sound like, people you can imitate, and Judy Collins I thought I could sound like."
The Simon Sisters
Simon dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College, and she and her sister Lucy formed a folk duo called the Simon Sisters. The pair performed at small clubs along the East Coast, eventually performing on the ABC television show Hootenanny. Soon afterwards they recorded two albums for Kapp Records and their most popular single, "Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod," reached number 78 on the music charts. The Simon Sisters stopped performing together in 1965 after Lucy married.
For a short time in 1969 Simon was the lead singer for a rock band called Elephant's Memory, which briefly became John Lennon's backing band in 1972. She also sang jingles during this period. Soon a demo was favorably considered by Elektra Records, and she signed with them in 1970. Her 1971 debut, Carly Simon, received positive attention. Timothy Crouse of Rolling Stone noted Simon's impressive vocals and described her voice as "superbly controlled." Crouse also noticed a literary connection in Simon's music; he said, "some of the songs on [Carly Simon] sound like [John] Updike or [J.D.] Salinger short stories set to music." Simon earned a Grammy Award in 1971 for Best New Artist.
Simon followed her debut with a string of successful singles and gold albums during the 1970s. Her NoSecrets album (1972) would become the first of many gold albums, and included the million-selling hit "You're So Vain." Simon has never gone public with the name of the person who inspired the song. This was followed by Hotcakes in 1974, which was called the year's top album in the pop category by Cue magazine; that release included the hit single "Haven't Got Time For The Pain," and a duet, "Mockingbird," with James Taylor, her husband of two years.
In 1974 Simon took a break from live performing after the birth of her first child, but continued recording, releasing several albums from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s. In 1977 she had a hit with the provocative theme "Nobody Does It Better" from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. Her 1978 album, Boys In The Trees, went platinum.
The early 1980s were difficult for Simon personally and professionally. She was in the process of a divorce from Taylor, and her young son, Ben, had undergone a serious kidney operation. After being pushed by Elektra executives to tour in 1981, she eventually collapsed from exhaustion and stage fright during a concert. This was followed by an unsuccessful 1985 album for Epic, Spoiled Girl.
Simon, whose sound became increasingly Adult Contemporary in nature, rebounded in 1987 at Arista records after penning the theme "Coming Around Again" for Mike Nichols's film Heartburn. The hit was also released on an album of the same name, and included the hits "Give Me All Night," and "As Time Goes By." Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Hoerburger called Coming Around Again "a strong reminder of how refreshing a diversion Carly Simon can be."
This was followed by another hit single, "Let The Rivers Run," from the film Working Girl, which Simon wrote and performed. The song earned her an Academy Award, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe Award. Also, in 1987, she married writer and businessman James Hart. In 1988 she released her gold album Greatest Hits Live.
For the Record …
Born June 25, 1945, in New York City; daughter of Richard (a publisher) and Andrea Simon; married James Taylor (singer/songwriter), 1972 (divorced 1983); children: Sally, Ben; married James Hart (writer/businessman) December 23, 1987. Education: Attended Sarah Lawrence College.
Recording artist and singer-songwriter; during early 1960s Simon and sister Lucy performed as folk duo the Simon Sisters; performed as lead singer for the rock group Elephant's Memory, 1969; signed with Elektra label, 1970, released debut album, Carly Simon, 1971, and No Secrets, 1972; during early 1980s suffered severe stage fright; rebounded in 1987 with Coming Around Again; recorded for Epic, Arista, Columbia, and Warner Bros; wrote scores for motion pictures, including co-writing "Nobody Does It Better" with Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager for James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me; published several children's books; wrote children's opera Romulus Hunt, which premiered in 1993; reunited on stage with ex-husband James Taylor for benefit concert, 1995; has appeared on numerous network television programs, including The Midnight Speacial, Late Show with David Letterman, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The View, and the The Oprah Winfrey Show; starred in her own television specials, including Carly Simon: Live at Grand Central, 1995, and Carly Simon: A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2, 2005.
Awards: Grammy Award for Best New Artist, 1971; Grammy Award (with others) for Best Recording for Children, In Harmony/ A Sesame Street Record, 1980; Academy Award and Golden Globe for "Let The Rivers Run," from Working Girl, 1989; inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame, 1994; Cable Ace Award, Best Sings, for "Touched By the Sun," 1995; inducted into Boston Music Hall of Fame, 1995; Boston Music Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year, for "Our Affair," 2002.
Addresses: Record company—Columbia/Sony, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022, official label website: http://www.sonybmgmusic.com. Website—Carly Simon Official Website: http://www.carlysimon.com.
Simon's popularity and success as a singer and songwriter continued into the 1990s. She wrote the score for the film Postcards From The Edge and released Have You Seen Me Lately? in 1990. The album included 11 new songs by Simon and guest performances by sister, Lucy, and Judy Collins. Also in 1990 she released the second of her set of jazz/standards, My Romance. In 1992 she composed and recorded the soundtrack for the movie This Is My Life, which spawned one of Simon's best loved songs, "You're The Love Of My Life." She also performed on the hugely popular Frank Sinatra Duets album, and wrote five children's books, as well as a children's opera, Romulus Hunt, for the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the John F. Kennedy Center.
In November of 1994 Simon released Letters Never Sent, which she called the "most personal album, in a sea of personal albums, that I have ever made." With the exception of two songs, all the cuts from Letters Never Sent were written or co-written by Simon, inspired by a real box of letters that Simon had written and never sent. "Like A River" was written soon after her mother's death and stemmed from Simon's strong desire to communicate with her mother. Entertainment Weekly gave Letters a "B+" rating, and called Simon's action "a daring move that pays off." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it the "best collection since the '70s."
In 1995 Arista released a boxed set, Clouds In My Coffee, which was a retrospective on a prolific career from 1965 to 1995. It included many of her previous hit songs, some new, some live, and some previously unrecorded cuts. Marjorie Rosen of People called the collection "some kinda wonderful." A Billboard reviewer called the collection "a must have for the Carly Simon fan and a long deserved tribute to an artist who has made immeasurable contributions to American pop, folk, and rock."
Some of the cuts included remixes of her timeless classics as well as two songs from her debut album with sister Lucy. In conjunction with the release of the retrospective, Simon kicked off her first concert tour in 14 years with performances in 16 cities. She received glowing reviews, including one from Steve Morse of the Boston Globe, who commented on the high level of confidence that Simon displayed in a one performance at the Boston's Avalon. She was joined by daughter Sally, singing Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally." A performance at New York's Grand Central Station was filmed and later released by PolyGram. Called Live At Grand Central, it also aired on Lifetime TV. 1995 also marked the year when Simon recovered from her problem with stage fright and performed a concert close to home in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with ex-husband James Taylor. The concert was filmed for an HBO special.
Completed Trilogy of Standards
Simon's Film Noir, on Arista in 1997, completed her trilogy of standards, which included Torch (1981), and My Romance (1990). The cuts on Film Noir were mainly taped live, giving the album a fresh, unrehearsed feeling. Simon and co-producer Jimmy Webb harmonized together on the Frank Loesser song "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year." Simon sang another duet, "Two Sleepy People," with longtime friend John Travolta. Simon's son, Ben Taylor, joined in on several cuts. New York Post reviewer Liz Smith called the album "…the sexiest CD of the year."
After waging a successful battle with breast cancer in 1997, Simon slowed her recorded output somewhat. Bedroom Tapes (2000) was her first album of original material in six years. MacKenzie Wilson of All Music Guide praised Simon's blend of jazz, blues, folk, pop, and rock ‘n’ roll, saying, "She is as raw as she was on 1975's Playing Possum and just as sweet as 1987's Coming Around Again, but Simon is fresh."
Simon's natural sweetness, grounded with a subtle sense of pathos, is what made such seasonal albums as 2002's Christmas is Almost Here and Season's Greetings from Room 139 warm and poignant listening experiences. By 2005 Simon had garnered enough personal confidence to finally shake off her legendary stage fright, and she toured in support of yet another set of lushly produced pop standards, Moonlight Serenade. She was quoted by IMDB.com as saying she "no longer has time for that negativity."
Aided by her grown children with Taylor, Simon made a candy-coated return to her folk roots with 2007's Into White, which included Adult Contemporary versions of Stephen Foster's "Oh! Susanna," the Beatles' "Blackbird," and the Everly Brothers' "Devoted to You/All I Have to Do is Dream." The album provoked Entertainment Weekly's Chris Willman to observe, "This richly personal disc aims at putting kids to sleep while simultaneously setting parents to rumination. Few boomers won't get choked up hearing her cover ‘You Can Close Your Eyes,’ by ex-husband James Taylor, with their son, JT sound-alike Ben Taylor."
Selected discography
Singles
"That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be," Elektra, 1971.
"Anticipation," Elektra, 1972.
"You're So Vain," Elektra, 1972.
"The Right Thing to Do," Elektra, 1973.
(With James Taylor) "Mockingbird," Elektra, 1974.
"Haven't Got Time for the Pain," Elektra, 1974.
"Attitude Dancing," Elektra, 1975.
"Nobody Does it Better," Elektra, 1977.
"You Belong to Me," Elektra, 1978.
(With James Taylor) "Devoted to You," Elektra, 1978.
"Jesse," Warner, 1980.
"Coming Around Again," Arista, 1986.
"All I Want is You," Arista, 1987.
"Give Me All Night," Arista, 1987.
"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of," Arista, 1987.
"Let the Rivers Run," Arista, 1988.
"Better Not Tell Her," Arista, 1990.
Albums
(With sister Lucy) The Simon Sisters, Kapp, 1964.
Carly Simon, Elektra, 1971.
Anticipation, Elektra, 1971.
No Secrets, Elektra, 1972.
Hotcakes, Elektra, 1974.
Playing Possum, Elektra, 1975.
Another Passenger, Elektra, 1976.
(Contributor) The Spy Who Loved Me (soundtrack), 1977; reissued, Alliance, 1996.
Boys In The Trees, Elektra, 1978.
Spy, Elektra, 1979.
Come Upstairs, Warner Bros., 1980.
Torch, Warner Bros., 1981.
Spoiled Girl, Epic, 1985.
Coming Around Again, Arista, 1987.
Greatest Hits Live, Arista, 1988.
(Contributor) Working Girl (soundtrack), Arista, 1989.
My Romance, Arista, 1990.
Have You Seen Me Lately?, Arista, 1990.
(Contributor) This Is My Life (soundtrack), Warner Bros., 1992.
(Contributor) Frank Sinatra's Duets, Capitol, 1993.
Letters Never Sent, Arista, 1994.
Clouds In My Coffee, Arista, 1995.
Film Noir Arista, 1997.
Bedroom Tapes, Arista, 2000.
Christmas is Almost Here, Rhino, 2002.
Season's Greetings from Room 139, WEA, 2002.
Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits, WEA International, 2004.
Moonlight Serenade, Columbia, 2005.
Into White, Columbia, 2007.
Video/DVD
My Romance, Pioneer, 1972.
Live from Matha's Vineyard, HBO, 1988.
Live at Grand Central, Polygram, 1995.
A Moonlight Serenade On the Queen Mary 2, Columbia Music Video, 2005.
Selected writings
Amy And The Dancing Bear (children's book), Doubleday, 1989.
The Boy of The Bells (children's book), Doubleday, 1990.
The Fisherman's Song (children's book), Doubleday, 1992.
Romulus Hunt (opera for children), 1992.
The Nighttime Chauffeur (children's book), Doubleday, 1993.
Midnight Farm (children's book), Simon and Schuster, 1997.
Piglet's Big Movie Songbook (children's book), Hal Leonard, 2003.
Sources
Books
Rees, Dafydd, and Luke Crampton, Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Dorling Kindersly, 1996.
Romanowski, Patricia, and Holly George-Warren, editors, The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Fireside, 1995.
Smith, Joe, edited by Finke, Mitchell, Off the Record—An Oral History of Popular Music, Warner Books, 1988.
Periodicals
Billboard, December 2, 1995; December 16, 1995; January 27, 1996, p. 107; September 6, 1997; October 4, 1997.
Boston Globe, November 13, 1994; March 14, 1995.
Cue, December 9, 1974.
Entertainment Weekly, November 11, 1994, p. 77.
InStyle, July 1995, pp. 62-68.
Miami Herald, September 12, 1997.
New York Post, October 8, 1997.
MOJO, November 1997.
People, August 17,1987, pp. 38, 40; April 17, 1995; December 18, 1995, p. 23; November 3, 1997.
Rolling Stone, April 29, 1971; June 18, 1987, p. 85.
Toronto Sun, October 25, 1997.
TV Guide, May 13, 1995, p. 46.
USA Today, March 8, 1995; December 19,1995.
Online
Arista Records,http://www.arista.rec.com/aristaweb/CarlySimon/main.html (March 4, 2007).
"Carly Simon," All Music Guide,http://www.allmusic.com (March 4, 2007).
"Carly Simon," Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com (March 4, 2007).
Carly Simon Official Website,http://www.CarlySimon.com (March 4, 2007).
Entertainment Weekly.com,http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009041,00.html?print (July 10, 2007).
Other
Additional information was provided by Arista Records.
Simon, Carly
Simon, Carly
Simon, Carly, singer-songwriter; b. N.Y.C., June 25, 1945. Achieving several pop and easy-listening hits during the 1970s, Carly Simon cowrote many of her own songs, but her slick, sophisticated style and image bore stark contrast to that of most other 1970s female singer-songwriters. Married to James Taylor from 1972 to 1983, Simon scored her best-remembered hit with late 1972’s “You’re So Vain” from her most successful album, No Secrets, produced by Richard Perry. Her popularity waned in the 1980s, although she managed somewhat of a comeback with 1987’s Coming Around Again.
Carly Simon was raised in affluence in Riverdale, N.Y., and Stamford, Conn., as the daughter of the cofounder of the Simon and Schuster publishing firm. While attending the exclusive Sarah Lawrence Coll., she began singing folk-style material with her older sister Lucy as the Simon Sisters. She dropped out of college after two years and performed with Lucy in area folk clubs during the early 1960s, signing with Kapp Records in 1963. They scored a minor hit in 1964 with “Winkin′, Brinkin′ and Nod” and recorded two albums before Lucy’s marriage broke up the duo. In 1966 Carly Simon met manager Albert Grossman, who envisioned her as a female Bob Dylan. She recorded with Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, and the Band’s Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, but the material was never released. Simon served as colead vocalist of the N.Y.-based rock band Elephant’s Memory in 1969, and she wrote commercial jingles in 1969 and 1970.
In 1970 Carly Simon began cowriting songs with film critic and writer Jacob Brackman and signed with Elektra Records late in the year. Playing guitar and piano and singing in a powerful contralto voice, she scored a major pop and easy-listening hit with “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” cowritten with Brackman, from her debut album. A notoriously shy performer, Simon debuted in support of Cat Stevens at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in April 1971 and met singer-songwriter James Taylor, whom she married in November 1972. Anticipation, produced by Cat Stevens producer and former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, yielded pop and easy-listening hits with her title song and “Legend in Your Own Time.”
Carly Simon recorded her next three albums under producer Richard Perry. The first, No Secrets, included “We Have No Secrets” and yielded a top pop and easy-listening hit with “You’re So Vain” and a major pop and smash easy-listening hit with “The Right Thing to Do,” all of which she wrote. “You’re So Vain,” recorded with Mick Jagger as backup vocalist, was spurred into popularity by speculation about who inspired the lyric (she finally admitted that it was Warren Beatty). Simon abandoned touring in 1973 and retained a low public profile after the birth of her daughter in January 1974. Nonetheless, Hotcakes produced a smash hit with a horrendous remake of Charlie and Inez Foxx’s “Mockingbird,” recorded with husband James Taylor, and a major hit with “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” cowritten with Jacob Brackman. Playing Possum, her final album under Richard Perry, contained the major hit “Attitude Dancing” and the minor hits “Waterfall” and “More and More.”
Appearing with James Taylor on his summer 1975 tour and singing backup on sister Lucy’s debut album, Carly Simon’s popularity began to wane. In 1977 she scored a smash pop and top easy-listening hit with “Nobody Does It Better” from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, followed in 1978 by the nearsmash “You Belong to Me,” cowritten by Simon and Doobie Brother Michael McDonald. Later that year she managed a moderate pop and easy-listening hit with the Everly Brothers’ “Devoted to You,” in duet with James Taylor. “Jesse” became her final major hit for several years in 1980.
Carly Simon divorced James Taylor in 1983 and her career remained in eclipse until 1986, when “Coming Around Again,” on her new label Arista Records, was featured in the movie Heartburn. Her first public performance in six years was given on Martha’s Vineyard in 1987 and produced an HBO cable television special and live album. Simon next worked on the soundtrack to the movie This Is My Life, released on Quincy Jones’s Qwest label. Since the mid-1980s she has authored four children’s books and is said to be working on a fiction work for adults. In 1993 Carly Simon’s opera Romulus Hunt premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (years earlier, sister Joanne had become an opera singer). In 1991 sister Lucy received recognition as the composer of the musical The Secret Garden, a Broadway hit in 1991.
Dlscography
C. S. (1971); Anticipation (1971); No Secrets (1972); Hot Cakes (1974); Playing Possum (1975); Best (1975); Another Passenger (1976); Boys in the Trees (1978); Spy (1979); Come Upstairs (1980); Torch (1981); Hello Big Man (1983); Spoiled Girl (1985); Coming Around Again (1987); Greatest Hits Live (1988); My Romance (1990); Have You Seen Me Lately? (1990); Letters Never Sent (1994); Film Noir (1997); Bedroom Tapes (2000). lucy simon: Lucy Simon (1975); Stolen Time (1977); The Secret Garden (music from Broadway original cast) (1991). the simon sisters: Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod (1964); Cuddlebug (1964).
—Brock Helander