"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell (with a songwriting credit also given to Delaney Bramlett) that has been a hit for many artists in different genres and interpretations in the years since; the best-known version is by the Carpenters in 1971.
The song "Superstar" became most popular after its treatment by the Carpenters. Richard Carpenter became aware of the song after hearing it sung by Bette Midler on late night television. He remembered, "I came home from the studio one night and heard a then relatively unknown Bette Midler perform it on The Tonight Show. I could barely wait to arrange and record it. It remains one of my favorites." Karen Carpenter had heard the early Coolidge rendition on a promotional copy of the Mad Dogs album, but at the time she did not think that much of it.
Richard's arrangement featured an oboe line at the start, followed by Karen's clear contralto voice set against a quiet bass line in the verses, which then built up to up-tempo choruses with a quasi-orchestral use of horns and strings. Karen Carpenter recorded her vocal in just one take, using lyrics scribbled by Richard on a paper napkin. This was in fact the scratch vocal normally used only to guide the other musicians through the early takes. Produced by Richard with Jack Daugherty, it was recorded with members of "The Wrecking Crew," a famed collection of Los Angeles area session musicians. As the song's storyline was originally more risqué than what was typical for the Carpenters, Richard changed a lyric in the second verse from
And I can hardly wait
To sleep with you again
to the somewhat less suggestive
And I can hardly wait
To be with you again.
The song's publisher was delighted with the lyric change, noting the previous wording had kept many other artists from recording it. (The timing of the Carpenters's first recording of the song is unclear; it is possible that Richard submitted the change to the publisher well in advance of their ultimate release of the recording, and that this influenced the other early versions.) Upon hearing the final recording, Karen Carpenter finally recognized the power of the song. She later noted: "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning. It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too."
The Carpenters treatment of the song underscored the deep loneliness and sense of loss intended in the lyric, and established the song as a standard for years to come. Karen's vocal was praised for its intensity and emotional nature. When asked in a 1972 interview how she could communicate the heart of the song while lacking the personal experience it depicted, Karen replied, "I've seen enough groupies hanging around to sense their loneliness, even though they usually don't show it. I can't really understand them, but I just tried to feel empathy and I guess that's what came across in the song." In truth, Karen struggled with loneliness herself, and the personal implications of the song made it one of the three she found most emotionally difficult to sing, the other two being the previous "Rainy Days and Mondays" and the subsequent "I Need to Be in Love."
"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell (with a songwriting credit also given to Delaney Bramlett) that has been a hit for many artists in different genres and interpretations in the years since; the best-known version is by the Carpenters in 1971.
The song "Superstar" became most popular after its treatment by the Carpenters. Richard Carpenter became aware of the song after hearing it sung by Bette Midler on late night television. He remembered, "I came home from the studio one night and heard a then relatively unknown Bette Midler perform it on The Tonight Show. I could barely wait to arrange and record it. It remains one of my favorites." Karen Carpenter had heard the early Coolidge rendition on a promotional copy of the Mad Dogs album, but at the time she did not think that much of it.
Richard's arrangement featured an oboe line at the start, followed by Karen's clear contralto voice set against a quiet bass line in the verses, which then built up to up-tempo choruses with a quasi-orchestral use of horns and strings. Karen Carpenter recorded her vocal in just one take, using lyrics scribbled by Richard on a paper napkin. This was in fact the scratch vocal normally used only to guide the other musicians through the early takes. Produced by Richard with Jack Daugherty, it was recorded with members of "The Wrecking Crew," a famed collection of Los Angeles area session musicians. As the song's storyline was originally more risqué than what was typical for the Carpenters, Richard changed a lyric in the second verse from
And I can hardly wait
To sleep with you again
to the somewhat less suggestive
And I can hardly wait
To be with you again.
The song's publisher was delighted with the lyric change, noting the previous wording had kept many other artists from recording it. (The timing of the Carpenters's first recording of the song is unclear; it is possible that Richard submitted the change to the publisher well in advance of their ultimate release of the recording, and that this influenced the other early versions.) Upon hearing the final recording, Karen Carpenter finally recognized the power of the song. She later noted: "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning. It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too."
The Carpenters treatment of the song underscored the deep loneliness and sense of loss intended in the lyric, and established the song as a standard for years to come. Karen's vocal was praised for its intensity and emotional nature. When asked in a 1972 interview how she could communicate the heart of the song while lacking the personal experience it depicted, Karen replied, "I've seen enough groupies hanging around to sense their loneliness, even though they usually don't show it. I can't really understand them, but I just tried to feel empathy and I guess that's what came across in the song." In truth, Karen struggled with loneliness herself, and the personal implications of the song made it one of the three she found most emotionally difficult to sing, the other two being the previous "Rainy Days and Mondays" and the subsequent "I Need to Be in Love."
"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell (with a songwriting credit also given to Delaney Bramlett) that has been a hit for many artists in different genres and interpretations in the years since; the best-known version is by the Carpenters in 1971.
The song "Superstar" became most popular after its treatment by the Carpenters. Richard Carpenter became aware of the song after hearing it sung by Bette Midler on late night television. He remembered, "I came home from the studio one night and heard a then relatively unknown Bette Midler perform it on The Tonight Show. I could barely wait to arrange and record it. It remains one of my favorites." Karen Carpenter had heard the early Coolidge rendition on a promotional copy of the Mad Dogs album, but at the time she did not think that much of it. Richard's arrangement featured an oboe line at the start, followed by Karen's clear contralto voice set against a quiet bass line in the verses, which then built up to up-tempo choruses with a quasi-orchestral use of horns and strings. Karen Carpenter recorded her vocal in just one take, using lyrics scribbled by Richard on a paper napkin. This was in fact the scratch vocal normally used only to guide the other musicians through the early takes. Produced by Richard with Jack Daugherty, it was recorded with members of "The Wrecking Crew," a famed collection of Los Angeles area session musicians. As the song's storyline was originally more risqué than what was typical for the Carpenters, Richard changed a lyric in the second verse from
And I can hardly wait To sleep with you again
to the somewhat less suggestive
And I can hardly wait To be with you again.
The song's publisher was delighted with the lyric change, noting the previous wording had kept many other artists from recording it. (The timing of the Carpenters's first recording of the song is unclear; it is possible that Richard submitted the change to the publisher well in advance of their ultimate release of the recording, and that this influenced the other early versions.) Upon hearing the final recording, Karen Carpenter finally recognized the power of the song. She later noted: "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning. It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too." The Carpenters treatment of the song underscored the deep loneliness and sense of loss intended in the lyric, and established the song as a standard for years to come. Karen's vocal was praised for its intensity and emotional nature. When asked in a 1972 interview how she could communicate the heart of the song while lacking the personal experience it depicted, Karen replied, "I've seen enough groupies hanging around to sense their loneliness, even though they usually don't show it. I can't really understand them, but I just tried to feel empathy and I guess that's what came across in the song." In truth, Karen struggled with loneliness herself, and the personal implications of the song made it one of the three she found most emotionally difficult to sing, the other two being the previous "Rainy Days and Mondays" and the subsequent "I Need to Be in Love."