Public Broadcasting Exclusive: Carpenters The Complete Singles Release

The special just got to the part where Richard was talking about John Denver and the Neilsons ratings, and I had to laugh at the way he pronounced 'Neilsons' as 'knee-Olsons'. Is that the way people from the US Mid-West/West Coasts pronounce Neilsons? I always pronounced it 'kneel-sons'.
 
I expect he sort of said "Nee-ilsons" (pronouncing both the e and the i) and it just came out wrong.

I have noticed that Richard likes to pronounce things absolutely correctly. On the BBC "Herb Alpert Story" interview series, he pronounces "Sergio Mendes" more Brazilian-like than Sergio himself does!
 
Finally got to watch the remastered PBS special from start to finish last night with no interruptions. It was worth the wait. It's really the best documentary ever assembled....until it gets to 1976. And then, hardly any Carpenters singles were represented (just 'Touch Me When We're Dancing', post '75). Very odd. But I still enjoyed it very much.

Can anyone tell me what the NEW bonus footage is on the re-released DVD? I still can't find any info on it, and I'm really curious. I have the original with the Morton's ads, 'Ave Maria', 'Hideaway', 'White House', etc., but what's been added to this new DVD release? I know there are some full-length performances (i.e. 'For All We Know' from Andy Williams). Hoping there's more than just that one extra clip.
 
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Can anyone tell me what the NEW bonus footage is on the re-released DVD? I still can't find any info on it, and I'm really curious. I have the original with the Morton's ads, 'Ave Maria', 'Hideaway', 'White House', etc., but what's been added to this new DVD release? I know there are some full-length performances (i.e. 'For All We Know' from Andy Williams). Hoping there's more than just that one extra clip.

I think the only other bonus footage is Petula’s Clark’s extended interview and her live tribute to Karen just a few days after Karen passed away. Actorman covered the bonus stuff in more detail earlier upthread:

Public Broadcasting Exclusive: Carpenters The Complete Singles Release

The live performance by Petula is very moving. You can tell she really loved Karen. I tear up whenever I watch it.
 
As I am currently watching this Special on WEDU-FL,
I took note of a couple of things:
(1) Richard Carpenter looks great in his promotional tie-in.
(2) In many instances, the term "The Carpenters" is displayed On-screen, not simply "Carpenters".
(3) While they scrolled the list of Singles for the 3-cd Set, playing the songs in part,
Please Mr. Postman and Top Of The World as played during the segment were not the Singles-versions.
(4) The entire presentation is very nicely put together. Actually looks quite clear and beautiful.
 
As I am currently watching this Special on WEDU-FL,
I took note of a couple of things:
(1) Richard Carpenter looks great in his promotional tie-in.
(2) In many instances, the term "The Carpenters" is displayed On-screen, not simply "Carpenters".
(3) While they scrolled the list of Singles for the 3-cd Set, playing the songs in part,
Please Mr. Postman and Top Of The World as played during the segment were not the Singles-versions.
(4) The entire presentation is very nicely put together. Actually looks quite clear and beautiful.


Gary, I'm not sure how your program was shown on tv but I posted my short review after watching my show back in Dec, it's post #412.
So regarding your #1, yeah Richard looked great but I don't believe that was a recent video made just for this show, it made be feel that it was a video that they taped back on the original PBS airing of the original PBS DVD which I believe was back in 1997 or 1998 (correct me if I'm wrong) There were no ties in's from Richard on this recent PBS video of this new Singles CD Collection, which also made me feel the video was not recent of Richard. I was actually waiting for Richard to "call in" and start talking about the new Singles Collection set but that never happened.
 
Rick, I believe you are correct in your assessment.
It had eluded me that the Richard Carpenter "PBS pitch" in this program was done "way back"--so, no wonder I thought he looked great !
When I give it some thought--and, compare it (Richard's appearance here) to the recent Perry Como DVD---big difference !
So, thanks, for catching me on that one.....not the "same" Richard Carpenter between the two (PBS and Perry Como DVD).
It really is too bad Richard Carpenter did not "tie-in" to the recent offering on PBS.
 
Just in case Mr. @TJL happens upon this page, I'd like to mention here that we've determined that there is a single mix of "Flat Baroque" on the flip side of "It's Going To Take Some Time". The single mix has a little bit different stereo sound-stage than the album version. And our ears tell us that this single mix was not included on CARPENTERS - THE COMPLETE SINGLES. This was an easy mistake to make - it eluded me for years - so it's understandable. Still, if you're going to call it "THE COMPLETE SINGLES" then I guess this deserves a mention.

Harry
 
I emailed WPBS, and they gave me a few options, one of which was paying by credit card, and the other, as I recall was by money order. Then after I had chosen credit card, instead of sending me a link to a part of their website, they sent me a physical letter in the mail with the space to write in my credit card information, and then I had to send that back to WPBS, at which point they sent out my set.

Even when I needed to get my replacement disc, I just contacted WPBS, and then they passed my address onto the CD manufacturer who sent me a new disc.
 
this little gizmos been on backorder for 9 weeks. They said it's in great demand. So, I guess that's good news for the set.
 
Jeff, I like the Occupants edit, except for how quickly it fades out---loses some punch for me.
Also, in reference to Occupants Single,
it is backed by (an improved--IMHO)
Cant' Smile Without You !
The other two Passage Singles are each backed by:
I Have You.

Why the utilization of those LP Hush songs on (all) these Passage Singles ?
 
By the way, and I may have brought this one up previously:
There's A Kind of Hush 45-Single seems to be 'sped-up',
(ten seconds shorter)compared to the LP version.
Am I hearing this correctly ?
 
Thanks, Harry.
I did read that resource before I posted my question.
My initial reading of the resource presented me (of course !) with some confusion,
as I took it to 'imply' that only the mono-mix was "slightly sped-up".
(The Resource: " A mono fold down exists of this mix on the promo 45. It is slightly sped-up.")
I'm not sure that I would say it (the 45) is only slightly sped-up,
as my regular 45-Single is a full ten seconds off the original LP mix.
And, the difference is quite evident--as I compared one with the other (Single vs. LP) at once.
 
(There's) A Kind Of Hush
You are correct that the wording is a bit confusing there. I'm going to change that note to read that all versions of the single are sped-up. As for how much it's sped-up, well that's all relative. It's enough to hear a pitch difference for those with perfect pitch, and even when compared to those with a bit of musical training. I'm not sure what the pitch-factor increase is, but the speed-factor increase is around 2.82%.

The single version clocks in at around 2:51.5, from the first sound to the last, looking at the scale in my Audacity software.
The album version clocks in at around 2:54.9, again from first sound to last, so that's only around a 3.5 second difference in length.

When the album version (from A KIND OF HUSH) is sped up by 2.82%, it actually becomes a little shorter than the single version.

One other oddity I discovered in this little bit of research is that in comparing the single version from COMPLETE SINGLES to the album version from A KIND OF HUSH, one can observe that the two are not in phase with each other. I know that in the Beatles community, there was some chatter about one of the middling albums being reversed-phased, or reversed polarized. And the same thing is evident here with this track. Which is correct, I couldn't say.

For reference, think of a plain sine wave pattern. It starts at the zero line and moves upward to its zenith before falling back to zero. Then in the next half-cycle, it moves downward, below the zero line to its nadir before moving back up to the zero line to complete its cycle. Now think of the inverse of that. The wave starts at zero and moves downward first, before going back upward to ultimately complete its cycle.

This is what I witness between "(There's) A Kind Of Hush" in comparing the single version from COMPLETE SINGLES to the album version on the Remastered Classic. A wave that starts "up" in one goes "down" in the other.

Perhaps @Chris May can weigh in on (a) how this can occur, and (b) it's significance.

Harry
 
Wow, thanks for the analysis Harry !
In physics parlance, what this says is......
A sine function has a period of 2pi radians (=360 degrees--meaning, after every 2pi radians, its function values repeat themselves).
Now the Amplitude is a number which is a multiplier of the values--a plain sine curve has maximum value of One,
minimum of negative One (at the value pi/2, it attains One; at 3pi/2 it attains negative One--and the Amplitude would
be a multiplier of that.) So, the new function multiplies all the y-values by Negative One, which flips the curve around the
x-axis.....(y=A sin x becomes y=(-1)A sin x , in the equations. Pitch corresponds to frequency, basically how many times this curve
squeezes in- between 2pi radians. Or, y=(Amplitude) times sin(kx plus omega times t), where omega times t =2pi times frequency.
And, the k is thrown in to make it all dimensionally correct,that is k has dimensions of inverse wavelength !).

For those curves to be "out of phase", something has to be altered.
And, for the two curves to be "flipped", y-values changed to their opposites-- on top of that, means more alteration !
Well, to make a long story short:
Something is amiss between the two--single 45 and LP--- versions !

And, now, there really is a kind of hush....as I put everyone to sleep....
Not to mention no references were consulted--so, those equations had better be correct !
As Physicist Richard Feynman used to say, always double-check your instructor !
 
I do wonder, as I (re) listen to the Hush Vinyl-45,
how many of the Singles have a time-difference from the Album version.
I recall the difference (mentioned by Richard Carpenter) for
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song .
However, the Hush Single and LP version differences are quite pronounced--
to the extent that I find it difficult to listen to the Hush 45 ! (Too fast !).
 
Wow, thanks for the analysis Harry !
In physics parlance, what this says is......
A sine function has a period of 2pi radians (=360 degrees--meaning, after every 2pi radians, its function values repeat themselves).
Now the Amplitude is a number which is a multiplier of the values--a plain sine curve has maximum value of One,
minimum of negative One (at the value pi/2, it attains One; at 3pi/2 it attains negative One--and the Amplitude would
be a multiplier of that.) So, the new function multiplies all the y-values by Negative One, which flips the curve around the
x-axis.....(y=A sin x becomes y=(-1)A sin x , in the equations. Pitch corresponds to frequency, basically how many times this curve
squeezes in- between 2pi radians. Or, y=(Amplitude) times sin(kx plus omega times t), where omega times t =2pi times frequency.
And, the k is thrown in to make it all dimensionally correct,that is k has dimensions of inverse wavelength !).

For those curves to be "out of phase", something has to be altered.
And, for the two curves to be "flipped", y-values changed to their opposites-- on top of that, means more alteration !
Well, to make a long story short:
Something is amiss between the two--single 45 and LP--- versions !

And, now, there really is a kind of hush....as I put everyone to sleep....
Not to mention no references were consulted--so, those equations had better be correct !
As Physicist Richard Feynman used to say, always double-check your instructor !

My brain hurts reading this lol
 
I think I saw this rated on American Bandstand and people dancing to this song, I am not exactly sure, but I kind of remember seeing it. The faster tempo did help the body sway a little. Back in the day, those with turntables tuned faster made the result amplified even more, and Karen even sounded good when played on turntables with stretched belts. The one on this Complete Singles Collection gives the same emotional tug that it did in those days. However, I like the remastered version best for I like the video on this song and it is matched perfectly. Sometimes, cover songs get more immediate recognition and requests for listening, and since Karen had a gift with 60's tunes it did gives fans that familiar feeling. So, with all the examination, I think the emotional pull of years past is what makes it great on this project. I like hearing the comparisons, but I think it is important that it can place us back in time while remembering what it felt like to see it climb the charts. I also liked it on the Palladium live album. It also looked like it was fun to perform. And, since none of the oldies from Now and Then are a single, it sounds nice in a hits mix. (It may not be cool, but Postman to me is the best cover of a 60's tune done by anyone.) One more thing that comes to mind, is that while Solitaire was the last in a string of Top 20 songs, it did get covered over the years by many artists who considered Karen and Richard's version the best. In other words, it had lasting results that would not have happened without the Carpenters version, for Karen brought it to life! It must have been hard to choose what to record, for Karen could sing anything and Richard framed her voice perfectly with his arrangements. This package is a great product and I wish all fans could purchase it. We have so many great compilation projects available for purchase and they all have their place and each one is unique.
 
Since when was Don't Cry For Me Argentina released as a US single in 1983? That's a new one on me!
Don't Cry For Me Argentina was realeased in 1980 under catalog number: A&M 8629-S . This was released as a part of the Forget Me Not series of singles that A&M was releasing at that time.
 
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