Bless the Beasts and Children (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Bless The Beasts And Children


Caption = The original "Bless The Beasts and Children" U.S. single picture sleeve.
Artist = The Carpenters
from Album = "A Song for You"
A-side = "Superstar"
Released = August 12, 1971
Format = 7" single
Recorded = Summer 1971
Genre = Pop
Length = 03:09
Label = A&M Records
1289
Writer = Barry De Vorzon; Perry Botkin, Jr.
Producer = Jack Daugherty
Certification =
Last single = "Superstar" (1971)
This single = "Bless the Beasts and Children" (1971)
Next single = "Hurting Each Other" (1971)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = A Song for You
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side one
# "A Song for You"
# "Top of the World"
# "Hurting Each Other"
# "It's Going to Take Some Time"
# "Goodbye to Love"
# "Intermission";Side two
# "Bless the Beasts and Children"
# "Flat Baroque"
# "Piano Picker"
# "I Won't Last a Day Without You"
# "Crystal Lullaby"
# "Road Ode"
# "A Song for You (Reprise)"

The theme song to the 1971 film "Bless the Beasts and Children" was performed by The Carpenters, and was featured on the B-side to their then-recent hit, "Superstar". The B-side charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually topping out at #67. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carpenters/] [ [http://www.bookrags.com/The_Carpenters The Carpenters Summary ] ] In order to promote it, The Carpenters performed it on their television series, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" as "F" for "Film Music" [http://thecarpenters.tv/] .

The original soundtrack included two different versions of "Bless The Beasts And Children", the other being an orchestral instrumental arrangement by composers Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr., and the original "Nadia's Theme", which was listed as "Cotton's Dream". "Cotton's Dream" was also used as the theme song to the 1973 soap opera, "The Young and the Restless" [ [http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/young-and-restless.htm The Young and the Restless theme lyrics ] ] [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068286/soundtrack Bless the Beasts & Children (1971) - Soundtracks ] ] [ [http://members.fortunecity.com/drjtv/yr.html The Young and the Restless ] ] .

The song was originally released on the original soundtrack, and a slightly different version was released on the Carpenters' 1972 LP, "A Song for You" on June 13, 1972 [Comparison between original soundtrack and the "A Song for You" LP] . The original soundtrack had a vibraphone playing the melody in the introduction, while the "A Song for You" version, released on the single, contained an oboe stating the melody. The two versions (soundtrack and album versions) faded out toward the end, but in 1985, Richard Carpenter re-mixed the song so it does not fade out in the end. He also added a harder bass-line.

References