Carly Simon’s biggest hit is today’s classic song of the day. Ms. Simon released “You’re So Vain” in November of 1972. Early in 1973, the song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a top ten hit in Australia (#1), Belgium, Canada (#1), Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand (#1), South Africa, the UK, and West Germany.
“You’re So Vain” is about an old lover who was very full of himself. The big mystery, of course, is who the song was actually about. Given Carly’s history, when young, of romances with various rich and famous men, there’s a long list of potential candidates to choose from. Some have speculated that the vain man in the lyrics could be actor Warren Beatty, novelist Nicholas Delblanco, music industry exec David Geffen, or musicians Mick Jagger (who sang backup on the song), Cat Stevens, James Taylor (her soon-to-be husband), or David Bowie.
Carly herself said the song isn’t about a single person, with each verse being about a different guy. Warren Beatty certainly thought the song is about him (he actually called Carly up and thanked her for the song) and Carly, in her memoirs, said that the second verse is indeed about the libidinous actor. But who the other two verses are about remains a mystery, at least to her adoring public.
Ms. Simon recorded “You’re So Vain” at Trident Studios in London, with Richard Perry producing. It was intended for inclusion on her third album, 1972’s No Secrets. Musicians on the track included Jimmy Ryan on guitars, Klaus Voormann on bass, and Jim Gordon on drums. Carly herself played acoustic guitar and piano, while Paul Buckmaster did the string arrangement. Background vocals were provided by Vicki Brown, Liza Strike, and an uncredited but instantly recognizable Mick Jagger.
The story goes that Mr. Jagger just happened to be visiting the studio when Carly was recording “You’re So Vain,” and Carly asked him to sit in. In her own words:
“I was in London, it was 1972 and he [Mick] happened to call at the studio while I was doing the background vocals with Harry Nilsson. Mick said ‘Hey, what cha doin’?’ and I said ‘We’re doing some backup vocals on a song of mine….why don’t you come down and sing with us?’ So Mick and Harry and I stood around the mic singing ‘You’re So Vain’ and Harry was such a gentleman—he knew the chemistry was between me and Mick; in terms of the singing, so he sort of bowed out, saying ‘The two of you have a real blend—you should do it yourselves.’ And that’s how it happened.”
The resulting track was a worldwide hit and became Carly Simon’s signature song. The single was nominated for three Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. (It lost to Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in all three categories.)
So here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, the notoriously stage-shy Carly Simon performing “You’re So Vain” live on Martha’s Vineyard in 1987, for an HBO special. You probably think the song is about you…
