Close To You - The Alternate Versions (per Coleman)

[ringves]

Many of you will recall that Ray Coleman detailed that there were a couple of other versions of "Close To You" that were recorded before A&M settled on releasing the version that we all know and appreciate.

I have met 1 person who claims to have heard the other 2 versions.

I wonder if there are others who have had the privilege of hearing the alternate versions?

And if so, what did you think of the alternate versions?

 

[Mark-T]

Not me, but sign me up!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

In a Herb Alpert interview he mentions the earlier version where Karen is playing the drums, and says the song just didn't have the right energy (or something to that effect). So they brought in Hal Blaine.

I am kind of surprised that the Karen-on-drums version hasn't turned up somewhere like a box set, just as a historical artifact; but one thing the Carpenters have generally stayed away from is putting multiple versions of the same song on the same collection.

It would be cool to have an expanded CLOSE TO YOU album with some of these "earlier" versions or maybe demos of some of the songs. The Alan Parsons Project did that with the whole APP catalog recently.

 

[richard_sloat]

I haven't read Coleman's book but then Mr. Schmidt has addressed the very same info in his book. I too would totally like to listen to the previously recorded versions of that song, which is my favorite ever by the Carpenters, the very first one with the Harry Nilsson-like singing style and the second one featuring Karen's drumming. I'm specially curious about the former.

 

[Dave]

Wasn't there also the lack of multi-tracking on the vocals, on the earlier version, too?


Dave