Favorite Carpenters Remake?
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theninjarabbit
Well-Known Member
"Ticket to Ride" -- arguably one of the Carpenters' best cover versions. It does justice to the Beatles, and at the same time, Richard took it and transformed it into a whole new song. I can't hear the original version anymore without hearing the french horn or that velvety voice. "I think it's todaaaaaaaay-ayyyyy..."
GATourist
Member
.... and don't forget about "the boy that's driving me mad is going........ awayyyyyyyy, ahhhh......"
Jamesj75
Well-Known Member
The question posed in this thread is really one of the toughest calls. Arguably, all are distinctive and refreshing, with "Ticket to Ride" dramatically (and successfully) different.
Yet I must go with "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)." It's a fun, bouncy ride. At the time of release, it was the first salvo in post-Horizon excitement. It evokes in me memories of a wonderful time. For some, a guilty pleasure. For me, simply a pleasure!
Yet I must go with "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)." It's a fun, bouncy ride. At the time of release, it was the first salvo in post-Horizon excitement. It evokes in me memories of a wonderful time. For some, a guilty pleasure. For me, simply a pleasure!
natureaker
Active Member
Absolutely love Please Mr. Postman. Something about it is so beautiful and so thrilling to listen to!
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
As I listen to the song There's A Kind of Hush,
I note that ever since first hear, way back in 1976,
how much I enjoy(ed) this song.
It is a well-structured--if not creative-- arrangement,
a catchy tune and it is well performed.
I've never warmed up to Help......though !
I simply do not care for the song--by anyone.
I note that ever since first hear, way back in 1976,
how much I enjoy(ed) this song.
It is a well-structured--if not creative-- arrangement,
a catchy tune and it is well performed.
I've never warmed up to Help......though !
I simply do not care for the song--by anyone.
JBee
Active Member
For me it has to be "Ticket to Ride" - Richard's arrangements and Karen's plaintive voice really alter the mood and meaning of the song, transforming it.
I do think the best Carpenters songs are the ones where you can clearly see that they've changed the song and Richard has altered the arrangements to suit the Karen's voice, instead of the other way around. "Close To You" being the ultimate example, but another being the RC Trio jazzy version of "Dancing in the Streets" which sounds like no other version of that song (which has been covered hundreds if not thousands of times) I've ever heard. I am actually disappointed Richard went back to the original arrangement (even the original arranger) for their 1978 version (from the TV special).
One of the problems I have with the AKOH album is that Richard has taken two songs "A Kind of Hush" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (the former of which is not only the lead single released but gives its name to the entire album!) and does little to nothing to change them or make them better than the original hits. A wasted opportunity, in my opinion.
I do think the best Carpenters songs are the ones where you can clearly see that they've changed the song and Richard has altered the arrangements to suit the Karen's voice, instead of the other way around. "Close To You" being the ultimate example, but another being the RC Trio jazzy version of "Dancing in the Streets" which sounds like no other version of that song (which has been covered hundreds if not thousands of times) I've ever heard. I am actually disappointed Richard went back to the original arrangement (even the original arranger) for their 1978 version (from the TV special).
One of the problems I have with the AKOH album is that Richard has taken two songs "A Kind of Hush" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (the former of which is not only the lead single released but gives its name to the entire album!) and does little to nothing to change them or make them better than the original hits. A wasted opportunity, in my opinion.
I would agree with this - generally the best 'covers' they recorded were those where they managed to bring something new to their interpretation or arrangement. Even in the 1971 Bacharach/David medley, they managed to come up with new twists on the brief snippets of 'Walk on By' and 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose?' The honorable exception to this is their version of 'Help!', which just doesn't work for me.
It's also true that not only were they recording too many oldies by 1976, but that they were being much less ambitious in their take on them and were generally sticking much closer to the original arrangements. Only occasionally by this stage, such as on 'Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore', did they manage to bring anything new to the table. In that respect these later oldies recordings present a double problem of being a slack creative choice and not inventive enough to distinguish them from the originals and to justify covering them in the first place.
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JBee
Active Member
I think I personally would have a radically different opinion of AKOH (which I find only so-so) if Richard and Karen had tried any experimentation at all on the title cut (which they released as their first single), or even on Breaking Up is Hard to Do (which I think should not even be on the album). But for some reason (perhaps their mutual health issues during this period) they didn't.
BarryT60
Well-Known Member
That's impossibly hard! I went with Desperado - since it is a segment of my favorite album.. & I can't imagine my ears never having heard that sublime interpretation.
However, I'll Never Fall In Love Again and Please Mr. Postman are close seconds. The latter simply because it was the last number one on the pop charts... Baby It's You is pretty terrific also... I remember having the Close To You album on a reel to reel and when nobody was listening, I just screamed out that last chorus trying my best to harmonize with Karen...
Many many many Nights go by.... I sit alone, at home I cry over you....
However, I'll Never Fall In Love Again and Please Mr. Postman are close seconds. The latter simply because it was the last number one on the pop charts... Baby It's You is pretty terrific also... I remember having the Close To You album on a reel to reel and when nobody was listening, I just screamed out that last chorus trying my best to harmonize with Karen...
Many many many Nights go by.... I sit alone, at home I cry over you....
Without a doubt, my favorite was Baby, It's You. Not a false note on that song, yet it's totally different than the versions by the Shirelles and Smith. Postman would probably be my second choice, if only for the energy of the song, something which no other song on Horizon had (except Only Yesterday). I think the only reason K&R recorded Breaking Up Is Hard To Do is because they took a public relations beating by firing Neil Sedaka as their opening act (allegedly for upstaging them).
I don't get all the dislike for Help! I thought the arrangement was different from their usual uptempo stuff, and gave the Close To You album some needed diversity.
I don't get all the dislike for Help! I thought the arrangement was different from their usual uptempo stuff, and gave the Close To You album some needed diversity.
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
Good points, all, Murphy !
(1)
I always thought Breaking Up was recorded ,ultimately, to smooth things over with Sedaka.
In as much as Richard Carpenter realized that firing Sedaka was a poor career move.
And, yes, Sedaka was "upstaging" the duo: in as much as the reviews of his concert performance
outweighed Carpenters' concert performance reviews.
Read (as but two of many):
The Victoria Advocate - Google News Archive Search »
Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search »
(2)
Help!....why is Karen not drumming on the 1970 Album,
but, is drumming in concert on the song ?
The arrangement, I like, but....not a fan of the song generally (that is, no matter who performs the song.)
(1)
I always thought Breaking Up was recorded ,ultimately, to smooth things over with Sedaka.
In as much as Richard Carpenter realized that firing Sedaka was a poor career move.
And, yes, Sedaka was "upstaging" the duo: in as much as the reviews of his concert performance
outweighed Carpenters' concert performance reviews.
Read (as but two of many):
The Victoria Advocate - Google News Archive Search »
Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search »
(2)
Help!....why is Karen not drumming on the 1970 Album,
but, is drumming in concert on the song ?
The arrangement, I like, but....not a fan of the song generally (that is, no matter who performs the song.)
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
I think you forgot a couple of songs, or maybe make it two albums covers of previously recorded songs: how about the Christmas tracks? By the time "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" was released in 1974 it had already been recorded by a number of artists including Fred Astaire who had recorded it for the 1970 TV Special (and still perennial TV Classic) "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town". And of course Mel Torme had had a hit with "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" back in the 40's, and had even added a new first verse in 1970, a first verse that Karen sang and a number of people hear every year when they hear her sing "All through the year we've waited!"
That was not quite an added verse, but placed there by Mel Torme in the tradition of the way things were in prior decades. It was somewhat commonplace back in the thirties and forties for a song to be composed with an intro, a short musical segment that serves to precede the main song, almost like an overture to set the stage. "The Christmas Song" is one of those, and so is "White Christmas". That section of "The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway..." is actually part of the song that tends not to be sung by most who do it. Richard had the good sense to rescue those intros from obscurity and have them performed as they should be.
In fact our local chorus did "White Christmas" last year (and will do so again this year) and our director was very quick to look at the intro and say, "Oh, we're not going to do that part. We'll pick it up at the main melody..." at which point I begged her to reconsider. Not only because of familiarity with Carpenters doing the intro, but for a very pertinent reason. Down here in Florida at Christmas time, the sun is shining and the grass is green and the orange and palm trees really do sway. Late December is usually some of the most glorious weather we get here, yet at Christmas, many are "longing to be up north." Plus there was one line that I wanted to change. Instead of "Beverly Hills, L.A.", I wanted to have us sing the name of our hometown, "Davenport, FLA." Our neighbors and friends in the audience loved our little change.
By the way, that little intro was one of the hardest parts of doing the song. It's a lot trickier than one would imagine from just listening to it. The first couple of times that we attempted it, it sounded awful and everyone thought we'd never "get" it. But it all fell into place at the right time. Karen sings that intro a lot faster than we do since we have multi-part harmony singing in staggered fashion.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
According to Wikipedia, Torme didn't write that opening until 1970. In 1946 the song originally started with "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose". It's kind of like "Christmas In The Valley" where the original artist/songwriter, Wayne Rostad, added a couple of new verses in 2003, 20 years after he first wrote the song.
The Christmas Song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia »
natureaker
Active Member
Ahhh, don't worry, I like the Carpenters version better than the Beatles version as well.
natureaker
Active Member
Changed my vote to Ticket To Ride after much thought. The harmonies, the vocals, the arrangement, what's not to love? Though, Please Mr. Postman is a very close second.
I wish the Carpenters had covered more Beatles; I always liked the Carpenters version better.
Take "Ticket to Ride" and "Help." Both of those are fast rock'n'roll songs by the Beatles, but on "Ticket to Ride," the lyrics make WAY more sense as a plaintive ballad as done by the Carpenters. On "Help," the song doesn't have the feeling of desperation on the Beatles version; it's just a flat-out rocker, where the Carpenters really sound like they're feeling the words by slowing it down a tad, and changing some of the keys on the chorus. Both are tremendous records, in my book.
As to which one of the list is my favorite.... I can eliminate all of the last six right off because they stick so close to the original recordings' arrangements, so they don't bring much "new" to the table. I like all of them (except "Postman," which I got sick of about 25 years ago or so) but none are what I would call standouts in the Carpenters catalog.
That narrows it down to the two Beatles tunes I already mentioned, plus "Baby It's You." Of those three, I like "Ticket to Ride" and "Help" the best, but it's a virtual tie. I would probably have to cast my vote for "Ticket to Ride," because it has such a timeless quality to it. "Help," while it's one of the very best uptempo Carpenters songs, does sound pretty dated today thanks to the '60s-ish combo organ on the track. So while I love all three of the songs, I'd have to say "Ticket to Ride" is my favorite.
By the way...not to be a nit-picker, but the list should have included all of the songs in the Now and Then oldies medley. But my vote would still be the same, although I really like R&K's version of "One Fine Day."
Tom barnes
New Member
My vote goes to "Baby it's you". I much prefer the carpenters version to the Beatles version,I first heard this song on the "reflections"album in 1996 which incidentally is my favourite carpenters compilation of album cuts.Karen's voice sounded very strong on this song and i love Richard's arrangement of the song.
Guitarmutt
Well-Known Member
OK, Bacharach, full length medley! 12 - 14 minutes depending.......
Can't Buy Me Love.....
Nowadays Clancy Can't ........,
No more! Do Originals!!! Yes really!! Do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Originals.
Can't Buy Me Love.....
Nowadays Clancy Can't ........,
No more! Do Originals!!! Yes really!! Do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Originals.
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