The Bedroom Tapes

The Bedroom Tapes is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released in 2000.

For the collection of unreleased recordings by Brian Wilson, see Bedroom Tapes.

The Bedroom Tapes
Studio album by
Carly Simon
ReleasedMay 16, 2000
Studioat Carly's home and Sonic Brothers, Martha's Vineyard and Right Track Recording, Sound On Sound and Edison Recording Studios, New York City
GenreRock
Length56:39
LabelArista
ProducerCarly Simon, Tesse Gohl, Frank Filipetti, David Fields, Eric Bazillian
Carly Simon chronology
The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better
(1998)		 The Bedroom Tapes
(2000)		 Christmas Is Almost Here
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

The album was critically acclaimed upon release and Simon promoted it through many television appearances, notably on Good Morning America when she gave a concert in Bryant Park, on May 19, 2000.[1] Despite the warm reception, the album quickly went Out of print. In 2002, Simon released autographed limited editions of The Bedroom Tapes with two bonus tracks at the end of the album; "Grandmother's House" and "Sangre Dolce", the latter also being included on her 2008 album This Kind of Love. The opening track, "Our Affair", was remixed by Richard Perry and featured on the soundtrack of the Gwyneth Paltrow/Ben Affleck film Bounce (2000).[2]

On April 6, 2015, Simon re-released the album as a special edition with two bonus tracks, the aforementioned "Grandmother's House" and "When Manhattan Was A Maiden". The release was through the Carly Simon Vintage Line, produced by C'est Music. The CD can be purchased exclusively through Simon's website.[3]

Reception

The Bedroom Tapes received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon release, with many critics deeming it one of her best works. AllMusic wrote of the album that Simon "is as a raw as she was on 1975's Playing Possum and just as sweet as 1987's Coming Around Again, but Simon is fresh. Although in her mid-fifties, she is still a charmer."[4]

Billboard called the album "A feast for fans of intelligent, richly crafted pop music."[5] Rolling Stone called the album "A bang up album. Her balance of excellent pop thrills and writing remains singular. The Carly Simon of The Bedroom Tapes shines." NY Daily News raved "One of her best albums. The Bedroom Tapes finds Simon returning to the sharp-eyed commentary and unflinching candor of her best-loved work of the 70's." People wrote that the album "unfolds like a one-woman show," calling it a "Boffo performance."[6] The Miami Herald raved "Adults rejoice. Few albums manage to touch the heart and challenge the brain as this gem does." Us Weekly wrote "These disarmingly personal songs are pure catharsis. Who needs support groups? The Bedroom Tapes is classy work from one of pop's original confessors."[7][8]

Accolades

Boston Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2002 "Our Affair" Female Vocalist of the Year[9] Won
Song of the Year[9] Nominated

Track listing

All tracks are written by Carly Simon, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Our Affair" 4:16
2."So Many Stars" 5:35
3."Big Dumb Guy"Carly Simon, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, Larry Ciancia, Jesse Farrow5:54
4."Scar" 5:32
5."Cross The River" 5:59
6."I Forget" 4:33
7."Actress" 4:48
8."I'm Really The Kind" 4:27
9."We, Your Dearest Friends" 4:49
10."Whatever Became Of Her" 4:56
11."In Honor Of You (George)"Carly Simon, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin5:50
Total length:56:39
Bonus tracks on 2002 limited edition
No.TitleLength
12."Grandmother's House"5:39
13."Sangre Dolce"3:11
Total length:65:29
Bonus tracks on 2015 special edition
No.TitleLength
12."Grandmother's House"5:39
13."When Manhattan Was A Maiden"5:21
Total length:67:39

When Manhattan Was A Maiden

When Manhattan Was A Maiden is a song that was the original inspiration and title for what became The Bedroom Tapes. As the concept of the album evolved, Simon ultimately decided to drop the song, and it was never commercially released. In 2002, Simon posted the original demo of the song on her official website for streaming.[10]

The song was included on the 2015 re-release of the album.

Personnel
  • Carly Simon – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 7, 8), keyboards (1, 2, 4–10), acoustic guitar (1, 4, 7–10), electric guitar (1, 9, 10), percussion (1, 3, 4, 8, 9), guitar (2), bass (2), drum programming (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9), congas (3), organ (5, 10), keyboard bass (7, 9), marimba (11)
  • Teese Gohl – organ (5), arrangements and conductor (5, 8, 11), acoustic piano (9), all instruments (11), programming (11)
  • Andrew Felluss – additional organ (10)
  • Stuart Kimball – acoustic guitar (1, 10), electric guitar (1, 9, 10)
  • Eric Bazilian – electric guitar (6), keyboards (12), programming (12), guitar (12), bass (12), drums (12)
  • Peter Calo – rhythm guitar (2)
  • Michael Lockwood – electric guitar (3, 4, 7), acoustic guitar (4)
  • T-Bone wolk – bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), acoustic piano (3), electric guitar (3), acoustic guitar (3), dobro (3), mandolin (9)
  • Tony Garnier – bass (6)
  • Steve Gadd – drums (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11), percussion (5, 8, 10)
  • Larry Ciancia – drums (3)
  • Shawn Pelton – drums (11)
  • Mindy Jostyn – violin (8, 10)
  • Aaron Heick – saxophone (11)
  • Liam O'Maonlai – backing vocals (2, 4, 5, 8), flute (4)
  • The Rankin Sisters – backing vocals (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12)
  • John Forté – backing vocals (3)
  • Ben Taylor – backing vocals (3, 8)

Production
  • Producers – Carly Simon (Tracks 1–10, 12 & 13); Teese Gohl (Track 11).
  • Co-Producers on Tracks 1–10 – David Fields and Frank Filipetti
  • Co-Producer on Track 12 – Eric Bazilian
  • Engineers – Frank Filipetti, Jimmy Parr, Carly Simon and Ed Tuton.
  • Mixed by Frank Filipetti
  • Mastered by Mark Wilder

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
2000 The Billboard 200 90

References
  1. "Carly Simon – Bryant Park Concert 2000". Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  2. Bounce [Original Soundtrack]. "Album credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  3. CarlySimon.com. "The Bedroom Tapes". Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  4. The Bedroom Tapes. "Album review". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  5. Baltin, Steve (June 3, 2000). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  6. The Bedroom Tapes. "Picks and Pans review". People. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  7. "The Bedroom Tapes". Archived from the original on January 4, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  8. "Carly Simon Official Website – The Bedroom Tapes". Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  9. "Carly Simon Official Website – Awards". Archived from the original on October 19, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  10. "When Manhattan Was A Maiden". Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
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