Spy | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 1979 | |||
Recorded | Dec. 1978 – April 1979 | |||
Studio | Atlantic, New York City | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:37 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Producer | Arif Mardin | |||
Carly Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Boys in the Trees | ||||
|
Spy is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records in June 1979.
The title of the album is a tribute to Anaïs Nin, whose quote "I am an international spy in the house of love", is written across the top on the inside jacket. Simon dedicated the album to producer Arif Mardin, in which she wrote in the liner notes, "Dedicated to Arif who is himself fantastic." It is also Simon's last album for Elektra Records, she signed with Warner Bros. Records and released Come Upstairs the following year.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B− [2] |
Debra Rae Cohen, writing in Rolling Stone , stated: "Here, Simon’s rough, bold voice — powerful and affecting as ever — seizes center stage with husky promise and, like a dormitory storyteller after lights out, threatens revelations. But even discounting the mediating layers of studio polish, she winds up sounding strangely distanced from her material." She also singled out the track "We're So Close", calling it "the record’s gem". [3]
Although Spy did not yield any major hit singles, "Vengeance" (which features actor Tim Curry on backing vocals) earned Simon a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in early 1980, the first year to feature this new category. [4] Cash Box said that it has "an urban rock feeling, with ominous guitar chording and touches of syndrums," saying that "Simon's vocals are...sharp and bold" but "less restrained than usual." [5] The song peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Pop singles chart, and No. 52 on the Cash Box top singles chart. [6] She included the track on her two-disc career compilation set Anthology (2002), [7] as well as the three-disc special edition compilation Carly Simon Collector's Edition (2009). [8] The title track was released as the second single from the album, and it reached No. 34 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
The album also features the songs "Never Been Gone" and "We're So Close", which have become fan favorites and stand among Simon's personal favorites of her own songs. [9] Simon later called "We're So Close" "the saddest song I've ever written. It was about how close you can pretend to be when you know it's all coming undone. [10] In 2009, Simon released Never Been Gone ; an album which includes a newly recorded version of the song, along with some of her other greatest hits. [11]
Simon made a music video for the track "Vengeance", [12] and she became the second female solo artist to be featured on MTV's first day of the air (Pat Benatar was the first female solo artist to appear on MTV, with "You Better Run", and Juice Newton was the third, with "Angel of the Morning"). [13] MTV later used a clip from the video in a commercial to entice viewers to get stereo sound on their television sets. [14] The promotional clip was also chosen by Pioneer Electronics to be part of their first demo disc for its then-new LaserDisc player.
Simon also made music videos for the tracks "We're So Close" [15] and "Never Been Gone", [16] with both also receiving rotation on MTV.
Grammy Awards | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Work | Award | Recipient | Result | Ref |
1980 | "Vengeance" | Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female | Carly Simon | Nominated | [17] |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [18]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Vengeance" | 4:14 | |
2. | "Just Like You Do" | Simon | 4:14 |
3. | "We're So Close" | Simon | 5:10 |
4. | "Coming to Get You" | Simon | 2:49 |
5. | "Never Been Gone" |
| 3:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Pure Sin" |
| 3:56 |
2. | "Love You By Heart" |
| 3:55 |
3. | "Spy" |
| 4:14 |
4. | "Memorial Day" | Simon | 8:29 |
Total length: | 40:37 |
Album – Billboard (United States) [19]
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1979 | Billboard 200 | 45 |
Album – International
Year | Country | Position |
---|---|---|
1979 | Australia [20] | 33 |
Canada [21] | 56 |
Singles – Billboard (United States) [19]
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | "Vengeance" | Hot 100 | 48 |
"Spy" | Adult Contemporary | 34 | |
Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.
No Secrets is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records on November 28, 1972.
Hotcakes is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on January 11, 1974. Featuring the major hits "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" and "Mockingbird", the latter a duet with her then-husband James Taylor, Hotcakes became one of Simon's biggest selling albums. Her first concept album, the autobiographical songs portray Simon happily married and beginning a family.
Playing Possum is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975.
Boys in the Trees is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records in April 1978.
Torch is the 10th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, in August 1981.
Come Upstairs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records on June 16, 1980.
Hello Big Man is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 31, 1983.
Have You Seen Me Lately is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on September 25, 1990.
Letters Never Sent is the 16th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on November 1, 1994.
Film Noir is the 17th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on September 16, 1997.
The Bedroom Tapes is the 18th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on May 16, 2000.
Christmas Is Almost Here is the 19th studio album, and first Christmas album, by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Rhino Entertainment, on October 22, 2002.
This Is My Life (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album to the 1992 Nora Ephron film This Is My Life, released by Qwest Records, on April 14, 1992.
Let Me in Your Life is the twentieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on February 26, 1974, by Atlantic Records.
This Kind of Love is the 22nd studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Hear Music, on April 29, 2008.
"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.
"Jesse" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon. Produced by Mike Mainieri, the song served as the lead single from Simon's ninth studio album, Come Upstairs (1980).
"Vengeance" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon. Produced by Arif Mardin, the song served as the lead single from Simon's eighth studio album, Spy (1979).
"Haven't Got Time for the Pain" is a song written by Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman that was first released on Simon's 1974 album Hotcakes. It was also released as a single, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
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