Karen's Solo album

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Motownboy wrote
maybe Richard felt threatened that Karen didn't "need" him to make music and that A&M could lose one of their top-selling acts if they went separate ways..
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In the book "Little Girl Blue", Evelyn Wallace pretty much said that directly. You are on the mark Motownboy. I used to correspond with EW on a regular basis and she was honest, direct and shared a love of Lhasa Apsos with me.
 
Do you think "Love Making Love To You" was originally part of the Karen Carpenter album before the first playback with A&M? It is a strong record and one that could have been a single and shattered the "image". I wonder if A&M wanted that song out after the first playback or if Karen & Phil pulled the song prior to first playback. It's a great completed song and I personally think it should have been on the album.
 
aaflyer98 said:
Do you think "Love Making Love To You" was originally part of the Karen Carpenter album before the first playback with A&M? It is a strong record and one that could have been a single and shattered the "image". I wonder if A&M wanted that song out after the first playback or if Karen & Phil pulled the song prior to first playback. It's a great completed song and I personally think it should have been on the album.
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You know,when I first downloaded the "outtakes" of the solo album and listened,I wondered the same thing.Even the sound quality is different in relation to the other outtakes.If I had to guess,It was probably Karen & Phil themselves who pulled the song.It's a great song and is unbelievably tame in content now,but at the time,it might have been a little too far,I think she wanted to put a few cracks in her image,not totally shatter it.She fully intended to continue with the Carpenters even if it had become a hit.The other songs are edgy to be sure,but none of the others made reference to her lovers'...ahem...appendage as "mightier than any seventh wonder" and tells him to "get it while it's hot". :laugh:
 
^^^^post is great. I think it should have been the first single. I lsten to it on YouTube more than any other solo tracks. It would have made Olivia's "Soul Kiss" pale in comparison.
 
manofsteel - I never could quite make out the lyrics to this song because the flippin' electric piano is so loud. Now you've REALLY got me wondering! I can't find the lyrics online. Can somebody write 'em out here maybe?
 
DowneyDiSampson said:
manofsteel - I never could quite make out the lyrics to this song because the flippin' electric piano is so loud. Now you've REALLY got me wondering! I can't find the lyrics online. Can somebody write 'em out here maybe?
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Ok,I just replayed the chorus a few times,and it is kind of hard to make out...but here it goes...."ain't no Lightning and thunder,any seven wonder, mightier than what you've got.Why don't we keep it up forever? No one does it better.Baby,get it while it's hot." That's the best I could make out.
 
You could just search for the Evie Sands lyrics... she wrote it and first recorded it. Or the Gregg Allman and Cher's version, it is my favorite one of these three I've heard.
 
Feels so fine every time
Ooh, I love making love to you
Anywhere I don't care
Oh, I love making love to you

Oh, the fire in your eyes
Makes my loving temperature rise
And honey sweet ecstasy
Ooh, I love what you're doing to me
Please don't stop
Oh, I think I'm gonna lose control
Honey don't stop
I want you to fill me with your soul

[Chorus:]
Cause there's no lightning and thunder
Any seven wonder mightier
Than what you've got
Keep it up forever
No one does it better, baby
Come and get it while it's hot

Oh, give me more like before
I love making love to you
Makes me feel life is real
Ooh, I love making love to you
Oh, your heart touching mine
Starts the beat of unnatural rhyme
Such a sweet melody
Oh I love what you've given to me

[Chorus]

Give me more like before
Ooh, I love making love to you
Makes me feel life is real
Ooh, I love making love to you
 
OOOhhhh that song would have made a statement! I'm not sure what, well, wait a minute, yes I am! But it would have been a hit and the talk! Some would love it some would hate it and radio would have been all over it playing it!
 
aaflyer98 said:
OOOhhhh that song would have made a statement! I'm not sure what, well, wait a minute, yes I am! But it would have been a hit and the talk! Some would love it some would hate it and radio would have been all over it playing it!
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I can imagine Karen and Phil listening to the final playback,liking the song,but then realizing that giving Herb Alpert a shock induced heart attack just MIGHT have not been in everyone's best interest, decided to replace it with another song. :laugh: Anyhow,if they had released this as a single...well, ONJ's "Physical" came out just under a couple of years later and created much uproar and buzz,but also generated huge sales and kept Livvy's career going strong.However,Physical was just the culmination of the general direction of Olivia's image since "Grease" in 1978.She took it in baby steps,next with "Totally Hot" in 1979,then "Xanadu" in 1980.They were unveiling the "new" Olivia Newton-John bit by bit,which was smart.If she had gone immediately from "Grease" to "Physical",it might have killed her career.Maybe,Karen was mindful of this and saw that "Love Making Love To You" could have been too much, too soon.However,It sounded finished.So,possibly,it was filed away as a possible album track for a second solo album had "Karen Carpenter" been a hit, or a possible non album single to slot between albums to keep the momentum going, perhaps?
 
I personally think that the shock and the strength of this particular song, was just what the doctor ordered. Pun intended. Great posts above mine, ^^^ as usual.
 
The Evie Sands version of that song was available on her CD titled ESTATE OF MIND. (Might still be available but I couldn't find it in a current catalog listing.) In my opinion Evie's version was better than Karen's. Truly, that song was not the right kind of material for Karen.

By the way, the above mentioned Evie Sands album has at least one song that's even better -- "One Thing On My Mind." Why that wasn't a hit will forever be a mystery.
 
Mike Blakesley said:
Truly, that song was not the right kind of material for Karen.
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Oh, poor Mike. You're gonna catch hell for saying that! If it makes you feel any better, I agree with you. She sounds self conscious and affected to me on the racy songs.
 
DowneyDiSampson said:
Mike Blakesley said:
Truly, that song was not the right kind of material for Karen.
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Oh, poor Mike. You're gonna catch hell for saying that! If it makes you feel any better, I agree with you. She sounds self conscious and affected to me on the racy songs.
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Yes and no.

Let's keep In mind that she herself made most if not all the song choices. She WANTED to sing these songs. It was a conscious choice of hers to not do Carpenters,or do what the Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters would do. She wanted a separate identity from the duo,not to end the duo or supplant the duo,just something else. She was aproaching 30 years old,and in spite of her sheltered life in Downey,she had still had been around the block a few times by that time. I guess she wanted to express that. True,the material might have been 'wrong' for the Karen of "Close to You",but I think that was the point. She was exploring a different side musically.

However,I can see your points Mike and Di. Everyone has their own sensibilities. I just think Karen wanted to cut loose and have some fun,while putting a few cracks in the "squeaky clean" image that had hurt both her and Richard. Again,I personally think she shouldn't have done the album then,but she did.

It is what it is,She worked hard on it and It deserved to be released as intended in 1980.
 
I agree.

It was HER record, and even though some may have thought it was not her style or choice of song. She WANTED something different than the Carpenters song and sound! If she had recorded a bunch of love songs...she would not have gotten away from her image! She would have been accused of not attempting to do something different.

As it was, she got accused of sounding like some black chick...which just surprises me...what was wrong with sounding like a black chick???

And stealing the carpenters sound!!??!!
 
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