"Anticipation" is a song written and performed by
Carly Simon, and the lead single from her
1971 album of the same name. The song peaked at No. 13 on the
''Billboard'' pop singles chart and at No. 3 on the ''
Billboard''
Adult Contemporary chart
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...
.
The song also ranked No. 72 on ''Billboard''s
Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972, and garnered Simon a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for
Best Pop Female Vocalist. Simon wrote the song on the
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
in 15 minutes, as she awaited
Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date.
"Anticipation" is one of Simon's biggest hits. It has been included on several compilations of her work, including ''
The Best of Carly Simon'' (1975), ''
Clouds in My Coffee'' (1995), ''
The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better'' (1999), ''
Anthology'' (2002), and ''
Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits'' (2004). A live version from her 1988 album ''
Greatest Hits Live'' was included on
Sony BMG/
Legacy's 2014 compilation release ''
Playlist: The Very Best of Carly Simon''.
The song was used in commercials for
Heinz Ketchup
Heinz Tomato Ketchup is a brand of ketchup manufactured by the H. J. Heinz Company, a division of the Kraft Heinz Company.
History
It was first marketed as " catsup" in 1876 In 1907, manufacturing reached 12 million bottles and it was expo ...
through the late 1970s into the 1980s. ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' used the song in a similar fashion for its mock commercial for "Swill Mineral Water."
In 2018, it was also used in a teaser advertisement for the ABC series ''
The Conners
''The Conners'' is an American television sitcom created for ABC as a renamed direct continuation of the sequel to the series ''Roseanne''. The series is produced by Werner Entertainment, with Bruce Helford serving as showrunner and features ...
''.
Critical reception
Stephen Davis, writing for
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
, stated "''Anticipation'' is a spirited examination of the tensions involved in a burgeoning romantic situation in which nobody has any idea of what's going on or what's going to happen." He continued "Carly's fine, aggressive vocal is complemented by Paul Glanz' lyrical piano comping, and drummer
Andy Newmark's rhythms are to the point. The cut winds up with a surprising coda crescendo that pithily wraps up the premise of the message about anticipating things to come–Stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
reviewer Joe Viglione said of the track, "In retrospect the song (and the
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
) are among Carly's finest." And concluded "'Anticipation' was more than a great melody and performance, it became a pivotal bridge and foundation for fifteen years of hits."
Track listing
;7" single
* "Anticipation" – 3:19
* "The Garden" – 4:08
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
External links
Carly Simon's official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anticipation (Song)
1971 singles
Carly Simon songs
Songs written by Carly Simon
Song recordings produced by Paul Samwell-Smith
1971 songs