Film Noir (album)

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Film Noir
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1997
Recorded1996-7 New York City
StudioRight Track Studios, The Warehouse, Clinton Studios and National Edison (New York, NY); Snowbound Sound (Pawling, NY); Capitol Studios (Hollywood, CA).
GenreStandards
Length42:26
LabelArista
ProducerCarly Simon, Jimmy Webb and Arif Mardin
Carly Simon chronology
Clouds in My Coffee
(1995)
Film Noir
(1997)
The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better
(1998)

Film Noir is the 17th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on September 16, 1997.

It is Simon's third album devoted to standards,[1] following Torch (1981) and My Romance (1990). Jimmy Webb co-produced the album and contributed his vocals, orchestration and piano skills to the project which was filmed for an AMC documentary entitled Songs in Shadow: The Making of Carly Simon's Film Noir (which premiered in September 1997). He also co-wrote the title song "Film Noir" with Simon. John Travolta duets with Simon on the song "Two Sleepy People". Film director Martin Scorsese provided liner notes in the fold out booklet.[2] The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance in 1998.[3]

Promotion and reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

Songs in Shadow: The Making of Carly Simon's Film Noir aired as a special presentation on AMC. This documentary also features footage of Jimmy Webb, Arif Mardin and Van Dyke Parks in the studio recording the album with Simon.[5] Simon made and released a music video for "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye".[6] She also performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno[7] and The Late Show with David Letterman.[8] In addition to appearances on The View and CBS This Morning, she performed "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" with Jimmy Webb on The Rosie O'Donnell Show.[9]

AllMusic rated the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Using smoky saloon songs like "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as a blueprint, Simon and producer Jimmy Webb create a seductive, intimate atmosphere."[4]

Awards[edit]

Grammy Awards
Year Work Award Recipient Result Ref
1998 Film Noir Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance Carly Simon Nominated [3]
"Laura" Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals Arif Mardin Nominated [10]

Track listing[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Won't Forget Me"
  • Kermi Goel
  • F. Speilman
2:52
2."Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"Cole Porter4:33
3."Lili Marlene"
3:41
4."Last Night When We Were Young"4:42
5."Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year"Frank Loesser3:34
6."Film Noir"3:35
7."Laura"4:44
8."I'm a Fool to Want You"
3:32
9."Fools Coda"Torrie Zito1:13
10."Two Sleepy People"3:37
11."Don't Smoke in Bed"Willard Robison2:54
12."Somewhere in the Night"
3:29
Total length:42:26

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

  • Carly Simon – lead and backing vocals
  • Teese Gohl – keyboards
  • Jimmy Webb – acoustic piano, organ, arrangements and conductor, lead vocals (5)
  • Russ Kassoff – acoustic piano
  • Michael Kosarin – acoustic piano, piano arrangements
  • Mindy Jostyn – accordion, guitars, violin
  • Peter Calo – guitars
  • Jeff Pevarmandolin
  • David Finckacoustic bass
  • Billy Ward – drums
  • Van Dyke Parks – arrangements and conductor
  • Torrie Zito – arrangements and conductor
  • Elena Barere – concertmaster
  • Barry Finclair – concertmaster
  • Dick Berkhe – vocal arrangements
  • Al Dana – backing vocals
  • Kevin DiSimone – backing vocals
  • Kevin Osborne – backing vocals
  • Lenny Roberts – backing vocals
  • Ben Taylor – backing vocals
  • Darryl Tookes – backing vocals
  • John Travolta – lead vocals (10)

Production[edit]

  • Carly Simon – producer (1–6, 8–12)
  • Jimmy Webb – producer (1–6, 8–12)
  • Arif Mardin – producer (7)
  • Frank Filipetti – engineer, mixing
  • Al Schmitt – engineer
  • Billy Eric – additional engineer
  • Brian Faehndrich – additional engineer
  • Roy Hendrickson – additional engineer
  • Michael O'Reilly – additional engineer
  • Craig Boyce – assistant engineer, mix assistant
  • Peter Doell – assistant engineer
  • Joe Lizzi – assistant engineer
  • Jim Murray – assistant engineer
  • Yvonne Yedibalian – assistant engineer
  • Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • Jill Dell'Abate – production manager
  • Nancy Roof – production coordination
  • Mark Burdett – art direction
  • Rita Karidis – design
  • Marlo Viscel – design
  • Greg Gorman – photography
  • Martin Scorsese – liner notes
  • Bill Zimmerman – research

Charts[edit]

AlbumBillboard (United States)[12]

Year Chart Position
1997 Billboard 200 84

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Usher Scores Billboard Hit; Bieber Could Outsell Madonna". Voice of America. June 26, 2012. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  2. ^ "Film Noir". Carlysimon.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Carly Simon". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Film Noir". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2007.
  5. ^ "Carly Simon – Songs In Shadow – The Making Of Film Noir". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  6. ^ "Carly Simon – Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  7. ^ "Carly Simon – Jay Leno show Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  8. ^ "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye – Carly Simon". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "Carly Simon – SPRING WILL BE A LITTLE LATE". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  10. ^ "40th Annual Grammy Awards". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Film Noir (booklet). Carly Simon. Arista. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Carly Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

External links[edit]