Japan 1976

[lotus]

Here's some information:

1) According to the Richard's commentary on GOLD in "40th Box Set",
The video of "There's A Kind of Hush" was shot in Osaka 1976,
It was shot by Japanese crew, AFTER the concert.
The filming did not take time, because it was Lip-Sync.

2) Carpenters came to Japan, November 20, 1970, as a guest performer
on "The 1st Tokyo International Popular Song Festival".

第1回東京国際歌謡音楽祭(第2回より「世界歌謡祭」に名称変更) The 1stTokyo International Popular Song Festival - ヤマハ音楽振興会
World Popular Song Festival - Wikipedia

Unfortunately "Close To You", "We've Only Just Begun" were not big hits in Japan.
So, most Japanese did not know who the Carpenters are...
Anyway, they played about 20 minutes. The following is the setlist.

1. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing
2. All I Can Do
3. Ticket To Ride
4. Sacre Bleu (I Fell In Love With You)
5. Cinderella Rockefella
6. We've Only Just Begun
7. Bacharach/David Medley (short version like Tan album)
8. (They Long To Be) Close To You

I guess, this performance may have been recorded.
But, I have never seen the bootleg of this performance...

 

[tomswift2002]

Sacre Bleu is a new one.

 

[Chris Mills]

Sacre Bleu is a new one.

 

[Another Son]

There is also the possibility that the video of the performance of "There's A Kind of Hush" found on YOM/Gold DVD is a snippet of an entire concert filmed on that day. Didn't they also tour Japan in the Fall of 1970? I seem to recall Karen mentioning that during her closing remarks on the 1972 broadcast as well as being mentioned on one of the recent Japanese documentaries.

Yes, the video clip for 'A Kind of Hush' was filmed on one of the stages where Carpenters performed in Japan in 1976. (Was it in Osaka? I can't remember. One of the other threads tells you. Information is also in the original fanclub newsletters).

I imagine that the clip was not filmed in front of an audience. It was mimed and probably involved re-takes, cameras going everywhere and set-up time between takes. Then again, it may have been filmed in front of an audience. I never considered that. It doesn't look like it to me, though. I think it was probably taped earlier in the day before concert time, or on a day off, while everyone was fresh.

 

[Another Son]

Is the below a legit release as it seems interesting, also it appears to be in Bluray? And released in Japan, more than likely a bootleg but one never knows?. If it is HD I may well consider buying it myself if genuine?. Any comments ?.

Saw it here as well

New Release DVD ＞ CARPENTERS / LIVE IN JAPAN ANTHOLOGY 【1BLU-RAY DISC BDR】

It sounds from the translation as if the 1972 concert might be similar to what you can see online. Versions on Youtube are blurry and jump. A copy that I bought on video cassette long before internet days is exactly the same. Maybe the poor copy that everyone seems to have used comes from the same source as mine. (Same 'home cam-corder look' date display on the screen). The translation from the DVD says something like, 'picture drops', which maybe explains the jumping of the picture - or 'quality drops'.

It also sounds as if the 1976 footage isn't the best.

Then again, I thought that other Japanese DVD that includes footage from Australia, Belgium and Holland might be poor quality and it turned out being quite good.

Maybe for this DVD, they were able to find better copies to use as masters than those blurry copies that have been floating around for years. Who knows?

 

[lotus]

There is also the possibility that the video of the performance of "There's A Kind of Hush" found on YOM/Gold DVD is a snippet of an entire concert filmed on that day. Didn't they also tour Japan in the Fall of 1970? I seem to recall Karen mentioning that during her closing remarks on the 1972 broadcast as well as being mentioned on one of the recent Japanese documentaries.

John, you are right. Their first visit to Japan was 1970.
But, it was not a tour, just a guest appearance at a festival.
If you want to know the details, read the Walkinat9's new thread, please.
Carpenters first performance in Japan, 1970

 

[Seán]

I have just recieved the Live In Japan Anthology Blu Ray, and it's simply the best transfers the Japanese have left that have been cleaned up, upscaled(minimal noise reduction applied) and compiled onto an unofficial BD-R. It is a transfer/upscale of the 1974 Budokan Concert (slight colour depth improvement over the DVD), followed by a transfer of a (fairly impressive audio and dropout-free, sharp video) home S-VHS of the 1972 concert's 1993 Nippon TV rebroadcast. Karen did in fact recount Carpenters appearance in that very festival in 1970. Lastly, the 1976 concert from various VHS-quality sources (probably to give the best overall picture quality available). I say this since in this last concert periodically the colour temperature and luminescence shift although editing is still very smooth, whilst the audio was decent and consistent as if it was recorded off-air or separately then synced up.
The latter 2 concerts, if only due to improved audio cleanup and digital resolution for the 1976 concert, are a step up from what most of us saw on YouTube from many ago in lowly compressed 240p or less. If of interest, the commercials from the second concert are highly amusing Japanese skits period to 1972 and its sponsorsbut kept in this 1993 broadcast (for continuity/copyright/nostalgia reasons?). Maybe this will be of use for The Complete Recording Resource.

 

[Another Son]

I have just recieved the Live In Japan Anthology Blu Ray, and it's simply the best transfers the Japanese have left that have been cleaned up, upscaled(minimal noise reduction applied) and compiled onto an unofficial BD-R. It is a transfer/upscale of the 1974 Budokan Concert (slight colour depth improvement over the DVD), followed by a transfer of a (fairly impressive audio and dropout-free, sharp video) home S-VHS of the 1972 concert's 1993 Nippon TV rebroadcast. Karen did in fact recount Carpenters appearance in that very festival in 1970. Lastly, the 1976 concert from various VHS-quality sources (probably to give the best overall picture quality available). I say this since in this last concert periodically the colour temperature and luminescence shift although editing is still very smooth, whilst the audio was decent and consistent as if it was recorded off-air or separately then synced up.
The latter 2 concerts, if only due to improved audio cleanup and digital resolution for the 1976 concert, are a step up from what most of us saw on YouTube from many ago in lowly compressed 240p or less. If of interest, the commercials from the second concert are highly amusing Japanese skits period to 1972 and its sponsorsbut kept in this 1993 broadcast (for continuity/copyright/nostalgia reasons?). Maybe this will be of use for The Complete Recording Resource.

That's a useful review. It sounds as if you are happy with the Blu Ray, Sean.

I didn't realise the 1972 concert had been re-broadcast in the 90s. That means there must be a better copy out there than the one we keep seeing passed around and re-broadcast on YouTube, with the jumping picture and the home recorder date on it. So the Blu Ray version of this concert, (Karen in yellow), has improved picture as well as cleaned up audio? Sounds good.

My favourite sound on that concert is Karen's last, long note on 'Sometimes', where it echoes as she takes the microphone away from her mouth. Sounds great! She finishes with her hands on her knees, as if she's out of breath after a race.

Thanks for the post, Sean.