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That could be! Combine that vision with the Calling Occupants video and it might seem that way.
Although we didn't really have the sort of relationship where we fooled each other. He was very sincere. I was wondering whether it might have been an Aussie-only clip, but the 'A Song for You' album, from which 'Top of the World' came, was released a month after the Australian tour and TOTW wasn't considered single material then. Aussie-only might sound a bit strange, but we did have two Aussie-only Carpenters compilations, a few Aussie-only E.P.s and an Aussie-only TV special, (the 1972 concert on Channel 7). Not sure about the Aussie-only Richard Carpenter single that I read about on the Internet. And Carpenters were scheduled to do a promo tour of Australia in 1981. I heard about this on the radio on an 'upcoming events in entertainment' segment at the time and then never read, saw or heard anything of this again, (except seeing 'Made in America' bumper stickers and pens and a giant, red 'Carpenters' logo in a record store), so I'm not sure if this tour ever actually eventuated. But maybe they did a promo tour around the time that 'Top of the World' was number one here and filmed the song on some TV show or other. My cousin might have seen a 1976 / 1977 re-screening of the song. I still believe that there's a clip of 'Top of the a World' out there with Karen sitting on top of a globe of the world. Sorry about posting this here - I couldn't find a better thread to post it on.I think you may have been had there.
A logical thought and suggestion - except he told me a few weeks after seeing it, in 1976 or 77 or thereabouts. It was the time when we were both kids. This was quite a while before 'Calling Occupants' was released, too, CraigGA. . Also, we both lived in tiny country towns - there were definitely no music trade-papers anywhere around. However, the trade ad might show where TV directors / film-clip directors might have got the idea. Another thing that could support the idea of there being, perhaps, an Australia-only or Australia / Japan-only clip of 'Top of the World' is that the song was a hit here, (from memory), before it was a hit in the USA. I know it was a hit in Japan before, anyway. I'm fairly sure it was here, too. (See my other comments in the post, above). Thanks for your interest and replies.
I'm fairly certain that 'Top of the World' was released as a single in Australia towards the end of 1972, with its reign really taking hold at the beginning of 1973, making it the 18th most successful song on the Australian charts for 1973, (according to Go-Set magazine). From memory, the song was the 33rd most successful song of 1973 on the charts in the USA, according to Billboard's end-of-the-year countdown. According to Wikipedia, the song wasn't released as a single in the USA until September, 1973, so what's to stop Carpenters from distributing a promo clip in Japan and Australia to capitalise on the song's success there before, later, deciding to also release the song in the USA? With the USA release being at least ten months later, they might not have bothered to distribute the same clip in America - or maybe the said clip IS floating around somewhere in the USA. Just supposing. . Btw, in the Australia-only category, I forgot to mention that there were radio interviews here with Karen and Richard - or there was at least one, anyway, (mentioned in the fan club newsletter at the time). One of these was re-broadcast, in part, in February, 1983, just after Karen's death. I used to have a tiny snippet of this on a cassette.I think 'Top of the World' was a hit here, (from memory), before it was a hit in the USA. I know it was a hit in Japan before, anyway. I'm fairly sure it was here, too. Thanks for your interest and replies.
Correct. The Australian single has the original album mix. We didn't hear the US single version until 'The Very Best of The Carpenters' was released in late 1982, because we didn't get 'The Singles' in Australia. We got 'Great Hits of The Carpenters' in 1972, to coincide with the tour, and then 'Great Hits of The Carpenters Vol 2 1969 to 1973', around the time that 'The Singles' was released overseas. It was the album version of 'Top of the World' that got to Number One here.The early release in Japan (and probably Australia) contained the album mix of the song. It wasn't until the US release that the song got its more familiar single mix.
Rolling Stone's cover story features The Carpenters - Rolling Stone
Remembering July 4th,1974:
Carpenters interview-- and cover-- of the Rolling Stone.
Probably the most insightful interview extant.
You can see the cracks starting to appear in their "the image".
[SNIP
Then the interview also revealed where Karen's head was at in 1974; In reference to Cher; "She's thinner"![/SNIP
They did have a footnote to the article, though, and that was that Annie Leibovitz hadn't asked Karen and Richard to smile (!)Ironic, isn't it? A large portion of that Rolling Stone interview is all about image; bad album covers and grinning publicity photos. So what does Annie Leibovitz do? Practically the same thing.
The only thing I don’t like about the cover of The Rolling Stones article is that Karen’s eyes are hidden. Being the face of the group, and with a picture virtually hiding her identity, it makes me wonder if they really wanted to publish this article. And you all are right, so much more could have concentrated on the music. We are sometimes guilty ourselves as we comment on attire and image. Life was different in 1970 with dynamics hard to imagine for those born after 1990. It’s easy to look back with our knowledge of today, but I feel the 1970’s was a birth decade of issues affecting life socially, economically, politically, and pop culture-ally, with a special emphasis on sex appeal mixed into success. I sometimes wonder if good bands we knew in 1970 would be picture ready for equal success today to the point that maybe success would never come. Then add that pressure to a woman who is the public center and reason for the success. With all this, and as we learn more, it just brings her voice closer to the heart, for as she was molded in the business, she kept a brave position as she sought to capture a style and presence that is treasured to this day, even after all these years and information. If 1990 was in 1970, Karen’s fight with annorexia would have had a different outcome.They did have a footnote to the article, though, and that was that Annie Leibovitz hadn't asked Karen and Richard to smile (!)
In retrospect Cher was a stick figure for a spell. Karen was right on.YES. I noticed that as well, when I read that interview. So revealing. Of all the things Karen might have said about Cher, that was the first thought to pop in her head. *Sigh*
Is "buddily" a legitimate word? I wonder what it means, I Google it and I get "Buddy Holly". First time I have heard that Karen dated JD. Interesting...Speaking of John Davidson....
People Magazine, August 1980:
" He has buddily dated singer Karen Carpenter,
who soon will marry wealthy California industrialist Thomas Burris..."
" Karen is a friend and we’ve gone around together..."
The rest....
Cover Story: John Davidson’s ‘Incredible’ Year – Vol. 14 No. 8
They certainly seemed to get on well together. There are some out-takes from 'Music, Music, Music' on YouTube and in one of them, Karen's hair is falling down. John Davidson says something about Repunzel and Karen is in fits of giggles. They also joke around together a bit on the Tonight show, (1978). They look like friends to me.Speaking of John Davidson....People Magazine:
" He has buddily dated singer Karen Carpenter....." " Karen is a friend and we’ve gone around together..."
They certainly seemed to get on well together. There are some out-takes from 'Music, Music, Music' on YouTube and in one of them, Karen's hair is falling down. John Davidson says something about Rapunzel and Karen is in fits of giggles. They also joke around together a bit on the Tonight show, (1978). They look like friends to me.Speaking of John Davidson....People Magazine:
" He has buddily dated singer Karen Carpenter....." " Karen is a friend and we’ve gone around together..."
About as legitimate as "bigly", I suppose.Is "buddily" a legitimate word?