Let Me Be the One (The Carpenters song)

Last updated
"Let Me Be the One"
Let Me Be the One - The Carpenters.jpg
Single by Carpenters
from the album Carpenters and From the Top
Released1971, 1991
FormatPromo CD single
Recorded1971
Genre Pop
Label A&M
1940
Songwriter(s) Roger Nichols, Paul Williams
Producer(s) Richard Carpenter
Carpenters singles chronology
"If I Had You"
(1989)
"Let Me Be the One"
(1971)
"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"
(1994)

"Let Me Be the One" is a song written in 1971 by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams. It first appeared on the 1971 album Carpenters by the Carpenters.

Roger Nichols is an American composer and songwriter. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays violin, guitar, bass, and piano.

Paul Williams (songwriter) American composer, singer, songwriter and actor

Paul Hamilton Williams Jr. is an American composer, singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for writing popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s, including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Out in the Country," Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World," David Bowie's "Fill Your Heart" and the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays." Williams is also known for his musical contributions to films, including the Academy Award-nominated song "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, and penning the lyrics to the #1 chart-topping song "Evergreen," the love theme from the Barbra Streisand vehicle A Star Is Born, for which he won a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He wrote the lyrics to the opening theme for the television show The Love Boat, with music previously composed by Charles Fox, which was originally sung by Jack Jones and, later, by Dionne Warwick.

The Carpenters American vocal duo

The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (b. 1946). They produced a distinct soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's arranging and composition skills. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded ten albums, along with numerous singles and several television specials.

Contents

Background

"Let Me Be the One" is a relatively short song, with a run time of 2:25. Bearing something of a resemblance to "We've Only Just Begun", the song was a potential Carpenters single release in 1971 being Karen Carpenter's choice to follow "For All We Know", [1] but Richard Carpenter doubted the hit potential of "Let Me Be the One" and the choice for single was assigned to "Rainy Days and Mondays". However the album cut "Let Me Be the One" did receive airplay on both Top 40 and MOR radio stations. Paul Williams has described "Let Me Be the One" as "one of those songs that everybody's recorded but it's never been a [major hit] single. It was used very briefly by ABC-TV in 1976: Let us be the one you turn to/ Let us be the one you turn to/ When you need someone you turn to/ Let us be the one." [1]

Weve Only Just Begun Song sung by the Carpenters

"We've Only Just Begun" is a hit single by The Carpenters written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). Ranked at No. 405 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", it is frequently used as a wedding song.

Karen Carpenter 20th-century American singer and musician

Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer who was part of the duo the Carpenters alongside her brother Richard. She was praised for her contralto vocals, and her drumming abilities were viewed positively by other musicians and critics. Her later eating disorder issues would in effect later raise awareness of anorexia and body dysmorphia.

"For All We Know" is a soft rock song written for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Wilson and Arthur James. Both Royer and Griffin were founding members of the soft-rock group Bread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith. It is best known for a cover version by American pop duo Carpenters in 1971, which reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart. The song was also a hit for Shirley Bassey at the same time in the United Kingdom. It has since been covered by a large number of artists.

The 1991 remix for "Let Me Be the One" can only be found on the From the Top box set, for which it was released as a promotional single. It starts off with Karen counting off, and Richard's piano line is very different from the original 1971 mix found on the Carpenters album. In the original 1971 mix, the song fades out; the 1991 remix continues through to the point where Karen and the rest of the musicians create a conclusion.

<i>From the Top</i> (album) 1991 compilation album by Carpenters

From the Top is a box set by the Carpenters, released in 1991, which contains everything from the Richard Carpenter Trio recordings from 1965 to their biggest hits in the early 1970s to the last song ever recorded by the Carpenters: "Now". This compilation was revised with The Essential Collection: 1965–1997 in 2002.

<i>Carpenters</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Carpenters

Carpenters is the third studio album by American music duo Carpenters. Released on May 14, 1971, it was their most successful studio album, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 12 in the UK. The album contained the hit songs "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar".

Personnel

The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer either leads the vocal ensemble, or sets against the ensemble as the dominant sound. In vocal group performances, notably in soul and gospel music, and early rock and roll, the lead singer takes the main vocal part, with a chorus provided by other band members as backing vocalists.

Backing vocalist singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists

Backing vocalists or backup singers are singers who provide vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a backing vocalist may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used in a broad range of popular music, traditional music and world music styles.

Richard Carpenter (musician) American pop musician

Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American musician, record producer, songwriter, and music arranger, best known as one half of the sibling duo The Carpenters alongside his sister Karen. He has had numerous roles including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, lyricist, and composer, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.

Other versions

The earliest evident recording of "Let Me Be the One" was that made by Nanette Workman being one of five songs recorded with producer Tommy Cogbill recorded in late June 1970 at American Sound Studio in Memphis, with "Let Me Be the One" being afforded a UK single release in November 1970 with the singer credited mononymously as Nanette.

Nanette Joan Workman is a singer-songwriter, actress and author, who has been based in Quebec, Canada, during much of her career. She holds dual citizenship of both the United States and Canada. She was raised by musician parents in Jackson, Mississippi, where she began her first performances. She mainly performs in French although raised as an English speaker. She has recorded with well-known musicians in the U.S., Canada, UK and France and has been recognized in Mississippi by being elected to that state's Musicians Hall of Fame and having a Francophone house named after her at the state university.

Thomas Clark Cogbill was an American bassist, guitarist and record producer working in the R&B, soul music, and country music genres.

American Sound Studio US recording studio (1967-1971) located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee

American Sound Studio was a recording studio located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee. More than one hundred hit songs were recorded there between its founding 1964 and its closing in 1972, The music for these hits was played by the house band "The Memphis Boys", also known as the "827 Thomas Street Band".

The song was also recorded by Anne Murray for her 1971 album Talk It Over in the Morning with the track being issued as the B-side of Murray's 1972 UK single "Destiny" which spent 4 weeks in the UK Top 50 with a #41 peak on November 4, 1972. Murray also recorded the song as a duet with Glen Campbell on the 1971 Glen Campbell/ Anne Murray album Anne Murray - Glen Campbell.

Anne Murray Canadian singer

Morna Anne Murray, known professionally as Anne Murray, is a Canadian singer in pop, country, and adult contemporary music whose albums have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her 40 year career.

<i>Talk It Over in the Morning</i> 1971 studio album by Anne Murray

Talk It Over in the Morning is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer Anne Murray, issued in 1971 on Capitol Records. The album peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. It was reissued in the UK in 1981 by the Music for Pleasure (MFP) label with different album art but the same track listing. As singles, "Talk it Over in the Morning" and "Cotton Jenny" were both #1 hits in the Canadian country charts. "Let Me Be the One" was released as the second single from the album in the UK with "Destiny" on the flip. Later in 1972 the single was reissued (CL15734) with "Destiny" as the A side, peaking at No.41 on the chart.

A-side and B-side the two sides of 78, 45, and 33 1/3 rpm phonograph records and cassette capes

The terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 78, 45, and 33​13 rpm phonograph records, or cassettes, whether singles, extended plays (EPs), or long-playing (LP) records. The A-side usually featured the recording that the artist, record producer, or the record company intended to receive the initial promotional effort and then receive radio airplay, hopefully, to become a "hit" record. The B-side is a secondary recording that has a history of its own: some artists released B-sides that were considered as strong as the A-side and became hits in their own right. Others took the opposite approach: producer Phil Spector was in the habit of filling B-sides with on-the-spot instrumentals that no one would confuse with the A-side. With this practice, Spector was assured that airplay was focused on the side he wanted to be the hit side.

Al Wilson recorded "Let Me Be the One" for his 1974 album La La Peace Song which featured the song in medley with another Nichols/Williams composition: "I Won't Last a Day Without You",: the track: "I Won't Last a Day Without You"/"Let Me Be the One", was issued as a single in December 1974 to reach #18 on the R&B chart in Billboard magazine while crossing-over to both Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart (#39) and the mainstream Pop chart the Billboard Hot 100 (#70).

The song has also been recorded by Petula Clark (album Warm and Tender/ 1971), Clodagh Rodgers (album Rodgers and Heart/ 1971), Paul Davis (album Paul Davis/ 1972), Malcolm Roberts (album Living For Life/ 1973), Suzanne Lynch (album Friends With You/ 1973: credited to Suzanne [no surname]), the Temprees (album Love Maze/ 1973), Vikki Carr (album One Hell of a Woman/ 1974), Johnny Mathis ("Let Me Be The One /I Won't Last A Day Without You" medley on album When Will I See You Again / 1975), Cleo Laine (album Born On A Friday/ 1976), Jack Jones (album All To Yourself (Twenty Golden Greats)/ 1977), Shirley Bassey (album Bassey: The EMI/UA Years 1959-1979/ 1994; also And I Love You So expanded edition/ 2000), and Diana Ross (album Last Time I Saw Him expanded edition/ 2007).

Chart history

Jack Jones
Chart (1971)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 18
Al Wilson
Chart (1975)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [2] 70
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 39
U.S. Billboard R&B 18
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [3] 61

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References

  1. 1 2 Schmidt, Randy L. (2010). Little Girl Blue: the life of Karen Carpenter (1st ed.). Chicago IL: Chicago Review Press. pp. 75, 76. ISBN   978-1-55652-976-4.
  2. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  3. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 1, 1975