Carly Simon was born in New York City on the 25th of June 1945 and went on to become one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the 1970s with a string of hit albums and singles. Her rise to the top was not plain sailing though, performing childrens’ songs with her sister Lucy as the Simon Sisters during the 1960s in Greenwich Village clubs. But this does not give an insight into the success, especially and mainly in the United States, Simon was to later achieve, including one of the most memorable Bond themes.
Simon had some rumoured celebrity relationships at the beginning of her career
Simon’s first two solo albums, 1971’s Carly Simon and Anticipation, both peaked at number thirty on the US Billboard charts and were not great successes in other territories, though the latter won her a Grammy award for Best New Artist. The latter also included perhaps the best example of Simon’s early celebrity relationships, the song Anticipation was written while waiting for Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date. While not huge hits, these two albums did mark a period of development in musical style which Simon and producer Richard Perry were to perfect for her third solo album, the seminal No Secrets.
Peaking at number one on the US Billboard charts and becoming a big seller in the United Kingdom and worldwide, No Secrets was as influential, and even controversial, as it was popular. It will forever be remembered for what has to be one of the best songs ever to be recorded, the truly fantastic You’re So Vain. This ‘answer-back’ sees Simon’s vocals in perfect and passionate form, a staccato melody that imprints itself upon the listener’s ear and a contagious chorus that is impossible to ignore. However, a question has always lingered over to whom the song’s lyrics are directed. Which one of her former lovers was she seeking quiet revenge on, with the song’s lyrical broadside at the male ego? Radio station’s at the time were rife with speculation, she had recently married James Taylor, as to whether it referred to Mick Jagger (who coincidentally provided backing vocals for the song), Warren Beatty, Cat Stevens or Kris Kristoffersen, all of whom she was known to have dated. For her part, Simon has refused to be drawn into the speculation which, when You’re So Vain became a number one in the US, a number three in the UK and a million seller globally, reached fever point. Indeed, she has at times seen the humorous side, telling Phil Donahue in 1990 that she was singing about a young Oprah Winfrey. In 2002 though, one fan was lucky enough to be told the secret, though they had to bid for the information at a charity auction and sign a confidentiality agreement. Still, as ever, the controversy only helped sales of the single and album and furthered Simon’s new-found fame.
The phenomonal success of No Secrets was always going to be difficult to follow up, though Simon did so in style with 1974’s Hotcakes. Again teaming up with producer Richard Perry, the album seeks not to replicate the sound and success of its predecessor but rather build upon it, and in this regard Simon succeeded admirably. The album spawned two hit singles, Mockingbird and Haven’t Got Time For The Pain, both of which coincided while Simon and husband Taylor were awaiting the birth of their daughter Sally. For the third and final time Simon collaborated with Perry for 1975’s Playing Possom, which peaked at number ten in the States. The artwork showed a determination to return to sex symbol status having given birth, with a cover that courted some controversy.
After 1976’s Another Passenger album, Simon was approached to perform the theme for the upcoming Bond picture, 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. The choice was inspired, for Simon’s beautiful and understated voice was the perfect accompaniment to what was to prove to be one of the most loved Bond songs.
[quote]One snowy day in late ‘76 Marvin Hamlisch called and asked if I would listen to a song he and Carole Bayer Sager had written for the new James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It had been a lifelong dream of mine to sing a song for a movie.[/quote]
Although not quite as catching as the simply named Goldfinger, the evocative title has entered pop culture lexicon and symbolises the pure confidence of the series and the character of Bond himself. Perhaps there is also a little irony in there given the troubled production of The Spy Who Loved Me, with a lawsuit from Kevin McClory, the sad end of the Broccoli/Saltzman partnership and fears that Bond had had his day with the arguably relatively lukewarm commercial and hostile critical reaction to The Man With The Golden Gun. Of course, as things turned out there was no need to worry as The Spy Who Loved Me grossed $185.4 million worldwide and was a box office smash in every sense of the word. It has also become a firm favourite of Bond fans, rarely excluded from a fan’s top ten list, and John Glen, director of the 1980’s Bond films from For Your Eyes Only to Licence To Kill, considers it perhaps the best Bond picture ever. And he certainly is not alone in that opinion.
The song Nobody Does It Better itself has become a truly famous song, not always through association with the film for which it was written and again a favourite amongst Bond fans. Softly opening with a few hits of the piano, Simon’s smooth and folksy vocals accentuate the already silkily produced classy ballad. Certainly one of the best Bond themes, it also became an instant hit, reaching number seven on the British charts lasting twelve weeks and hitting number two in the United States. After this success, and after the birth of son Benjamin, Simon returned to the album charts with the more restrained and subdued Boys In The Trees.
As the 1980s arrived however, the music scene was changing rapidly with the arrival of electro-based pop and the New Romance movement and Simon unfortunately was unable to change with it to accomodate these adjustments. Despite releasing eight albums between 1980 and 2000, not one entered the Billboard top twenty. The most successful of this period was 1987’s Coming Around Again which hit number 25, her most recent release, The Bedroom Tapes, reached only number 90. She found a little more success on the British singles charts, admittedly as sporadic as in the past, in the 80s with two top ten hits, Why in 1982 and the title single from Coming Around Again. However, the heights Simon’s career had previously reached were never to be matched again.
[quote=left]Jackie Onassis called one day to ask me to write my autobiography. I didn’t say “no”, but I didn’t mean “yes”. In fact I tried, because it was Jackie. She was so reassuring and fascinating. I wrote some 50 pages and then gave up in a flurry of regret about revelations. I could talk about my own life with all its vicissitudes, long and short comings, but not those of other people. Jackie understood and also knew that I’d had a rich storytelling past with my own now grown-up children, and so suggested substituting a children’s book for an autobiography.[/quote]Conversely, the end of the 1980’s saw Simon open a new chapter in her long career, but it wasn’t musical. Instead, she became a author, beginning with 1989’s Amy The Dancing Bear and most recently The Basket Full Of Rhymes. Originally approached by former First Lady Jackie Onassis to write her autobiography, she instead directed her literary talents towards children’s books. These books were not huge commercial successes, though some critics were surprised at her ability to connect with younger audiences through her writing. Her most recent work also included a tape of songs to complement the poems, though it was criticised by many critics for being too short.
In addition, Potluck At Midnight Farm saw Simon transform into a domestic goddess, well of sorts, which includes Carly’s recipes for the perfect cup of tea [!] and a Winter Wellington. 2003 though saw Simon returning to her musical roots with the full release of the two disc set Anthology, which contained forty of Simon’s best songs.
Again on the musical front, pop superstar Janet Jackson recently revived You’re So Vain, with Simon’s blessing who cameoed on the single with Missy Elliot, which was greatly incorporated into Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) from Jackson’s 2001 All For You album. The song turned into a British top twenty hit and featured an ‘interesting’ video, strangely heavily featuring the use and eating of spiders. Jackson’s update of the song has to an extent reignited interest in Simon’s career from music fans unaware she even existed.
Overall, for the more casual music fan Simon’s career will probably be remembered best for two songs. Firstly, You’re So Vain, understandably, and secondly, Nobody Does It Better. But as far as the latter is concerned, does it remain a recognisable and well-played song due to it being the theme from one of the most popular Bond pictures or on the merits of the song itself? Unlike most other Bond themes, Nobody Does It Better still finds itself on rotation on many radio stations, which perhaps signifies that the song is popular for reasons other than being a Bond theme. Being honest though, this probably matters very little, as Simon undoubtedly greatly contributed to the world of Bond music with a song that will remain remembered for a long time to come.
