"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again"

Firstly, if I understand correctly, this song is a work-lead.
That, in itself, makes this an awesome performance by Karen Carpenter.
Secondly, had it been finished at the time (1975), there would surely be more
Karen and Richard background overdubs, plus instrumentation.
And, had Carpenters chosen to include the song on Horizon, they would have done
another 'take' on the lead vocal, anyway.
I can envision everything in my mind.
The song, as it is, is great.
The song, as it could have been-if completed in 1975- would have been out of this world.
 
Well, I like both versions, but I think, that Barry's new introduction verse is very sophisticated (doctor, could you maybe give me something). I mean, it's something else.

"Doctor, my woman is coming back home late today...could you maybe give me something..."
(NARRATOR)...Ask your doctor if Viagra is right for you... :biglaugh:
 
I was just listening to this song the other day and it's still so fresh sounding, Richard was really right when he said it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.

Something I have been wondering is to me the song sounds like it has a orchestra playing but when I look at the liner notes it just says, backing vocals, drums, bass, keyboards and guitar. So why am I hearing what sounds like a full orchestra come in at certain spots, almost like a string section.
 
Something I have been wondering is to me the song sounds like it has a orchestra playing but when I look at the liner notes it just says, backing vocals, drums, bass, keyboards and guitar. So why am I hearing what sounds like a full orchestra come in at certain spots, almost like a string section.

Which liner notes are you referring to Chris? In the booklet liner notes of the 1995 US version of 'Interpretations', Richard wrote that "the impending release of 'Interpretations' provided an excellent reason for me to orchestrate and complete the production. Strings were recorded on the 31st May 1994. Roger and I mixed the selection on June 6th".
 
Your right. I guess I was just looking for the credits listed for the orchestra with the other credits. I guess he just rented an orchestra for the day to complete Tryin'
I know with the Passage LP Overbudget Philharmonic was used in the credits for Calling Occupants which was really the L.A. Philharmonic. I wonder why he didn't credit the orchestra by name on the Tryin' track.
 
Most likely it was an orchestra made up of LA recording session veterans, not a performing orchestra with a name and steady membership....
 
funny it was found while mixing the karaoke on the Only Yesterday tape, but Only Yesterday is not on the karaoke album.

That's a very interesting point, never thought of that before! I can only presume 'Only Yesterday' was originally planned for inclusion and he decided against it for some reason. Always thought 'Touch Me When We're Dancing' should have been on the karaoke album too. It's the only other obvious hit single missing.
 
I like this song a lot more than when I initially heard it; I've had it on rotation the last few days as one of my "new fascination" songs. Not surprised and blown away that it was only a work lead. Definitely a stellar "Horizon" track that never was, albeit unfortunately suffering the "slowness" of the album. It's got a bit of an edge fighting for it, however. I'm only really bothered by the orchestration--which is unusual for me. Particularly around the choruses ("read every book, looked..."), the drums are very heavy and the strings, as much as I love the way they contribute to the mood of the song, overwhelm the lead. Then Mr. Peluso comes in with his guitar and it's an even "thicker" song. If there was a volume button to turn Karen up and the arrangement down...

...dang, I hope I'm not becoming too picky! I should be grateful for this release. :bow:
 
Well, I like both versions, but I think, that Barry's new introduction verse is very sophisticated (doctor, could you maybe give me something). I mean, it's something else.

By the way, there is a version of the song with the bridge, recorded by Barry!
You can find it on the CD set "The Complete Collection and then some", which was released in 1992 and contains three CDs and one video. I think, there is a new edition of this set available nowadays, with three CDs and one DVD with some older performances by Barry.

In the booklet, Barry writes, that the bridge was cut out because the song would have been too long for radio format. He did the complete song in his shows in 1994 in Germany.


Bruno
i remember him adding that little known bridge (read every book...) on a Midnight special performance... that was a treat to hear that add-on and variation from the record... I suspect, he may have liked it but for radio, could have edited....

Re this entire topic... I loved Barry's - and did at the time... BUT I really love Karen's intimate take.

In retrospect, after the bombastic power ballads of the late 70's have become more refined, I find the Carpenters version is really more "emotionally" hard hitting than the former... And as someone who actually has lived the story-line, I find the more intimate struggle with the situation - much more relatable in Karen's vulnerable reading of those lyrics. That second verse... whoa - - what a killer....
 
I've got the CD single and the U.K. aversion of "Interpretations", and to me it sounds like the Interpretations version was remixed, since I find that I can hear Karen's page turn more clearly on the single, but it seems to have been turned down and mixed into the song more in the Interpretations version,
 
I've got the CD single and the U.K. aversion of "Interpretations", and to me it sounds like the Interpretations version was remixed, since I find that I can hear Karen's page turn more clearly on the single, but it seems to have been turned down and mixed into the song more in the Interpretations version,

Actually you're hearing the same mix, however the US counterpart was mastered a bit heavier with more compression, sucking some of the life out of it. I have always preferred the UK release for that very reason.
 
There was also the issue of the close-mic mouth sounds that Richard removed from the later mix.
 
The first time i saw the promo video for this song was on VH1 in the uk in october 1996 during my first few months as a carpenters fanatic so i had never heard of this song before.l was immediately mesmerized by the song and video and spent the next few months hoping i would see it again on the same channel but to no avail.The video contained slow motion clips of the mr postman video and also shots of richard and engineer robert young behind a control panel in i presume a&m studios and a shot of tim may playing the guitar solo near the end.In the end i wrote to a VH1 presenter and asked it be played again and it was and i recoded it.Unfortunately i lost the VHS cassette and have not seen the video since.It is one the hardest carpenters promo videos to find as it not on youtube or gold or interpretations dvds.hopfully it be added to the gold or interpretations dvd one day as i think the i need to be in love video was in japan,to me the song and video go together.
 
I do remember that for the commercial of the album, and they were playing TTGTFA....an artist was painting a portrait of Karen and Richard, which became the cover of interpretations!
 
Actually you're hearing the same mix, however the US counterpart was mastered a bit heavier with more compression, sucking some of the life out of it. I have always preferred the UK release for that very reason.
Actually, I don't have nor have ever heard the US version. The CD I own of Interpretations is the UK version that was available in Canada in 1997.
 
Actually you're hearing the same mix, however the US counterpart was mastered a bit heavier with more compression, sucking some of the life out of it. I have always preferred the UK release for that very reason.

I always thought it was a remix. The drums sound like they were re-recorded, they have a much clearer, crisper sound. If that's the result of remastering, the case for B'Wana is stronger than ever!
 
I always thought it was a remix. The drums sound like they were re-recorded, they have a much clearer, crisper sound. If that's the result of remastering, the case for B'Wana is stronger than ever!

Yeah, there's some debate and I haven't had a chance to pull out both copies and compare them. I know the mix compression is much heavier on the US version, which means it went through separate mastering. It is possible to 'notch' some of this stuff out after the song has been mixed as far as the noises heard with Karen's close proximity to the mic. I need to listen again (it's been years) to see if there's been any filtering simply, or if Richard actually created a separate mix and deleted certain things from Karen's track in order to clean it up. Will get back...
 
Well between the CD single and the U.K. CD I know that the sound of Karen turning the song sheet is more noticeable on the Single, whereas it's more buried on the UK CD.
 
Well between the CD single and the U.K. CD I know that the sound of Karen turning the song sheet is more noticeable on the Single, whereas it's more buried on the UK CD.

This very easily could have been manipulated in a mastering session with EQ. Again, not for certain that was the only reason but I will listen to these and attempt to determine what it is that caused these differences from one release to another.
 
I’ve always enjoyed both the Carpenters’ and Barry Manilow’s versions of “Tryin’ To Get The Feeling Again” but I never sat down and really looked at how different they are lyrically. Other than the chorus, they are like two completely different songs!

The interesting thing is, according to the liner notes in “Interpretations,” Richard and Karen recorded the song first and so I assume that their version contains the original lyrics. For whatever reason, the songwriter, Barry or Barry’s “people” almost completely rewrote the thing for Barry’s version.

Here’s a side by side comparison…

Karen’s first verse:
At any moment he’ll be walking through that door
But he won’t find me behind it
‘Cause the feeling is gone and it just won’t come back anymore
I worked so hard to find it


Barry’s first verse:
Doctor, my woman is coming back home late today
Could you maybe give me something?
‘Cause the feeling is gone and I must get it back right away.
Before she sees that


The chorus is basically identical other than the gender change:
I’ve been up, down, tryin’ to get the feeling again
All around, tryin’ to get the feeling again
The one that made me shiver, made my knees start to quiver every time he/she walked in
And I’ve looked high, low, everywhere I possibly can
But there’s no tryin’ to get the feeling again
It seemed to disappear as fast as it came


Then Karen’s version goes into this bridge that isn’t in Barry’s version:
I’ve read every book, looked through every meditation and poem
Just to bring home that old sweet sensation
But it ain’t no use to me to try to get the feeling again


Karen’s second verse:
When did it leave me?
How did I come to miss you?
Such a beautiful burning
But baby believe me, I’ve done everything I can do
But somehow it’s not returning


Barry’s second verse:
Where did it run to?
I thought I’d done all that I could just to keep the love light burning
But whatever I’ve done, I guess I just haven’t done it too good
‘Cause all that’s left is yearning.


Barry repeats the original chorus again:
I’ve been up, down, tryin’ to get the feeling again
All around, tryin’ to get the feeling again
The one that made me shiver, made my knees start to quiver every time she walked in


Karen’s chorus this time has some alternate lyrics, goes into the bridge again, then repeats:
I’ve been up, down, tryin’ to get the feeling again
Like a bloodhound, searching for a long lost friend
Could you help me rediscover the way to re-be his lover once again
I’ve read every book, looked for every meditation and poem
Just to bring home that old sweet sensation
But it ain’t no use to me to try to get the feeling
I want to get that feeling again
Would you help me rediscover the way to re-be his lover once again?
I’ve read every book, looked for every meditation and poem
Just to bring home that old sweet sensation
But it ain’t no use to me to try to get the feeling
I want to get that feeling again


Barry (after a tempo and key change) simply repeats the same old chorus yet again then goes into his big dramatic ending:
And I’ve looked high and low and everywhere I possibly can
But there’s no tryin’ to get the feeling again
It seemed to disappear as fast as it came
And I’ve been looking, I been looking, I been looking
I’ve been up and down and tryin’ to get the feeling
I’ve been up, I’ve been down, I’ve been trying to get
I’ve been trying, I’ve been trying, I’ve been trying to get the feeling
I’ve been trying to get the feeling again
I want to get that feeling
I want to get that feeling
I got to get that feeling
I got to get that feeling again and again and again…..


I find it really interesting to see all the changes that were made, especially since I think the original lyrics (Karen’s version) are actually better than the rewritten ones for Barry, which ultimately became the definitive (“hit”) version of the song. I would love to know what prompted all the revisions and especially the deletion of the bridge which is actually my favorite part of the song!

I’m curious to know other's thoughts and opinions on the differences between the two versions. (And remember, I’m talking about the SONG itself, not Karen or Barry’s performances.)

Scott
I really like how you posted these comparisons. And I agree, I love the original lyrics better,
And it's so funny, Manilow's version had been one of my all-time favorite songs for many many years,
well before I heard the Carpenters version...but once I heard the Carpenters version,
Barry's became an afterthought.
I am quite certain, that if the Carpenters had released their version (at the time),
it would have been a much bigger hit than Barry's (to me, anyway).
 
I am quite certain, that if the Carpenters had released their version (at the time), it would have been a much bigger hit than Barry's (to me, anyway).

I honestly believe this song was the missed opportunity in 1975. Had they included this on the album and released it as a single, I think they could have scored a top 10 with it. Added to the fact that had they completed it properly in 1975, with a re-recorded lead and Carpenters' backing vocals, it would have had even more 'punch' than the version we hear today.
 
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