Hotcakes (album)

Hotcakes is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon. Released in 1974, it became one of her biggest selling albums. The album featured the major hits "Mockingbird", a duet with her then-husband James Taylor (a cover of a 1963 hit for Inez and Charlie Foxx), and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain". Recorded during her pregnancy with her first child, many of the album's songs reflected Simon's upbeat mood during this period. The album's cover photo, taken by Ed Caraeff, shows the pregnant Simon sitting in a gleamingly white kitchen, smiling brightly and wearing a bohemian white linen dress.

This article is about the album by Carly Simon. For the album by The Darkness, see Hot Cakes.
Hotcakes
Studio album by
Carly Simon
ReleasedJanuary 11, 1974
RecordedSeptember 1973
Producers Workshop, Los Angeles and October - November 1973 at The Hit Factory, New York City
GenreRock, pop, acoustic, easy listening
Length38:41
LabelElektra
ProducerRichard Perry
Carly Simon chronology
No Secrets
(1972)		 Hotcakes
(1974)		 Playing Possum
(1975)
Singles from Hotcakes
  1. "Mockingbird"
    Released: January 1974
  2. "Haven't Got Time for the Pain"
    Released: April 1974

The album went gold immediately and it stayed on the charts for eight months, yet it was initially overshadowed commercially by two other major albums released by Simon's own label, Elektra/Asylum, in the same month, Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark and Bob Dylan's Planet Waves. These took the No. 2 and No. 1 spots, respectively, on the Billboard album chart while Hotcakes peaked at No. 3.[1] Hotcakes went on to sell several hundred thousand more copies than Dylan's album and was listed in the Top 40 of Billboard's Year End Top albums for 1974, while Planet Waves did not make the Top 50.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Christgau's Record GuideC[2]

Reception

Jon Landau, writing in Rolling Stone, stated Simon's ..."Hotcakes is playful-sounding with some serious overtones — a balance that best suits her for the time being."[3] He also stated that "'Think I'm Gonna Have a Baby,' 'Forever My Love' and especially 'Haven't Got Time for the Pain' are substantial songs and performances, superior to almost everything else she has so far recorded."[3]

William Ruhlmann's more recent review for Allmusic rated the album four out of five stars. Ruhlmann wrote, Hotcakes was "an autobiographical concept album that defined domestic bliss at a time when Simon's listeners also were catching their breath and turning inward." Shortly after its release, Hotcakes was certified Gold by the RIAA, for sales "of one million dollars at manufacturer's level" in the United States.[4] David Geffen, then-president of Elektra/Asylum, was quoted in a 1974 Rolling Stone article that Hotcakes had sold 1 million units in the US up to that point.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[5]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Safe and Sound"
3:36
2."Mind on My Man"Simon2:57
3."Think I'm Gonna Have a Baby"Simon3:55
4."Older Sister"Simon3:06
5."Just Not True"Simon5:16
6."Hotcakes"James Taylor1:07
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Misfit"Simon3:04
8."Forever My Love"
  • Simon
  • Taylor
3:25
9."Mockingbird"
4:11
10."Grownup"Simon3:44
11."Haven't Got Time for the Pain"
  • Simon
  • Brackman
3:50

Notes

  • ^a signifies a writer by additional lyrics

Personnel
  • Carly Simon – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1, 3, 8), acoustic piano (2-5, 7, 10, 11), Fender Rhodes (2), whistle (2), backing vocals (5, 9)
  • Kenny Ascher – acoustic piano (1, 8, 10), Hammond organ (7)
  • Dr. John – acoustic piano (9), Hammond organ (9)
  • David Spinozza – electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 8)
  • James Taylor – acoustic guitar (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11), backing vocals (5), horn arrangements and conductor (6), lead vocals (9)
  • Bucky Pizzarelli – electric guitar (2)
  • Jimmy Ryan – acoustic guitar (4, 5, 11), electric guitar (7, 11)
  • Robbie Robertson – electric guitar (9)
  • Klaus Voormann – bass guitar (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11)
  • Richard Davis – string bass (2)
  • Larry Brean – slap bass (4)
  • Rick Marotta – drums (1)
  • Jim Keltner – drums (3, 4, 9, 11)
  • Jim Gordon – drums (5)
  • Billy Cobham – drums (6)
  • Andy Newmark – drums (7)
  • Russ Kunkel – drums (8)
  • Ralph MacDonald – congas (2), percussion (3, 11)
  • George Devens – cabasa (2)
  • Paul Buckmaster – string and woodwind arrangements (1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), conductor (1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11)
  • Howard Johnson – baritone saxophone (6), tuba (6)
  • Bobby Keys – tenor saxophone (6), baritone saxophone (9)
  • Barry Rogers – trombone (6)
  • Steve Madaio – trumpet (6)
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (9)
  • Lani Groves – backing vocals (3, 11)
  • Carl Hall – backing vocals (3, 11)
  • Tasha Thomas – backing vocals (3, 11)
  • Todd Graff – backing vocals (3)
  • Lucy Simon – backing vocals (3)
  • Benny Diggs – backing vocals (4)
  • Revelation – backing vocals (4)
  • Richard Perry – backing vocals (4)

Production
  • Producer – Richard Perry
  • Engineering and Remixing – Harry Maslin and Bill Schnee
  • Assistant Engineer – Blasie Castellano
  • Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
  • Art Direction and Design – Vincent Cesi at Push Pin Studios.
  • Cover Photo – Ed Caraeff
  • Centerfold Photo – Vieri Salvadori

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1974 Pop Albums 3 [6]

Album - International

Year Country Position
1974 Australia 9 [7]
1974 Canada 7 [8]
1974 Japan 39 [9]
1974 United Kingdom 19 [10]

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1974 "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" Adult Contemporary 2
1974 "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" Pop Singles 14
1974 "Mockingbird" Adult Contemporary 10
1974 "Mockingbird" Pop Singles 5
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References
  1. AllMusic. "Carly Simon Awards". Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  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. Landau, J. (June 6, 1974). "Hotcakes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  4. "Carly Simon certifications". RIAA.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
  5. Hotcakes (booklet). Carly Simon. Elektra. 1974.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. "Carly Simon - Chart history | Billboard". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  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 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
  9. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  10. "UK Charts > Carly Simon". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
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