Bless the Beasts and Children (song)
Encyclopedia
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. In order to promote it, The Carpenters performed it on their television series, Make Your Own Kind Of Music as "F" for "Film Music". It was nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for Best Song, but it lost to "Theme from Shaft
".
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
" and Bless the Beasts was used when David Hasselhoff's character Dr. Foster had to say goodbye to his son in a powerful 1977 episode of the serial.
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. 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.
Bless the Beasts and Children (film)
Bless the Beasts and Children is a 1971 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, by Glendon Swarthout, that was directed by Stanley Kramer, featuring Bill Mumy and Barry Robins.-Plot:...
was performed by The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, and was featured on the B-side to their then-recent hit, "Superstar". The B-side charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, eventually topping out at #67. In order to promote it, The Carpenters performed it on their television series, Make Your Own Kind Of Music as "F" for "Film Music". It was nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for Best Song, but it lost to "Theme from Shaft
Theme from Shaft
"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...
".
The original soundtrack
Bless the Beasts and Children (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to the 1971 film Bless the Beasts and Children consists of music by The Carpenters, Barry De Vorzon, and Renee Armand. It included The Carpenters' "Bless the Beasts and Children theme song as well as "Cotton's Dream", later known as "Nadia's Theme", which became the theme song to the...
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.
Perry Botkin, Jr.
Perry Botkin, Jr. is an American composer, producer, arranger, and musician. He had a successful career in music for over forty years. As an arranger, he worked with Bobby Darin, Harry Nilsson, The Lettermen, Ed Ames, and Harpers Bizarre, among others...
, and the original "Nadia's Theme
Nadia's Theme
"Nadia's Theme" is a piece of music composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. that serves as the theme music to the American television soap opera The Young and the Restless.-Origins:...
", 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
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
" and Bless the Beasts was used when David Hasselhoff's character Dr. Foster had to say goodbye to his son in a powerful 1977 episode of the serial.
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. The original soundtrack had a vibraphone playing the melody in the introduction, while the "A Song for You
A Song for You (Carpenters album)
A Song for You is the fourth album released by the Carpenters, released on June 13, 1972. According to Richard Carpenter, "A Song for You was intended to be a concept album with the title tune opening and closing the set and the bookended selections comprising the 'song'."In Cash Box's Top 100...
" version, released on the single, contained an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
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.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 67 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 28 |
| Oricon (Japanese) Singles Chart | 85 |