"(Want You) Back in My Life Again" by Carpenters

Song#:  0737
Date:  09/12/1981
Debut:  88
Peak:  72
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Following up their final pop Top 40 hit "Touch Me When We're Dancing" (#16), this second single from the LP "Made in America" circled the bottom of the chart for a couple of months. It did better at AC reaching #14.

ReduxReview:  This is not too bad of a song but I think it is held back by the arrangement, which is a little too slight for the tune. And as much as I love Karen's voice, she sounds a little weak here. I think if Olivia Newton-John had done this song in her more rock-oriented style, this would have made a solid addition to one of her albums. As is, the single is just lacking the punch it takes to grab your attention.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Before this album was made, Richard Carpenter took a year off from music to deal with his addiction to Quaaludes. Instead of sitting idle, Karen embarked on a solo project working with legendary producer Phil Ramone. The sound of the album took her in a different direction than what she was doing with the Carpenters and it met with a resounding thud at her label, A&M, and with her brother. Label head Herb Alpert decided to shelve the album and also required the Carpenters to flip the bill for the recording through their future royalties. A few of the tracks were used or remixed for a couple of Carpenters releases, but the full album remained shelved until 1996, thirteen years after her death, when it was released in its entirety as Karen had wanted.

_________________________________________________________________________________