Make Believe It's Your First Time
| "Make Believe It's Your First Time" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Carpenters | ||||
| from the album Voice of the Heart | ||||
| B-side | "Look to Your Dreams" | |||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label |
A&M 1940 | |||
| Writer(s) | Bob Morrison; Johnny Wilson | |||
| Producer(s) | Richard Carpenter | |||
| The Carpenters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Make Believe It's Your First Time" is a song written by Bob Morrison and Johnny Wilson, and recorded by Bobby Vinton and later by The Carpenters.
Vinton's version was released as a single in late 1979 (b/w "I Remember Loving You") and reached No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It is Vinton's last Billboard Hot 100 entry to date.
The song was also recorded in 1979 by Karen Carpenter as a track intended for her debut solo album, which was ultimately shelved until 1996, with the release of her eponymous album, Karen Carpenter. After Karen's death in 1983, the re-recorded version from the Made in America sessions two years earlier - with its B-side, "Look to Your Dreams", were included on the duo's first posthumous album, Voice of the Heart.
Karen Carpenter rendition
Between 1979 and 1980, Karen Carpenter went to New York to record a solo album with Phil Ramone producing. "Make Believe It's Your First Time" was one of twenty tunes recorded. Karen's solo version is far more subdued with only a piano as her accompaniment.
Voice of the Heart rendition
The Carpenters recorded this version of "Make Believe It's Your First Time" for their 1981 album Made In America. The song, however, remained on the shelf until after Karen's passing in 1983. Richard Carpenter's arrangement uses far more instrumentation, adds a bridge written specifically for this version, and adds background vocals.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 60 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 1 |
Personnel
- Karen Carpenter - lead vocals
- Richard Carpenter - keyboards
- Joe Osborn - bass guitar
- Ron Tutt - drums
- Tony Peluso - electric guitar
- Tim May - acoustic guitar
- Jay Dee Maness - pedal steel guitar
- Sheridon Stokes - flute
- Earle Dumler - oboe
- The O.K. Singers - backing vocals
