Who Did It Better? Into The Lens/I Am A Camera

Who Did It Better? 

Into The Lens/I Am A Camera

Today's song began life as a demo for a quirky pop duo, only to be born as a prog-rock single by a rather legendary band. It would then find second life, reverting to the quirky pop duo, who would also release it as a single, before finding third life, when covered by an American singer/songwriter.

In the end, none of the versions would chart well, but that has not prevented it from becoming a fan favorite, or a much-loved song by one of it's writers.

Into the Lens is a song written by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, members of the group, The Buggles.

Two versions of the song were released as singles under two different titles.

The song began life as demo for The Buggles' second album. However, in the wake of Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson departure from the band Yes, Horn and Downes were asked to join the much-lauded prog-rock band. One of the duo's contributions to the bands 1980 album, Drama, was Into The Lens. As such, due to its protracted form, the other members of the band, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White all received co-writing credit. 

An edited version of the song - cut down from 8:33 (the album version) to 3:47 - was released as a single in 1980. It failed to chart in the UK, where the group had always enjoyed great success, while it peaked at #104 in the US. Drama would prove to be the first Yes album not to be certified gold in the US. With fortunes declining and an ever-evolving divergent musical approach, the group quietly disbanded in 1981.

Horn and Downe then resumed their activities as The Buggles. Into The Lens reverted back to it's original intended title I Am A Camera and was included on their 1981 album, Adventures in Modern Recording. However, due to Downe's being recruited for the Yes/King Crimson spin-off group Asia, the album ended up being mostly a Horn solo project.

Released as the lead single on October 9, 1981, I Am A Camera would  peak in the Netherlands at #46, and reach #11 on the Dutch Top 40. 

Mulling over the two versions, Trevor Horn is on record stating which he much prefers:

"The song I Am a Camera was a Buggles track and we had adapted it into a Yes track. It became Into the Lens and, naturally, slightly more overblown. I don't mind Into the Lens - the melody's unadulterated while the arrangement's a lot more complicated - but I still prefer The Buggles' version. I think Geoffrey's brilliant on The Buggles' version."

In addition, in 1985, I Am A Camera was recorded by Kim Carnes for her album Barking At Airplanes. However, Carnes was dissatisfied with the results and the song surfaced only as a bonus track on the 2001 CD version, and not part of the official album. As to the reason for its exclusion, "in a 2020 interview, Carnes admitted that she was unhappy with her performance of the song."

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Into The Lens/I Am A Camera

The Competitors: Yes vs. The Buggles vs. Carnes

Into The Lens - Yes

(single edit)

I Am A Camera - The Buggles

I Am A Camera - Kim Carnes

Yes

That is one over the top opening, but then... what else could we expect? 

We're listening to the sing version and I'm thinking that intro would not get Yes much radio play in 1980. It's done well enough, it's just not with the times. By 1979, punk had actually run it's course with new wave taking over. The new romantic movement was just beginning to bud. However, with punk going worldwide, the message was clear; corporate rock and prog rock were out of favor, deemed no longer cool. Yes, there were the diehards leftover from previous generations, but the post-disco generation wanted everything guitar-driven, lean and clean.

First off... flutes? A definite no-no.

And all that guitar noodling acting as counter-melody? A rock star cliché. It definitely is messing up the sharp, clean lines found in the actual melody. In fact, I would love to hear this minus all that unnecessary noodling. For the vocal arrangement is quite nice... lots of fun, tight-knit harmony to be found.

But, that's a rock's star ego... Steve Howe simply can't help himself. According to his way of thinking, he's giving the fans what they want.

Now, when they slip into the chorus? They get it right. You know it's one of The Buggles boys bringing that futuristic synth to the table. But then they revert to prog-rock hell. Well, relative hell - for 1980 -  honestly, this still is kind of a killer Yes production piece.

Ugh. That they give this up to that guitar schtick is... well, actually not that surprising. You see, the group at this point in their career, were sort of straddling two eras. They needed to excite and generate new fans, but they also didn't want to totally alienate their legacy fans. However, by taking that approach? They neither kept what they had, nor gained anyone new. This was the first Yes album to not go at least gold in the US, to say nothing of the relative indifference shown it in the UK. 

Love that little bridge into the second chorus. Again... drop those guitars and things sound much more viable. 

This is so episodic. It's that prog-rock pretentiousness - aping the structure of classical music - which makes this thing a tad unbearable - or lots of fun, depending on which side of the fan equation you land on. At the 2:36, we're reincorporating elements of the opening. And that's where they probably lost the radio programmers - with the exception of certain FM stations.

You see, disco may have been dead, but if it taught bands like The Knack or Sniff 'N The Tears anything, it was that it was great to rock, but even better if you also got them to dance! Hence the change in direction of Queen at this very time. They smartly jettisoned all the prog-rock pretentions and started to concentrate on the bop and the beat, keeping things clean, neat and succinct. 

Then again... by the time we hit the 2:54 mark and that noodling guitar is brought in to play behind a section of the chorus? It works. I mean, I'm nodding my head in time to the beat. So, this isn't a total loss. But - it is very old school. 

And had they been smart, they would have killed this edit at the 3:14 mark. Because what follows is such a bunch of musical nonsense. It's the Yes of old, which means... no, it's not going to work, dears. 

It's like some kind of tango? I don't know... but it's gawd awful. 

Although, now that I hear this, I wonder why they were never tapped to do a James Bond theme song. 

But don't worry. This may have killed the band for a bit, but when they did get together a few years later, not only were they ready to move on, they were also smart enough to tap The Buggles boy Trevor Horn as producer; creating a whole new sound and a new lease on life. 

The Buggles

I have a feeling that the main reason for the title change was to distance their version from the one they created with Yes. This is only a year later. 

Wow that is one clean sounding intro. The focus is where it should be, on the vocals, though I love that brief piano intro. 

They're bringing a little new wave era Kraftwerk vibe to this thing. I like the tension... the suspense. And that bubbling bass line - very Chic. Sort of amazed this was not a bigger hit. It's like The Blow Monkeys, ABC, or Spandau Ballet meet Chic. 

I love this. It's a perfect representation of a really great moment in pop history. I really appreciate all the air and room in that mix. The thing breathes.

Huh, at the 2:00 mark, they basically start the whole thing over. 

I have to say, I like the vocals much better in this version. They're given just the right touch of alienation with the reverb and the singer has a near sneer in his voice that strikes like a laser. 

Man, every time that bass kicks in, I am sold. Love it.

I can't believe they let Yes mess with this so much. It's a great song.

Maybe it comes off as a bit hokey now? But love all the different musical textures. It's too bad Sparks didn't get their hands on this. Or 10cc back when they were still a quartet. 

For the play out, we actually get what served as the intro for the yes version. And they do an instrumental playout the way it should be done... they reintroduce musical elements and build to something. Love all those synth swaths and washes. Very romantic. Very cinematic.

This is going to be hard to beat.     

Kim Carnes

Sort of amazed that neither of the other two versions thought to bring the click of a camera into the mix. 

I have to say, for the record, that I have always been a fan of Carnes' synth-heavy phase. Val Garay and Bill Cuomo both had a way of crafting almost three-dimensional musical landscapes for Carnes to drape her visual lyrics upon. So, this song should be a good fit. 

Love the beat. Love the structure of the rhythm track. Carnes is in okay form... I wish she'd lean in a bit more and give us some of that trademark ache she has in her voice. It's a little claustrophobic.

Wow. this is pretty experimental for Carnes. I love those big fat synth wipes on the tiny chorus. "Lovers are... " - Carnes is breaking out a bit. Nice. 

I can't believe this was left on the edit room floor. 

I love the breakdown. And I must say, I am pretty jaded when it comes to sax solos, but this is atmospheric as hell; very Baker Street. At the 2:17 mark she introduces what Yes used as the intro and The Buggles reserved for the playout. Not sure I agree with the vocal treatment. After that sax, I was hoping for a little throaty confessional moment. Typically, that is what Carnes has done with the breakdown/bridge. Aww... this tears it. This isn't right. It's only 12 bars long, but... it costs Carnes and the piece momentum.

I love her work on the chorus. That is fun stuff. "I am, I am, I am a camera."

The fuzzed out guitar at the end? Typical of this time period. Sort of spot on. 

I have to say... I really liked this version, too.

The Verdict

This was fun. And a bit of a challenge.

Okay, you could argue that the song structure makes no sense, but that keeps this listener on his toes. So I do like it. Would it work on radio? Doubtful.

The Yes version is a prog-rock mess. They hint at what was to come later, when they allow The Buggles a bit of say, but that doesn't happen nearly often enough. Mostly we're stuck with Steve Howe and his guitar noodling and a bunce of tired prog-rock tropes. It's an interesting mess, but still a mess. 

The Buggles themselves strike a perfect New Romantics pose. It's sweet, modern and a tad arty. I'm a big fan of the era and of bands like Spandau Ballet and ABC, so this is the one for me. Love the vocals. Love the production work. Love the arrangement. Everything's on point.

And then Carnes moves us four years into the future and the beats are there - that is a solid rhythm track. And I applaud her for taking this on. I wanted her to be more present on the chorus portions. Singing over the top of it in her very human voice? I don't know. Even with my misgivings, I still love the damn thing. 

Dunno. 

Carnes or The Buggles? 

Going with The Buggles. Ugh. Er... ummm.

Yeah. Theirs captures a moment in music history. It is perfectly of it's time. 

Yes is busy straddling eras and Carnes is in experimental mode (though I'm unsure of her commitment - maybe it was because she didn't write it, that she wasn't completely on board?)

So, yes... going with The Buggles. (But I really, really do like Carnes version, too.)

--- ---

And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love to hear a differing opinion. 

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Into The Lens -Yes

I Am A Camera - The Buggles