Burning The Ground Exclusive
After two visits to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition moves to another movie whose music proved far more lasting than the film itself.
Today’s selection is Carly Simon’s “Why,” from the 1982 motion picture soundtrack Soup For One.
On paper, Carly Simon working with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers might have seemed like an unusual match. Carly was closely associated with the thoughtful singer-songwriter sound of the 1970s, while Edwards and Rodgers had created the sleek dance-floor sound of Chic.
Once the needle drops, however, the question is not why they worked together.
The question is why they did not record an entire album.
“Why” was written, produced, arranged, and conducted by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Chic recorded the instrumental backing track, while Carly supplied the lead vocal. The result is not a typical Carly Simon record with a disco beat added to it. It is a full Chic production built around one of pop music’s most recognizable voices.
Soup For One was a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Jonathan Kaufer. The film follows a New York bachelor searching for the perfect woman. It failed to make much of an impression at the box office, but the soundtrack assembled an impressive collection of R&B, pop, and dance recordings produced by the Chic Organization.
Along with Carly Simon, the album featured Chic, Debbie Harry, Teddy Pendergrass, Sister Sledge, Fonzi Thornton, and the Chic Organization itself.
The film may have disappeared.
The soundtrack refused to go with it.
“Why” was a dramatic change of direction for Carly. The record leaves behind the piano-driven pop and confessional songwriting most listeners associated with her. In their place are Bernard Edwards’ elastic bass, Nile Rodgers’ clipped guitar, soft keyboards, handclaps, and a relaxed rhythm that sits somewhere between post-disco, reggae, funk, and dub.
The groove is light, but the emotion is not.
Carly sings about a relationship filled with mixed signals. She sounds hurt, confused, and increasingly frustrated, but the production never becomes heavy. Her repeated cries of “Why?” float above one of the most effortless grooves Edwards and Rodgers ever created.
That contrast is the magic of the record.
The lyric is heartbroken.
The music makes you want to dance.
Carly does not attempt to sound like a traditional disco singer. She keeps the conversational quality that made her earlier recordings so personal. Her pauses, sighs, and changes in tone make the performance feel spontaneous, as though she is working through the argument while the tape is running.
Edwards and Rodgers surround her with space.
Nothing feels crowded. The bass carries the melody, the guitar slips quietly through the rhythm, and the keyboards add just enough color. Even when stretched beyond eight minutes, the track never feels rushed or overworked.
The single performed modestly in the United States, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, however, “Why” became a genuine hit. It reached number 10 and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.
Its story did not end in 1982.
“Why” later found a new audience in British and European clubs, becoming associated with the Balearic sound that grew during the late 1980s. The song returned to the UK chart in 1989, reaching number 56, and its bass line and rhythm continued to influence DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists.
Decades later, the record no longer sounds like a strange detour in Carly Simon’s career. It sounds ahead of its time.
Pitchfork included “Why” in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, another sign that the record’s reputation eventually grew far beyond its original chart performance.
The song also received a music video filmed on the streets of New York City. Carly’s daughter Sally Taylor makes an appearance, pouring a bottle of wine over a man’s head. The playful clip matches the record’s mixture of romantic frustration and cool detachment.
For this post, I am featuring the original UK 12-inch single.
Side one contains the Extended Version of “Why,” running approximately 8:09. Side two contains the Instrumental Extended Version, running approximately 7:06. The instrumental is credited to Chic, confirming that the musicians behind the groove were not simply studio players hired for a Carly Simon session. This was the Chic Organization at work.
The Extended Version takes its time establishing the rhythm before Carly enters. Once she does, the mix allows her vocal phrases to drift in and out of the arrangement. The extra length gives Bernard Edwards’ bass line even more room to work its magic.
This is not an extended mix filled with dramatic edits, added effects, or sudden changes.
It does not need them.
The strength of “Why” is the groove itself. Edwards and Rodgers understood that the best thing a remix could do was stay out of its way.
The Instrumental Version reveals just how complete the backing track is without Carly’s vocal. The bass, guitar, percussion, and keyboards form a hypnotic Chic recording that could easily stand on its own.
Still, Carly’s absence leaves an unmistakable space.
Her performance is what transforms the track from an elegant groove into a conversation, an argument, and a heartbreak song.
“Why” is one of the great unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Carly Simon brought vulnerability and personality. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers brought the rhythm, precision, and unmistakable Chic sound.
Soup For One may not be remembered as a classic movie.
Its soundtrack gave us a classic record.
Why?
Sometimes the strangest combinations make the most perfect sense.
SIDE A:
Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) 8:11
SIDE B:
Chic – Why (Instrumental (Extended Version)) 7:05
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| 1982 | US Billboard Hot 100 | 74 |
| 1989 | UK Singles Chart (Reissue) | 56 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA – K 79300T, Mirage (2) – K79300T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Reggae, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Disco, Funk, Downtempo, Soundtrack
CREDITS:
- Photography By – Lynn Goldsmith
- Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Nile Rodgers And Bernard Edwards*
- Written-By – Bernard Edwards And Nile Rodgers*
NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack album Soup For One – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack K99236
Produced, arranged and conducted for the CHIC Organisation Ltd.
Carly Simon appears, courtesy of Warner Brothers Records
Manufactured in the UK
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
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Such a great collaboration, It does beg the question “Why” they never did anything else together. It really does capture the disco/post disco sound fully realized and it has aged really well. When I first heard this I was blown away at how good it is. Perhaps Nile and co, wanted too much money to continue working together which is telling that the b-side is credited to Chic, or this was a test run to see the audience reaction. Carly was popular enough that she probably didn’t want to pay to alienate her existing MOR audience and lose control of… Read more »
No way! Love this one! I have to admit I’ve never seen the movie… the film may have disappeared indeed, but I laughed at ‘the soundtrack refused to go with it’ 🙂 Cary Simon has a lot of great tracks but this is a real outlier with the great Chic touch. You can feel it around the edges – it is like a confection that doesn’t seem like it should work, but when baked to perfection, that first bite is something special. The slower laid back tempo is so unique here, and it totally works. There is almost an ethereal… Read more »
Thank you so much, JP! I’m glad that line made you laugh. Sometimes the soundtrack really does outlive the movie by a very wide margin. I agree that “Why” is such an unusual fit for Carly, but somehow the Chic sound works perfectly around her. That laid-back groove, Bernard Edwards’ bass, and Nile Rodgers’ guitar give the whole track that dreamy, almost floating quality you described. And yes, I have wondered many times what a full Carly Simon album produced by Nile and Bernard might have sounded like. We may have only gotten this one collaboration, but they certainly made… Read more »
Carly Simon and Chic make strange bedfellows… but it works brilliantly! Like you mentioned, such a hypnotic groove, one of Chic’s best. And Carly Simon really delivers while acquiring a whole new audience in the UK and Europe. I think you’re right, it really does make you wonder why they didn’t record a whole album together. But fortunately we got this, and fortunately we have you to share the highest fidelity of every groove on this 12 inch! Thank you so much Paul!!
Thank you so much, Retro Hound! “Strange bedfellows” is exactly right, but somehow the combination works beautifully.
Carly keeps her own personality while Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers surround her with that unmistakable Chic groove. It really did open the door to a different audience for her, especially in the UK and Europe.
I still wish they had done a full album together. If one track could sound this good, just imagine what an entire record might have been like.
I’m glad you enjoyed the transfer. Thank you again for the kind words!
I’ve been a fan since *Coming Around Again*, which means I’m a bit late to the party in terms of her career, but I’ve also loved her music for a very long time (and I’m sure there are plenty of others like me). So, while I’m naturally shocked by the recent news about her, it’s really made me reflect deeply on how life is truly like a river that runs ceaselessly. Right now, all I can do is pray for her peace of mind. Dear Paul, thank you as always.
Thank you so much, hato. Coming Around Again was a wonderful place to discover Carly, and it opened the door to such a deep and varied catalog. The recent news about her Parkinson’s diagnosis was difficult to hear. At the same time, I was encouraged by Carly saying that she has not stopped living or working. That strength seems very much in character for her. I love your comparison of life to a river that never stops flowing. It feels especially appropriate for Carly, considering the beautiful music she has given us through so many different chapters of her life.… Read more »
Thank you,Paul. I still remember mixing this song with A Tribe Called Quest “Bonita Applebum”(Extended WHY Edit). Great funky bassline with a relaxing Reggae-Rythm.La-di-da-di-da – Bonita-Bonita-Bonita.
Thank you, Toxicaudio! That sounds like a perfect mix. “Why” and “Bonita Applebum” share that same laid-back, hypnotic groove, so I can imagine how naturally they worked together.
That bassline is really the heart of the record, and the relaxed reggae feel gives it such a unique character. Once it starts, it just floats.
La-di-da-di-da indeed. Thank you for bringing back that DJ memory!
I have to admit, this was a track I discovered years later, and immediately loved. Although we grew up with Carly & CHIC on the radio, I can’t say beyond having a couple songs on 45, that we really “got into” them. It was only after growing up a bit and getting back to these artists with a fresh perspective and maybe a greatest hits, or in CHIC’s case with the addition of a comeback album (the excellent CHIC-ism) in addition to the numerous credits and collaborations during the 80’s that I truly grew in my appreciation for these artists… Read more »
Thank you, ING! I completely understand what you mean. Sometimes it takes coming back to an artist years later, without the radio telling us which songs mattered most, to really appreciate the depth of their work. CHIC especially becomes even more impressive once you start following all the production, songwriting, and session work Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards did throughout the 1980s. CHIC-ism was a great reminder that the magic was still there. And yes, “Why” really does leave us with the obvious question: why not more? Carly and CHIC should have made an entire album together. Hey Nile… we… Read more »
I have fond memories of this record, Paul! I used to hear it on the Urban radio station out of Pittsburgh when I was in my first year at college. I thought it was a terrific record. So different from the Carly Simon songs I’ve heard before, but this made it special. I love Chic so much! I do miss Bernard Edwards a lot. He and Nile Rodgers were an incredible team. This song has such a vibe and Carly sings it masterfully!
Thank you, Paul, for the sunshine feel-goodness of this record!
Jeff
Thank you so much, Jeff! I can see why hearing this on Urban radio would have made such an impression. It sounds so different from the Carly Simon most people knew, yet she fits the Chic production beautifully.
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers really were an incredible team. That bassline, the guitar, and the relaxed rhythm give “Why” such a distinctive mood, and Carly’s vocal glides right over it.
It really is one of those records that feels like sunshine coming through the speakers. I’m glad it brought back such good memories for you!
I found out only recently that George Michael created a whole new arrangement for Why, which was around 6mins long, which Wham performed live during their ‘Final’ Wembley concert. It was never officially recorded.
Thank you, Richard! I had forgotten that Wham! performed “Why” at their final Wembley concert in 1986. What an interesting choice for George Michael to revisit, especially since the original already had such a distinctive Chic sound.
The idea that George created his own extended arrangement makes me wish even more that a proper studio version had been recorded. I would love to hear what he did with that bassline and laid-back groove.
Another fascinating chapter in the life of “Why.” Thank you for bringing it up!
What timing! This morning I was just revisiting Carly Simon’s poorly received 2015 release, “Spy” – after hearing this, it sounds like she was trying to recapture this sound. Arif Mardin was not as successful as Bernard and Nile.
Thank you, Raymond! Interesting comparison. Spy was originally released in 1979, so hearing it again through the lens of “Why” makes some of those rhythmic ideas stand out even more.
Arif Mardin was certainly no slouch, but Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers had a very particular magic. With “Why,” they stripped everything down to that hypnotic bassline, guitar, and relaxed rhythm and simply let Carly float over it.
It makes their one-time collaboration seem even more special. And once again, I find myself asking: why didn’t they make more records together?