If I Had You (solo album version)

[Graeme]

Is there a snippet of Karen talking at the 3.43/3.44 mark of the solo version of If I Had You or am I imaging it? I'm fairly certain I can make her out saying something (perhaps along the lines of "what did I do?)" It's just before the fade and you have to have the volume pretty high but I'm sure it's there. I can't hear it on Richard's mix though.

 

[Harry]

Yep. It sounds like she was perhaps saying something in one of the many overdub takes and it was left in on Phil Ramone's version.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wow I've been feeling kinda new around here with all these changes recently discovered.

I need to go to listen to this exactly how far do I need to turn the volume up lol.

 

[newvillefan]

It's there on the solo version. It kinda reminds me of the little snippets that you can hear just off-mic on 'Last One Singing The Blues', like 'just a zinch slower is it...Lib?' and 'Don't forget the bridge!' lol

On this track though, at this moment, it sounds like she's imitating a frog 'ribbit!' lol

 

[Mark-T]

Just proves we'd love to hear Karen even if she did sing the proverbial phone book.

 

[A&M Retro]

Wow! I can hear something. Need to play it on headphones to be sure.

 

[aaflyer98]

Cool! That is some great ears you all have! I had to play it a few times, finally heard what I think you're talking about. Can't tell what shes saying

 

[aaflyer98]

While we are on this topic , I really love the string part at the end of the track, which Richard either took out or buried in the Lovelines Mix. That being said, I love the Lovelines Ending better than the fade out. I Always wished there could have been a Solo version (with the original bass part and strings on the final part) but with the Lovelines ending.

 

[Graeme]

I need to go to listen to this exactly how far do I need to turn the volume up lol.

If your ears start ringing you've gone too far!

I've always thought it sounded as though Richard had used a different lead vocal as Karen's far more breathier and sensual sounding during the first verse of the solo version than in Richard's mix. Is this the case or it just down to mixing? They seem like totally different vocal deliveries altogether. She draws out "bedroom" more on the solo version than she does on Richard's version.

 

[Harry]

If your ears start ringing you've gone too far!

I've always thought it sounded as though Richard had used a different lead vocal as Karen's far more breathier and sensual sounding during the first verse of the solo version than in Richard's mix. Is this the case or it just down to mixing? They seem like totally different vocal deliveries altogether. She draws out "bedroom" more on the solo version than she does on Richard's version.

Yeah. It sounds like a different lead vocal track was flown in for at least the early part of the track. The LOVELINES remix has a more forceful vocal on that first line, whereas the solo album version is, as you say, a little more breathy and tentative. Her voice cracks a little on "the" before "bedroom" on the solo version, but not on LOVELINES.

Harry

 

[newvillefan]

I Always wished there could have been a Solo version (with the original bass part and strings on the final part) but with the Lovelines ending.

Here you go, artwork courtesy of our very own Chris Tassin. This was sitting under our noses all along and I'd love to know who did the edit. It segues very smoothly into the Lovelines dead ending version at exactly 3m39s (the point at which that string solo also disappears ). Maybe Chris can enlighten us

 

[aaflyer98]

Wow! Thank you for that! Amazing video! That should have been the promo video for the song, and finally, I think this version is the perfect mix! Love love love it! Thank you so much!

 

[Chris]

Hi Guys! Glad you liked that edit in the video. I was in love with the solo album version, but missed that great 'Lovelines' ending so I decided to combine them. It sounds a little strange when the different mixes converge, but at least we get to have those two elements together.
Here is the stereo version of that video:

 

[newvillefan]

One thing your mix reveals Chris...Richard drenches his remixes with reverb. Not just her vocals, but the drums and everything.

 

[A&M Retro]

So awesome, Chris! I have always considered this the 'pre-eminent' version of "If I Had You". The audio sounds great, and the video captures Karen perfectly.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I love this video, Karen would be proud of it.

 

[aaflyer98]

Thanks, Chris! Amazing!

 

[byline]

Wonderful video, Chris! Thanks for creating it and sharing it with us (along with joining the two mixes). This has always been my favorite song from Karen's solo album, because it's clearly a new challenge for her ... one that she seems to take on with relish. I wish we could've heard more of this style from her.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I wish Karen had done some interviews or went track by track on her solo album and gave us insight as to why she choose this song and what it meant to her, how hard particular songs were to record or just anything interesting about the tracks, something similar to how she reviewed Christmas Portrait. It would have been interesting, had Phil and Karen sat down and discussed the tracks and recorded an interview, even after they knew it would not have been released but to keep it in the vaults for the fans possibly releasing it after her solo career were to take off later down the road.

I think hearing it directly from Karen in her own words about the making of her solo album would put a fresh new perspective on listening and enjoying these even more.

 

[newvillefan]

Chris, your reply got me to thinking: what interview footage (audio or video) exists at all of Karen talking about the solo album? I don't think I can recall a single instance in any interviews from 1979 onwards where she is ever asked about it or mentions it.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I don't recall any either, which is odd given the fact that this was no secret, it was public knowledge. The newsletters even mention it:

NEWSLETTER #66 - January, 1980
Karen has made several return trips to New York in connection with her recordings, and we can anticipate release of her solo album sometime in March. She is in New York now, working on the final segments, but until completion stage it cannot be determined which track will be chosen for the initial single release, so watch for it soon.

There is even a Q/A in this newletter:
Q. Does Karen hope for better promotion for her solo LP than previous Carpenter releases of recent years, and will she do a promo tour? A. There is a possibility Karen might do a short promo tour. She feels A & M are behind them, and she and Richard feel very proud of being selected American Top 40's #1 Recording Duo of the past decade.

NEWSLETTER #67 - May, 1980
After much thought, Karen has decided not to release a solo album. Scheduling difficulties between producer and artist has resulted in the album still not being completed. Finishing the project would delay the Carpenters new album and next Special, both of which the duo is delighted to be working on.

 

[newvillefan]

That's what I mean, the fans all knew through the newsletters. But not one of the TV or radio presenters asked her about the project during its making or, more importantly, after she finished working on it, to enquire whatever became of it. The fact that hip producer Phil Ramone and Michael Jackson's songwriters had worked with her surely can't have evaded everyone's attention. If I remember correctly, even Billboard reported that she was working on it!

It's almost like the subject became - or was made - off limits with the media they encountered. They recorded a 2 hour radio show with Ray Moore in 1981 in their office at the A&M lot, but I don't recall it even being mentioned there. And the most obvious place of all they could have spoken about it was the GMA appearance in August 1981. The lady presenter actually asked them about working separately and how they felt about that but yet again, no mention.

NEWSLETTER #67 - May, 1980
After much thought, Karen has decided not to release a solo album. Scheduling difficulties between producer and artist has resulted in the album still not being completed. Finishing the project would delay the Carpenters new album and next Special, both of which the duo is delighted to be working on.

I distrust the newsletters because they were written very cleverly to skirt around issues like the solo album and cultivate the image that the Carpenters lived in marshmellow-land. All that was said is that it wasn't complete and the attitude was to brush it under the carpet and move on. We know now this wasn't a few recording sessions that didn't materialise into anything. She had successfully completed an entire solo album that was just sitting there in the vaults.

 

[Harry]

If I understand how things work, there may have been a stipulation that the Carpenters would appear on "Show X" only if the interviewers promised not to ask questions on certain topics. The fact that Joan Lunden on GMA asked "What have you been doing?" was likely her way of skirting around the issue of the solo album, hoping they'd be caught spilling the deep, dark secret.

Harry

 

[A&M Retro]

There is a brief Japanese phone interview Karen did in the summer of 1981 for their version of "American Top 40", where the interviewer asks her about it. She explained that the album was shelved because it wasn't finished, and Richard wanted to go back into the studio, so she put it aside. The interviewer also asked her if any of the solo tunes were included in "Made In America". Karen replied, "No, they are all new".

 

[ullalume]

Hey all,

I don't know of any audio/visual documentation, but I did find this snippet in the Los Angeles Times from 1996.

"In a 1981 interview, Karen said that Richard's desire to get back to work took precedence over completing the solo project. But Karen added that she valued the solo experience. "It was fun cutting it and seeing that I could do all that--sing a different type of tune and work with different people. I was scared to death beforehand. I basically knew one producer, one arranger, one studio, one record company and that was it. . . . I'm used to being part of a duo. Richard's like a third arm to me.""

Laters

Neil