| Come Upstairs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 16, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | October 1979 – May 1980 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 38:56 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Mike Mainieri | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Come Upstairs | ||||
| ||||
Come Upstairs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records on June 16, 1980.
It was the first of her three albums for Warner Bros. and it has a harder, more rock-oriented sound than her previous albums. [1] Whereas those earlier records were prime examples of the singer-songwriter genre, with soft-rocking arrangements primarily built around piano and/or acoustic guitar accompaniment, Come Upstairs uses electric guitars and synthesizers prominently. The album was a commercial success; it reached No. 36 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for eight months. [2]
The first single released from the album was " Jesse", an acoustic ballad that was more in the style of Simon's earlier work rather than an example of her new sound. "Jesse" became a major hit, remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for over six months, peaking at No. 11, [2] and was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of more than 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone. [3] It also reached No. 12 in Canada, [4] and No. 4 in Australia, becoming Simon's biggest hit there since " You're So Vain" in 1973. [5]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[6] |
AllMusic reviewer William Ruhlmann retrospectively called "Jesse" 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." He additionally singled out the title track as "frisky and seductive", referred to "Take Me as I Am" as "an upbeat raver", and compared the track "Them" to the band Devo. Ruhlmann stated "Simon's emotions were unusually close to the surface throughout, 'James' was a final plea to her soon-to-depart husband, and 'In Pain' was the brutal cry of someone who sounded like she was." [6]
Reviewing the single "Jesse", Billboard wrote that "the melody is simple yet powerful, the words are complex and Simon's voice has never been better. She croons an enriching country-ish melody which perks up at the end with the addition of electric guitar, and complements it with a sensitive story." [7] 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." [8]
Reviewing the single "Take Me As I Am", Record World said that "Carly is distraught over a lover with a wandering heart" and praised the hook. [9] The magazine also called the title track a "saucy invitation [that] is full of lyrical nocturnal delights." [10]
Track listing
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Come Upstairs" | Carly Simon | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Stardust" | Simon | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Them" | Simon | 3:44 |
| 4. | " Jesse" | Simon | 4:15 |
| 5. | "James" | Simon | 2:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In Pain" |
| 6:10 |
| 2. | "The Three Of Us in the Dark" | Simon | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Take Me As I Am" |
| 4:50 |
| 4. | "The Desert" | Simon | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 38:56 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Carly Simon – lead vocals, backing vocals (1–4, 7, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (4)
- Billy Mernit – electric piano (1, 9)
- Mike Mainieri – acoustic piano (1, 5, 7, 8, 9), Oberheim synthesizer (1), Prophet-5 (2), Oberheim OB-X (2), Yamaha CS30 (3), backing vocals (3), synthesizers (8, 9), marimba (9)
- Ed Walsh – Oberheim OB-X (1), synthesizer programming (1, 8), Oberheim 8 Voice (2)
- Ken Landrum – Prophet-5 (1)
- Larry Fast – synthesizers (3)
- Don Grolnick – acoustic piano (4, 6)
- Pete Hewlett – electric guitar (1, 2, 3, 6), backing vocals (3, 4), acoustic guitar (4, 8)
- Sid McGinnis – lead guitar (1, 2, 3), guitar solo (2, 6), backing vocals (3, 4), electric slide guitar (4), electric guitar (7, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (9), 12-string guitar (9)
- Tony Levin – bass guitar (1–4, 6, 7, 8), fretless bass (5, 9)
- Steve Gadd – drums (1)
- Rick Marotta – drums (2–9)
- Jerry Grossman – cello (5)
- James Taylor – backing vocals (2, 3, 4)
- Mariah Aguiar – backing vocals (3)
- Christine Martin – backing vocals (3)
- Laraine Newman – backing vocals (3)
- Hugh Taylor – backing vocals (3, 4)
- Alex Taylor – backing vocals (3, 4)
- Sally Taylor – backing vocals (4)
- Gail Boggs – backing vocals (4)
Production
- Producer – Mike Mainieri
- Production Coordination – Christine Martin
- Engineered and Mixed by Scott Litt
- Assistant Engineers – James Farber, Jeff Hendrickson, Lucy Laurie and Raymond Willard.
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
- Art Direction – Peter Whorf
- Design – Bill Gerber
- Photography – Mick Rock
- Hand Lettering – Susan Turner
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States) [2]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Billboard 200 | 36 |
Album – International
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Australia [5] | 43 |
| 1980 | Canada [4] | 86 |
Singles – Billboard (United States) [2]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Jesse" | Adult Contemporary | 8 |
| Hot 100 | 11 | ||
| "Take Me As I Am" | 102 |
See also
References
- ^ "Come Upstairs". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Carly Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ "American certifications – Carly Simon". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Come Upstairs". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. July 26, 1980. p. 70. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 26, 1980. p. 13. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 29, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. March 21, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
-
^ Come Upstairs (booklet). Carly Simon.
Warner Bros. 1980.
{{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)
External links
| Come Upstairs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 16, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | October 1979 – May 1980 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 38:56 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Mike Mainieri | |||
| Carly Simon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Come Upstairs | ||||
| ||||
Come Upstairs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records on June 16, 1980.
It was the first of her three albums for Warner Bros. and it has a harder, more rock-oriented sound than her previous albums. [1] Whereas those earlier records were prime examples of the singer-songwriter genre, with soft-rocking arrangements primarily built around piano and/or acoustic guitar accompaniment, Come Upstairs uses electric guitars and synthesizers prominently. The album was a commercial success; it reached No. 36 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for eight months. [2]
The first single released from the album was " Jesse", an acoustic ballad that was more in the style of Simon's earlier work rather than an example of her new sound. "Jesse" became a major hit, remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for over six months, peaking at No. 11, [2] and was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of more than 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone. [3] It also reached No. 12 in Canada, [4] and No. 4 in Australia, becoming Simon's biggest hit there since " You're So Vain" in 1973. [5]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
[6] |
AllMusic reviewer William Ruhlmann retrospectively called "Jesse" 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." He additionally singled out the title track as "frisky and seductive", referred to "Take Me as I Am" as "an upbeat raver", and compared the track "Them" to the band Devo. Ruhlmann stated "Simon's emotions were unusually close to the surface throughout, 'James' was a final plea to her soon-to-depart husband, and 'In Pain' was the brutal cry of someone who sounded like she was." [6]
Reviewing the single "Jesse", Billboard wrote that "the melody is simple yet powerful, the words are complex and Simon's voice has never been better. She croons an enriching country-ish melody which perks up at the end with the addition of electric guitar, and complements it with a sensitive story." [7] 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." [8]
Reviewing the single "Take Me As I Am", Record World said that "Carly is distraught over a lover with a wandering heart" and praised the hook. [9] The magazine also called the title track a "saucy invitation [that] is full of lyrical nocturnal delights." [10]
Track listing
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Come Upstairs" | Carly Simon | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Stardust" | Simon | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Them" | Simon | 3:44 |
| 4. | " Jesse" | Simon | 4:15 |
| 5. | "James" | Simon | 2:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In Pain" |
| 6:10 |
| 2. | "The Three Of Us in the Dark" | Simon | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Take Me As I Am" |
| 4:50 |
| 4. | "The Desert" | Simon | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 38:56 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Carly Simon – lead vocals, backing vocals (1–4, 7, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (4)
- Billy Mernit – electric piano (1, 9)
- Mike Mainieri – acoustic piano (1, 5, 7, 8, 9), Oberheim synthesizer (1), Prophet-5 (2), Oberheim OB-X (2), Yamaha CS30 (3), backing vocals (3), synthesizers (8, 9), marimba (9)
- Ed Walsh – Oberheim OB-X (1), synthesizer programming (1, 8), Oberheim 8 Voice (2)
- Ken Landrum – Prophet-5 (1)
- Larry Fast – synthesizers (3)
- Don Grolnick – acoustic piano (4, 6)
- Pete Hewlett – electric guitar (1, 2, 3, 6), backing vocals (3, 4), acoustic guitar (4, 8)
- Sid McGinnis – lead guitar (1, 2, 3), guitar solo (2, 6), backing vocals (3, 4), electric slide guitar (4), electric guitar (7, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (9), 12-string guitar (9)
- Tony Levin – bass guitar (1–4, 6, 7, 8), fretless bass (5, 9)
- Steve Gadd – drums (1)
- Rick Marotta – drums (2–9)
- Jerry Grossman – cello (5)
- James Taylor – backing vocals (2, 3, 4)
- Mariah Aguiar – backing vocals (3)
- Christine Martin – backing vocals (3)
- Laraine Newman – backing vocals (3)
- Hugh Taylor – backing vocals (3, 4)
- Alex Taylor – backing vocals (3, 4)
- Sally Taylor – backing vocals (4)
- Gail Boggs – backing vocals (4)
Production
- Producer – Mike Mainieri
- Production Coordination – Christine Martin
- Engineered and Mixed by Scott Litt
- Assistant Engineers – James Farber, Jeff Hendrickson, Lucy Laurie and Raymond Willard.
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
- Art Direction – Peter Whorf
- Design – Bill Gerber
- Photography – Mick Rock
- Hand Lettering – Susan Turner
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States) [2]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Billboard 200 | 36 |
Album – International
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Australia [5] | 43 |
| 1980 | Canada [4] | 86 |
Singles – Billboard (United States) [2]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Jesse" | Adult Contemporary | 8 |
| Hot 100 | 11 | ||
| "Take Me As I Am" | 102 |
See also
References
- ^ "Come Upstairs". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Carly Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ "American certifications – Carly Simon". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Come Upstairs". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. July 26, 1980. p. 70. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 26, 1980. p. 13. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 29, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. March 21, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
-
^ Come Upstairs (booklet). Carly Simon.
Warner Bros. 1980.
{{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)