Playing Possum

Playing Possum
Playing Possum
Studio album by Carly Simon
Released	April 21, 1975
Recorded	1974–1975 at Sound Labs, Sunset Sound Recorders, Crystal Sound, A&M Studios and Burbank Studios, California
Genre	Rock • pop • disco • jazz
Length	34:48
Label	Elektra
Producer	Richard Perry
Carly Simon chronology
Singles from Playing Possum
	"Attitude Dancing"; Released: 1975; "Waterfall"; Released: 1975; "More and More"; Released: 1975;

For the concept "playing possum", see Apparent death.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Rolling Stone	(mixed)^[2]

Playing Possum is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released in 1975.

It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Pop albums chart, peaking at No. 10 in June 1975. The lead single from the album, "Attitude Dancing", which featured Carole King on backing vocals, was also a success, peaking at No. 21 on Billboard Pop singles chart, and No. 18 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. A second single, "Waterfall," which featured prominent backing vocals by Simon's then-husband James Taylor, didn't fare as well, reaching no higher than No. 78 on the Pop singles chart. It fared much better on the Adult Contemporary chart, entering the Top 40 and peaking at No. 21. The album's third and final single "More and More" was co-written by New Orleans pianist Dr. John, who also played piano on the track, along with Ringo Starr on drums, but it peaked no higher than No. 94 on the Pop singles chart.

Reception and cover artwork[]

In his mixed review of the album, Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone said it "represents a breakthrough of sorts for Simon," in her continued shift from a "sensitive singer/songwriter role" to a "rock songstress." He wrote that "Attitude Dancing" was "easily the most exciting Carly Simon cut since 'You're So Vain.'" Other standouts from his review were "After the Storm," "Love Out in the Street," "Are You Ticklish," "Look Me in the Eyes," "Waterfall," and "Slave."

Today, Playing Possum may best be remembered for its controversial cover photograph, which shows the singer wearing only a black negligee, sheer-to-waist pantyhose, and knee-high black boots. The photographer was Norman Seeff.^[3] It was nominated for Best Album Package at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards in Feb. 1976.^[4] In 1991, it ranked at No. 20 on the Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest album covers.^[5]

Simon chose to include further photographs from the session in the booklets accompanying her three-CD boxed set, Clouds in My Coffee (1995), and her two-CD Anthology (2003), the latter which also includes the singles "Attitude Dancing" and "Waterfall".

Awards[]

Grammy Awards

Year	Work	Award	Recipient	Result
1976	Playing Possum	Best Album Package	Gene Christensen^A	Nominated

Notes

^A The photographer was Norman Seeff.

Other honors and recognitions

1991 – Playing Possum ranked No. 20 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers of All-Time list.

Track listing[]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes^[6]

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"After the Storm"	Carly Simon	2:47
2.	"Love out in the Street"	Simon	3:40
3.	"Look Me in the Eyes"	Simon	3:34
4.	"More and More"	Mac Rebennack Alvin Robinson	4:02
5.	"Slave"	Simon Jacob Brackman	3:54

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Attitude Dancing"	Simon Brackman	3:52
7.	"Sons of Summer"	Billy Mernit	3:05
8.	"Waterfall"	Simon	3:31
9.	"Are You Ticklish"	Simon	2:26
10.	"Playing Possum"	Simon	3:57

Personnel[]

Carly Simon – lead vocals, acoustic piano (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), horn arrangements (1), string arrangements (1, 10), backing vocals (2, 3, 5–8), acoustic guitar (3)
Billy Mernit – acoustic piano (2, 7)
James Newton Howard – ARP synthesizer (3), electric piano (3)
Dr. John – acoustic piano (4)
Lee Ritenour – electric guitar (1, 5, 8), mandolin (5)
James Taylor – acoustic guitar (3, 5, 8), backing vocals (3, 5, 8, 10)
Jeff Baxter – guitar (4)
Alvin Robinson – guitar (4)
Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (10)
Klaus Voormann – bass (1, 4)
Willie Weeks – bass (2, 6, 10)
Leland Sklar – bass (5, 8)
Joe Mondragon – bass (9)
Andrew Gold – drums (1, 10), guitar (2, 6), tambourine (2), acoustic guitar (10)
Andy Newmark – drums (2)
Ringo Starr – drums (4)
Russ Kunkel – drums (5, 8)
Jim Gordon – drums (6)
Irving Cottler – drums (9)
Alan Estes – percussion (1, 3)
Emil Richards – percussion (2)
Fred Staehle – percussion (4)
Richard Perry – tambourine (4)
Eddie Bongo – congas (6)
Trevor Lawrence – alto sax solo (1)
Derrek Van Eaton – flute (8)
Lon Van Eaton – clarinet (8), sitar (10)
Tommy Morgan – harmonica (10)
Perry Botkin Jr. – string arrangements (2, 5), orchestration (2, 5), conductor (2, 5, 9), horn and woodwind arrangements (5), clarinet and trombone arrangement (9)
Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements (6)
Rita Coolidge – backing vocals (2, 5)
Clydie King – backing vocals (2, 5)
Rodney Richmond – backing vocals (2)
Vini Poncia – backing vocals (3)
Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (4)
Maxine Willard – backing vocals (4)
Carolyn Willis – backing vocals (4)
Abigale Haness – backing vocals (6)
Carole King – backing vocals (6)
Ken Moore – backing vocals (6)

Production[]

Producer – Richard Perry
Engineers – Bill Schnee (Tracks 1, 2 & 5–10); Norm Kinney (Track 3); Andrew Berliner (Track 4).
Second Engineer – Charles Beasley
Assistant Engineers – Larry Emerine and Reed Stanley
Remixing – Norm Kinney and Bill Schnee
Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
Art Direction – Glen Christensen
Design and Photography – Norman Seeff
Management – Arlyne Rothberg, Inc.

Charts[]

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1975	Pop Albums	10

Album – International

Year	Country	Position
1975	Australia	25^[7]
1975	Canada	22^[8]
1975	Japan	70^[8]

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	"Attitude Dancing"	Pop Singles	21
1975	"Attitude Dancing"	Adult Contemporary	18
1975	"Waterfall"	Pop Singles	78
1975	"Waterfall"	Adult Contemporary	21
1975	"More and More"	Pop Singles	94

References[]

^ Allmusic review
^ Holden, S. (June 19, 1975). "Playing Possum". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
^ Estes, Lenora Jane (September 12, 2013). "The 'Lost Archive' of Norman Seeff". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
^ "Grammy Awards 1976". Retrieved July 27, 2014.
^ "Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Album Covers". Retrieved July 26, 2014.
^ Playing Possum (booklet). Carly Simon. Elektra. 1975.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ ^a ^b "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

External links[]

Carly Simon's Official Website

[1] Allmusic review

[2] Holden, S. (June 19, 1975). "Playing Possum". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved July 12, 2014.

[3] Estes, Lenora Jane (September 12, 2013). "The 'Lost Archive' of Norman Seeff". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 27, 2014.

[awardsandshows.com-4] "Grammy Awards 1976". Retrieved July 27, 2014.

[rateyourmusic.com-5] "Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Album Covers". Retrieved July 26, 2014.

[Album_booklet-6] Playing Possum (booklet). Carly Simon. Elektra. 1975.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[kent-7] David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[can-8] "CAN Charts > Carly Simon". RPM. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.

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v t Carly Simon
Discography
Studio albums	Carly Simon Anticipation No Secrets Hotcakes Playing Possum Another Passenger Boys in the Trees Spy Come Upstairs Torch Hello Big Man Spoiled Girl Coming Around Again My Romance Have You Seen Me Lately Letters Never Sent Film Noir The Bedroom Tapes Christmas Is Almost Here Moonlight Serenade Into White This Kind of Love Never Been Gone
Compilations	The Best of Carly Simon Greatest Hits Live Clouds in My Coffee The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better Anthology Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits Carly Simon Collector's Edition Original Album Series Playlist: The Very Best of Carly Simon Songs trom the Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection)
Other	Working Girl (Original Soundtrack Album) This Is My Life (Music from the Motion Picture) Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera Piglet's Big Movie (soundtrack) The Best of Pooh and Heffalumps, Too
Concerts	Live from Martha's Vineyard Carly in Concert – My Romance Live at Grand Central A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2
Singles	"That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" "Anticipation" "Legend in Your Own Time" "You're So Vain" "The Right Thing to Do" "Mockingbird" "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" "Attitude Dancing" "Waterfall" "It Keeps You Runnin'" "Nobody Does It Better" "You Belong to Me" "Devoted to You" "Vengeance" "Jesse" "Hurt" "Why" "Kissing with Confidence" "You Know What to Do" "Tired of Being Blonde" "My New Boyfriend" "Coming Around Again" "Give Me All Night" "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" "All I Want Is You" "Let the River Run" "Better Not Tell Her" "Love of My Life" "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" "Let It Snow"
Other songs	"We Have No Secrets" "Night Owl" "You Can Close Your Eyes"
The Simon Sisters	Meet The Simon Sisters Cuddlebug The Simon Sisters Sing the Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod: The Kapp Recordings
Family	Richard Simon (father) Andrea Heinemann Simon (mother) George Simon (uncle) Joanna Simon (sister) Lucy Simon (sister) James Taylor (ex-husband) Ben Taylor (son) Sally Taylor (daughter)