"Half a Chance" is a song written by Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman, performed by Simon, and produced by Ted Templeman. The song served as the second single from Simon's sixth studio album, Another Passenger (1976). Simon made her only appearance on Saturday Night Live on May 8, 1976, where she performed the song, along with "You're So Vain".[1] It was a pre-taped performance—a rare occurrence on that show—because Simon suffered terrible bouts of stage fright.[2]
| "Half a Chance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Carly Simon | ||||
| from the album Another Passenger | ||||
| B-side | "Libby" | |||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 2:55 (album version) | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Carly Simon, Jacob Brackman | |||
| Producer(s) | Ted Templeman | |||
| Carly Simon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception edit
"Half a Chance" reached No. 39 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.[3] Cashbox said of the single that "the chorus is authoritative, filled with confidence, and, as usual, her words are striking."[4] Ken Tucker, writing in Rolling Stone, referred to it as "entertaining, loping, slick."[5]
Track listing edit
- 7" single[6]
- "Half a Chance" – 2:49
- "Libby" – 4:38
Charts edit
| Chart (1976) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 39 |
References edit
- ^ Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994. pp. 124–127. ISBN 0-395-70895-8.
- ^ McDuffee, Allen. "Carly Simon Did Something On Saturday Night Live That Will Likely Never Be Done Again". MSN. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ "Carly Simon Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. September 4, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (August 12, 1976). "Another Passenger review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ^ "Half a Chance 7" single". Discogs. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
External links edit
- Carly Simon's Official Website
- Half a Chance by Carly Simon on YouTube, official audio (no music video)