⭐ Official Review [Album]: "MADE IN AMERICA" (SP-3723)

[newvillefan]

I must say, I recall the comment in the Newsletters whereby
Richard Carpenter turned down three test-pressings of this album.
I would love to get a copy of the album in that incarnation,
has anyone heard a test pressing of the album ?

I'm not sure I'd want to...he turned them down due to the inferior audio quality and surface noise as a result of poor vinyl pressings. So Karen would have been even less audible on (Want You) Back In My Life Again

 

[newvillefan]

That's what I wanted to see. I'd have to search for them around here. Although, I don't remember which threads or pages off the top of my head.

Here's one...not all "photo shoots" as such, but all from the time of the album's release and promotion, including some really cool ones in London.

Made in America Photo Shoots »

 

[Chris Mills]

Here's one...not all "photo shoots" as such, but all from the time of the album's release and promotion, including some really cool ones in London.

Made in America Photo Shoots »

Worth a look, especially a bit further on with photos from Harrods.

 

[ScottyB]

I will never quite understand the selection. While some were ,good such as Those Good Old Dreams, Touch Me When We're Dancing and When It's Gone; I can't quite figure out why such songs as Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night, The Uninvited Guest, At The End Of A Song, Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore and Two Lives were considered throwaways: all of which I, personally, consider to be far superior to many of the songs finally chosen.

 

[Toolman]

I will never quite understand the selection. While some were ,good such as Those Good Old Dreams, Touch Me When We're Dancing and When It's Gone; I can't quite figure out why such songs as Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night, The Uninvited Guest, At The End Of A Song, Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore and Two Lives were considered throwaways: all of which I, personally, consider to be far superior to many of the songs finally chosen.

Agreed. I think, maybe, that the song selections were based in part on the writers -- Bacharach, Nichols, etc. -- in keeping with the "let's go back to what made us successful in the beginning" approach to the album. Maybe that was good, maybe it wasn't. I'm sure everything on there has a fan somewhere. You know, as soon as you mention you don't like a tune, somebody chimes in with "Goofus saved my life!" and you feel like dirt. To each their own.

 

[newvillefan]

Agreed. I think, maybe, that the song selections were based in part on the writers -- Bacharach, Nichols, etc. -- in keeping with the "let's go back to what made us successful in the beginning" approach to the album. Maybe that was good, maybe it wasn't.

I don't think it was. Made In America came out at a time when they'd had their day in the eyes of the critics and radio programmers (and to some degree, the record-buying public). To release something that ended up being an over-orchestrated, over-produced hark back to the old days just sent them even further into the abyss. The performance of three of the four 1981/1982 singles showed that. Even Mike Curb, a seasoned record producer, raised an eyebrow when Karen told him that Beechwood was to be their latest single. Richard just could not see the wood for the trees and much of Voice Of The Heart followed the same formula. I was amazed at the sound of Lovelines when I first heard it compared to the previous two albums.

Had Richard handed over the reigns to someone like Barry Gibb in 1981 to write material for and produce their comeback, it could have been a stunning, contemporary return to form. But we all know that was never going to happen.

 

[GaryAlan]

Well, my Test Pressing Vinyl-45
of Those Good Old Dreams
sounded so great that I splurged today on mono-45's of:
I Believe You, Beechwood 4-5789 and Want You Back In My Life.

Amusingly, I am not much of a fan of any of those three songs,
but, the Vinyl singles are so irresistible !

 

[wideawakeat4am]

Worth a look, especially a bit further on with photos from Harrods.

Definitely worth a look and there is a great anecdote from someone who was at the album signing at Harrods!

Could these threads be merged?

 

[Harry]

Could these threads be merged?

Done

 

[tomswift2002]

I'm not sure I'd want to...he turned them down due to the inferior audio quality and surface noise as a result of poor vinyl pressings. So Karen would have been even less audible on (Want You) Back In My Life Again

Well, what was different with these test pressings? Were they just on low quality vinyl, or did they actually have the songs sequenced differently, or even very different songs?

 

[newvillefan]

Well, what was different with these test pressings? Were they just on low quality vinyl, or did they actually have the songs sequenced differently, or even very different songs?

Identical to the eventual album, except the master sent to the pressing plant was not to Richard's standard due to the poor quality of the vinyl received back, including surface noise.

 

[WYBIMLA]

Ok sorry for creating the other thread guys.
Time for a break from the boards.

 

[wideawakeat4am]

Ok sorry for creating the other thread guys.
Time for a break from the boards.

It's cool, no problem. I just suggested the merger as I enjoyed the post about the guy meeting Karen at the Harrods signing so much that I wanted to draw more attention to it.

 

[GaryAlan]

Interestingly enough, I have compared Those Good Old Dreams
as found on the Vinyl Album USA release to the Test Pressing 45-
of the same song (Santa Maria Pressing Plant).
To my ears, and I may be biased, but, the Test Pressing is by far
the superior pressing to my LP Made In America.
Now, the LP--- at the synthesizer part--near the end of the song--
is more prominent...but, otherwise not as 'bright' as the Test Pressing.
So, I remain confused regarding this whole issue of
Made In America !

 

[Harry]

Test pressings are often superior pressings because they are the first off of the stampers.

But be cautious of comparing single vinyl with album vinyl. They can be very different.

 

[GaryAlan]

Yes, Harry !
I compared two entities which were "pressed" at different times.
The LP would have been pressed and released quite a bit earlier than the single
of Those Good Old Dreams.
If memory serves, perhaps as great as a six-month duration may have transpired between
those two "pressings" (between the LP and this Single).
As in so many other instances--and, I may be wrong--the Single "sounds" brighter than the album.

 

[Harry]

Let me clarify my earlier statement. You have a test pressing. That pressing was among the first to ever be done from that stamper. As records are pressed, farther and farther into the run, the stampers themselves become worn, and according to many audiophiles, do not sound as good as the first ones of the run. That's why you'll see record collectors obsess over a -1A or a -2A pressing rather than a -15A. Differences are or course minor, but some claim to hear a difference. Obviously a test pressing will have all of the advantages a pressing can have in terms of being the earliest.

Also, singles are usually EQ'ed to sound a bit brighter than their album counterparts. This is done to help make the single sound punchier on radio. Radio stations all have "processing" that they put their sound through, and record companies knew that, so they'd brighten their singles to cut through the crud.

Harry

 

[K.C. Jr]

As a whole, does anyone think there was a problem with many of the MIA pressings? Both my copies skip during "Touch Me When We're Dancing". What Harry said above could explain that..

 

[GaryAlan]

By the way, Harry, my copy of the Test Pressing has only the words
A&M Records Test Pressing, Santa Maria 1981 printed on same.
There are no other markings on the 45. (That is, no Song Title or Artist ).
Is it common---I wonder--to have both sides with same song, as does this one ?

 

[Harry]

Did you read the numbers etched into the inner-groove area? That's where the stamper information comes from. For example, I have an A&M test pressing version of Lani Hall's "Come What May". If I read the inner-groove markings it says:

A&M AM-02632-A-P1

...on both sides.

The label tells me it was pressed at Columbia Records, Pitman, NJ in 1984.

So in this case, the stamper number was P1. The "A" represents the side of the single, and the AM-02632 is the catalog number.

In different eras, and with different companies, run-off groove etchings can be formatted in different ways by that company and/or pressing plant.

Harry

 

[Harry]

As a whole, does anyone think there was a problem with many of the MIA pressings? Both my copies skip during "Touch Me When We're Dancing". What Harry said above could explain that..

I have two MADE IN AMERICA LPs. Both of them have an (RE-1) designation, which makes sense, since they had to re-do them. One of mine says "P1", the other says "T3". Both have some characters "X-ed" out.

So in my case the P1 is closer to the beginning of the run, whereas the T3 was later on. Both sound fine to my ears - and plenty bright.

 

[GaryAlan]

Thanks, Harry .
Here are my Test Pressing numbers:
AM02386-A-S3

 

[GaryAlan]

How great it would have been if the Telethon performance had been performed "live",
especially as Karen sounds strong when she does start singing here (after the tape breaks).
So, I ask, which is worse ? Making a few mistakes while actually "singing live" or having a pre-recorded tape mess up to lip-syncing ?
This entire 1981 telethon fiasco must have been disconcerting to Karen's personality---especially when you
consider that her vocals were clear and strong when she decides to actually sing Touch Me When We're Dancing !
How much more satisfying if this had been "live" all along--both for Karen's sake and the intended audience.
It (audio) would have been delayed anyway. (audio always lags video--as, soundspeed less than lightspeed).

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I have 4 test pressings for Carpenters on 45 rpm, ironically 2 of the 4 are from MIA.

Touch Me When We're Dancing (Santa Maria label)
Side 1 run in A&M 02344A (mono) S2
Side 2 run in A&M 02344A S1 there is no etch of stereo however the label is handwritten with stereo

(Want You) Back In My Life Again (Santa Maria label)
Side 1 run in A&M 02370A (mono) S2
Side 2 run in A&M 02370A S2 there is no etch of stereo

Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore (Pitman NJ no 45 hole punch, looks like a LP hole punch but its a 45 rpm)
Side 1 A&M 02620A P1 no markings of stereo or mono
Side 2 A&M 02620A P1 no markings of stereo or mono

Goofus (Santa Maria label)
Side 1 run in A&M 12108 (mono) S3
Side 2 run in A&M CSG 12108 (stereo) S3

One other quick note, my WLP 45 of Goofus also has the CSG listed on the stereo side while the mono is free of that processing junk.

 

[ScottyB]

Here's an interesting piece of trivia. 35 years ago on this date, Made in America was released.
And just the day before, Duran Duran released their debut album.
The end of one era...the start of another...