Which Single Should Have Been Their Biggest Hit and Why?

[Mark-T]

I went with "I Need to Be in Love". Sounds like an instant classic, and had it been released 3 years earlier, it would have at least been top 5. The MOR chorus and softer arrangement did it in, but Karen's vocal of John's words and Richard's music has rarely been better.

 

[aaflyer98]

hard-hitting conviction that pulls you in and makes you, as the listener, an actual part of the song.

This may be too far off-topic but I wonder...if K&R rather than the O.K Coralle(sp) did their impeccable backing harmonies, would this song have fared better on the Top 100? I know about the later success in Japan. I am speaking directly to the pop charts in 1976.

I remember thinking that the MOR OK chorale shouldn't have been on the record back when I first heard the song in 1976 when it was released. I think K&R should have done their own overdubs as usual, and the song would have been a little more pop and a lot less MOR. Thought it then, and still think it now. Would it have been a bigger hit? Who knows.

 

[jukeboxexpress]

It is very hard to choose just one song. Although "Close To You", "Top Of The World" and "Please Mr. Postman" are my favorites, I voted for "SING". It was a fun song and in concerts, Karen and Richard would bring kids up on stage from the audience to sing the chorus.

 

[Jeff]

from the start i felt that the ok chorale didn't sound right and somehow left a C's fan wanting. i don't know if it was due their fatigue or whatever but the sound is too elevator and way outta sync with 76's hits. i'd love a remix with just karen upfront and maybe a few new oohs and ahhhs from rc. nonetheless this single is way down on my hits list because of it.

jeff

 

[A&M Retro]

It's virtually impossible to pick one of K&R's hits, but I will say that the biggiest chart disappointment for ME was "(Want You) Back In My Life Again".
After the stellar showing of "Touch Me When We're Dancing" over the summer of '81, I was watching Billborard closely for 'Back in My Life Again" to appear as a single. When it came out in September, I heard it several times on the Kansas City A/C station KUDL-FM. I also remember the DJ saying, "THAT'S a new twist for the Carpenters!" I was so excited to see BIG things happen. Then, nothing did. Perhaps if Karen's lead had not been buried in the mix, it would have done better. Richard can remix it to great efffect now, and give Karen's lead the placement it deserves....up front.
Anyway, it's still my favorite track from "Made In America"! BTW....my friends LOVED it back in '81. I plugged it big time as a DJ at the University of Kansas.

 

[goodjeans]

...but I will say that the biggiest chart disappointment for ME was "(Want You) Back In My Life Again".

...me too. We were on Daytona Beach when the single was out and it was 'hitbound'. People were dancing to it and partying and it was a great time. I thought it was going to be bigger than'Touch Me...'

 

[Rudy]

I'll run with "Goodbye To Love" here. It pretty much defines the "power ballad" sound that would become more popular throughout the 70s and 80s. An important song IMHO, and has enough of the other trademark Carpenter sounds (the harmonies, arrangement, etc.) that it could have been done by nobody else.

"Only Yesterday" should have hit #1 as well--a good piece of "formula Carpenters" in my book. Catchy and memorable.

And it may not be #1 material, but "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song" should have charted higher. AC radio was all over it when it was released.

"Let Me Be The One" should have been a single...I'd have placed it Top 20 had it been released. But we can save this for another poll.

 

[newvillefan]

It's virtually impossible to pick one of K&R's hits, but I will say that the biggiest chart disappointment for ME was "(Want You) Back In My Life Again".
After the stellar showing of "Touch Me When We're Dancing" over the summer of '81, I was watching Billborard closely for 'Back in My Life Again" to appear as a single. When it came out in September, I heard it several times on the Kansas City A/C station KUDL-FM. I also remember the DJ saying, "THAT'S a new twist for the Carpenters!" I was so excited to see BIG things happen. Then, nothing did. Perhaps if Karen's lead had not been buried in the mix, it would have done better. Richard can remix it to great efffect now, and give Karen's lead the placement it deserves....up front.

That's really interesting to hear the memories associated with that song. I also remember someone saying that summer that they were at school and all the girls were singing along to 'Touch Me When We're Dancing' in the sunshine.

I think 'Back In My Life Again' suffers from being too airy and lightweight to make an impact, PLUS I think you're right that Karen's vocal was not mixed right in the song. All those synthesisers included by someone who had not featured before or since on a Carpenters recording, distracted the arrangement away from their usual style. I guess Richard was trying his hand at a 'bubblegum' sound, but it does make the song very lightweight.

Grant Guerrero comments on his site that 'Made In America, while pleasant, is lacking in energy and diversity. It's hard to pin down exactly what the problem is, because the production is really quite good. I think that it is perhaps the fact that...in the early-'80s era of post-disco punk-influenced pop music, the "easy listening" sound of Made in America just doesn't have enough edge.

http://www.grantguerrero.com/carpenters/america.html

I think that sums up this particular song too.

 

[A&M Retro]

What a cool memory of people dancing and partying to "Back in My Life Again"! I still think it had plenty of potential. I did drive my friends crazy with it in my fraternity. Believe it or not, there were a good number of Carpenters fans in the house. They out-ranked the anti-Carpenter dudes....and there were a few of those, too, of course. I made sure I played The Go-Gos, 38 Special and Earth Wind and Fire just as much so they wouldn't get too tired of "Made In America" key tracks.

 

[A&M Retro]

If I could vote twice....
"All You Get From Love Is A Love Song" SHOULD have gone to #1 in the summer of 1977. No two ways about it. Awesome tune, supreme lead vocal from Karen and top notch arrangement. The sax solo is also beyond compare.

 

[newvillefan]

If I could vote twice....
"All You Get From Love Is A Love Song" SHOULD have gone to #1 in the summer of 1977. No two ways about it. Awesome tune, supreme lead vocal from Karen and top notch arrangement. The sax solo is also beyond compare.

I agree. The other 'lost' hit single. The sax solo combined with Karen's 'oohs' and the guitar twists made it irresistible for radio, but again somehow it didn't happen. My sister's all time favourite Carpenters song, and she's not a die-hard fan.

 

[goodjeans]

I agree. The other 'lost' hit single.

...me too. We were on the way to a pre-legal aged dance club when I first heard 'All You Get...' on the radio. My friend Jane said 'Oh, Captain and Tenille' because of the intro I would guess. (reminiscent of Lonely Night Angel Face or whatever that song was called) But then Karen comes in and it is undeniably Carpenters. It should have been a smash summer hit.

 

[Harry]

"All You Get..." would have been my second choice as well. I remember playing that single endlessly when it came out.

In fact, since my single was one of those polystryene jobs that could be damaged after several plays, I dubbed it onto my reel-to-reel recorder and it was THAT that I played endlessly.

Harry

 

[Mark-T]

These are really fun memories. I first heard AYGFLIALS on the radio and drove endlessly to find it in stores. When I couldn't find it for two weeks, I wondered if something was up.

 

[jukeboxexpress]

"All You Get..." would have been my second choice as well. I remember playing that single endlessly when it came out.

In fact, since my single was one of those polystryene jobs that could be damaged after several plays, I dubbed it onto my reel-to-reel recorder and it was THAT that I played endlessly.

Harry

Yes, "All You Get..." is a great record and should have gone higher than it's "Top 40" peak at #35. I know what you mean about the polystyrene, I hated those pressings. I always had good stereo equipment, so I didn't usually have a problem with wear. My original copy of "All You Get..." is made of polystyrene and is still in Near Mint condition. I also have a promo copy of the 45 which was pressed on vinyl by the Santa Maria,CA Columbia Records factory, but the stereo side uses the Haeco-CSG system and the other side is mono. The mono mix sounds great!

 

[Rudy]

"All You Get..." would have been my second choice as well. I remember playing that single endlessly when it came out.

In fact, since my single was one of those polystryene jobs that could be damaged after several plays, I dubbed it onto my reel-to-reel recorder and it was THAT that I played endlessly.

I remember taping it to the cassette deck, and catching the song right in the middle of the word "breeeeeeeze". Played that for weeks until I finally got the single. That was the first song of theirs I ever heard played on the radio--we were more of an AM radio household, and we had a daytime talk/news/variety station on (WWJ, back in the 70s). I started listening to "Detroit's Nicest Rock" (WNIC) on and off about the time this song came out, which is where I first heard it. From the same album, "Calling Occupants" didn't get much airplay here--I heard it only once.

 

[Harry]

I also have a promo copy of the 45 which was pressed on vinyl by the Santa Maria,CA Columbia Records factory, but the stereo side uses the Haeco-CSG system and the other side is mono. The mono mix sounds great!

Love those mono sides!

Harry

 

[goodjeans]

Love those mono sides!

I have heard this mentioned before. What are mono sides...non stereo? If so, how can they sound good?

 

[goodjeans]

...but I live with the hope that Dave Hickey's upcoming anthology (has it really been over a decade since Air Guitar?) will house his magnificent meditation on the Carpenters' "Goodbye to Love."

Karen Carpenter, hallowed be thy name

I just found this in Vanity Fair...James Wolcot's blog under the title 'There's a Kind of Thrush All over the World'.

 

[Harry]

Love those mono sides!

I have heard this mentioned before. What are mono sides...non stereo? If so, how can they sound good?

See this old thread:

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1316

Harry

 

[jukeboxexpress]

I have heard this mentioned before. What are mono sides...non stereo? If so, how can they sound good?

"MONO", means ONE and in relation to phonograph records, means ONE track, as opposed to "STEREO", which means TWO and in relation to records, means TWO tracks. QUADraphonic is four tracks.

Back in history,up until around 1968 most LP albums were released in both STEREO and MONO versions in the U.S.A. Some foreign countries produced MONO LP's for a few years more. There were some MONO LP's produced in the U.S.A. well into the 70's, but they were usually only made for radio stations and never sold to the general public.

Also around 1968 the STEREO 7" 45's began making a comeback after their first run from 1958 to 1961. As far as history goes, the earliest A&M STEREO 45 that I have come across is #893, "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite" by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, which was an exclusive radio station promotional record. Boyce and Hart were famous songwriters most notably providing many hit songs for The Monkees. More commonly, A&M STEREO 45's began appearing in the 1100 series and some of the later ones used the Haeco-CSG system.

Back to the Carpenters. Their first hit 45 was #1142 "Ticket To Ride" and was originally MONO. A STEREO 45 version was released within a couple of years in the A&M "forget me nots" series #8548-S, backed with their first gold record "(They Long To Be)Close To You". Interesting enough, the "Close To You" original 45, A&M 1183, was originally released to the general public in STEREO, but the copy that radio stations received was MONO. My favorite FM radio station at the time only had the MONO version and so I went to the station and swapped them my STEREO copy.

Most of the Carpenters 45's were released in STEREO, Haeco-CSG and MONO formats. With the exceptions of #1142 "Ticket To Ride"(MONO) and #1236 "Merry Christmas,Darling"(Haeco-CSG), all the original Carpenters 45's were only available to the public in STEREO. The first Carpenters radio station copy, after "MC,D" to use the Haeco-CSG system for it's STEREO side was #1446-S "Yesterday Once More" and the last to use the Haeco-CSG system was #1978-S "Calling All Occupants..." . The last radio station copy to NOT have a MONO side by the Carpenters was the Karen post-mortem release of #2585 "Make Believe It's Your First Time."

 

[goodjeans]

...thank you jukeboxexpress...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

In answer to his question "How can they sound good?" Many (or most) mono sides were mixed differently from their stereo counterparts, because everything is coming from one speaker it's necessary to make some things louder and some things softer (among other tweaks) to make sure the vocals or certain instruments still sound good. As a result, some listeners prefer the mono versions over the stereo.

 

[goodjeans]

Rick Henry of Carpenters Avenue http://carponline.proboards21.com/index.cgi

...is where I found the Karen Carpenter Simpson avatar!

 

[goodjeans]

As a result, some listeners prefer the mono versions over the stereo.

Thank you Mike B. Now I will have to get my hands on a mono record. This fascinates me.