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We've Only Just Begun – Songs Composed By Roger Nichols & Paul Williams (Japanese paper sleeve edition)

$42.99 ... CD (€32.43 || £27.39 || ¥4269) (approx.)

Incredible work from the songwriting team of Roger Nichols & Paul Williams – sublime greatness from the end of the 60s era at A&M! At the time of these recordings, Nichols had just finished cutting his landmark Small Circle of Friends album for A&M – and Paul Williams was an out of work actor hanging around the label with a few ideas for songs. The two were paired, and instantly began working on a string of hits for Claudine Longet, The Carpenters, and other artists. These rare recordings are demos cut by the pair to showcase their songs – with Williams doing most of the vocals, and Nichols handling the instrumentation on guitar, piano, and drums. The tracks have a rough quality that makes them sound better to our ears than their more famous versions by bigger stars – with the honest optimism that you'd hear in Nichols' earlier album, and the moody sad style that Williams brought to his own work. Titles include "Let Me Be The One", "The Drifter", "Time", "Somebody Waiting", "After All", "So Many People", "When Love Is Near", "Do You Really Have A Heart", and "Out In The Country". (SHM-CD pressing.)  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.