"Carrie" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Cliff Richard | ||||
from the album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 1 December 1979 [1] | |||
Recorded | 7–12 January & 2 February 1979 [2] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Cliff Richard singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Cliff Richard (US/Europe/Australia)singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Carrie" on YouTube | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
"Carrie" is a song performed by Cliff Richard and released in December 1979 as the third single lifted from Richard's album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile . It reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and became an international hit. [3]
"Carrie" was written by the songwriting partnership of Terry Britten and BA Robertson,who had written Richard previous single "Hot Shot" and who also wrote several other songs for Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile. Britten initially came up with the riff and the title,but he "realized that it would take someone who knew what they were doing to make it into a proper song",so he got Robertson to come up with the story. [2] Speaking about the song,Robertson has said:
"The strength of the song comes from the fact that you're never quite sure what it's about. You don't know whether Carrie is homeless or whether she's squatting or what. You don't know whether Cliff, as the narrator, is the husband, boyfriend, lover, brother or father. Nowhere does the song say what the relationship with Carrie is. It's very mysterious and musically it falls in the same groove as 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'". [4]
The backing track was recorded between 7 and 12 January 1979 at the EMI Pathé-Marconi Studios in Paris and the vocals were later recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London on 2 February. The recording engineers were Tony Clark and Haydn Bendall. [2]
"Carrie" was released in the majority of territories with the B-side "Moving In", which was written and produced by Richard. It was first released as a single in the Netherlands and Germany at the beginning of December 1979, before being released in Australia on 12 December with the B-side "Walking in the Light", written by Britten. [1] [5] "Carrie" was later re-released in Australia in March 1980 with "Moving In" as the B-side. [6] In the UK, the single was released on 18 January 1980. [2]
The single release of "Carrie" is an edit of the album version and also actually runs slightly faster. [7] However, the album version was released on the original Australian single and the US and Canadian single. The latter was also released with a different B-side, "Language of Love", also written by Britten and Robertson, in February 1980. [8]
Reviewing for Record Mirror , Simon Ludgate gave it 'Single of the Week', writing that "it's astounding, the hits keep rolling off 'Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile', from which this is taken. To be producing high-pop songs like this after 25 years in the Biz is extraordinary", adding that Richard's "delivery is immaculate and his timing superb. You can't ignore a classic popstar: credit must be given". [9]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Dave Thompson described the song as "a deliberately sinister and enthrallingly atmospheric number, revolving around the search for a mysteriously missing friend ("Carrie had a date with her own kind of fate")" and that "in other hands, such lines as "you're just another message on a payphone wall" and "the young wear their freedom like cheap perfume" could sound trite. Richard imbibes them with both pertinence and importance, while the emotion in his voice colors even the title. [10]
7": EMI / EMI 5006
7": EMI / EMI-168 (Australia)
7": EMI / 8035 (US and Canada)
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Certifications
|
"We Don't Talk Anymore" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1979, remaining there for four weeks. Produced by the Shadows' rhythm guitarist, Bruce Welch, and written by Alan Tarney, it was Richard's tenth UK number one and his first since "Congratulations" in 1968.
"True Love Ways" is a song attributed to Norman Petty and Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly's original was recorded with the Dick Jacobs Orchestra in October 1958, four months before the singer's death. It was first released on the posthumous album The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2, in March 1960. The song was first released as a single in Britain in May 1960, reaching number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. It was released the following month in the US, but did not make the charts. In 1988, a UK re-release of the recording by MCA, the single reached no. 65 on the UK singles chart in a 5 week chart run.
"Power to All Our Friends" is a song by Cliff Richard which was chosen as the British entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, by a postal vote which was decided by BBC viewers after Richard performed six contending songs on A Song For Europe, featured on Cilla Black's BBC1 Saturday evening show Cilla. The runner-up song was "Come Back Billie Jo", written by Mitch Murray and Tony Macaulay, which was included as the B-side on the single. "Power to All Our Friends" came third in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile is the 22nd studio album by Cliff Richard, released in 1979. It featured his biggest-ever single, "We Don't Talk Anymore", which was a UK No. 1 hit and the No. 4 hit "Carrie".
Wired for Sound is the 24th studio album by Cliff Richard, released in September 1981. The album peaked at number 4 in the UK album charts upon release, and spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart in 1981–82. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI, and achieved global sales of over one million.
"Some People" is a song by English singer Cliff Richard, released in August 1987 as the second single from his 1987 studio album, Always Guaranteed. The song reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments over 250,000. The song reached the top 10 in several other countries as well.
"A Voice in the Wilderness" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in January 1960. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Dreamin'" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard from his 1980 album, I'm No Hero. The track was the first of three singles released and was the biggest hit from the album, becoming a top-ten hit in numerous countries including the UK and the US where it became his third and last top ten hit.
"Take Me High" is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as a single in November 1973. Written by Tony Cole, it is the title track from the film of the same name in which Richard also stars. It was released as a single with the B-side "Celestial Houses", written by Terry Britten, and peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)" is a song by Cliff Richard, released as a single in October 1965. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Don't Talk to Him" is a song by Cliff Richard and The Shadows, released as a single in November 1963. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More)" is a song by Cliff Richard that was released in the UK in May 1983 as the lead single from Richard's 25th Anniversary 1983 album Silver. The song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, and did better in Norway in reaching number 9 and in Sweden reaching number 13.
"A Little in Love" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard, released as the second single from his 1980 album, I'm No Hero.
"Early in the Morning" is a song by British band Vanity Fare, released as a single in June 1969. It became an international hit, peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was awarded a gold disc for sales over one million.
"I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as the third single from his album I'm Nearly Famous in July 1976. It reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart and number 80 in the Billboard Hot 100. It also did particularly well in Ireland, reaching number 2.
"Hot Shot" is a song performed by Cliff Richard and released as a single in October 1979. Written by Terry Britten and B. A. Robertson, it was the second single lifted from Richard's 1979 album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile. It reached no. 46 in the UK Singles Chart.
"I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in November 1964 from their album Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. It peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Time Drags By" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in October 1966. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Help It Along" is a song by British singer Cliff Richard, released as a four-track maxi single. It peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Hangin' On" is a song by the Gosdin Brothers, released in August 1967. It has been recorded by numerous artists, including Joe Simon, Ann Peebles, Cher, Cliff Richard and Ann-Margret & Lee Hazlewood.