Written by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody, “Solitaire” was initially recorded by Sedaka himself, and is a type of much-covered songs that appears to have been round perpetually. It’s been interpreted by quite a few different artists, starting from Elvis to Sheryl Crow in addition to Tony Christie and The Searchers. However there’s one model that’s, arguably, head and shoulders above all others and that’s the one by the Carpenters, recorded in 1975 for his or her album Horizon.
Sedaka’s unique was the title lower for his 1972 album recorded with 10cc members Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, and Graham Gouldman, and engineered by the opposite group member, Eric Stewart, at their Strawberry Studios in Manchester. The primary launch of “Solitaire” as a single was by Sixties stalwarts the Searchers in February 1973, earlier than a model by Andy Williams reached No.4 on the UK chart within the autumn of the identical 12 months.
Richard Carpenter knew each Sedaka’s and Williams’ variations, however was apparently not satisfied that the tune was proper for his sister Karen. Nevertheless, as soon as she had recorded it, he described it as “one of [her] greatest,” including the caveat that “she never liked the song [and]…she never changed her opinion.”
“Solitaire” was the third single to be taken from Horizon, and differed barely from the album model, as on the one, a lead guitar solo was added between the primary verse and refrain. It entered the Billboard Scorching 100 in early August and went on to make No.17 on the chart. In so doing, it grew to become the Carpenters’ least profitable single since their pre-stardom A&M debut “Ticket to Ride” in 1969. It solely made No.32 within the UK, the place the duo’s singles success was on the wane, though there was one additional stunning prime ten hit there to come back in 1977.
The Carpenters had been by no means as profitable on the Billboard charts after “Solitaire,” but it surely’s nonetheless change into an absolute favourite amongst their legions of followers.
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