''Hello Big Man'' is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Thin ...

, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 31, 1983. The album was Simon's last for Warner Bros. (and for what became the Warner Music Group, having also spent time with

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

), as it was a commercial disappointment upon release, despite a positive reception from critics. The album featured

Sly Dunbar Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar (born 10 May 1952, Kingston, Jamaica) is a drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie. Biography Dunbar began playing at 15 in a band called ...

and Robbie Shakespeare on a number of tracks, including one Bob Marley cover. The title of the album is an allusion to the reply that Simon's mother,

Andrea Simon Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that re ...

, gave to her father, Richard Simon, when they first met. He said "hello little woman", and she replied "hello big man".

Reception

Writing in '' Rolling Stone'', Don Shewey called the album "Carly Simon's best in years," stating that she "has returned to the sort of beautiful, folk-based singing and songwriting that originally made the world fall in love with her." He singled out "It Happens Everyday" and the title track as "two of the album's best songs," and also stated "her rendition of Bob Marley's ‘ Is This Love?’ is particularly terrific, especially the way Simon's light, floating soprano mixes with Sly and Robbie's exquisite funk foundation." In a retrospective review from AllMusic, William Ruhlmann called the album "a return to the style of '' Anticipation'' and '' No Secrets'' after years of following trends -- the songs were romantic, with the erotic edge that had charged much of Simon's best material. The album was typically uneven, but also typically personal and compelling." He also singled out the title track as "a winning account of her parents' courting."

Music videos

The music video for the lead single " You Know What to Do" was directed by Dominic Orlando, from a concept by Simon. It was filmed on location in

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

, at her home and in the surrounding woods. The video received moderate airplay on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

in the autumn of 1983. Simon also filmed a music video for the title track, "Hello Big Man", which features photos and film footage of her parents. Simon's mother,

, appears at the end of the video. The video also includes the American actor and singer

Al Corley Alford Corley (born May 22, 1956) is an American actor, singer and producer. Corley is best known as the first actor to play Steven Carrington in the 1980s soap opera ''Dynasty'' and for his 1984 hit single " Square Rooms". Career In the late 19 ...

, who had also been featured on the cover of Simon's previous album '' Torch'', and with whom Simon had a brief romance. The music video for the song "It Happens Everyday" was played in movie theaters during "coming attractions".

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Album – ''Billboard'' (United States) Singles – ''Billboard'' (United States)

References

External links

Carly Simon's Official Website
{{Authority control 1983 albums Carly Simon albums Warner Records albums Albums recorded at United Western Recorders