Letters Never Sent Explained

Letters Never Sent
Type:studio
Artist:Carly Simon
Cover:Letters Never Sent.jpg
Released:November 1, 1994
Recorded:1994
Studio:Right Track Recording, The Hit Factory, Edison Studios and Sound On Sound (New York City); Cadiloon Sound (Pawling, New York); Room with a View Studio (Hamburg, Germany)
Genre:Rock
Length:52:07
Label:Arista
Producer:Frank Filipetti and Carly Simon
Prev Year:1993
Next Title:Clouds in My Coffee
Next Year:1995

Letters Never Sent is the 16th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on November 1, 1994.

Simon has stated the inspiration for the album came when she found an old box of letters that she'd written, but never mailed.[1] She wrote "Like a River" in honor of her mother, Andrea Simon, and "Touched by the Sun" for her dear friend, Jackie Onassis, both of whom died from cancer in 1994.[2]

The album features backing vocals by Marc Cohn and Simon's son Ben Taylor (who also appears as vocalist on "Time Works on All the Wild Young Men", the bridge song between the fourth and sixth tracks).[1] Andreas Vollenweider plays the harp on the track "Davy".[1]

Promotion and reception

Simon made music videos for the songs "Like a River"[3] and "Touched by the Sun".[4] She performed "Touched by the Sun" on the Late Show with David Letterman on two occasions.[5] Simon also embarked on a co-headlining tour with Hall & Oates in support of the album.[6]

Entertainment Weekly graded the album B+, and wrote "Simon dug up her old, unsent letters — to people unnamed, but not necessarily unidentifiable — and set them to music. The results are funky, fascinating, and sumptuous. A daring move that pays off." AllMusic wrote that the album "represents a fresh start" and that "Simon has returned to passion as her main subject matter, confessing, "I can never be in love, I can only be in heat." She gives off that heat in many of the album's songs" and concluded "It's an unusually coquettish performance for a woman of 49, and practically weightless."

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWork/RecipientResultRef.
1995Boston Music AwardsOutstanding Song/Songwriter"Like a River"[7]
Outstanding Female VocalistCarly Simon

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]

Live at Grand Central

Live at Grand Central is a 1995 concert special that aired on Lifetime Television. Performed in the middle of New York City's Grand Central Terminal, the surprise concert was a prelude to Simon's first concert tour in 14 years.[9] It was directed by English music video and film director Nigel Dick, and runs 60 minutes.[10] It was released on VHS and LaserDisc latter the same year.[9]

For this special, Simon was nominated for two CableACE Award's, winning Best Original Song for "Touched by the Sun".[11]

Personnel

Production

Charts

AlbumBillboard (United States)[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Letters Never Sent . Carlysimon.com . June 16, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121012033836/http://www.carlysimon.com/music/Letters_Never_Sent.html . October 12, 2012 . dead.
  2. Web site: Carlysimon.com . Timeline 90's . https://web.archive.org/web/20070901005348/http://www.carlysimon.com/timeline/HerWords4.htm . September 1, 2007 . March 18, 2015 . dead.
  3. Web site: Carly Simon - Like A River . . August 15, 2023 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/leQhz8oIYRQ . August 20, 2023 . live.
  4. Web site: Carly Simon - Touched By The Sun . . August 15, 2023 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/xe5ltsXX4Pc . August 20, 2023 . live.
  5. News: Touched By The Sun on Late Night . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/WQdd8GFRohc . December 21, 2021 . dead . . March 31, 2017.
  6. Web site: Catlin . Rodger . Carly Simon Comfortable On Tour With Hall And Oates . Hartford Courant . June 15, 2014 . Jul 17, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210717140643/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1996-01-24-9601240440-story.html . dead.
  7. Web site: Boston Music Awards 1995 . . October 30, 2021 . November 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211104051445/https://bostonmusicawards.com/bma/boston-music-awards-1995/ . live.
  8. Carly Simon . Letters Never Sent . 1994 . booklet . Arista.
  9. Web site: Live At Grand Central . Carlysimon.com . October 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121119052057/http://www.carlysimon.com/music/Live_At_Grand_Central.html . November 19, 2012 . dead.
  10. Web site: Carly Simon – Live at Grand Central . . November 4, 2022 . November 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221104230548/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/462734/carly-simon-live-at-grand-central#overview . live.
  11. Web site: HBO and Garry Shandling's 'Larry Sanders Show' Lead CableACE Awards . . November 4, 2022 . March 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220319150051/https://apnews.com/article/be8db562a5d5872a3bd026f0a5045360 . live.
  12. Carly Simon – Chart history . . January 4, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021023757/https://www.billboard.com/artist/carly-simon/chart-history/tlp/ . October 21, 2022 . live.