Playing Possum

Today, Playing Possum may best be remembered for its controversial cover photograph, which shows the singer wearing only a black negligee, sheer-to-waist pantyhose, and knee-high black boots. The photographer was Norman Seeff.[3] It was nominated for Best Album Package at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards in Feb. 1976.[4] In 1991, it ranked at No. 20 on the Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest album covers.[5]

Simon chose to include further photographs from the session in the booklets accompanying her three-CD boxed set, Clouds in My Coffee (1995), and her two-CD Anthology (2003), the latter which also includes the singles "Attitude Dancing" and "Waterfall".

Grammy Awards

Notes

• ^A The photographer was Norman Seeff.

Other honors and recognitions

• 1991 – Playing Possum ranked No. 20 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers of All-Time list.

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[6]

• Carly Simon – lead vocals, acoustic piano (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), horn arrangements (1), string arrangements (1, 10), backing vocals (2, 3, 5–8), acoustic guitar (3)
• Billy Mernit – acoustic piano (2, 7)
• James Newton Howard – ARP synthesizer (3), electric piano (3)
• Dr. John – acoustic piano (4)
• Lee Ritenour – electric guitar (1, 5, 8), mandolin (5)
• James Taylor – acoustic guitar (3, 5, 8), backing vocals (3, 5, 8, 10)
• Jeff Baxter – guitar (4)
• Alvin Robinson – guitar (4)
• Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (10)
• Klaus Voormann – bass (1, 4)
• Willie Weeks – bass (2, 6, 10)
• Leland Sklar – bass (5, 8)
• Joe Mondragon – bass (9)
• Andrew Gold – drums (1, 10), guitar (2, 6), tambourine (2), acoustic guitar (10)
• Andy Newmark – drums (2)
• Ringo Starr – drums (4)
• Russ Kunkel – drums (5, 8)
• Jim Gordon – drums (6)
• Irving Cottler – drums (9)
• Alan Estes – percussion (1, 3)
• Emil Richards – percussion (2)
• Fred Staehle – percussion (4)
• Richard Perry – tambourine (4)
• Eddie Bongo – congas (6)
• Trevor Lawrence – alto sax solo (1)
• Derrek Van Eaton – flute (8)
• Lon Van Eaton – clarinet (8), sitar (10)
• Tommy Morgan – harmonica (10)
• Perry Botkin Jr. – string arrangements (2, 5), orchestration (2, 5), conductor (2, 5, 9), horn and woodwind arrangements (5), clarinet and trombone arrangement (9)
• Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements (6)
• Rita Coolidge – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Clydie King – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Rodney Richmond – backing vocals (2)
• Vini Poncia – backing vocals (3)
• Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (4)
• Maxine Willard – backing vocals (4)
• Carolyn Willis – backing vocals (4)
• Abigale Haness – backing vocals (6)
• Carole King – backing vocals (6)
• Ken Moore – backing vocals (6)

• Producer – Richard Perry
• Engineers – Bill Schnee (Tracks 1, 2 & 5–10); Norm Kinney (Track 3); Andrew Berliner (Track 4).
• Second Engineer – Charles Beasley
• Assistant Engineers – Larry Emerine and Reed Stanley
• Remixing – Norm Kinney and Bill Schnee
• Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Art Direction – Glen Christensen
• Design and Photography – Norman Seeff
• Management – Arlyne Rothberg, Inc.

Album – Billboard (North America)

Album – International

Singles – Billboard (North America)

• Carly Simon's Official Website