''Have You Seen Me Lately'' is the 15th 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

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

, on September 25, 1990. The album spent 32 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200, peaking at No. 60. The first single, "

Better Not Tell Her "Better Not Tell Her" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, and produced by Frank Filipetti and Paul Samwell-Smith. The opening track from Simon's 15th studio album, ''Have You Seen Me Lately'' (1990), the song ...

", was very successful on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Adult Contemporary chart, charting for 21 weeks, peaking at No. 4, and becoming Simon's biggest hit of the 1990s. The second single, "Holding Me Tonight", was also successful on this chart, peaking at No. 36 and charting for five weeks. The track "Fisherman's Song" features backing vocals by

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

and Simon's sister, Lucy Simon. Simon released a children's book based on the song the following year. The album's title track was written for the Mike Nichols film ''

Postcards from the Edge ''Postcards from the Edge'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, first published in 1987. It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture Postcards from the Edge (film), of the same name, which was directed by Mike Ni ...

'' (1990), but the entire title sequence – including the song – was deleted by producers, although a great deal of Simon's underscore compositions and thematic interludes remain in the film, eventually earning her a BAFTA nomination for Best Film Score in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

Reception and promotion

A critical and commercial success, ''Have You Seen Me Lately'' spent eight months on the ''Billboard'' 200, while

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

, writing in '' The New York Times'', called the album "superb" and the title track "the album's most stunning moment".

Greg Sandow Greg Sandow (born June 3, 1943) is an American music critic and composer. Education Sandow is a graduate of Harvard University, with a bachelor's degree in government. He is also a graduate of Yale University, with a master's degree in composi ...

, writing for '' Entertainment Weekly'', graded the album B, and stated "'Life Is Eternal' breathes an air of genuine uplift" and "'

' and the title track sound firm, tender, and genuine, with pointed melodies and an airy outdoor aura". In a retrospective review from AllMusic, William Ruhlmann rated the album three stars out of five: "Simon has always written songs for her age group; here, it's the fortysomethings of the 1990s. At the end, "We Just Got Here" provides the summer's-end metaphor for middle age." Ruhlmann also singled out the tracks "Better Not Tell Her" and "Fisherman's Song". Simon released music videos for the singles "Better Not Tell Her" and "Holding Me Tonight"; the former being shot on a beach on

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 ...

in July 1990 - at the estate of

Jackie Onassis Jackie or Jacky may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters named Jackie or Jacky ** Jackie, current ring name of female professional wrestler Jacqueline Moore ** Jackie Lee (I ...

. Simon also performed the latter on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'' in 1990. Simon performed the tracks "Happy Birthday" and "Life Is Eternal" on a 1991 episode of '' The Phil Donahue Show''.

Awards

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

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

References

External links

Carly Simon's Official Website
{{Authority control 1990 albums Arista Records albums Carly Simon albums Albums produced by Frank Filipetti Albums produced by Paul Samwell-Smith Albums recorded at MSR Studios