Voice of the Heart | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 18, 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1976–1983 | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 40:24 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Richard Carpenter | |||
Carpenters chronology | ||||
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live/compilation chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
Voice of the Heart is the eleventh studio album by American music duo Carpenters. It was released in 1983 after Karen's death and contains the two songs from her final recording sessions, "Now" and "You're Enough", as well as previously unreleased tracks from sessions of their previous albums A Kind of Hush, Passage and Made in America. At least one song, "In Love Alone", was intended to be on this album, but Karen did not get the opportunity to hear the track or record a vocal for it before her death; it would be released in 1987 on Richard's solo album Time with Dionne Warwick on lead vocals.
Karen's last recording, "Now", was recorded in April 1982 while Karen was taking a break from medical treatment in New York and had temporarily returned to California. The song was recorded in one take.
The tracks were finished by Richard months after Karen's death.
Billboard called it "the duo's strongest album in a decade and contains a few cuts that rank with their all-time best. The most radio-worthy are "Two Lives," a rock-edged ballad previously recorded by Bonnie Raitt; "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore," a brooding, slow-boil pop piece in the tradition of "Hurt So Bad," and "Make Believe It's Your First Time," the soft reflective ballad which is the first single. But the most gripping cut is "Ordinary Fool," a Paul Williams ballad which features the bluesiest vocal of Karen's career." [3]
In their review, Cashbox noted that "this LP will probably be the last and most remembered collection of new songs by the brother and sister duo. One cannot help feel sad about the void she has left, but the songs featured on this LP are some of the best the duo has recorded in some time and the uplifting messages in their lyrics demand that “Voice of the Heart” be taken as a message of happiness and optimism. This is a fond farewell from a great singer who will be long appreciated for her inspirational and strong love for the music she sang." [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Now" | 3:51 | |
2. | "Sailing on the Tide" | 4:24 | |
3. | "You're Enough" |
| 3:48 |
4. | "Make Believe It's Your First Time" |
| 4:08 |
5. | "Two Lives" | Mark Terrence Jordan | 4:35 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "At the End of a Song" |
| 3:40 |
7. | "Ordinary Fool" | Paul Williams | 3:42 |
8. | "Prime Time Love" |
| 3:12 |
9. | "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore" | Larry Weiss | 3:51 |
10. | "Look to Your Dreams" |
| 5:13 |
Chart (1983-1984) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [5] | 54 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [6] | 41 |
UK Albums (OCC) [7] | 6 |
US Billboard 200 [8] | 46 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [9] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"We've Only Just Begun" is a single by the Carpenters, written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). It was ranked at No. 414 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
I'm Your Baby Tonight is the third studio album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on November 6, 1990, by Arista Records. The album is one of the best-selling female albums of all time and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Close to You is the second studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on August 19, 1970. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 175 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. The album contains the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". The success of the title track earned Carpenters an international reputation. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, entering the top 50 of the official chart for 76 weeks during the first half of the 1970s.
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"Top of the World" is a 1972 song written and composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis and first recorded by American pop duo Carpenters. It was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit for the duo for two consecutive weeks in 1973.
Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside his younger sister Karen. He had numerous roles in the Carpenters, including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.
A Song for You is the fourth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on June 22, 1972. According to Richard Carpenter, A Song for You was intended to be a concept album with the title tune opening and closing the set and the bookended selections comprising the 'song'. "A Song for You" was written by songwriter Leon Russell.
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The Ultimate Collection is a 3-CD set by The Carpenters released in 2006. It contains many of their popular songs, like "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "Top of the World", and their album cuts, like "Desperado" and "Jambalaya ". All of the songs are taken directly from the original album. In the case of "Yesterday Once More", it fades into a motorcycle engine, which subsequently fades into the oldies medley on the Now & Then album.
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter. They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.
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