another unreleased Karen for 2016 from 50 years ago.....

Dreadful remake (the whole idea, not this remix)...I've got no idea what Karen was thinking even contemplating recording this for her solo album. It shows zero growth from her as an artist and Phil should have vetoed it. All it does is suggest she was looking to duplicate the success of Please Mr Postman without Richard.
 
Actually I think Karen should've finished it and released it as a stand-alone single. But it would be nice if Richard finished it and included it on a Carpenters album.
 
I always bordered on liking Jimmy Mack. It's just too too high, not that the notes aren't there, it just sits high in her range more times than feels comfortable in one song. With a little overdubbing it might help absorb that, which makes me feel that this song was abounded early on, but my feelings have been wrong before.
 
I recall her saying in an interview at some point, that Jimmy Mack was one of her all-time favorites. I'm thinking she finally had the chance to record it - so she did! I'm not too crazy about it, but I do like the remix in this thread.
 
With a little overdubbing it might help absorb that, which makes me feel that this song was abounded early on, but my feelings have been wrong before.

It definitely sounds like a rough demo that was abandoned early on. The few times I've heard it I always think "why such a high key?". The only fathomable reason I can come up with is that they maybe thought it made her sound "younger".
 
It definitely sounds like a rough demo that was abandoned early on. The few times I've heard it I always think "why such a high key?". The only fathomable reason I can come up with is that they maybe thought it made her sound "younger".
Newville I thought it was too high for her sing as well! So I went back and slowed the tape down a bit and WOW! it sounds like more of 1978 Karen.
Here's a clip and a bonus Bacharach / David Medley backtrack I had for years.....
 
Newville I thought it was too high for her sing as well! So I went back and slowed the tape down a bit and WOW! it sounds like more of 1978 Karen.
Here's a clip and a bonus Bacharach / David Medley backtrack I had for years.....


Sounds a lot better to me (I never liked the chorus of "Goofus" either, for the same reason the high-pitched vocal on "Jimmy Mack" is getting some critiques here). I do like the song in general and IMHO it's one of the better unfinished outtakes. Wish I could say I liked "I Do It for Your Love", considering that I'm a big Simon (and Garfunkel) fan as well as Carpenters fan, but...that one in its rough form is even less "comfortable" on my ears than "Jimmy Mack".
 
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