FAVORITE CARPENTERS ALBUM COVER?
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Dave
Well-Known Member
I somehow took Now And Then, with the two driving by in one of Richard's cars as something "telling sort of a a story"... Though I don't care for the multiple-gatefold... I even took their house in the background as where the album was made... (I was young and it stood out in my aunt's collection, that she brought over--though I don't remember what she could've played it on--we sure didn't have much of a stereo!)
The plain looking Carpenters and A Song For You look nice, but with their funny packaging/openings, just seem to suffer "storage problems"... While Horizon would be my 2nd-favorite... And A Kind Of Hush ranks Third...
And Passage ranks as my least...
Dave
The plain looking Carpenters and A Song For You look nice, but with their funny packaging/openings, just seem to suffer "storage problems"... While Horizon would be my 2nd-favorite... And A Kind Of Hush ranks Third...
And Passage ranks as my least...
Dave
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I went with Horizon, with it's beautiful cover and logo sticker on it on the original LPs. But the thread also reminded me of the story behind Now And Then, which I thought I'd post again. I can post the preceeding segment about Offering and Close To You if anyone's interested 
:
Richard Carpenter: '[We were] their biggest act, who sells all these albums worldwide. They hadn't even thought about it. It's like 'oh yeah, they're making an album that we've been pestering them for, we'd better put a cover on it!' They said, stand out at your front door and we'll shoot your picture. I kid you not! I said 'you mean like OUR MOTHER would do?!!! You mean like a snapshot to go in the book?! We're supposed to stand out here?' And I said 'we're not doing it. We're NOT doing it!'....And so after all the bitching and griping and all...we got in the Ferrari. And if you look at that, you can tell I am pissed off. If you look at the cover of that album, I am pissed off. I mean, I am not smiling on that album cover. All they did was get us coming down the street, and shot us with me driving the car. That was it.
THEN to make it worse, they said '[this cover] is going to be more of an artistic statement, we're going to have the picture painted'. Cos if you look at that album, it folds out three ways , that was a lot of money to make it. But it's a painting of a picture. By then of course it's one of these things, we're in the mix room and then out on the road. So we couldn't even look at what they came up with til we're out on the road. And they sent it. And it was wrong. There's this one thing, if you look at the cover, the Ferrari Daytona has a vent window. And it so happens that the way they took it, it cuts Karen's face in half. Again, if management had anything to say, they should have said 'what the hell are you taking a picture of Karen for [forget painting it!], and cutting our star's face in half?' Then when they went to paint it, they just couldn't get this part [of her face] matched with the other part. And we'd send it back, and they'd send another one, we'd send it back, they'd send another, and it's not right to this day. They finally got that part right, but they THEN took and painted 8x10s of us from a previous photo session and...Karen never had an overbite but you look at this thing, it looks like she's a chipmunk! It's DREADFUL!
And that's my biggest...regret, is that I didn't finally just say, 'if this doesn't stop, we're just not going to cut any more records for you guys.' It was absolutely disgusting, the way they treated us. And that we didn't stand up to management and say 'you get the hell out of here'....They should have been there to look after us, not just book us. That's my biggest complaint. So all of this really plays into the image.
As I said in this PBS documentary that we did, I couldn't actually blame some of what the critics said, when you look at...not the music necessarily, but these album covers and publicity stills. It was horrible. Horrible! So if you look at Horizon, I finally did put my foot down. So we BOTH look pissed off on that one!!! But at least our cheeks aren't together and we're not smiling!'
:Richard Carpenter: '[We were] their biggest act, who sells all these albums worldwide. They hadn't even thought about it. It's like 'oh yeah, they're making an album that we've been pestering them for, we'd better put a cover on it!' They said, stand out at your front door and we'll shoot your picture. I kid you not! I said 'you mean like OUR MOTHER would do?!!! You mean like a snapshot to go in the book?! We're supposed to stand out here?' And I said 'we're not doing it. We're NOT doing it!'....And so after all the bitching and griping and all...we got in the Ferrari. And if you look at that, you can tell I am pissed off. If you look at the cover of that album, I am pissed off. I mean, I am not smiling on that album cover. All they did was get us coming down the street, and shot us with me driving the car. That was it.
THEN to make it worse, they said '[this cover] is going to be more of an artistic statement, we're going to have the picture painted'. Cos if you look at that album, it folds out three ways , that was a lot of money to make it. But it's a painting of a picture. By then of course it's one of these things, we're in the mix room and then out on the road. So we couldn't even look at what they came up with til we're out on the road. And they sent it. And it was wrong. There's this one thing, if you look at the cover, the Ferrari Daytona has a vent window. And it so happens that the way they took it, it cuts Karen's face in half. Again, if management had anything to say, they should have said 'what the hell are you taking a picture of Karen for [forget painting it!], and cutting our star's face in half?' Then when they went to paint it, they just couldn't get this part [of her face] matched with the other part. And we'd send it back, and they'd send another one, we'd send it back, they'd send another, and it's not right to this day. They finally got that part right, but they THEN took and painted 8x10s of us from a previous photo session and...Karen never had an overbite but you look at this thing, it looks like she's a chipmunk! It's DREADFUL!
And that's my biggest...regret, is that I didn't finally just say, 'if this doesn't stop, we're just not going to cut any more records for you guys.' It was absolutely disgusting, the way they treated us. And that we didn't stand up to management and say 'you get the hell out of here'....They should have been there to look after us, not just book us. That's my biggest complaint. So all of this really plays into the image.
As I said in this PBS documentary that we did, I couldn't actually blame some of what the critics said, when you look at...not the music necessarily, but these album covers and publicity stills. It was horrible. Horrible! So if you look at Horizon, I finally did put my foot down. So we BOTH look pissed off on that one!!! But at least our cheeks aren't together and we're not smiling!'
goodjeans
Well-Known Member
My favorite album cover is "Horizon". Finally it was a cover showing Karen and Richard that lent a serious quality to both of them and the music. I love the logo, and I am going waaayyy back but I think the album sleeve never showed a name on it at all on the front; but the cellophane wrapper had a sort of sticker that said "Carpenters" in the logo and looked like it was supposed to have been stamped on. They both look great and I am glad that neither is smiling. I just wonder, since it is my all-time favorite album by them, that if it had had a huge logo on it that it may have charted higher. If it had been ready and released when "Please Mr. Postman" was on top, it probably would have been top 5 at least. Boy do I ramble on...
They're all quite good, really...but no doubt about it... HORIZON is best, hands down. I was around 18 when it came out and a huge fan. I remember back then thinking how sexy Karen looked. Her hair....her face....all perfect. I think she was at her perfect weight right there on that cover. She was a fox. Richard looked great too.
I agree too that their third lp, titled simply CARPENTERS with their new logo was a great cover. Straight to the point and solid. And of course, by then, their sound and production was cemented and the hits just kept on comin'.
I agree too that their third lp, titled simply CARPENTERS with their new logo was a great cover. Straight to the point and solid. And of course, by then, their sound and production was cemented and the hits just kept on comin'.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Richard Carpenter: 'Well, when it comes to image and album sleeves and what we were wearing then, I think...of course, what we were wearing then, the kids are wearing now. But the average person, again getting back to this famous 'average person', looks at a picture in their yearbook and looks at their hair and their dress and thinks 'oy oy oy!'. The difference is, a yearbook's one thing, and an album cover that's sold something like 8 million and is still in release...that's another.
But there's only so much you can do. You look back at any time period, let's take the seventies. Oy oy oy! It's not only what we were wearing, it's what a whole number of us were wearing! All the different acts. Haha, man you look at some of the R&B acts and some of those album covers, and just any number of different acts. And that's what I mean, you would think that when it comes to...(pauses)...bell bottoms...they weren't new in the late 60s and into the 70s...everything old is new again! But some of the stuff, like the polyester...you really think we would have learned about polyester. And it's back.
So you know, maybe I shouldn't be quite as critical as I am. The image...that was a problem because the record label and everyone around us did not know how to market us. And in a way, you could say you can't quite blame them because the last really successful brother-and-sister act was Fred and Adele Astaire. And of course [back then] it wasn't records, there were no album covers, it was a whole different thing. And then...well there were the two of us. And they just didn't know what to do. And I was...at least I had an inkling and I was fighting with the label.
The thing is, any disharmony with the record label was over the album covers and the PR shots! We were young, trying to make everybody happy, you know, we didn't grow up on the streets of New York or play coffee houses...we weren't seasoned, we were a couple of young kids from the 'burbs. And it's pretty much 'yes and no sir' and you do what people tell you to do, especially if they're in a position where you pretty much report to them or they're your seniors. And we let a lot of things get by.
They always say 'smile for the camera!' and as soon as you don't smile it's 'what's wrong?!'. You know, 'you look angry' (which at times I do when I'm not smiling) so please smile!. And then keep smiling. And it's supposed to an 8 by 10 so put your damn cheeks together!. Well I said 'guys, you know, we're brother and sister, it's not good'. And...I lost.
I remember fighting over the Close To You album. They repackaged Offering. Offering had a dismal cover, but at least it was a period piece! There was a sunflower growing on the lot and the photographer picked it up, yanked it out, gave it to Karen. It was very 'sixties'. And of course, I saw a thing just the other day that said I think 'now let's scowl for the camera!'. It was talking about how all these new groups go out of their way, and so did some of the rock groups back in the sixties and early seventies, to scowl at the camera. And it showed different examples of these big acts and they're all scowling at the camera.
But I say, it was '69 and we weren't about to smile...and we scowled at the camera. So in a way, even though it was shot up, and it was called by one DJ the 'nasal shot' (the Offering cover, which I know most people haven't seen)...at least we weren't smiling. And it's very sixties, Karen's holding that sunflower...but it didn't look like the two of us. There was something about the picture! I look Asian, Karen looks like she has an allergy..it's not good.
So when Close To You takes off in July and August of '70, the record company comes and asks if they could repackage and retitle Offering as Ticket To Ride, since Ticket To Ride had enjoyed a modicum of success. And we were working up at Tahoe at the time. They rented a sailboat, beautiful thing, we went out to Tahoe...we just had on t-shirts and jeans, we weren't close to each other, they took the shot and it was terrific! That should have been the Close To You cover. [Exasperated] They put it on Ticket To Ride!
When Close To You comes out, it's time for the [photo] session. This Vice President [A&M VP Gil Friesen] I was telling you about, who talked us out of Top Of The World, said 'we're going to dress you properly this time'. So he takes me to Mr Guy, which is this fashionable boutique in Beverly Hills. I don't know where on earth he took Karen. He got her a gown, he got me a very nice (I mean I'm sure of course our royalties took care of it)...he selected a Cashmere blazer, very nice, and this very nice shirt. And it was all very dressy. And Karen's in a gown [chuckles] and out we go with the photographer the next day or so to Palace Verdis, which is this beach community...'the city by the beach'.
It was overcast, the photographer puts us out on a rock. The waves were crashing over the rocks, Karen's hair was damp, frizzing...and I saw a couple of amateur photographers..I remember this very well. And they were taking the very same picture like, 50 feet away from us. But they were amateurs! And I was bitching at the photographer, and I said 'what the hell are you doing?!'. First off, there's nothing original about this whatsoever. Nothing! And secondly it doesn't even make any sense.Why would you put on a Cashmere jacket and a gown, and leather boots and dress slacks...and sit on a rock by the beach? Why would you do this?
And I remember thinking 'it can't be good, it can't be good'. It wasn't good. We were in working, again trying to get this album done a few days later, working on one of the album cuts. And in comes the Vice President with the picture. And after being so unhappy with the Offering shot, where of course we didn't say anything, we told ourselves especially now that we had a hit, we're gonna say something if we don't like this. And he says 'how do you like it?'. And of course we didn't like it at all...'we don't like it'. And he said 'learn to live with it!' That was it!
Management wasn't there. That's what I mean, we're paying all this dough to management...it shouldn't even have been brought to us. It should have gone to management who immediately, if it had been Brian Epstein would have said 'this sucks guys! Let's start over'. Management wasn't even there. We were really, in that way, not handled well at all. And out it came, and it's dreadful and of course that's what kicked off that whole image thing right there. It's dreadful!
And album after album...I remember A Song For You. It's a very attractive album cover, but it has a heart on it! Like this rock heart. And again we're in with this guy and I'm saying 'Gil, it looks like a Valentine's card! This isn't good!'. But you know, it wasn't in our contract then, so all you could do was bitch.'
(BBC Interview Archive 1993)
But there's only so much you can do. You look back at any time period, let's take the seventies. Oy oy oy! It's not only what we were wearing, it's what a whole number of us were wearing! All the different acts. Haha, man you look at some of the R&B acts and some of those album covers, and just any number of different acts. And that's what I mean, you would think that when it comes to...(pauses)...bell bottoms...they weren't new in the late 60s and into the 70s...everything old is new again! But some of the stuff, like the polyester...you really think we would have learned about polyester. And it's back.
So you know, maybe I shouldn't be quite as critical as I am. The image...that was a problem because the record label and everyone around us did not know how to market us. And in a way, you could say you can't quite blame them because the last really successful brother-and-sister act was Fred and Adele Astaire. And of course [back then] it wasn't records, there were no album covers, it was a whole different thing. And then...well there were the two of us. And they just didn't know what to do. And I was...at least I had an inkling and I was fighting with the label.
The thing is, any disharmony with the record label was over the album covers and the PR shots! We were young, trying to make everybody happy, you know, we didn't grow up on the streets of New York or play coffee houses...we weren't seasoned, we were a couple of young kids from the 'burbs. And it's pretty much 'yes and no sir' and you do what people tell you to do, especially if they're in a position where you pretty much report to them or they're your seniors. And we let a lot of things get by.
They always say 'smile for the camera!' and as soon as you don't smile it's 'what's wrong?!'. You know, 'you look angry' (which at times I do when I'm not smiling) so please smile!. And then keep smiling. And it's supposed to an 8 by 10 so put your damn cheeks together!. Well I said 'guys, you know, we're brother and sister, it's not good'. And...I lost.
I remember fighting over the Close To You album. They repackaged Offering. Offering had a dismal cover, but at least it was a period piece! There was a sunflower growing on the lot and the photographer picked it up, yanked it out, gave it to Karen. It was very 'sixties'. And of course, I saw a thing just the other day that said I think 'now let's scowl for the camera!'. It was talking about how all these new groups go out of their way, and so did some of the rock groups back in the sixties and early seventies, to scowl at the camera. And it showed different examples of these big acts and they're all scowling at the camera.
But I say, it was '69 and we weren't about to smile...and we scowled at the camera. So in a way, even though it was shot up, and it was called by one DJ the 'nasal shot' (the Offering cover, which I know most people haven't seen)...at least we weren't smiling. And it's very sixties, Karen's holding that sunflower...but it didn't look like the two of us. There was something about the picture! I look Asian, Karen looks like she has an allergy..it's not good.
So when Close To You takes off in July and August of '70, the record company comes and asks if they could repackage and retitle Offering as Ticket To Ride, since Ticket To Ride had enjoyed a modicum of success. And we were working up at Tahoe at the time. They rented a sailboat, beautiful thing, we went out to Tahoe...we just had on t-shirts and jeans, we weren't close to each other, they took the shot and it was terrific! That should have been the Close To You cover. [Exasperated] They put it on Ticket To Ride!
When Close To You comes out, it's time for the [photo] session. This Vice President [A&M VP Gil Friesen] I was telling you about, who talked us out of Top Of The World, said 'we're going to dress you properly this time'. So he takes me to Mr Guy, which is this fashionable boutique in Beverly Hills. I don't know where on earth he took Karen. He got her a gown, he got me a very nice (I mean I'm sure of course our royalties took care of it)...he selected a Cashmere blazer, very nice, and this very nice shirt. And it was all very dressy. And Karen's in a gown [chuckles] and out we go with the photographer the next day or so to Palace Verdis, which is this beach community...'the city by the beach'.
It was overcast, the photographer puts us out on a rock. The waves were crashing over the rocks, Karen's hair was damp, frizzing...and I saw a couple of amateur photographers..I remember this very well. And they were taking the very same picture like, 50 feet away from us. But they were amateurs! And I was bitching at the photographer, and I said 'what the hell are you doing?!'. First off, there's nothing original about this whatsoever. Nothing! And secondly it doesn't even make any sense.Why would you put on a Cashmere jacket and a gown, and leather boots and dress slacks...and sit on a rock by the beach? Why would you do this?
And I remember thinking 'it can't be good, it can't be good'. It wasn't good. We were in working, again trying to get this album done a few days later, working on one of the album cuts. And in comes the Vice President with the picture. And after being so unhappy with the Offering shot, where of course we didn't say anything, we told ourselves especially now that we had a hit, we're gonna say something if we don't like this. And he says 'how do you like it?'. And of course we didn't like it at all...'we don't like it'. And he said 'learn to live with it!' That was it!
Management wasn't there. That's what I mean, we're paying all this dough to management...it shouldn't even have been brought to us. It should have gone to management who immediately, if it had been Brian Epstein would have said 'this sucks guys! Let's start over'. Management wasn't even there. We were really, in that way, not handled well at all. And out it came, and it's dreadful and of course that's what kicked off that whole image thing right there. It's dreadful!
And album after album...I remember A Song For You. It's a very attractive album cover, but it has a heart on it! Like this rock heart. And again we're in with this guy and I'm saying 'Gil, it looks like a Valentine's card! This isn't good!'. But you know, it wasn't in our contract then, so all you could do was bitch.'
(BBC Interview Archive 1993)
Karenannefan
Member
Horizon has always been my favourite. Great album and great picture. 'As Time Goes By' would come in as a close second.
Laura
Laura
I do think Richard blames their album covers too much for their "image." I think they'd have had that image even if all the covers had no photos at all. The strings, orchestras, harps, love ballads, etc all plays right into a "clean" image, photo or no photo.
That said -- my favorite cover is NOW AND THEN. I like the photo on HORIZON, but other than the front, it's a boring cover. The NaT cover was like unwrapping a Christmas gift. Not just a gatefold, but a double gatefold, and a special innersleeve with lyrics. I had read the Rolling Stone article where Richard said they were sick of smiling, so I wasn't surprised they weren't smiling on the cover. I wasn't bothered by Karen's face being cut in half -- it looked like a casual shot, and matched the fun spirit of the album, so I thought it was a cool cover. (The early LPs had a sticker with the title, so the title logo did not appear on the actual cover.)
I like the PASSAGE cover too, but it's not aged as well for me. I think my second favorite cover today would probably be A KIND OF HUSH. It looks like a classic Carpenters cover. The inside logo printing was very cool!
I always hated the CARPENTERS cover. It was kind of cool the way it folded into an easel, but then what were you supposed to do with the record? They carried the plain-logo concept out further on the SINGLES 1969-1973 album. That was a well-designed cover, if a little bland (but by then they were well-established and it didn't matter as much).
My second least favorite is A SONG FOR YOU. A masterpiece album in a dumb-looking cover. The very first version wasn't great, but it was the best of the lot, and when they changed it, they ruined what good looks it had. The inner sleeve was cool with the little graphics and the lyrics and the recycled paper.
The CLOSE TO YOU cover wasn't good either. I agree with Richard completely on this. But, they hadn't sold that many records yet and I can see where they just got told, "live with it."
I never saw that much wrong with the OFFERING cover. It's kind of cheesy yes, but like he said, it's a 60s piece.
That said -- my favorite cover is NOW AND THEN. I like the photo on HORIZON, but other than the front, it's a boring cover. The NaT cover was like unwrapping a Christmas gift. Not just a gatefold, but a double gatefold, and a special innersleeve with lyrics. I had read the Rolling Stone article where Richard said they were sick of smiling, so I wasn't surprised they weren't smiling on the cover. I wasn't bothered by Karen's face being cut in half -- it looked like a casual shot, and matched the fun spirit of the album, so I thought it was a cool cover. (The early LPs had a sticker with the title, so the title logo did not appear on the actual cover.)
I like the PASSAGE cover too, but it's not aged as well for me. I think my second favorite cover today would probably be A KIND OF HUSH. It looks like a classic Carpenters cover. The inside logo printing was very cool!
I always hated the CARPENTERS cover. It was kind of cool the way it folded into an easel, but then what were you supposed to do with the record? They carried the plain-logo concept out further on the SINGLES 1969-1973 album. That was a well-designed cover, if a little bland (but by then they were well-established and it didn't matter as much).
My second least favorite is A SONG FOR YOU. A masterpiece album in a dumb-looking cover. The very first version wasn't great, but it was the best of the lot, and when they changed it, they ruined what good looks it had. The inner sleeve was cool with the little graphics and the lyrics and the recycled paper.
The CLOSE TO YOU cover wasn't good either. I agree with Richard completely on this. But, they hadn't sold that many records yet and I can see where they just got told, "live with it."
I never saw that much wrong with the OFFERING cover. It's kind of cheesy yes, but like he said, it's a 60s piece.
Who was credited for designing these album covers?
Who were the photographers?
I think that A&M used some of the same photographers for different groups. It would be interesting to see if the "least favorite" photographers were consistantly the "least favorite" through out the A&M label. For Instance, if John Smith who was the photographer for the "Offering" album was also the same person who shot the picture for the back of Sergio Mendes' "Ye-Me-Le" album.
Or if "Time Goes By" and "Horizon" were done by the same photographer...
Who were the photographers?
I think that A&M used some of the same photographers for different groups. It would be interesting to see if the "least favorite" photographers were consistantly the "least favorite" through out the A&M label. For Instance, if John Smith who was the photographer for the "Offering" album was also the same person who shot the picture for the back of Sergio Mendes' "Ye-Me-Le" album.
Or if "Time Goes By" and "Horizon" were done by the same photographer...
I always thought Richard looked like Luke Skywalker on the cover of "Offering"! 
All KC needed was the "buns" on the side of her head, and she could have been Princess Leia. 
(Must be a strange coincidence that as I'm typing this, the Meco (disco) version of the "Star Wars" theme is playing on XM83. 
Anyway, I voted for "Passage" since I'm into that kind of abstract art, and the use of bold, primary colors. Runner up would be "Now & Then" just due to having something other than a typical K&R photograph or large logo on the front cover. "Ticket To Ride" is also one of the better ones, IMHO.
All KC needed was the "buns" on the side of her head, and she could have been Princess Leia. (Must be a strange coincidence that as I'm typing this, the Meco (disco) version of the "Star Wars" theme is playing on XM83. Anyway, I voted for "Passage" since I'm into that kind of abstract art, and the use of bold, primary colors. Runner up would be "Now & Then" just due to having something other than a typical K&R photograph or large logo on the front cover. "Ticket To Ride" is also one of the better ones, IMHO.
Roland Chayer
Member
"Voice Of The Heart" is my favorite cover art of all-time, any artist..., Karen's face is just the most beautiful image to look at.
"As Time Goes By" is second..., Karen = "Mmmooah!"
..., and "Horizon" is third.
"As Time Goes By" is second..., Karen = "Mmmooah!"
..., and "Horizon" is third.
I'm surprised at the votes for VOICE OF THE HEART. It's an emotional favorite of course, and a great picture of Karen, but as an album cover it's not the best. It looks like a solo album (unless you turn it over). But, different strokes.
Dave
Well-Known Member
The cover of Offering, to me, shows Richard looking like a Clergyman (...Minister? Priest?--Rabbi?) while, with that headband, I think Karen's wearing, she clearly looks like a NUN!
But, I agree the bouquet of flowers and K&R's "candid appearance" really makes it look like a sort of "period piece"!
Dave
But, I agree the bouquet of flowers and K&R's "candid appearance" really makes it look like a sort of "period piece"!
Dave
no1kandrfan
Well-Known Member
Great poll - but it's turned out to be a lot more difficult then I initially thought.
I really enjoyed the "Carpenters" cover - it introduced the logo to the world, but have always felt the logo was too small - it should have balanced the cover a bit more - like "The Singles" did. Horizon is also a great cover; the absence of their name didn't bother me. "As Time Goes By" is also quite good; isn't it from the Annie Liebovitz Rolling Stone cover sessions?
But I think I'm going to go with Passage - it was just something completely different; void of a cover photo the musical notes said it all. I have an ad, somewhere, from People Magazine advertising their "Space Encounters" special. If I remember correctly it had a 'space' backdrop (dark sky and stars) and a spaceship soaring upward - instead of exhaust, the colorful notes - lifted right off the Passage cover - drifted behind. I always thought that was 'cool'!
Mike
I really enjoyed the "Carpenters" cover - it introduced the logo to the world, but have always felt the logo was too small - it should have balanced the cover a bit more - like "The Singles" did. Horizon is also a great cover; the absence of their name didn't bother me. "As Time Goes By" is also quite good; isn't it from the Annie Liebovitz Rolling Stone cover sessions?
But I think I'm going to go with Passage - it was just something completely different; void of a cover photo the musical notes said it all. I have an ad, somewhere, from People Magazine advertising their "Space Encounters" special. If I remember correctly it had a 'space' backdrop (dark sky and stars) and a spaceship soaring upward - instead of exhaust, the colorful notes - lifted right off the Passage cover - drifted behind. I always thought that was 'cool'!
Mike
Jim McCrary is credited with a bunch of the early photos. You can see his stuff at http://www.jimmccrary.com
Be advised that he has copyrights on these photos and doesn't take kindly to other people using them without his permission.
Annie Leibovitz was the photographer responsible for the Rolling Stone shoot that yielded the picture of Karen in the hat with the goofy grin currently gracing the US SINGLES 1969-1981 discs. She also shot the AS TIME GOES BY pictures of the two in Richard's car than can be found in a number of releases.
Ed Caraeff was responsible for the HORIZON photo that many fans gravitate to as the best.
Harry
Be advised that he has copyrights on these photos and doesn't take kindly to other people using them without his permission.
Annie Leibovitz was the photographer responsible for the Rolling Stone shoot that yielded the picture of Karen in the hat with the goofy grin currently gracing the US SINGLES 1969-1981 discs. She also shot the AS TIME GOES BY pictures of the two in Richard's car than can be found in a number of releases.
Ed Caraeff was responsible for the HORIZON photo that many fans gravitate to as the best.
Harry
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Harry I visited that site, didn't even know about it, nice photos. You would think that he would have some type of watermark on his photos if he was that concerned about visitors taking them. So many people are using watermarks now, especially on ebay.
My vote is cast. It is obvious what I picked. Voice of the Heart. The full original A&M poster 26 x 26 of this same cover, adorns my gallery, professionally framed. The album probably means more to me than any Carpenters album for obvious sentimental reasons.
Horizon is very close behind.
My vote is cast. It is obvious what I picked. Voice of the Heart. The full original A&M poster 26 x 26 of this same cover, adorns my gallery, professionally framed. The album probably means more to me than any Carpenters album for obvious sentimental reasons.
Horizon is very close behind.
Dave
Well-Known Member
Well, here's what I think of the covers of each of the Carpenters' albums, in order of preference:
1. NOW & THEN -- I somehow took the cover-shot, with the two driving by in one of Richard's cars as something "telling sort of a a story"... Though I don't care for the multiple-gatefold... I even took their house in the background as where the album was made... (I was young and it stood out in my aunt's collection, that she brought over--though I don't remember what she could've played it on--we sure didn't have much of a stereo!)
2. HORIZON -- Easy to see how Photographer Ed Careff, along with Jim McCrary, Richard Avedon, and Pete Turner know what a great cover is about!
3. A KIND OF HUSH -- Richard & Karen Still-Life; you hear the "moods" before the album actually plays...
4. CARPENTERS -- The "inside photo" of "Richard & his Sister" looks like" Me and MY Sister!" Honest!
5. A SONG FOR YOU -- Yes, it resembles "A Greeting Card", but what Salutations it has In-Store! A few pic's of Richard & Karen "here 'N' there" do help...!
6. CLOSE TO YOU -- Also a "Classic", and where "covers that give you an Eye-Full" really begin!
7. OFFERING -- A late-'60's Period-Piece Cover! Who else thought that they might have been a "Contemporary-Christian Act"?
8. TICKET TO RIDE -- The simple sail-boat scene conveys the "moving" image better, in the "Offering" reissue! "Someone understood them better--more Perfectly!!"
9. LOVELINES -- Looks a bit "hand-drawn", yet I can't stop gazing at it with wonder...
10. VOICE OF THE HEART -- Wish there could be something more "merry" behind this shot... Very dramatic and captivating, and made me misty before I even started playing it...
11. MADE IN AMERICA -- Almost as moving as Now And Then, but this album was a "comeback" and somehow the presentation of the duo, marketed along side "our Pride in the U.S.A." just seemed to miss that impact of their return, yet, the Spirit of The Earlier Stuff is still there!
12. CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT / AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS -- Sorry, these two have to tie! Don't have either handy at the moment, but the Norman Rockwell designs really go hand-in-hand with those Seasonal Favorites, ably done by these two, conveying the "Holiday Spirit!"
13. AS TIME GOES BY -- Another I don't have, but nice what a nostalogic quality this 'portrait' evokes...!
14. PASSAGE -- Well, if only there were an inset-photo on the back, ala A&M/CTi... (Perhaps Darkened ala Pete Turner's early-pic's) For a cover WITHOUT "the two people", it still is nice!
Dave
1. NOW & THEN -- I somehow took the cover-shot, with the two driving by in one of Richard's cars as something "telling sort of a a story"... Though I don't care for the multiple-gatefold... I even took their house in the background as where the album was made... (I was young and it stood out in my aunt's collection, that she brought over--though I don't remember what she could've played it on--we sure didn't have much of a stereo!)
2. HORIZON -- Easy to see how Photographer Ed Careff, along with Jim McCrary, Richard Avedon, and Pete Turner know what a great cover is about!
3. A KIND OF HUSH -- Richard & Karen Still-Life; you hear the "moods" before the album actually plays...
4. CARPENTERS -- The "inside photo" of "Richard & his Sister" looks like" Me and MY Sister!" Honest!
5. A SONG FOR YOU -- Yes, it resembles "A Greeting Card", but what Salutations it has In-Store! A few pic's of Richard & Karen "here 'N' there" do help...!
6. CLOSE TO YOU -- Also a "Classic", and where "covers that give you an Eye-Full" really begin!
7. OFFERING -- A late-'60's Period-Piece Cover! Who else thought that they might have been a "Contemporary-Christian Act"?
8. TICKET TO RIDE -- The simple sail-boat scene conveys the "moving" image better, in the "Offering" reissue! "Someone understood them better--more Perfectly!!"
9. LOVELINES -- Looks a bit "hand-drawn", yet I can't stop gazing at it with wonder...
10. VOICE OF THE HEART -- Wish there could be something more "merry" behind this shot... Very dramatic and captivating, and made me misty before I even started playing it...
11. MADE IN AMERICA -- Almost as moving as Now And Then, but this album was a "comeback" and somehow the presentation of the duo, marketed along side "our Pride in the U.S.A." just seemed to miss that impact of their return, yet, the Spirit of The Earlier Stuff is still there!
12. CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT / AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS -- Sorry, these two have to tie! Don't have either handy at the moment, but the Norman Rockwell designs really go hand-in-hand with those Seasonal Favorites, ably done by these two, conveying the "Holiday Spirit!"
13. AS TIME GOES BY -- Another I don't have, but nice what a nostalogic quality this 'portrait' evokes...!
14. PASSAGE -- Well, if only there were an inset-photo on the back, ala A&M/CTi... (Perhaps Darkened ala Pete Turner's early-pic's) For a cover WITHOUT "the two people", it still is nice!
Dave
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