Carpenters’ formidable eighth album, Passage, was a sufferer of its personal timing: launched in October 1977, whereas the world was going punk and Carpenters had been producing the plushest of plush pop. Passage included three hit singles, “All You Get From Love Is A Love Song” (US No. 35), “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” (US No. 32), and “Candy, Candy Smile (US No. 44). The latter track, written by Juice Newton, was picked up by nation radio and made the Billboard nation chart within the spring of 1978. But whereas the album solely made No. 49, it remained on the US chart for 4 and a half months.
Passage consists of among the Carpenters’ most formidable productions of all time, amongst them their cowl of Canadian band Klaatu’s “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.” The one got here out in late September 1977 and was recorded on the A&M soundstage in Los Angeles, that includes the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, who, for contractual causes, had been known as the “Overbudget Philharmonic,” in Passage’s liner notes.
The orchestral preparations for “Calling Occupants” and the opposite “production” quantity on the album, “On The Balcony Of The Casa Rosada/Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” had been by British arranger and conductor Peter Knight, whose credit embody The Moody Blues’ Days Of Future Handed album. In keeping with Richard, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” was “submitted to us by the publisher, and I immediately felt it was perfect for Karen, though now I feel differently, as I believe the song doesn’t linger long enough in a lower register, a great area for Karen’s voice.”
Passsage was one thing of a primary for the Carpenters in that it consists of no songs written by Richard. “All You Get from Love Is A Love Song” was written by Steve Eaton, whereas the stunning “Two Sides,” one of many band’s lesser-known gems was written by Scott E. Davis, higher generally known as Mac Davis. The album’s opening monitor, “B’wana She No Home,” is from the pen of cult jazz vocalist Michael Franks, whereas “Man Smart, Woman Smarter” is credited to Norman Span, higher generally known as 40s calypso singer King Radio.
Apart from Karen and Richard, the album options common guitarist Tony Paluso (who can also be the voice of the DJ on “Calling Occupants”), together with bass participant Joe Osborn, Ray Parker Jr on guitar — later to search out fame with Raydio — famous Los Angeles sax participant and session man Tom Scott and Elvis Presley’s drummer, Ron Tutt.
Passage entered the US charts on October 22, 1977, however whereas it didn’t chart as extremely as anticipated at residence, it did make No. 12 within the UK and No. 7 in Japan, and stays a much-loved album by followers, most of whom had been by no means remotely fascinated by punk, anyway…
Store for Carpenters’s music on vinyl or CD now.
