Carpenters: BBC Radio 2 Interview (1981)

[wideawakeat4am]

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.

It was a bit lost on me as well.

I always got the vibe that Richard didn't like Tom Burris all that much, so why get so involved with the wedding? Why not just turn up and look happy?

I also agree that it was an odd choice to include something so personal on an album, unless they were really short of material. Apart from anything else, it must have been obvious that the marriage was not working out.

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?

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.

I was surprised that Karen admitted to the weight loss during such an interview, considering what she said during the interview with Sue Lawley.

I agree that the promotional interviews weren't a good idea considering Karen's obvious ill-health, but I guess that they had a new album they had to try and do something with. What else could they do apart from try and sell some copies?

 

[ullalume]

I wonder what the 3rd song was that Richard stated would be on the next album. "Wedding Song", "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and presumably another big Peter Knight Orchestral arrangement that they tracked that late Aug '80. I'm guessing he was never that fond of it, or maybe there wasn't a complete vocal from Karen. . .anyone got that Mook interview to hand.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I wonder what the 3rd song was that Richard stated would be on the next album. "Wedding Song", "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and presumably another big Peter Knight Orchestral arrangement that they tracked that late Aug '80. I'm guessing he was never that fond of it, or maybe there wasn't a complete vocal from Karen. . .anyone got that Mook interview to hand.

I believe it was "Last of the Romantics" a great big track with a full on Peter orchestration but no lead according to Richard.

 

[JBee]

I believe it was "Last of the Romantics" a great big track with a full on Peter orchestration but no lead according to Richard.

A shame. I just listened to the Englebert Humperdinck version (if that is the same song) and I think the Carpenters with Karen's full lead vocals would have knocked it out the park.

I wonder if Richard purposely over recorded on MIA because he knew the state of Karen's health and realized she might not be in shape to record a 1982 album (which proved to be the case).

 

[BarryT60]

Wonderful to hear this... I especially loved the two impromptu lines from 'Laughter In The Rain' and 'This One's For You'. Thank you for posting!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

A shame. I just listened to the Englebert Humperdinck version (if that is the same song) and I think the Carpenters with Karen's full lead vocals would have knocked it out the park.

I wonder if Richard purposely over recorded on MIA because he knew the state of Karen's health and realized she might not be in shape to record a 1982 album (which proved to be the case).

I'm assuming it's the same song as I don't know of another song with that same title. Englebert does a great job but I can hear Karen singing these lyrics with perfection and emotion. I can even hear her injecting a bit of vocal fry toward the end for that added emotion she is so good at. I also think had Karen recorded a full lead that this track would have sounded great on the Lovelines album. I'd still love to hear Peter's orchestration arrangement even if it doesn't have a lead, I'm sure it sounded beautiful.

 

[Chris May]

It was always fun to hear something new and fresh from Karen, albeit posthumously. I'll have to pull out the Mook and see what else is in there, as memory escapes me at the moment.

I was fortunate to have secured an unreleased rarity that I don't recall having ever been documented any place (I mentioned it in another thread someplace) - that is, the Jimmy Webb tune One Of The Nicer Things. Karen really sounds fantastic, young of course, but it's one of those recordings that just leaves you wanting to hear more.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This might be new to some of our new folks that have joined the forum recently, JBee and any others I might have forgot or it might not be new to anyone lol. However, I got my info above from the translation that one of our members here got straight from Yuka in 2014. Jeff was gracious enough to get a translation of the English text.

Link to Jeff's post (djn)
CarpenterS Fan Club BURIED TREASURE topic »

Inside that text about half way down you will see:
"Last Of The Romantics has a great big track with a full-on Peter
orchestration and no lead."

I'm assuming that is what ullalume was asking about a couple posts above.

 

[newvillefan]

I was fortunate to have secured an unreleased rarity that I don't recall having ever been documented any place (I mentioned it in another thread someplace) - that is, the Jimmy Webb tune One Of The Nicer Things. Karen really sounds fantastic, young of course, but it's one of those recordings that just leaves you wanting to hear more.

Were you ever told what year that track was recorded Chris?

 

[ullalume]

Thanks Rick

 

[Chris May]

Were you ever told what year that track was recorded Chris?

Yes, actually it was recorded in '67-'68. What's incredible is how phenomenal Karen sounds. She really sounded older than her years even for that time period. The track was tentatively to be included in As Time Goes By but Richard in the end decided against it.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Chris, does Karen use her lower register or her head voice? What key is she singing in? Can you hum a few bars? hee hee

 

[GaryAlan]

Chris May, my only question (along with Rick's great questions):
In the end, as you mention, Richard decided against placing the song on "As Time Goes By".
However, you also mention that Karen sounds "phenomenal".
Thus, what earthly reason held this song back all these years ?
Why is humanity (still) denied this gem ?

 

[Chris May]

Chris, does Karen use her lower register or her head voice? What key is she singing in? Can you hum a few bars? hee hee

She is singing in her chest voice/lower range. The tune is a peculiar one, as it employs a series of key signature changes. The intro on piano starts on an F#major, then lands on C major when Karen begins singing. The key structure changes from there.

 

[Chris May]

Chris May, my only question (along with Rick's great questions):
In the end, as you mention, Richard decided against placing the song on "As Time Goes By".
However, you also mention that Karen sounds "phenomenal".
Thus, what earthly reason held this song back all these years ?
Why is humanity (still) denied this gem ?

Because when it was tracked, the bass (recorded by bassist Bill Sissoyev, whom most may remember as the bassist on the Your All American College Show clips from Long Beach State) was locked into the piano and vocal track. There was a mistake on Bill's part, which Richard inadvertantly failed to correct at the time it was recorded.

Prior to assembling the As Time Goes By album, Richard was told by a chap back in New York that there was some low frequency cancellation he could do if a "new" bass track was cut by Joe [Osborn], and tracked to the far right of the 48-track digital tape, with the existing recording/mono track (which included Karen, Richard and Bill) residing on track 1 over to the far left. Joe re-cut the bass, but obviously Richard didn't feel that there was enough masking to justify it making the cut upon completion.

 

[GaryAlan]

Thanks so much ,Chris May, for the elaboration regarding the song.
My head still spinning, to know that there is a
"phenomenal"
Karen Carpenter vocal in 'the vault',
due to so-called imperfection locked into the recording.
Well, one can carry this issue of 'perfection' too far, can't one (?).

 

[Chris May]

Thanks so much ,Chris May, for the elaboration regarding the song.
My head still spinning, to know that there is a
"phenomenal"
Karen Carpenter vocal in 'the vault',
due to so-called imperfection locked into the recording.
Well, one can carry this issue of 'perfection' too far, can't one (?).

It's definitely an early Karen vocal, but just gorgeous nonetheless.