Torch (Carly Simon album)

Torch is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's eleventh album, and tenth studio album, released in 1981.

It was Simon's first album devoted to standards, namely torch songs, relating unrequited love or rejection. The album also features one Simon original, "From the Heart". The album was recorded during her marriage break up to James Taylor, which was announced shortly after the release of the album.

Cover artwork
The man whose arm Simon is tugging on the cover is American actor Al Corley, known for playing Steven Carrington on the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. The photographer was Lynn Goldsmith.

Singles
"Hurt" was the only single released from the album. It just missed the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #106 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

"Not a Day Goes By" was included on Simon's 2002 career spanning collection Anthology. "From the Heart" was included on Simon's 2015 career retrospective Songs From The Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection).

Track listing
Side one Side two
 * 1) "Blue of Blue" (Nicholas Holmes, additional lyrics by Carly Simon) - 3:38
 * 2) "I'll Be Around" (Alec Wilder) - 2:30
 * 3) "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" (Duke Ellington, P.F. Webster) - 3:46
 * 4) "I Get Along Without You Very Well" (Hoagy Carmichael) - 3:23
 * 5) "Body and Soul" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green) - 4:12
 * 1) "Hurt" (Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs) - 3:21
 * 2) "From the Heart" (Simon) - 2:47
 * 3) "Spring Is Here" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 3:02
 * 4) "Pretty Strange" (Jon Hendricks, Randy Weston) - 2:59
 * 5) "What Shall We Do with the Child" (Holmes, Kate Horsey, additional lyrics by Simon) - 2:44
 * 6) "Not a Day Goes By" (from the Broadway show Merrily We Roll Along) (Stephen Sondheim) - 2:40

Personnel

 * Jay Berliner – classical guitar (10)
 * Warren Bernhardt – acoustic piano (1, 3, 5-9, 11), synthesizer (4), arrangements (8)
 * Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (6)
 * Randy Brecker – trumpet solo (9)
 * Robert L. Freedman – orchestration arrangements (2)
 * Eddie Gomez – acoustic bass (5)
 * Anthony Jackson – bass (1, 3, 6, 9)
 * Mike Mainieri – arrangements (1-7, 9, 10, 11), acoustic piano (4), vibraphone (5), marimba (10),
 * Jerry Marotta – drums (6)
 * Rick Marotta – drums (1, 3, 9)
 * Hugh McCracken – guitar (1, 2, 6), acoustic guitar (7)
 * David Nadien – violin solo (8)
 * Marty Paich – orchestration arrangements (3, 4, 5, 8)
 * Lee Ritenour – guitar (2, 3, 9)
 * David Sanborn – alto saxophone (1, 3)
 * Don Sebesky – orchestration arrangements (1, 9, 11)
 * Carly Simon – lead vocals
 * Grady Tate – drums (5)
 * Phil Woods – alto saxophone (5)

Production

 * Producer – Mike Mainieri
 * Production Coordination – Christine Martin
 * Engineer – Scott Litt
 * Second Engineer – Garry Rindfuss
 * Mixing – Scott Litt (Tracks 1-7, 9, 10 & 11); Tony Bongiovi (Track 6).
 * Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
 * Art Direction – Bill Gerber and Simon Levy
 * Design – Bill Gerber
 * Photography – Lynn Goldsmith

Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)

Album - International

Singles - Billboard (North America)