When Elektra Records’ founder Jac Holzman signed Carly Simon to his label in 1970, it was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship. Their story unfolds in a new collection of songs chosen and sequenced by Holzman. He follows the arc of Simon’s meteoric rise with a mix of hits and deep cuts selected from the singer-songwriter’s first three albums.
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: THE CARLY SIMON AND JAC HOLZMAN STORY will be released on September 15 on CD and 2 LPs. In addition, the music will be available from digital and streaming platforms. Simon’s rendition of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” from the collection is available today digitally.
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS includes 20 songs remastered for the collection. Most are taken from the Grammy winner’s first three albums—Carly Simon (1971), Anticipation (1971), and No Secrets (1972). They’re joined by an outtake of Simon covering John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” and the previously unreleased demo for “Alone.”
The new set touches on some of Simon’s biggest songs with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a Top 10 hit in 1970, and “Anticipation,” a #13 hit from 1971, whose refrain serves as the title to the new collection. Also included is the #1 smash “You’re So Vain,” which, in 1973, topped the singles chart for three weeks in the U.S., where it was certified gold. Years later, in 2004, the song was inducted into the GrammyÒ Hall of Fame. However, for most of the collection, Holzman focuses on deep tracks like “The Love’s Still Growing,” “Our First Day Together,” and “Embrace Me, You Child.”
The demo debuts here for “Alone,” a song that would appear later on Carly Simon. This early recording was part of the five-song demo Simon made in 1970 with a band fronted by session ace David Bromberg. She sent the tape to three record labels that year, Columbia, Atlantic, and Elektra. Holzman—who first saw Simon perform in Greenwich Village with her sister in the late ’60s—invited Simon to lunch, where they forged the lasting friendship celebrated in this collection.
In the booklet accompanying the set, music historian Ted Olson details Simon and Holzman’s short (three albums in three years) but successful partnership. It’s illustrated with rare photos from the period, and the commentary by Olson includes fresh insights from new interviews conducted with Simon and Holzman expressly for this set.
Simon says working wit Holzman was one of the peaks of her career, “There was never more care given to me. Never more respect, and I can surely say that I would never have become a performer had it not been for that first call from Jac after listening to my first little demo cassette.”
Holzman adds, “Carly ad I created a lifelong friendship born from our ’70s music collaboration. I think the good and positive effect we had on each other resulted in records that were gifts for Carly fans and music lovers the world over.”
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: THE CARLY SIMON AND JAC HOLZMAN STORY
2-LP Track Listing
LP One: Side One
1. “Anticipation”
2. “It Was So Easy”
3. “Alone” – Demo *
4. “The Best Thing”
5. “Dan, My Fling”
Side Two
1. “I’ve Got to Have You”
2. “The Love’s Still Growing”
3. “Summer’s Coming Around Again”
4. “Our First Day Together”
5. “Embrace Me, You Child”
LP Two: Side One
1. “Legend In Your Own Time”
2. “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”
3. “The Carter Family”
4. “Angel From Montgomery”
5. “Julie Through The Glass”
Side Two
1. “His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin”
2. “Reunions”
3. “The Right Thing to Do”
4. “We Have No Secrets”
5. “You’re So Vain”
* previously unreleased
