Jesse (Carly Simon song)

Last updated
"Jesse"
Carlysimonjessesingle.jpg
Single by Carly Simon
from the album Come Upstairs
B-side "Stardust"
Released9 July 1980 [1]
Recorded1980
Genre Pop, Rock
Length4:15
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Carly Simon
Producer(s) Mike Mainieri
Carly Simon singles chronology
"Vengeance"
(1979)
"Jesse"
(1980)
"Why"
(1982)

"Jesse" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon and produced by Mike Mainieri. The song was the lead single from Simon's ninth studio album, Come Upstairs (1980).

Contents

The song is told in first-person about the narrator's disdain for her former lover, Jesse, who has just moved back to town. She vows to have nothing to do with him, "Don't let him near me, don't let him touch me, don't let him please me," she sings. She asks her friends to remind her of how he has wronged her, because she fears she'll end up letting her guard down and fall back under his spell. She ends up going back on her promise to herself and the two rekindle their romance. "Jesse, quick come here, I won't tell a soul", "Jesse, that you've come back to me, my friends will all say 'She's gone again'", she sings. She then seeks to comfort her friends because they don't approve. "My friends, let's comfort them, they're feeling bad, they think I've sunk so low," she sings. [2]

Simon's then-husband, James Taylor, and their daughter, Sally Taylor, sing backup vocals. The single has a country-pop flair, unlike the rest of the album, which is more rock oriented.

Chart performance and critical reception

"Jesse" was a major success, staying on the US charts for six months; it peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. [3] The single was certified Gold by the RIAA, Simon's fourth single to achieve this feat, signifying sales of one million copies in the US. [4] The single was also a hit in Australia, peaking at No. 4 on the Kent Music Report, becoming Simon's biggest hit there since "You're So Vain." [5] It also peaked at No. 12 in Canada, making it her 11th Top 40 hit there. [6]

AllMusic reviewer William Ruhlmann retrospectively called the track "the album's highlight" and declared it "Simon's best-written pop/rock song since ‘You're So Vain’ and a Top Ten hit to boot." [7] According to Billboard Magazine , "the melody is simple yet powerful, the words are complex and Simon's voice has never been better." [8] Cash Box said that the song "embodies the push and pull of love, the ailment and the cure - the person we try to resist but cannot." [9]

One of her biggest hits, Simon included the single on her 3-disc box set Clouds in My Coffee (1995), the 2-disc retrospective Anthology (2002), and the single disc Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits (2004). [10]

Track listing

7" single [11]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1980)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] 4
Canada (RPM)12
US Billboard Pop Singles (Hot 100) 11
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1980)Position
US Cash Box Top 100 [13] 65

Live performances

An official video was not made for the song. Simon has performed it in many of her concerts, including two in which it was filmed: Live at Grand Central in 1995, [14] and A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2 in 2005.

Related Research Articles

Youre So Vain 1972 single by Carly Simon

"You're So Vain" is a song written in 1971 by Carly Simon and released in November 1972. It is one of the songs with which Simon is most identified, and upon its release, reached No. 1 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The song is ranked at No. 92 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All Time. "You're So Vain" was voted No. 216 in RIAA's Songs of the Century, and in August 2014, the UK's Official Charts Company crowned it the ultimate song of the 1970s. In 2021, the song was ranked 495th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<i>Walking Man</i> 1974 studio album by James Taylor

Walking Man is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released in June 1974, it was not as successful as his previous efforts, reaching only No. 13 on the Billboard Album Chart and selling 300,000 copies in the United States. Until 2008's Covers, it was Taylor's only studio album not to receive a gold or platinum certification from the RIAA.

<i>Another Passenger</i> 1976 studio album by Carly Simon

Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.

<i>No Secrets</i> (Carly Simon album) 1972 studio album by Carly Simon

No Secrets is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on November 16, 1972.

<i>Playing Possum</i> 1975 studio album by Carly Simon

Playing Possum is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975.

<i>The Best of Carly Simon</i> 1975 greatest hits album by Carly Simon

The Best of Carly Simon is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's first greatest hits album, released by Elektra Records, on November 24, 1975. Covering the first five years of her career, the compilation includes eight top twenty hit singles from her first five albums, as well as two album cuts from No Secrets (1972), "Night Owl" and "We Have No Secrets", the latter of which was released as the B-side to the single "The Right Thing to Do".

<i>Boys in the Trees</i> 1978 studio album by Carly Simon

Boys in the Trees is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978.

<i>Spy</i> (Carly Simon album) 1979 studio album by Carly Simon

Spy is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 30, 1979.

<i>Come Upstairs</i> 1980 studio album by Carly Simon

Come Upstairs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on June 16, 1980.

<i>This Is My Life</i> (Music from the Motion Picture) 1992 soundtrack album by Carly Simon

This Is My Life is the soundtrack album to the 1992 Nora Ephron film This Is My Life, released by Qwest Records, on April 14, 1992.

Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for the American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by many artists, most notably by The Animals, whose blues rock version of the song became a transatlantic hit in 1965. A 1977 four-on-the-floor disco rearrangement by the disco group Santa Esmeralda was also a hit, while the 1986 cover by new wave musician Elvis Costello found success in Britain and Ireland.

Dont Let the Sun Go Down on Me 1974 single by Elton John

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English singer Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded in 1974 by Elton John for his studio album Caribou and was released as a single that peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. The song found further success in 1991 in a live cover version recorded as a duet between John and George Michael – who performed the song together for the first time at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium in July 1985 – which reached number one in the UK and US.

Carly Simon discography

The discography of Carly Simon, an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author, consists of 23 studio albums, one live album, nine compilation albums, one Christmas album, four soundtrack albums, one audiobook, and 41 singles, on Elektra Records, Warner Bros. Records, Epic Records, Arista Records, Rhino Entertainment, Columbia Records, Hear Music, and Iris Records, with special releases on Qwest Records, Angel Records, Walt Disney Records, and Macmillan Audio. These lists include all live and studio albums, and the motion picture soundtracks list includes albums containing more than 50% of music by Simon. In the United States, she has five Platinum-certified albums, three Gold-certified albums, and four Gold-certified singles. In the United Kingdom, she has three Gold-certified albums, two Silver-certified albums, as well as one Gold-certified single, and one Silver-certified single. All but three of her studio albums have charted on the Billboard 200, with 12 charting in the Top 40, and five in the Top 10. Two of her compilation albums have also charted in the Top 40. Apart from her album successes, she also has amassed 24 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 13 of them hitting the Top 40, and 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary chart singles, all charting in the Top 40. Four of her singles have been certified Gold by the US RIAA: "You're So Vain", "Mockingbird", "Nobody Does It Better", and "Jesse". "You're So Vain" has been certified Gold by the UK BPI, while "Nobody Does It Better" been certified Silver.

Lotta Love

"Lotta Love" is a song written and recorded by Neil Young and released on his 1978 Comes a Time album. "Lotta Love" was also covered by Nicolette Larson in 1978. Larson's version reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 8 on the Cash Box Top 100 in February 1979. It also hit No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart and was a hit in Australia and New Zealand.

"Mockingbird" is a 1963 song written and recorded by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the lullaby "Hush Little Baby".

You Belong to Me (Carly Simon song)

"You Belong to Me" is a song written by American singer-songwriters Carly Simon and Michael McDonald. Originally recorded by McDonald's rock group The Doobie Brothers for their seventh studio album, Livin' on the Fault Line (1977), the song was made famous by Simon when she recorded it for her seventh studio album, Boys in the Trees (1978). A live version of the song from The Doobie Brothers' 1983 album Farewell Tour would later chart on the Pop Singles chart at No. 79 in August 1983.

The Right Thing to Do 1973 single by Carly Simon

"The Right Thing to Do" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon that first appeared on her 1972 album No Secrets. The song was recorded at Trident Studios in London's Soho. It was released as the second single to the album, following "You're So Vain" and reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached No. 20 on the Canada Top Singles chart and No. 9 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. It reached No. 17 in the UK.

Coming Around Again (Carly Simon song) 1986 single by Carly Simon

"Coming Around Again" is a song by Carly Simon, written for the film Heartburn (1986) and later from the album of the same name, Coming Around Again (1987). Released as a single in 1986, it became one of Simon's biggest hits, peaking at No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a top-10 hit in Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Attitude Dancing 1975 single by Carly Simon

"Attitude Dancing" is a song written by Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman, performed by Simon and produced by Richard Perry. The song served as lead single from Simon's fifth studio album, Playing Possum (1975).

One Man Parade 1973 single by James Taylor

"One Man Parade" is a song written by James Taylor that was first released as the first track on his 1972 album One Man Dog. It was also released as the second single from the album, following up on the Top 20 hit "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," after receiving significant airplay as an album track. The single was issued twice with two different B-sides, "Hymn" and "Nobody But You." It did not achieve the same chart success as "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," peaking at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted on the Adult Contemporary chart in Canada, reaching #55. In some regions, such as in Europe, it was released as the B-side of the single release of "One Morning in May."

References

  1. "Carly Simon - Jesse".
  2. SongMeanings.com. "Jesse" . Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  3. "Carly Simon - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  4. "American certifications – Carly Simon". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM . Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
  7. AllMusic. "Come Upstairs". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  8. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. July 26, 1980. p. 70. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  9. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 26, 1980. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  10. "Carly Simon Official Website - Jesse lyrics". Archived from the original on April 14, 2005. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
  11. Discogs. "Jesse 7" single" . Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  12. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1980
  14. "Anthology". carlysimon.com.