Torch is the 10th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, in August 1981.
It was Simon's first album devoted to standards, namely torch songs, relating unrequited love or rejection. The album also features one Simon original, "From the Heart". The album was recorded during her marriage breakup to James Taylor, which was announced shortly after the release of the album.
Background Simon listened to and learned the standards while growing up in her parents house. While working on her previous album, Come Upstairs, she would jam on older songs between takes along with producer Mike Mainieri and pianist Warren Bernhardt. Her lyrical knowledge of those classic songs surprised Mainieri and Bernhardt, and the experience inspired Simon to make an album containing that type of material.
Reception
Writing in Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden called the album "a gorgeous throwback", stating Simon's "magnificent alto, with its rough-and-tumble lows and wistful highs, has never sounded better." He singled out the track "Not a Day Goes By" as "Torch's moment of truth", a "big, direct ballad", and "Simon's vocal makes you feel each stab of pain." He concluded "though Torch may be too sophisticated to storm the charts, it's nevertheless a superb example of modern mood music, performed with grace, gusto, sensuality, and intelligence."
In a retrospective review from AllMusic, William Ruhlmann similarly singled out the track "Not a Day Goes By", stating that Simon delivers it "with heartbreaking conviction." Simon later included the track on her two-disc career spanning collection Anthology (2002).
"Hurt" was released as the albums lead single; it just missed the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 106 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
"From the Heart" was included on Simon's 2015 career retrospective Songs from the Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection).
Cover artwork The man whose arm Simon is tugging on the cover is American actor Al Corley, known for playing Steven Carrington on the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. The photographer was Lynn Goldsmith.
Track listing Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Notes signifies a writer by additional lyrics
Personnel
Musicians
Production
Charts
Chart (1981) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 77Japanese Album Charts 56 US Cash Box Top 100 Albums 45
References
External links Carly Simon's Official Website