Spy (Carly Simon album)

Spy is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released in 1979. It is also her last album for Elektra Records. The title of the album is a tribute to Anaïs Nin, whose quote "I am an international spy in the house of love", is written across the top on the inside jacket. Simon dedicated the album to producer Arif Mardin, in which she wrote in the liner notes, "Dedicated to Arif who is himself fantastic."

Spy
Studio album by
Carly Simon
ReleasedJune 30, 1979
RecordedDec. 1978 – April 1979 at Atlantic Studios, New York City.
GenreRock • pop • disco
Length40:37
LabelElektra
ProducerArif Mardin
Carly Simon chronology
Boys in the Trees
(1978)		 Spy
(1979)		 Come Upstairs
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[2]

Although Spy did not yield any major hit singles, "Vengeance" (which features actor Tim Curry on backing vocals) earned Simon a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in early 1980, the first year to feature this new category.[3] The song peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Pop singles chart, and Simon later included it on her Anthology album in 2002. Simon made a music video for the song,[4] and MTV later used a clip from it in a commercial that enticed viewers to get stereo sound on their TV sets.[5] The promotional clip was also chosen by Pioneer Electronics to be part of their first demo disc for its then-new Laserdisc player.

The title song was released as the second single from the album, and reached No. 34 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary singles chart. The album also features the songs "Never Been Gone" and "We're So Close" which have become fan favorites and stand among Simon's personal favorites of her own songs.[6] In 2009, Simon released Never Been Gone, an album which includes a newly recorded version of the song.

Awards

22nd Annual Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980 "Vengeance" Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female Nominated

Track listing

All tracks are written by Carly Simon, except where indicated.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Vengeance" 4:14
2."Just Like You Do" 4:14
3."We're So Close" 5:10
4."Coming to Get You" 2:49
5."Never Been Gone"Simon, Jacob Brackman3:36
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Pure Sin"Simon, Frank Carillo3:56
2."Love You By Heart"Simon, Brackman, Libby Titus3:55
3."Spy"Simon, James Taylor, Arif Mardin4:14
4."Memorial Day" 8:29
Total length:40:37

Personnel
  • Carly Simon – lead and backing vocals, acoustic piano (3, 9)
  • Ian McLagan – acoustic piano (1)
  • Don Grolnick – acoustic piano (1, 6), clavinet (1)
  • Warren Bernhardt – keyboards (1), acoustic piano (2, 4, 5, 9), electric piano (3, 6–9)
  • Richard Tee – clavinet (1), electric piano (2, 5)
  • Ken Bichel – Polymoog (2, 3), synthesizers (4)
  • Cliff Carter – synthesizers (6)
  • Billy Mernit – acoustic piano (8)
  • Joe Caro – electric guitar (1, 8), guitar (6, 9), acoustic guitar (4)
  • John Hall – electric guitar (1), electric guitar solo (1)
  • David Spinozza – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 7, 8), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 7), electric guitar solo (4), guitar (6, 9)
  • Frank Carillo – guitar (6)
  • Tony Levin – bass (1, 6, 7)
  • Will Lee – bass (2, 3, 4, 8, 9)
  • Steve Gadd – drums (1–4, 6, 8, 9)
  • Rick Marotta – drums (1, 2, 8)
  • Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion (3, 7), congas (7)
  • Raphael Cruz – cowbell (6), congas (7), percussion (7, 8)
  • Mike Mainieri – vibraphone (9)
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone (1, 2, 3, 9)
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (1, 6), tenor sax solo (6)
  • Peter Ballin – alto saxophone (6)
  • Lew Del Gatto – baritone saxophone (6)
  • Hubert Laws – flute (8)
  • Tom Malone – trombone (6)
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet (1, 6)
  • Arif Mardin – horn and string arrangements, choir arrangement (5)
  • Gene Orloff – concertmaster
  • Tim Curry – backing vocals (1, 6)
  • Ullanda McCullough – backing vocals (2)
  • James Taylor – backing vocals (2, 5, 7, 8)
  • Lucy Simon – backing vocals (5)
  • Jonathan Abramowitz, Lamar Alsop, Julien Barber, Phil Bodner, James Buffington, Frederick Buldrini, Jean R. Dane, Eddie Daniels, Peter Dimitriades, Lewis Eley, Gerald Tarack, Paul Gershman, Ted Hoyle, Regis Iandiorio, Teddy Israel, Harold Kohon, Jesse Levy, Guy Lumia, Joseph Malin, Richard Maximoff, Kermit Moore, Eugene J. Moye, Gene Orloff, Tony Posk, Alan Shulman and Mitsue Takayama – strings

Production
  • Producer – Arif Mardin
  • Recorded and Mixed by Lew Hahn
  • Assistant Engineer – Mike O'Malley
  • Mastering – George Piros
  • Art Direction and Design – Robert Heimall
  • Photography – Pam Frank
  • Management – Arlyne Rothberg

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1979 Pop Albums 45

Album – International

Year Country Position
1979 Australia 33[7]
1979 Canada 56[8]

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1979 "Vengeance" Pop Singles 48
1979 "Spy" Adult Contemporary 34

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William. Spy at AllMusic
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. "Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Best Rock Vocal Performance – Female". rockonthenet.com. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  4. "Vengeance – Carly Simon – YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  5. "Carly Simon – (1981) MTV In Stereo Commercial – YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  6. "Carly Simon Official Website – Ask Carly". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2014.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
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