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"Richard and Roger Young flew to Manhattan with a view to recording some more with Karen."
Do you think its possible that there were more tracks Karen recorded that just never surfaced/leaked or do you think the unreleased solo sessions are it?How ironic would it have been if they'd gone ahead and recorded more tracks in New York...the scene of Karen's aborted solo album.
Do you think its possible that there were more tracks Karen recorded that just never surfaced/leaked or do you think the unreleased solo sessions are it?
Out of the two recorded in 1982, only Now would have made any bona fide follow-up to "Made In America"."
There's nothing ironic about it-just a missed opportunity.Richard was attempting to finish the album that was started-and if Karen was able to get some recording done in NY,there would've been an album out in 1982.How ironic would it have been if they'd gone ahead and recorded more tracks in New York...the scene of Karen's aborted solo album. Not to mention all the interference this would have caused Karen in her attempts to get well, having Richard around and bringing all the suffocating routines she was trying to escape right to her New York doorstep.
Richard meant that "Look To Your Dreams" was kept on the shelf in favor of more contemporary material.Look to your Dreams would never have been a contemporary song, not sure what Richard meant by that statement. This song is more of a bookend or a track that is timeless and would fit into any generation. It could have easily fit into Horizon or A Kind of Hush or even could have closed on MIA instead of the wedding track.
If MIA was striving to be contemporary then why include Beechwood?
Richard meant that "Now" was the only track that would've been released.A very typical KC torch song-fantastic performance.Nothing elevator about it.This quote has always confused me. Does he mean it would have been a good follow up as a single or as an album track? Now, as beautiful as it was, is the epitome of elevator music (in the same vein as You're Enough). It was a pretty album track at the most and definitely not single material. His musical judgement was way off by 1983.
Richard meant that "Now" was the only track that would've been released.A very typical KC torch song-fantastic performance.Nothing elevator about it.
Incidently,talking about musical judgement in 1983-Linda Ronstadt released two singles off her What's New album(title track & "I've Got A Crush On You")-both were traditional jazz arrangements(similar to "Now") & both got plenty of airplay on Lite-FM stations,which undoubtedly helped propel the album to Billboard #3 & platinum certification within a few months.Food for thought.
I'd have to agree with newvillefan on this one. 'Now' is a nice enough song but would have been a commercial stiff in 1983 as it's so old-fashioned. It's pure AC in style, so wouldn't really have got any play on pop or lite-jazz stations.
You could go a step further and say that the problem for Karen and Richard by 1983 is that certain radio programmers had openly said they wouldn't play anything by the Carpenters - no matter what they put out. So they really were on the back foot when it came to clawing back the level of success they previously enjoyed. As Richard has said, their albums needed a top 5 single before sales would go nuts, so how could they realistically achieve that if radio wouldn't play their singles?
I'm not sure the Linda Ronstadt comparison is that valid in this instance either - Ronstadt was coming off a period of several Top 5 albums by 1983 (even if her 1982 album hadn't done so well), so could thus attract more attention than the Carpenters could have done at this stage.
And, irony of ironies....Voice of The Heart.....includes Make Believe It's Your First Time....
"believing it (the Solo) to have no hits..."
and, yet,
requesting a bridge be written to accompany "Make Believe It's Your First Time" ,
Recording the tune (again) during the MIA Sessions,
shelving it (again...from inclusion on MIA),
then,
it is the USA Single culled off of the 1983 album,
Cover Photo courtesy of New York Photo Sessions....
Sure thing, Karen had complete control over her recording career.....??
I doubt "Now" would've been chosen as a single-but(back to the original context) at least we have it.The fact that those 1982 sessions even exist is all due to Richard.I'd have to agree with newvillefan on this one. 'Now' is a nice enough song but would have been a commercial stiff in 1983 as it's so old-fashioned. It's pure AC in style, so wouldn't really have got any play on pop or lite-jazz stations.
I'm not sure the Linda Ronstadt comparison is that valid in this instance either - Ronstadt was coming off a period of several Top 5 albums by 1983 (even if her 1982 album hadn't done so well), so could thus attract more attention than the Carpenters could have done at this stage.