Carpenters Albums Re-Imagined

[ScottyB]

With all the Carpenters songs which have surfaced since Karen's passing, I can't help but wonder how they might have worked had they been released at or around the time they were recorded.
For instance, I wonder how Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again would have fit on the Horizon album.
Or Ordinary Fool on the A Kind Of Hush album.
Sailing On The Tide and You're The One on Passage.
And, instead of Voice of the Heart, the last recordings (Now and You're Enough) along with the leftover Made in America recordings on the final album.

 

[Kyle Thomas]

I think "Sailing on the Tide" was recorded during the Horizon sessions, if I'm not mistaken.

I've wondered about the same thing, and when I do playlists on my phone, I will sometimes add a few songs recorded around the same time as 'bonus tracks.'

 

[CraigGA]

In 1974, the Carpenters were a top recording act recognized worldwide. I am sure there were many people writing specifically for them hoping to make a little money with a guaranteed top 10 performance. So, they probably looked through many songs for Horizon. I can't imangine leaving anything off bring a fan who always wants to hear more, but I am glad we heard them in the order we they were presented to us. As I mentioned before, the great orchestration we hear on Tryin To Get The Feeling Again was probably created in the 1990's, and if created in 1975 would have sounded different. I love the one we have so it became a jewel at the right time!

 

[JBee]

In 1974, the Carpenters were a top recording act recognized worldwide. I am sure there were many people writing specifically for them hoping to make a little money with a guaranteed top 10 performance. So, they probably looked through many songs for Horizon. I can't imangine leaving anything off bring a fan who always wants to hear more, but I am glad we heard them in the order we they were presented to us. As I mentioned before, the great orchestration we hear on Tryin To Get The Feeling Again was probably created in the 1990's, and if created in 1975 would have sounded different. I love the one we have so it became a jewel at the right time!

That is an interesting point. I personally feel the Carpenters' "Tryin' to Get The Feeling Again" as we have it (with Karen's work lead, page turning and all) is superior to Barry Manilow's (which was a top 10 hit), but the version that might have been released in 1975 could have been different ( though I think it still could have been a hit and Horizon could have used another one). The orchestration Richard has added to the version we have now is certainly more dramatic and powerful than some of the other ballads on Horizon (and a better radio song than "Solitaire"). Does anyone know if indeed Richard's arrangements date from the 90s and not the 70s?

It is an interesting question about redoing some of the albums knowing some of the songs that WEREN'T put on it. Given that Richard himself has raised regrets on some of the song choices on A Kind of Hush and Passage (which only has 8 songs and a good seven minutes or so of that album's 39 minute running time are devoted to the "On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada" instrumental and the worst song they recorded "Man Smart, Women Smarter"). The elephant in the room for me on these albums is "Ordinary Fool" (one of KC's best vocals ever) which they just had lying around and which even Richard admits is a great song, perfect for Karen's voice. I understand she might not have liked it but...she didn't like "Solitaire" either and they still put that on Horizon. But HUSH gets "Goofus" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (for some reason), while Passage with only 8 tracks is deprived of a great torch song (which would have definitely melded with and added to the album's eclectic feel).

Just think of how the reputation of HUSH and Passage would be if "Goofus" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was replaced by "Ordinary Fool" and "And When He Smiles" (which RC said they were going to record for an album way back in the early 70s but never did).

Or if "Man Smart, Women Smarter" and "On the Balcony of Casa Rosada" (leaving only Karen's vocal on DCFMA) were replaced by "Sailing on the Tide" (one of the most fun and bright of all Carpenter songs) and finally a full-length version of "That's Impossible" (I think it is something we all regret that KC never put that one down for posterity outside of a medley). Or even if the two latter songs were just added to the album to make it an even 10 tracks (which was standard for a Carpenter album by that point).

I also wish that Karen had recorded a lead to Englebert Humperdink's "The Last of the Romantics" (the orchestration apparently exists) from the MIA sessions. It's a song made for her vocal range. I can easily see that song replacing the treacly and on-the-nose "Wedding Song/Because We Are in Love".

 

[K.C. Jr]

I thought I remember reading that Karen wasn't a fan of "Ordinary Fool". Can anyone confirm?

 

[newvillefan]

Does anyone know if indeed Richard's arrangements date from the 90s and not the 70s?

Richard arranged, orchestrated and completed the song in the 90s. All he discovered on the original tape was Karen's work lead, along with bass, drums and piano.

 

[ScottyB]

I love every Carpenters album in their original released form. However, recently I've been having the urge to create something fresh. The original studio albums are rapidly nearing 40-50 years old. I decided to create a "fresh" catalog that would feature a different perspective. Starting with "A Song For You", I created a new version that included "And When He Smiles" and omitted "Piano Picker" and "Flat Baroque". With "Now and Then", I decided to omit the DJ medley, and tried to include as many "full versions" of some of the "medley" songs that I could obtain. My new "Horizon" includes "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again", but I chose to omit "I Can Dream, Can't I" and use that song for a future time. With "A Kind Of Hush", I included "Ordinary Fool" and changed the sequence of songs slightly. As for "Passage", I omitted "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" (also saving that for a future time) and replacing it with "Sailing With The Tide" and "You're The One" (making them tracks 2 & 3 behind "B'wanna She No Home" and placing "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song" and "I Just Fall In Love Again" as tracks 4 & 5). Next, I tried to develop a "ghost" Carpenters album including "I Can Dream, Can't I" and "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" with the many other 1978 recordings. I pictured sort-of another "Now & Then" type album, featuring new songs on one half, and standards and show tunes on the other half. As for "Made in America", I basically made no change with the exception of omitting "I Believe You" (including that on my 1978 record) and replacing it with "Rainbow Connection", placed before "Because We Are In Love". For the next one, the last one, I simply re-named "Voice Of The Heart" and re-titled it "Now & Forever", with the sequence of songs as follows: "Now", "I Don't Need You" (yet to be released), "You're Enough", "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night", "At The End Of A Song", "The Uninvited Guest", "Prime Time Love", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore", "Two Lives". This last one has not actually been created yet, since "I Don't Need You" has not had any kind of release (but I'm hoping someday).

 

[ullalume]

My re-imagining always centers on MIA. And the version I listen too is always the ammended one.

1)TGOD
2)Uninvited Guest
3)WYBIMLA
4)WYGWIT
5)Rainbow Connection
6)At the End of a Song
7)Touch Me
8)When it's Gone
9)Beechwood
10)Kiss Me. . .

 

[Randy M]

I've made numerous Carpenters compilations; however, I've always wanted to do something similar to the "twofer" album CDs that were popular when CDs were first released and old catalogs needed to be exploited. As short as their albums were, you could combine two or three, prune out the unwanted tracks, add bonus/unreleased/alternate songs, and end up with songs close somewhat in the order they were recorded.

 

[Song4uman]

There is a thread ( I think) that lists when all song were recorded. Can someone point me up that?