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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