The Simon Sisters - Rise Up (1969)

The Simon Sisters were a folk music sister duo consisting of Carly Simon and Lucy Simon, and they released three albums in the 1960's before Lucy left to get married. The duo would hitchhike up to Provincetown, Massachusetts in the summer of 1964, and sing at a local bar called The Moors, with their repertoire consisting of folk music, peppered with a few original compositions. They were signed to Kapp Records that same year, and their first two albums were released on the label, with 'Meet The Simon Sisters' coming out in 1964. It was a fine collection of folk standards, all arranged by the sisters, and it included their first composition, with Lucy's co-write of 'Winkin', Blinkin' And Nod' not only becoming a minor hit single, but also foreshadowing their third album of songs for children. Their second release 'Cuddlebug (The Happiness Blanket)' quickly followed the same year, and once again was a nice collection of folk standards arranged by the girls, including a French Canadian version of 'Blowin' In The Wind' and a lovely arrangement of Pete Seeger's 'Turn, Turn, Turn'. The duo made one more album together, and 1969's 'The Simon Sisters Sing The Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs For Children' did exactly what it said in the title, with Lucy putting music to a number of children's poems by Edward Lear, Robert Louis Stevenson, William Blake and Eugene Field among others. In 1970 Lucy left to get married and start a family, and Carly later collaborated with eclectic New York rockers Elephant's Memory for about six months, and also appeared in the 1971 Miloš Forman film 'Taking Off', playing an auditioning singer, and singing 'Long Term Physical Effects', which was included in the 1971 soundtrack album. Lucy had a minor solo career and released two albums in the 70's before having more recent success writing music for Broadway plays. From 1971, Carly embarked on a very successful solo career, releasing over 24 studio albums that produced multiple Top 40 hits across the Billboard charts. To understand how they both got to that point in their careers I've selected songs from their albums that they either wrote themselves, co-wrote with others, or where the arrangements are particularly effective, and I've included 'Maryanne', which was a song that they exhumed for inclusion on the 1982 album 'In Harmony 2'. 

Track listing

01 Rise Up (C Simon/L Simon)
02 A Red, Red Rose (Robert Burns/L Simon)
03 The Lamplighter (Robert Louis Stevenson/L Simon)
04 Dink's Blues (arranged by C Simon/Scharf)
05 If You Go Down To The Water (C Simon/Delbanco)
06 Delia (arranged by C Simon/L Simon)
07 Motherless Child (adapted by Hamilton/Gilbert)
08 Hold Back The Branches (C Simon/De Vega)
09 Who Has Seen The Wind (Christina Rossetti/L Simon)
10 Once I Had A True Love (arranged by C Simon/L Simon)
11 Maryanne (arranged by C Simon/L Simon)
12 So Glad I'm Here (Krause, Cooper, Smith, Scharf)
13 A Pavane For The Nursery (William Jay Smith/L Simon)
14 Pale Horse And Rider (C Simon)