Boats Against the Current

For the band, see John Guandolo § Boats Against The Current.

Boats Against the Current is a 1977 album by Eric Carmen. The title is taken from a line in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”^[1] It was Carmen's second solo LP, after the Raspberries disbanded. It peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200 for the week ending October 8, 1977.^[2]

Boats Against the Current
Studio album by Eric Carmen
Released	August 1977
Studio	Crystal Sound (Los Angeles) Studio 55 (Los Angeles) Sound Factory (Hollywood) Brother Studio (Santa Monica)
Genre	Soft rock
Length	37:57
Label	Arista
Producer	Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen chronology
Eric Carmen (1975) Boats Against the Current (1977) Change of Heart (1978)
Singles from Boats Against The Current
"She Did It" Released: August 1977 "Love Is All That Matters" Released: 1977

The album yielded two charting singles, the title track as well as "She Did It." "She Did It" is the bigger hit from this album, which reached #23 Billboard and #15 Cash Box, as well as #11 in Canada.^[3] The title track subsequently reached #88 Billboard and #92 Cash Box.^[4] "Marathon Man" was released as a third single in March 1978 but failed to chart. The "Love Is All That Matters" melody is lifted from Tchaikovsky's "Fifth Symphony, Second Movement."

Guest musicians on this album included back-up vocals by Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys and Burton Cummings (formerly of the Guess Who), guitar by Andrew Gold, and drumming by Nigel Olsson and Toto's Jeff Porcaro.

The title song was covered by Frankie Valli on his 1977 LP Lady Put the Light Out. "Boats Against the Current" was also covered in 1978 by Olivia Newton-John on her album Totally Hot, and it was included as the B-side of her single release, "Rest Your Love on Me." Patti LaBelle also included the song on her 1981 LP, The Spirit's in It.

As reported by Casey Kasem on the American Top 40 program of October 15, 1977, Boats Against the Current cost $375,000 to produce, six times the average cost for an album of that era. The LP had a series of false starts. Across six months starting in February 1977, three sessions with Elton John's producer Gus Dudgeon were undertaken using recording studios in London, Cleveland, and Los Angeles, but were all scrapped. Carmen then took over the production efforts himself before the tracks were complete and he was satisfied.

Live performances

Carmen performed three tracks from the LP ("She Did It," "Boats Against the Current" and "Marathon Man") on The Midnight Special television program (season 6, episode 5) on October 14, 1977.^[5] The show was hosted by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[6]

Reviewing a reissue, Goldmine wrote that "the title track is at once lyrically depressing and musically uplifting, while 'Love Is All That Matters' and 'Nowhere to Hide' are both under-rated, piano-dominated gems."^[7]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Eric Carmen:

1. "Boats Against the Current" – 4:22
2. "Marathon Man" – 3:55
3. "Nowhere To Hide" – 5:05
4. "Take It or Leave It" – 4:00
5. "Love Is All That Matters" – 4:17
6. "She Did It" – 3:48
7. "I Think I Found Myself" – 4:25
8. "Run Away" – 8:05

Personnel

• Eric Carmen – lead vocals, acoustic piano, synthesizers (1, 2, 5-7), electric guitar (1, 4), string arrangements and conductor (1, 5), electric harpsichord (2, 3), drums (2), 12-string acoustic guitar (4), percussion (4-7), backing vocals (5-7), BGV arrangements (6)
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (2, 3, 5, 7, 8)
• Richard Reising – acoustic guitar (2, 5), acoustic piano (4), electric guitar (4, 6, 8), guitar solo (4), backing vocals (4-7)
• Richie Zito – acoustic guitar (2, 4, 5), electric guitar (4, 6, 8), backing vocals (4)
• Andrew Gold – electric guitar solo (6), electric guitar (8)
• Dave Wintour – bass
• Jeff Porcaro – drums (1, 5, 6)
• Nigel Olsson – drums (2-4, 7, 8), backing vocals (5-7)
• Gene Estes – percussion (1-3, 8)
• Ollie E. Brown – percussion (6, 8)
• Jim Horn – saxophone (4)
• Bobby Keys – saxophone (4)
• Tom Scott – saxophone (4, 7)
• Steve Madaio – trumpet (4)
• Paul Buckmaster – string arrangements and conductor (2, 3, 6, 8)
• Burton Cummings – backing vocals (2)
• Curt Becher – backing vocals (5-7)
• Joe Chemay – backing vocals (5-7)
• Bruce Johnston – backing vocals (5-7), BGV arrangements (5-7)
• Brian Wilson – backing vocals (5-7)^[8]

Production

• Eric Carmen – producer, arrangements
• Kevin Beamish – engineer
• Larry Emerine – engineer
• David Henson – engineer
• Mark Howlett – engineer
• Dennis Kirk – engineer
• Tim Kramer – engineer
• Earle Mankey – engineer
• Howard Steele – engineer
• Thom Wilson – engineer
• Val Garay – mixing
• Doug Sax – mastering
• Bob Heimall – art direction
• Ed Caraeff – design, photography
• Benno Friedman – inside photography effects
• Norman Adams – inside artwork
• Michael Manoogian – calligraphy

Studios

• Recorded at Crystal Sound and Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California); The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California); Brother Studios (Santa Monica, California).
• Mixed at The Sound Factory
• Mastered at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California).

Charts

Singles

Year	US Billboard ^[9]	US Cash Box ^[4]	US Record World ^[10]	US AC ^[11]	CAN ^[12]	CAN AC	Title
1977	23	15	27	26	11	–	"She Did It" b/w "Someday"
1977	88	92	103	–	–	–	"Boats Against the Current" b/w "Take It or Leave It"
1978	–	–	–	–	–	–	"Marathon Man" b/w "I Think I Found Myself"

Certifications

Certifications for Boats Against the Current

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[13]	Gold	50,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. . 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
2. Cabison, Rosalie (2 January 2013). "Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
3. . Archived from the original on 2015-08-25. Retrieved 2016-08-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "Cash Box Top 100 2/11/78". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
5. . Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
6. "Eric Carmen - Boats Against the Current Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
7. Borack, John M. (Dec 7, 2007). "Boats Against the Current/Change of Heart". Goldmine. Vol. 33, no. 25. p. 49.
8. "Going All the Way With Head Raspberry Eric Carmen". Observer.com. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
9. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
10. "Record World" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1978-01-22. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
11. "Eric Carmen • Top Songs as Writer • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
12. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
13. "Canadian album certifications – Eric Carmen – Boats Against the Current". Music Canada. Retrieved October 24, 2023.