Maps of Music

Boys in the Trees (1978)

Where the lyrics of Boys in the Trees take you, and where it was really made.

The cover photo was not a plain photograph: a topless shot of Simon was airbrushed to paint a Danskin top on her.

Key places

Recorded at Atlantic Studios (1978)

Recording site Atlantic Studios (New York City) — The album was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York. Additional recording was done at A&R Studios, also in New York. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Boys in the Trees: seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon
• Released by Elektra Records in April 1978
• Lead single "You Belong to Me" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart
• It was Simon's fifth Top 10 pop hit and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
• Second single: a remake of the Everly Brothers' 1958 hit "Devoted to You," sung as a duet with then-husband James Taylor
• "Devoted to You" peaked at No. 36 on the Top 40 chart
• The two singles reached No. 4 and No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart
• The album became one of Simon's biggest-selling albums

Background

• Between her previous album and this one, Simon had a major hit with "Nobody Does It Better," the theme from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me
• That song is not included on this album
• "You Belong to Me" was co-written with Michael McDonald, then a member of the Doobie Brothers
• The song first appeared on the Doobie Brothers' album before this release
• Taylor provided vocal arrangement and sang a duet on "Devoted to You"

Recording

• Most tracks feature Steve Gadd on drums
• Many fusion-style session players were hired for the album

Cover

• The front cover photo was based on a topless shot of Simon
• It was airbrushed to paint a Danskin top on her

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · ja.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born June 25, 1943 in New York City; American singer-songwriter and author.
• In 1963 began performing as the Simon Sisters with sister Lucy Simon; released Meet the Simon Sisters, which produced the minor hit "Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod".
• Signed to Elektra Records in 1970 and went solo.

Career

• Debut album (1971) won the Grammy for Best New Artist; "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" was her first top 10 single.
• No Secrets (1972) topped the Billboard 200 for five weeks; "You're So Vain" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Recorded "Nobody Does It Better" for the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
• Won an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy for "Let the River Run" from Working Girl (1988).
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone's Janet Maslin called it "Carly Simon's most serene accomplishment to date" and said its moods vary enough to show that peace of mind comes at a high price
• Maslin praised "You Belong to Me" for Simon's gently chiding tone, which she found more compelling than a belted or growled delivery
• Cash Box said of "Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)" that a "funky" arrangement of guitars, horns and strings follows a stepping beat, and praised Simon's "clean" vocal

Reappraisal

• AllMusic retrospective by William Ruhlmann gave the album 3 out of 5
• Ruhlmann wrote that the album's success came from Simon having a couple of years to write strong songs in her reflective style
• He also wrote that she continued to explore the loves and mores of her age and class movingly

Records

• Billboard 200: No. 10, her first Top 10 album since 1975's 『人生はいたずら』
• RIAA Gold certification in May 1978
• RIAA Platinum certification in August 1978
• Platinum certification on August 7, 1978, for sales of over one million copies in the United States alone
• "You Belong to Me" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100
• "Devoted to You" reached No. 36 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart
• "Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)" reached No. 86 on the US Cashbox Pop chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Tori Amos often plays the title track live, and said she used to listen to it over and over, wishing she had written it
• The cover photo was airbrushed so that a Danskin top was painted onto a topless shot of Simon
• The album's Grammy for Best Album Package went to Johnny Lee and Tony Lane
• The album was also recorded in part at A&R Studios in New York, according to the Discogs credits
• Engineer Bobby Warner and mastering engineer George Piros are credited on the Discogs release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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