Anyone read this?

On LP Passage, the song Two Sides is credited to "Scott E. Davis",
otherwise known as Mac Davis.
This information is not correct, and Scott E. Davis is not also Mac Davis. I knew Scott personally, as we both come from the same town in Kansas. He was a singer/songwriter from Garden City, and upon finishing college, he became a member of the Burgundy Street Singers who had some commercial and television appearances in the late 60's, early 70's. Scott wrote the lyrics and music to "Two Sides" and as far as I know, The Carpenters were the only artist to cut the song, other than possibly Scott E. Davis himself. He resides in southern California.
 
Thanks for the information, Rena Allison !
I can only relate two sources of information....

"...1977’s Passage, features the monumental cover of Klaatu’s
‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft’ which is too well known
to feature in our undiscovered gems, but the album also features a
lovely song written by Scott E. Davis called, Two Sides’.
You may not have heard of Scott Davis , but among his writing credits
is ‘In The Ghetto’ memorably made a hit by Elvis;
he's better known as Mac Davis."
Source:
The Carpenters - digging deeper... | uDiscover

And, another source
(which, obviously could be in error):
Mac Davis
 
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I found this amusing to read:
Newsletter #58, March 1978:
Q: "When recording, why is it that the Carpenters don't use the same musicians as they do on stage?"
A: "The Carpenters are a duo, not a group.
The back-up musicians who travel with them were hired mainly for concert tours and personal appearances.
When Richard and Karen record, studio musicians are hired through the local musician's union.
If the back-up men are available, or if Richard needs them for special effects, they are hired along
with the studio musicians."
 
Somewhere, I have a video of Bette Midler being interviewed on the Australian music show, 'Countdown', in about 1977 or 1978. She actually devotes about a minute of the interview to talking about Karen Carpenter. She says something like she has always had a lot of respect and admiration for what Karen does, and thinks she has a wonderful voice, but that she can't marry the thought of that beautiful voice with the idea of drum playing. It is obvious that she regards the 'ribbing' that she has done of Karen as a bit of fun and that she believes that Karen has taken it on the chin. You don't pick up any malice or contempt towards Karen at all from the interview, especially with the praise and compliments. One day, I'll find the interview and post it on YouTube, or transcribe what is said, or something.
 
Somewhere, I have a video of Bette Midler being interviewed on the Australian music show, 'Countdown', in about 1977 or 1978. She actually devotes about a minute of the interview to talking about Karen Carpenter. She says something like she has always had a lot of respect and admiration for what Karen does, and thinks she has a wonderful voice, but that she can't marry the thought of that beautiful voice with the idea of drum playing. It is obvious that she regards the 'ribbing' that she has done of Karen as a bit of fun and that she believes that Karen has taken it on the chin. You don't pick up any malice or contempt towards Karen at all from the interview, especially with the praise and compliments. One day, I'll find the interview and post it on YouTube, or transcribe what is said, or something.

Try this.
 
"The song is often the lead track in locally-produced Carpenters compilations, which is strange, considering the Carpenters and their label never considered ‘You’ among the band’s best or most important songs.”

This is wonderful news and reinforcement to many of us here who have long believed that "You" had hit potential! :)
 
A lengthy Article:
Thanks to Randy Scmidt's Facebook Page for alerting me to this article:
How The Whitest Singer Of The ’70s Became An Icon In The Philippines
Singer Of The ’70s Became An Icon In The Philippines
Karen Carpenter always seemed to loom large in the Philippines. I never understood why until now.
Posted on May 9, 2017, at 11:18 a.m.
Excerpts:
"To be corny is to be “mawkishly old-fashioned: tiresomely simple and sentimental,”
and this definition describes my attachment to the Carpenters with searing precision...."

" I heard “Sing” on the radio at Baclaran Market, “We’ve Only Just Begun” performed by
a cover band in Malate, “Close to You” strummed on the guitar in the resort town of Boracay.
In each instance, almost everyone present sang or hummed along, some under their breath,
others with full-throated abandon."

"To this day, the Carpenters hold the distinction of being among the few American acts to boast
Philippines-only radio hits: album tracks largely unknown in other parts of the world but in heavy
rotation on Filipino radio, thus elevating these lesser cuts to the prime status of the artists’ more
recognizable global hits. As Glenn Tuazon explains in the Manila Review, “never released as a single
and apparently deemed a throwaway album cut from A Kind of Hush, [the Carpenters’ ‘You’]
reaped a different level of popularity in the Philippines, due to its heavy radio airplay… T
he song is often the lead track in locally-produced Carpenters compilations, which is strange,
considering the Carpenters and their label never considered ‘You’ among the band’s best or most important songs.”

I'd missed this article, glad it's been commented on. For anyone that didn't read it, the full Manila Review explains why the song is popular in the Philippines:

"The Carpenters released 46 singles and several best-of compilations over the years. Conspicuously absent from any of these compilations, even the 40-track long 40/40, is the Filipino favorite “You.”

“You,” never released as a single and apparently deemed a throwaway album cut from A Kind of Hush, reaped a different level of popularity in the Philippines, due to its heavy radio airplay.

“You,” specially appealed to Philippine music listeners’ sensibilities. Its lyrics were slightly saccharine and deeply sentimental: “You are the one that makes me happy, when everything else turns to gray…” It evolved into a favorite for Filipino despedidas and variety show tributes, largely owing to the song’s appeal to the basest of Filipinos’ sappiness.

The song is often the lead track in locally-produced Carpenters compilations, which is strange, considering the Carpenters and their label never considered “You” among the band’s best or most important songs. Again, “You” was a Philippine-only radio hit whose popularity was largely generated by radio deejays’ priming".
 
Good for you, Richard !
No ‘Rainy Days and Mondays’ here:
Richard Carpenter settles royalty fight over songs made with sister

POSTED BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR ON MAY 18, 2017 IN HOLLYWOOD

"Richard Carpenter, Universal Music Group and A&M Records
settled the musician’s lawsuit in which he alleged he was owed royalties for
online digital downloads of songs he made with his sister Karen,
who died more than three decades ago."
"Carpenter, 70, sought more than $2 million in his breach-of-contract suit
filed Jan. 11. His sister’s estate also was a plaintiff."

"However, attorneys for Carpenter filed court papers on May 10 with Los Angeles Superior
Court Judge Samantha Jessner , stating that the case was settled. No terms were divulged."

Source(s):
https://lawestmedia.com/lawest/richard-carpenter-royalty-dispute/
http://mynewsla.com/hollywood/2017/...es-royalty-fight-over-songs-made-with-sister/
 
Finally, an explanation that actually makes sense !

Excerpt:
2013 Modern Drummer:
What Do You Know About…Karen Carpenter?
by Dena Tauriello
"One of the most iconic vocalists in pop history was also a drummer—and a damned good one.
So why do we still need reminding?"
----
"So why didn’t she play on all the tracks? "

Joe Osborn.....
"....when building tracks, they began with just piano, bass, drums, and a scratch vocal;
they couldn’t track the vocal from behind the drums.
She needed to be at the mic for the sake of the recording."
---

Concluding......
"And maybe it’s easy to dismiss the drumming on the duo’s records because of their “middle of the road” musical style, which may seem dated, irrelevant, or even boring today. Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that there is now a slew of talented, successful female drummers for whom Karen Carpenter paved the way. The notion of a female drummer is fairly commonplace today, but successive generations need to be reacquainted with music history and one of its pioneers. So break open your laptops, get on YouTube, and watch some live clips. You won’t be disappointed."

Read Further :
What Do You Know About...Karen Carpenter? - Modern Drummer Magazine
 
Here Are the Last 50 Years' Songs of the Summer
Close To You
.....
Here Are the Last 50 Years' Songs of the Summer
Jun 08, 2017
"songs of the summer,"
"...based on streaming and Billboard chart data.
Kicking things off with The Doors' "Light My Fire" (1967)
and cycling through an eclectic mix from acts like The Carpenters (1970),
Prince (1984) and Nelly Furtado (2006), it's an audio tour through genres,
musical trends and popular artists of days past and present."
 
Finally, an explanation that actually makes sense !

Excerpt:
2013 Modern Drummer:
What Do You Know About…Karen Carpenter?
by Dena Tauriello
"One of the most iconic vocalists in pop history was also a drummer—and a damned good one.
So why do we still need reminding?"
----
"So why didn’t she play on all the tracks? "

Joe Osborn.....
"....when building tracks, they began with just piano, bass, drums, and a scratch vocal;
they couldn’t track the vocal from behind the drums.
She needed to be at the mic for the sake of the recording."
---

Concluding......
"And maybe it’s easy to dismiss the drumming on the duo’s records because of their “middle of the road” musical style, which may seem dated, irrelevant, or even boring today. Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that there is now a slew of talented, successful female drummers for whom Karen Carpenter paved the way. The notion of a female drummer is fairly commonplace today, but successive generations need to be reacquainted with music history and one of its pioneers. So break open your laptops, get on YouTube, and watch some live clips. You won’t be disappointed."

Read Further :
What Do You Know About...Karen Carpenter? - Modern Drummer Magazine

This is a great article, thanks for posting. One thing intrigues me: why was Hal Blaine suddenly dropped completely as their drummer midway through their career?

"By now she had agreed to take a backseat on some of the recording sessions, with Hal Blaine playing on most of the singles released between 1970 and 1975 [...] On the four albums released between 1976 and 1983, the drum tracks were played by Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon, Larrie Londin, Cubby O’Brien, John Robinson, or Ed Greene".
 
This is a great article, thanks for posting. One thing intrigues me: why was Hal Blaine suddenly dropped completely as their drummer midway through their career?

"By now she had agreed to take a backseat on some of the recording sessions, with Hal Blaine playing on most of the singles released between 1970 and 1975 [...] On the four albums released between 1976 and 1983, the drum tracks were played by Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon, Larrie Londin, Cubby O’Brien, John Robinson, or Ed Greene".
Jack Daugherty?
 
This is a great article, thanks for posting. One thing intrigues me: why was Hal Blaine suddenly dropped completely as their drummer midway through their career?

"By now she had agreed to take a backseat on some of the recording sessions, with Hal Blaine playing on most of the singles released between 1970 and 1975 [...] On the four albums released between 1976 and 1983, the drum tracks were played by Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon, Larrie Londin, Cubby O’Brien, John Robinson, or Ed Greene".
This is a great article, thanks for posting. One thing intrigues me: why was Hal Blaine suddenly dropped completely as their drummer midway through their career?

"By now she had agreed to take a backseat on some of the recording sessions, with Hal Blaine playing on most of the singles released between 1970 and 1975 [...] On the four albums released between 1976 and 1983, the drum tracks were played by Ron Tutt, Jim Gordon, Larrie Londin, Cubby O’Brien, John Robinson, or Ed Greene".

According to the Resource Hal Blaine receives no album credit starting with "Now and Then" That was the first album hat Richard took over as producer, though I thought I read somewhere credit for one track (Jambalaya). Seems there was no love lost between the two.
 
Saw this today and got a chuckle.


Not a big fan of this guy...he was ok on "SNL" and in the movie "Anchorman" but his humor is a little bit hard to take at times. His shtick is starting to get old, like Jim Carrey's. His latest movie released this past weekend was a flop at the box office but I do like the fact that he mentioned "The Carpenters" and particularly "Karen Carpenter" by name in this video. So I would like to take that as a show of respect to the duo.
 
This one doesn't really fit this thread of 'Anyone Read This?' but is more, 'Anyone Seen This?' In about 1977, my cousin said that he saw a film clip of 'Top of the World' with Karen actually sitting on a globe of the world. I've searched YouTube, but have never found anything like this. Has anyone else seen this clip or was my cousin having me on?
 
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