Carpenters: BBC Radio 2 Interview (1981)

[newvillefan]

An audio treat for you all, recorded for BBC Radio 2 in late 1981. Richard and Karen talk to interviewer Ray Moore about their latest album Made In America, how they developed as musicians and their career to date.

 

[theninjarabbit]

Thanks for the sweet treats Stephen!

 

[Chris Mills]

Just finished listening to this interview, really enjoyed it, a great idea to post it. Really liked the choice of photos, especially the ones from the album signing session at the record store in London. Thanks again.

 

[newvillefan]

Just finished listening to this interview, really enjoyed it, a great idea to post it. Really liked the choice of photos, especially the ones from the album signing session at the record store in London. Thanks again.

Thanks for the comments Chris, you're welcome!

One thing I've just noticed about one of the pictures from the London Harrod's album signing session - I'm 99% sure that's Itchie Ramone to the right, behind the podium area. I didn't know she'd accompanied them on the European part of their trip as well.

 

[JayJayVA]

The interviewer asks about HER and she answers in length about RICHARD ............deflection. I know she liked to give him credit, but geez. Richard breaks her & says "TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.....".

 

[Superstar]

I'm not sure how I feel that they repeatedly seem to refer to Karen's singing voice as a completely separate entity. I noticed this in the Dunphy interview as well. Like her voice is part of her and she operates it, but its not really hers for there ownership.

 

[wideawakeat4am]

The interviewer asks about HER and she answers in length about RICHARD ............deflection. I know she liked to give him credit, but geez. Richard breaks her & says "TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.....".

The dynamics of the interview would probably give a good psychiatrist a lot of material, especially when he asks about whether or not they would consider some kind of solo career - you could almost hear the change in atmosphere.

Very interesting to hear and the photos were interesting as well as I'd never really noticed before that Richard looks a lot older at this stage than a man in his mid-thirties. I know that Karen's anorexia aged her and looks a good ten years older, but even though Richard looks well he looks a similar age himself.

 

[Superstar]

Right? And shame on me for not listening to the entire interview before posting, but the same thing when he's asking her about Tom (notice how she didn't mention she dated Mike Curb?) and when the interviewer says it sounds like an "interesting relationship", she actually gives a sarcastic laugh and now that we're all in on what was really going on with Tom... it makes perfect sense. She is very surface and diplomatic, but she doesn't gush about him like a newly married woman in love might.

 

[Chris Mills]

Thanks for the comments Chris, you're welcome!

One thing I've just noticed about one of the pictures from the London Harrod's album signing session - I'm 99% sure that's Itchie Ramone to the right, behind the podium area. I didn't know she'd accompanied them on the European part of their trip as well.

On page 240 of 'Little Girl Blue' it does state that the Carpenters prepared to leave for Europe and South America and Itchie went along to keep Karen company. So I guess that lady is most definitely Itchie.

 

[newvillefan]

The dynamics of the interview would probably give a good psychiatrist a lot of material, especially when he asks about whether or not they would consider some kind of solo career - you could almost hear the change in atmosphere

When asked about solo ventures, Karen replies that the opportunity "comes and goes". In that one statement she hugely underplays the relevance of the solo album to herself both professionally and personally. Why didn't she just come out and say she'd recorded and completed a solo album and that it had been shelved? It's like that record was the bastard child of the Carpenters' canon...never to be spoken about, never to be referred to. At this point its cancellation was a year and a half ago and the album's existence was not a secret, as Billboard ran an article when it was shelved. I wish this point had been picked up on a bit more in the interviews late on in their career - it would have been nice just to hear Karen say "yeah I recorded it and yeah, I loved it. You might hear it someday".

 

[GaryAlan]

Thanks for this complete Interview, Newvillefan !
By the way, at 11:10, did I hear the interviewer say to Karen,
"nice to see you fully fit again, anyway ",
and, this remark being made in late 1981 !

And I learn....
At 26:53, they cut
Because We Are In Love
three days before the wedding.

Fascinating interview.

 

[wideawakeat4am]

When asked about solo ventures, Karen replies that the opportunity "comes and goes". In that one statement she hugely underplays the relevance of the solo album to herself both professionally and personally. Why didn't she just come out and say she'd recorded and completed a solo album and that it had been shelved? It's like that record was the bastard child of the Carpenters' canon...never to be spoken about, never to be referred to. At this point its cancellation was a year and a half ago and the album's existence was not a secret, as Billboard ran an article when it was shelved. I wish this point had been picked up on a bit more in the interviews late on in their career - it would have been nice just to hear Karen say "yeah I recorded it and yeah, I loved it. You might hear it someday".

Karen's reaction to that question was very telling and the existence of the solo project was the elephant in the room at that moment.

I'm sure the rejection she felt personally and professionally about the solo album must have been magnified during such times. Richard had the chance during that interview to boost her confidence by saying something about having guts to give it a try. If he'd have said that recording the album must have been a great experience regardless of its outcome, that would have helped. Not acknowledging its existence cannot have done her fragile state much good at all.

Thanks for this complete Interview, Newvillefan !
By the way, at 11:10, did I hear the interviewer say to Karen,
"nice to see you fully fit again, anyway ",
and, this remark being made in late 1981 !

And I learn....
At 26:53, they cut
Because We Are In Love
three days before the wedding.

Fascinating interview.

He did say that and I did think that there is no way that the interviewer could have actually thought it.

 

[newvillefan]

The dynamics of the interview would probably give a good psychiatrist a lot of material, especially when he asks about whether or not they would consider some kind of solo career - you could almost hear the change in atmosphere..

You talk about psychiatrists analysing this interview. Here's one more thing I noticed when Ray Moore brought up the question of solo ventures...and kept on asking...

Karen: "It’s been offered like you said and sometimes it seems interesting, but the more…it doesn’t make any sense, you know, because uh..."

...and then at 44m18s there's an audible exhalation of breath which can only have come from Richard or Ray Moore, as Karen is talking at the time. Either way, it sounds like someone who's exasperated or impatient with the line of questioning.

 

[Superstar]

You talk about psychiatrists analysing this interview. Here's one more thing I noticed when Ray Moore brought up the question of solo ventures...and kept on asking...

Karen: "It’s been offered like you said and sometimes it seems interesting, but the more…it doesn’t make any sense, you know, because uh..."

...and then at 44m18s there's an audible exhalation of breath which can only have come from Richard or Ray Moore, as Karen is talking at the time. Either way, it sounds like someone who's exasperated or impatient with the line of questioning.

I heard it too and thought the same thing.

 

[GaryAlan]

And,
again, Beechwood 4-5789 ( around at 43:35)
Interviewer: "Why did you choose to release that in Britain?"
Richard Carpenter:
"They wanted to, they...either the powers that be at A&M in Britain, or, here..."
"We love that, always have."

Hardly sounds as if the Carpenters had total control over the single release (at least.).

 

[MissK]

An audio treat for you all, recorded for BBC Radio 2 in late 1981. Richard and Karen talk to interviewer Ray Moore about their latest album Made In America, how they developed as musicians and their career to date.

Do you know where this interview was recorded? Several statements made indicate that they were not in the UK at the time.

 

[newvillefan]

Do you know where this interview was recorded? Several statements made indicate that they were not in the UK at the time.

I believe it was recorded at the A&M lot in LA not long before they set off for Europe and Brazil. If I'm not mistaken the first two photos in the video are from the meeting and the guy on the right in the first photo is Ray Moore.

 

[Chris May]

I believe it was recorded at the A&M lot in LA not long before they set off for Europe and Brazil. If I'm not mistaken the first two photos in the video are from the meeting and the guy on the right in the first photo is Ray Moore.

That's correct - It was taped in their office on the lot I believe.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

So that photo above on the you tube video of Karen crossing her leg that was during this radio interview on the A&M studio lot? I've seen the photo but didn't know it was taken during this interview.

I think part of the reason Karen was able to fool everyone into thinking she was fine is that if you listen to her voice during this interview it sounds very normal upbeat and no indication of any health issues. However her looks say otherwise.

 

[newvillefan]

So that photo above on the you tube video of Karen crossing her leg that was during this radio interview on the A&M studio lot? I've seen the photo but didn't know it was taken during this interview.

Yep that's right Chris

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

^^I think I need to change my avatar.

 

[Chris Mills]

Richard and Karen went into their comfort zone with 'Made In America', and thought they could repeat their run of top selling songs from one album, similar to what happened to the album 'A Song For You' which culled so many hit singles.......that could not be repeated. Richard tried really hard to update their sound, I think he succeeded, but he made one big mistake by including something so personal as 'Because We Are In Love', this really should have been locked in the vaults forever. Karen sort of enjoyed informing us how tight the schedule was in getting this song finalised for the wedding and ultimately for the album. I'm sorry, but all that effort was completely lost on me.

 

[Harry]

.

^^I think I need to change my avatar.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

So this appears to be the same photo of this interview, so would one of these men be Ray Moore and who is the other?
It appears this was on the 2nd floor see the roof panels in the window. So the A&M studios had 2 levels?

 

[JBee]

The interview just makes me think. In an era, before 24/7 news, gossip tv and the internet, if I was British (or International BBC) fan of the Carpenters I would have been as stunned as most people apparently were by Karen's death in 1983 (which I was too young to remember). Going by the interview - everything with the Carpenters was hunky dory, they took 1979 off just because they were overworked (not exactly truthful for RC, not at all truthful for KC), Karen looked great according to Ray Moore (not true), Karen was happy in her marriage (not true), the C's wouldn't even think of working apart from each other (huge not true).

A couple of take aways I just get from listening. I agree with wideawakeat4am that "The dynamics of the interview would probably give a good psychiatrist a lot of material".

Karen admits that she lost too much weight in 1975 which led to her collapse. So she was willing to admit this in 1981, yet she was at or approaching the 1975 weight in 1981. How could she not see this?

Frenda Franklin said in the 1996 NYT article on Karen's solo album that Richard's reaction to it "forever put a division in her [Karen's] mind about him.'' but I don't think that's true. Karen still sounds as devoted and referential to Richard here in 1981 after the solo album debacle as she was in the early 1970s, and she was still giving him all the credit as the brains behind everything. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I don't know. But it does show Karen's devotion to the Carpenters and to her brother, even if she desperately wanted to do solo things (music/TV/movies).

Karen's reaction to that question was very telling and the existence of the solo project was the elephant in the room at that moment.

I'm sure the rejection she felt personally and professionally about the solo album must have been magnified during such times. Richard had the chance during that interview to boost her confidence by saying something about having guts to give it a try. If he'd have said that recording the album must have been a great experience regardless of its outcome, that would have helped. Not acknowledging its existence cannot have done her fragile state much good at all.

He did say that and I did think that there is no way that the interviewer could have actually thought it.

These are my thoughts as well. The solo record was not a state secret. People in the industry knew about it, there were columns in the trades about, the Carpenter's own fan letters were full of it. I don't understand the pussyfooting around either by Ray Moore (or Joan Lunden at GMA who also asked about doing things apart) when everyone knew that no, Karen had not taken 1979 off like Richard, and HAD done something away from him. And why the C's kept denying they wanted to work separately (well Richard did, Karen always makes it clear she wanted to do other things like the mythical movie musical she was in no physical state to do). In today's age of the internet where every potential interviewer would have had the knowledge of Karen's scrapped solo effort at hand, they couldn't have avoided the truth.

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for RC, for his talent, the enjoyment his music has given me, and his place in music history (which has yet to be acknowledged to the extent it should be). I have a great deal of sympathy for him as well (particularly during this time of the year) and wish him happiness in his semi-retirement. However, this whole 1980-81 period with the C's leaves a bad taste in a fan's mouth the more we learn. Everything about RC's reaction to the solo album to the accusations of stealing the Carpenter sound to just badmouthing the album which he knew meant a great deal to her, then comes MIA which in many respects is the most "Richard Carpenter" of all Carpenter albums with Karen's voice (which he accused Phil Ramone of not getting right and having her sing in the wrong key) drowned out in the overly detailed arrangements on some songs. For the first time, since he discovered his sister's voice, it seems Richard was pushing it to the back so he could prove he was back and as great an arranger/producer as ever.

And I am still perplexed why Richard and Herb and Jerry let Karen do publicity for MIA in the state she was in. They must have known there would be questions like Sue Lawley at Nationwide. Not everybody would be a Carpenter fan like Ray Moore and tell Karen she looked "fully fit" when she did not. Just look at pictures of her at her wedding less than a year earlier to here. But A&M put her out there anyway.Perhaps for business reasons, but I have to think Richard and Herb were above that.