The "flapping" noise on Make Believe It's Your Fir

[Johnny Angel]

I found this on the official Carpenters site www.richardandkarencarpenter.com in the section where fans ask Richard questions:
http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/fans_ask_8.htm#Songs

Fan's Question:
I have always wondered ever since the "Voice of the Heart" album came out what the noise is that you can hear at the beginning of the song "Make Believe It's Your First Time". The noise occurs right after Karen says " I have to get into a serious mood here." Someone once told me it was an echo caused by Karen clapping her hands, but I am not sure this is true.

Richard's answer:
The noise is a little fun thing the group did among ourselves called a "tap dancing cheek". You just pull with thumb and forefinger on your cheek, three quick pulls, making a tap dancing sound. ( Karen's cheek of course.)

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So now, we've got Karen saying, "Ugh, I have to get into a serious mood here, " and then doing a "tap dancing cheek," before singing the beautiful lyrics of Make Believe It's Your First Time. It's another insight into her playful good nature.

I have the single version of Make Believe It's Your First Time and neither the opening statement nor the cheek-flapping sound is on it. I wish that Richard just ONCE would release the single version on a CD compilation without it segueing into or out of another song...

 

[wisejester7]

Ah, yes, the ol' tap dancing cheek. I didn't know there was a name for it ... until now.

Karen sounds like she was a lot of fun to work with.

 

[Johnny Angel]

Richard easily could have edited out the opening remark and the tap-dancing cheek when he released Make Believe It's Your First Time. His decision to leave both in was his way of sharing a little bit of her fun personality with the rest of us. I'm sure he still misses Karen and her talent, but working on VOICE OF THE HEART (which includes Make Believe It's Your First Time) must have been extremely painful...