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We've Only Just Begun (Denis)
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On February 26, 2014
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Written by Paul Williams [US1], Roger Nichols
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I should think so too Bastien,
Here's the performance of Paul Williams in the concerning add:
Try to hold your tears 
JoJo greets
late winter of 1970
Do we know more precisely when the advert was broadcast? We have a couple of releases in August 1970 which is earlier than "late winter" (which suggests maybe December), or maybe it is referring to the winter of 1969-70?
Very hard to pin down a date for the first airing of the commercial. Most sources I've found do indeed refer to late 1970; but I've seen some references to 1969 too.
Here's some information that includes a brief history from Williams. Tho it doesn't help with the open date question, it does indicate that a full version of the song was written for the commercial, not later for subsequent uses.
http://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/2013/08/20/was-the-song-weve-only-just-…
This sources indicates the commercial was released in 1969. Perhaps an editor should contact Management of that site to pool research on the matter:
http://www.songswithearlierhistories.com/weve-only-just-begun/
This site may be authoritative on the question, but I don't want to join to read the article:
https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-a-groundbreaking-bank-ad-reached-an-elus…
My gut tells me that the commercial couldn't have been broadcast in later 1970, as a) all sources agree that Carpenter saw the ad resulting in his approaching Williams and b) the Carpenters released their version in Aug 1970.
All sources seem to indicate that the song debuted via the commercial, which would mean early 1970, as the Freddie Allen version of We've Only Just Begun was released in Mar 1970. This (of course) assumes that all of those sources were aware of the Allen release and that the dates are correct on 45Cat:
http://www.45cat.com/record/ww345
Frankly, I have some doubts as to the Mar 1970 date. I don't know from experience, but do promo and official singles typically have the same cat# and release date?
https://www.discogs.com/Freddie-Allen-Weve-Only-Just-Begun-/release/7786494
http://www.45cat.com/artist/freddie-allen
In case it might be of assistance, found the Allen version on (check out the imaged liner notes):
https://www.discogs.com/Various-In-The-Garden-The-White-Whale-Story-Phantom-Juke…
Last updated by Tar Heel on 2017-07-11 20:41:29 UTC - Show original message
VV - fascinating stuff. I've updated some of the editor sources. But we haven't yet found a definitive source confirming that the advert was broadcast in late 1969 (or v.early in 1970). We'll have to keep looking 
What jumped out at me is that the liner notes indicate that Allen heard the jingle on the radio, resulting in his contacting Williams and then Williams writing a full-length song. This tells me that (at least) the short version was first performed as a TV and/or radio spot.
The liner notes seem to confirm the Mar 1970 RECORDING date, the Allen release date still in question.
If I put on my fake editor hat, I'd say there's more than enough evidence to add a commercial as the first performance, dated 1970. Whether the full-version would be considered an adaption, I don't know.
What jumped out at me is that the liner notes indicate that Allen heard the jingle on the radio, resulting in his contacting Williams and then Williams writing a full-length song. This tells me that (at least) the short version was first performed as a TV and/or radio spot. The liner notes seem to confirm the Mar 1970 RECORDING date, the Allen release date still in question. If I put on my fake editor hat, I'd say there's more than enough evidence to add a commercial as the first performance, dated 1970. Whether the full-version would be considered an adaption, I don't know.
Yes - the liner notes attached are indeed very helpful. It sounds like we should create an earlier adaptation credited to Williams as performer for the TV ad. The tricky bit still is pinning down whether the commercial aired in 1969 or 1970.
Randy Hauck states he was the recording engineer for music part of the TV ad (recorded in 1970 in the Eldorado Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.
Randy Hauck
Thank you for posting the TV Comm'l.
I was the recording engineer on the session. It was recorded at El Dorado Studios in Hollywood In 1970. I wish I had all the names of the group playing on the session. You might email Paul (Williams) or Bob (Todd).. They might know.
Thank's,
Randy Hauck
Randy Hauck
Thank's for the answer. I had Bob Todd, but it was Roger Nichols that was on the session. I don't remember if Hal R. was there. (re: Other's) The only one that you have heard of is Johnny Otis, El Dorado was part his studio.
See the comments here in this Youtube:
JoJo greets
Last updated by jojo on 2023-06-10 07:20:09 UTC - Show original message
Are you feeling brave enough to create the original root adaptation, the tv jingle performed by Williams, jojo ?
Why is an original root adaptation needed, and not just an earlier performance? The general wisdom of the internet seems to suggest that the full lyrics existed virtually from the beginning, but they weren't all used in the ad.
In the comments below this video, commentator Henry Horton suggests that the ad was filmed a few weeks before Christmas (presumably 1969), which would mean the filming and the recording of the music were separated by quite a few weeks.
Why is an original root adaptation needed, and not just an earlier performance? The general wisdom of the internet seems to suggest that the full lyrics existed virtually from the beginning, but they weren't all used in the ad.
I'm leaning towards Jon's point of view here.
I found this information on this British Paul Williams site: http://www.paulwilliamscouk.plus.com/index.html
Written by the songwriting team of Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics), the song originally debuted in a commercial for Crocker National Bank in California in 1970 (SEE VIDEO ABOVE), with Williams providing the vocals. Williams has said they left out a direct reference to the bank in part to make it salable as a pop song, and also because they couldn't conceive a reasonable rhyme for "Crocker."
Paul Williams "'It had all the romantic beginnings of a bank commercial' is the way I describe it. There was actually a wonderful writer named Tony Asher who wrote for this ad agency, and he'd had a skiing accident and he broke his arm, so he couldn't write or play the piano or whatever. So he suggested Roger Nichols and I as replacements to write this ad. The ad agency called us and said, "Look, we're going to show a young couple getting married, driving off into the sunset, and it's going to say, 'You've got a long way to go, we'd like to help you get there to the Crocker Bank.'" And I went, Okay, what rhymes with Crocker? Crocker what? And they said very specifically, "No we don't want a jingle." What they asked for is what we would today call a music video. It was going to show a young couple getting married, driving off into the sunset. After the ceremony, the first kiss and all. So Roger and I wrote the song that would play over that.
We wrote the first two verses of 'We've Only Just Begun.' We wrote a second version of the commercial that was a verse, and what became the bridge. We added a third verse just in case anybody would ever want to record it. And then I assumed that it would never, ever get cut again. Richard (Carpenter), I guess, heard me singing it on the TV commercial, and called and asked if there was a complete song. And we went, 'Well, funny you should ask.' And if there hadn't been a complete song, we would have lied and said, 'Well, of course there is,' and then sat down and written it. You know, songwriting in those days was like that, too. I remember finishing songs in the back seat of a publisher's car on the way to play it for a producer. I retained my rights as a writer, and the publisher retained his rights as well."
In the comments below this video, commentator Henry Horton suggests that the ad was filmed a few weeks before Christmas (presumably 1969), which would mean the filming and the recording of the music were separated by quite a few weeks
Indeed, as I understand, the ad had already been filmed and the ad agency (Hal Riney ?) showed the complete ad without the music to Paul and Roger and gave them some guidelines to produce tailormade lyrics and music for the ad.
JoJo greets
I'm leaning towards Jon's point of view here.
Makes it easier then baggish jojo as it just requires a broadcast performance to be added.
Do you know how to do that jojo ?
Some of the research in this thread would be good to add as comments if you had the energy to do so.
Do you know how to do that jojo ?Some of the research in this thread would be good to add as comments if you had the energy to do so.
Yes, I think I managed to create the new We've Only Just Begun broadcast with the new We've Only Just Begun performance
JoJo greets
new We've Only Just Begun broadcast
Well done jojo it looks great. You just need to delete the 1970 repeat in the comments. Then case can be closed after nearly ten years!!