Anyone who was alive in 1982, please explain to me - why did 'Why' fail?
I've seen the video many times and I think it was so early 80's and the song is quite cool, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8UnXzP3ms

I just can't understand how such a nice song could flop back then? Especially when a novelty hit like Toni Basil's 'Mickey' was all over the place.

This record by Carly Simon was a huge hit in Europe and reached #10 in the UK Charts, therefore considered a hit.

It did not sell enough records!

Anyone who was alive in 1982, please explain to me - why did 'Why' fail?
I've seen the video many times and I think it was so early 80's and the song is quite cool, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8UnXzP3ms

I just can't understand how such a nice song could flop back then? Especially when a novelty hit like Toni Basil's 'Mickey' was all over the place.


I heard the song for the first time maybe 10 years ago.  I had never heard it before. I guess it never got much radio play back in 1982 (my University days), in Canada.

Anyone who was alive in 1982, please explain to me - why did 'Why' fail?
I've seen the video many times and I think it was so early 80's and the song is quite cool, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8UnXzP3ms

I just can't understand how such a nice song could flop back then? Especially when a novelty hit like Toni Basil's 'Mickey' was all over the place.


I thought it was a good song.

I liked Carly Simon ... but this is a nothing song!  Essentially, a couple of lines repeated over. The video is bad (although CS looks hot). I'm not surprised it wasn't released in Australia!

Superficially, you could say Carly Simon was out of style.  The deeper reason is more complicated.  It's more complicated that I care to detail.

The hitmakers did not pick it to become a hit.  For a more detailed answer you'd have to study the sausage factory that is the music business. 

Every year there are a thousand great songs recorded and maybe ten become hits.  Maybe fewer today.

Anyway, "Coming Around Again" (1986) did reach 18 on the Hot 100 and 5 on Adult Contemporary, outperforming the earlier single "Tried of Being Blonde." 
I always liked "Coming Around Again."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0A7jAVDPJU
Of course, this song was he main theme for the film Heartburn (1986; Meryl Street, Jack Nicholson; screenplay: Nora Ephron; director: Mick Nichols)

And yes, 90WG, that Blue Nile record was one of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bev4H57si2E

I liked Carly Simon ... but this is a nothing song!  Essentially, a couple of lines repeated over. The video is bad (although CS looks hot). I'm not surprised it wasn't released in Australia!


The video is quite cheesy and she's repeating "La De Da De Da" and "Why" over and over.  ::)

Cheesy or not, I like it. ;)
Most 80's videos had cheesy written all over them, yet they were more artistic and... sincere. They didn't try too hart, at least not before Michael Jackson and Madonna started making glamorous music videos. 80s music videos were cheesy, but most of them differed a lot. You can never say that in 1984, for example, videos looked the same, they didn't. Even the videos from the same artist differed a lot, while nowadays all videos look the same - hot chicks, thugs, shiny cars, etc.

I liked Carly Simon ... but this is a nothing song!  Essentially, a couple of lines repeated over. The video is bad (although CS looks hot). I'm not surprised it wasn't released in Australia!
Yeah I agree with the same line repeated over and over. The computerized beat that she is siniging over  sounds too polished for her too. The video I can see she is trying to be more edgy in order to adapt to that time period with putting her hands around a guy. Now I can see why her albums failed in the early 80's she was trying to be something she wasn't.

Yeah I agree with the same line repeated over and over. The computerized beat that she is siniging over  sounds too polished for her too. The video I can see she is trying to be more edgy in order to adapt to that time period with putting her hands around a guy. Now I can see why her albums failed in the early 80's she was trying to be something she wasn't.


That's what happens to musicians who start out with best selling albums in the 70's but then as the 80's approaches you wind up becoming a novelty act and that's where you either sink or swim.

'Why' by Carly Simon is a soundtrack hit.  From a 1982 movie called 'Soup For One' that no one saw.
From that same soundtrack was another hit titled 'Soup For One' by Chic, which also failed to see the US Top 40

Makes me think of a great topic spin-off ...

'Why' by Carly Simon is a soundtrack hit.  From a 1982 movie called 'Soup For One' that no one saw.
From that same soundtrack was another hit titled 'Soup For One' by Chic, which also failed to see the US Top 40

Makes me think of a great topic spin-off ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5-9N0DEfmM


I like the song but it didn't feel like a Chic song, It sounded plain.

Why do singers have novelty songs?  ???

I like the song but it didn't feel like a Chic song, It sounded plain.


Chic had to change their style for the 80s.  They lost the "Good Times" as Soup For One only reached #80 in the US, but without that song, there would never have been this #1 club hit in the year 2000 ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3jWKQA0ye0

Chic had to change their style for the 80s.  They lost the "Good Times" as Soup For One only reached #80 in the US, but without that song, there would never have been this #1 club hit in the year 2000 ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3jWKQA0ye0


Ok, So how about one day I do a thread about "novelty songs", How would I word it?  ???

I have nothing against Carly Simon, but that song wasn't anything special.

I have nothing against Carly Simon, but that song wasn't anything special.


She was better in the 70's era.

She was better in the 70's era.
I agree!

I agree!


She had a lot of good hits.

She was better in the 70's era.
She reallly didn't do anything noteworthy after the 70's besides her 1987 comeback anyway. I like Carly's music too. I'm definately not a hater of her works. I look at the early 80's as a missed opportunity for her where she could have maybe done something noteworthy musically.

She reallly didn't do anything noteworthy after the 70's besides her 1987 comeback anyway. I like Carly's music too. I'm definately not a hater of her works. I look at the early 80's as a missed opportunity for her where she could have maybe done something noteworthy musically.


Why sink the money into money-losing new songs when the fans will lap up the old ones until doomsday!

She reallly didn't do anything noteworthy after the 70's besides her 1987 comeback anyway. I like Carly's music too. I'm definately not a hater of her works. I look at the early 80's as a missed opportunity for her where she could have maybe done something noteworthy musically.


Well she did sing "Let The River Run" from the film Working Girl and "Nobody Does It Better"

Why sink the money into money-losing new songs when the fans will lap up the old ones until doomsday!
I don't think of of it like that.