🎤 Interview The "Third" Carpenter: A Conversation with John Bettis, Part 2

[song4u]

I agree with so many of the comments here. I will add a few more: I have always felt what John pointed out, that Karen was trying to emulate other singers rather than play to her own greatest strengths. I feel she was playing in a toy box, and that experience may well have been what she needed, from an emotional and professional growth standpoint. But what she needed, emotionally, and what A&M needed, financially, were two different things. It's unfortunate that both interests could not be met. John was very adamant that regardless of how Richard felt about the album, his reaction could not be the overriding factor in whether it was or was not released. I suspect that when Karen's solo album was finally released later on, it wasn't just as a gift to fans who had been asking for it. I'm sure there was the hope that it would generate a certain level of sales. I have always wondered if the actual sales met A&M's expectations.

I've been thinking more about why Richard got a pass on his multiple solo efforts, while Karen got only one (and that was posthumously). It's all about timing. When Karen recorded her solo album, I don't think anyone had any inkling that her time on earth was ending in only a few short years. Everyone would have been thinking about the long game, and the concern would have been, as John stated, "What do we do with a package that does not present Karen, one of the greatest singers of all time, at her best?" The logical answer would have been to shelve the album. It wouldn't mean the door was not open to try again. But this try, deemed not good enough for the voice of a lifetime, was to be put aside. Then Karen passes away, and Richard is left without his artistic and musical partner. But what if he can create the same magic with another singer? I can see A&M, out of respect for all that the Carpenters had achieved for the label, giving him that leeway to try. The ultimate answer, and this is another bit of "tragedy debris" (such an apt phrase by John) for Richard, is that he was never able to recapture the magic he had with Karen. But I think A&M felt honor-bound to at least let him try.

This is the first time I can recall anyone talking about Karen and Richard fighting ... and not just arguing, but fighting epic verbal battles. This reminds me that all too often, we paint Karen as nothing more than a passive victim. It's easy to do, given the circumstances of her premature death. But as John says, people who demonize Richard (and, by extension, victimize Karen) didn't know Karen. For the time being I am avoiding certain groups, because I know the reaction to John's comments will be more emotional than I want to deal with. We all want to be loyal to Karen. I certainly do. But I don't want to do it at the expense of her humanity. She was a human being, not an image that I place on a pedestal. I want to honor and respect her by acknowledging her as the complete human being that she was. What little I know of that, anyway. And what I know is that John knew her (and obviously related to her on an essential level) far better than I. So I respect his thoughts and opinions on this subject, even if I don't agree with every single one of them. I agree with enough of it that it's caused me to pause and reassess my own thoughts and opinions ... something we used to call "Attitude Adjustment Time" (I believe that's a camp phrase). Always a good thing.

Enjoyed your comments here. I was actually pleased to hear about Karen and Richard's epic battles about material. The result was the two of them bringing out the best in each other's talents, in my opinion. I only wish she had felt comfortable enough to stand up to others when she needed to at times. The fact that she took on Richard and his awe inspiring ear/talent says to me that she felt on an equal footing with him and wasn't afraid to express herself with him.

The comments made by John Bettis about Karen and Richard I think were long overdue. If Richard would have told the story he would have been perceived as egotistical and trying to defend his own actions. No wonder he doesn't talk much about it. Someone like John Bettis who was there from the beginning and observed the good and bad times paints a much more balanced picture. I find him very believable and rather humble about his own talents.

Great interview Chris!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I think John is referring only to the originally intended 1980 release - if A&M thought they had a blockbuster album on their hands, they would have put it out then over anyone's objections....don't think he has even remotely referring to the 1996 release.

That may be the case but it doesn't make it any more clearer to me, I wished the liner notes on her album said something like A&M has decided now is the time (1996) for the album to be released but it doesn't say that. It's made to think that Richard and Phil have decided now (1996) is the time for it to be released. Phil actually says as the years passed both Richard and I wondered when it might be released. That makes it sound like it was not up to them because if it was they would not be wondering they would have just done it before 1996.

The hardest part for me is, "Karen decided to shelve the album" I have the hardest time with that quote because all indications I've read was that she wanted to do this and have it released. It just seems that as strong as she was and a fighter at that....she didn't stand up for her album strong enough, why? to hear that she said, I wish I had made a better album is really hard to hear, it sounds like despair in not being able to accomplish what you set out to do. I just think the album turned out pretty darn good considering she had never worked with another producer and the producer she got was directed to her from A&M and Jerry Weintraub. She had the skills of being a c0-producer herself so she was not as green going into this solo album as one might think.

I guess this will never be clear to me but at least we have her album to enjoy and enjoy it I do.

 

[GaryAlan]

Chris, many good points!
Karen Carpenter to Phil Ramone (January 1983?) :"That album is f...g great" speaks volumes about how she felt about the album.
Many fans and non-fans have cultivated an image of Karen Carpenter based on the so-called easy-on-the-ears syrupy ballads that
Carpenters' music emotes in the wider population. This image was promulgated by A&M Records. If I recall correctly, at some point
during their career they were instructed to refrain from personal comments during interviews, 'lest it alienate a certain fan base, which,
of course generated money for the company.
No one could really get anything but a caricature of who Karen Carpenter was (in her lifetime), as a person:
because, and again I use the teaser from the CBS-TV 1989 KC Story, "if all you knew was the music, you only knew half of the story.."
We (the fans) were never allowed anything but 'half the story' during her lifetime. (That is, stick to the bread-and-butter love ballads).
Thus, all the world's shock on February 1983: How does one associate that heavenly voice with the (ultimately) tormented soul singing those songs?
Yes, Karen was as multifaceted a personality as any individual, why then was she not allowed to express it.


Regarding the reason for shelving the album,i.e., " it simply was not good enough."
I suppose, we are asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking why it was shelved, we might ask:
why Made In America was not shelved.
As, it is sub-par, when compared to previous Carpenters' efforts (IMHO).

 

[newvillefan]

Instead of asking why it was shelved, we might ask:
why Made In America was not shelved.
As, it is sub-par, when compared to previous Carpenters' efforts (IMHO).

Excellent question. I think you could apply that rule even more to 'A Kind of Hush'. Herb is known to have politely enquired how they were getting on during the recording sessions which is widely regarded as him saying he didn't think it was up to scratch. Going on their past record, he was right.

With Made In America it's slightly different in the sense that Jerry Moss urged them to return to the cornball, bread and butter stuff they'd been doing in years gone by. I think that advice was a huge mistake and forever cast them out of favour with radio at the time. The performance of most of its singles proved the material was way out of step with musical trends in 1981/1982. My fear is that a 1983 album, going by the 1982 tracks recorded, would have been more of the same.

 

[byline]

I think this is what John was referring to when he was asked about Randy's book - that it didn't capture the whole person. I think he was inferring that Randy chose to speak mainly to Karen's closest non showbiz friends (mostly girlfriends) whose relationships with Karen formed the basis for the most of the previously unheard revelations, whereas there was little coverage of her tenacity in situations he'd obviously witnessed himself first hand. Was that because they didn't want to disclose that side of Karen? I'd say it's more because Karen's close friends loved her and wanted to protect their friend's legacy and b) they probably weren't there when she had most of the blow outs with Richard that are mentioned in this interview. One thing's for sure - Karen was a much tougher cookie than I think any of us give her credit for.

So very true. And when we really think about it, when we are talking to our closest friends about wrongs that have been committed against us, how likely are we to acknowledge our own role in these wrongs? I'm not talking about blaming the victim. I'm talking about the role we may play, either actively or passively (or some combination of the two), in the incidents themselves, and also in what may be our own flawed perception of those incidents. Relationships are terribly complex, and self-aware people are perhaps better able to analyze these interpersonal nuances with some degree of objectivity. At any rate, I think there is an aspect of Karen that we don't often acknowledge: that she was a fighter. I don't mean so much in the combative sense, though obviously that could be true.

As John was talking about this, I immediately thought back to Richard's "uh-oh" moment in the parking lot of a store, her Jag parked next to his, when she confronted him about her eating disorder, saying that she was doing the best she could. At the time, I thought he was exaggerating, but maybe that's part of the fire that John spoke of, and Karen really did have a will that others, if not feared, then respected. And, of course, there was the time when Karen went ballistic at band members over spontaneous musical departures during one of their lives shows. I also recall some sort of upstairs confrontation in the Carpenters' home between Karen and Tom. In the aftermath, he stormed downstairs and said, "You can have her." (But, according to Randy's book, this was not the last time they were together ... another revelation in Randy's book that I'd not heard or read before.) Anyway, I guess there are multiple instances of which we are aware when Karen either initiated a confrontation or fought back. As you say ... tough cookie! Probably much tougher than we realize.

 

[Guitarmutt]

I think it's a shame they had to be so focused on making hits and having sterling production. I think it took its toll on them. Yesterday, I had a hankering to listen to 'Another Song'. I just went right to it on the disc, and it still gives chills. I thought to myself, why didn't they just continue to do this? Then I put on the full length Bacharach medley: again, chills. They were so good at just making music. Then I went back to the earliest demos and such: you can hear the fun they are having as their talents and creativity grow organically from 'Caravan' to Spectrum to 'Offering'.

Then if you suddenly put on MIA, wow it is really shocking. To me Karen's solo record is actually less shocking when one realizes she is free to explore her voice and try out different styles and songs. It's a perfectly natural product of that new found freedom. Is it my favorite thing ever? No. Would it really have hurt them to just put it out? No. Whether it tanked or not, Karen would have gotten back with Rich anyway.

 

[byline]

Regarding the reason for shelving the album,i.e., " it simply was not good enough."
I suppose, we are asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking why it was shelved, we might ask:
why Made In America was not shelved.
As, it is sub-par, when compared to previous Carpenters' efforts (IMHO).

I definitely agree. But I also think that with Karen and Richard, A&M felt they had a "brand" name that could sell on its own, even if the material were less than stellar. (There may have been contractual-fulfillment issues at play, as well.) They may have felt that Karen, on her own, did not have potential for the same kind of commercial appeal as the Carpenters "brand" unless she knocked it out of the park with her solo album, something that felt organically true to her rather than her dabbling in other artists' styles. I think Karen's album, which sounds derivative to me, did not impress them in that "knock it out of the park" way. It's sad that Karen, just by virtue of having such a remarkable voice, set the bar so high ... but that's the way it was.

Michael Jackson (who, interestingly enough, mined much of the same type of material as on Karen's solo album) is a good case in point of an artist who created a whole new niche for himself as a solo artist, a sound that turned out to be greater than even his best work with the Jackson Five. Some artists who are popular with duos or bands do succeed on their own solo efforts ... but sadly, many do not do nearly as well. Daryl Hall is a classic example of that, and he's put out several remarkable solo albums. But even with his many talents and his "star" status with John Oates, none have sold as well as the Hall & Oates bestsellers.

 

[Guitarmutt]

Great interview by the way. I really need to go back and listen to both parts again. There is so much insight there.

Thank you!

 

[Guitarmutt]

I definitely agree. But I also think that with Karen and Richard, A&M felt they had a "brand" name that could sell on its own, even if the material were less than stellar. (There may have been contractual-fulfillment issues at play, as well.) They may have felt that Karen, on her own, did not have potential for the same kind of commercial appeal as the Carpenters "brand" unless she knocked it out of the park with her solo album, something that felt organically true to her rather than her dabbling in other artists' styles. I think Karen's album, which sounds derivative to me, did not impress them in that "knock it out of the park" way. It's sad that Karen, just by virtue of having such a remarkable voice, set the bar so high ... but that's the way it was.

Michael Jackson (who, interestingly enough, mined much of the same type of material as on Karen's solo album) is a good case in point of an artist who created a whole new niche for himself as a solo artist, a sound that turned out to be greater than even his best work with the Jackson Five. Some artists who are popular with duos or bands do succeed on their own solo efforts ... but sadly, many do not do nearly as well. Daryl Hall is a classic example of that, and he's put out several remarkable solo albums. But even with his many talents and his "star" status with John Oates, none have sold as well as the Hall & Oates bestsellers.

Oh, good example regarding Daryl Hall. He went through the same resistance over his first solo record. He was told it was career suicide, and RCA shelved it. Then Hall & Oates spent the next three years not having any hits until they had five hits from the 'Voices' album. Then RCA relented on the solo album.

Well, plus it didn't hurt that Hall and Robert Fripp played it to anyone who would listen, and many of them bugged RCA about it.

 

[byline]

Very interesting. John makes a good interviewee. I don't really agree with his standpoint on the solo album (I don't hear much imitation of other singers in her performances on it - it all sounds like her, other than the odd inflections on 'Still in Love With You'), if only because his comments don't take into account that the Carpenters were in something of a creative and commercial rut at that time and largely remained there with Made in America (to use his analogy, the Carpenters' racing car was completely out of gas by this point).

Except that no one realized that until Made in America became a reality. In the immediate aftermath of Karen's solo album, Made in America hadn't happened yet. I'm sure there was quite a bit of hope at A&M that a rejuvenated Richard would be able to put the old spark back in the Carpenters sound. Oddly enough, they ended up being too derivative of themselves! At any rate, it sounds like John is not willing to acknowledge that Made in America is not a very good album. Maybe he's just too close to it, whereas he has no relationship at all with Karen's solo album.

As for Karen's solo album, I really do hear a lot of Olivia Newton John-style pitching, phrasing and inflection intermingled with Karen's style. I heard it from the get-go, and have never been able to erase it from my perception. But that's just me.

His comments on Randy Schmidt's book were a little odd. I couldn't help wondering if, at least initially, he was confusing 'Little Girl Blue' with the 'Yesterday Once More' collection of articles that Randy compiled, which of course *were* all previously published material. Strangely, some reviews on Amazon take the same line of 'there's nothing new in there'. If that's the case, I'd love to know where they'd read the same level of detail on the solo album and the disastrous marriage before it was published... Maybe John, still being close to Richard, isn't comfortable with talking about the non-musical side of the Carpenters' lives too much. He did make some comments in the Ray Coleman biography about the family dynamic being a bit strange, but I'd understand why he wouldn't want to go on record about it again.

My first thoughts were the same as yours; I thought John was confusing Randy's two books, the earlier Yesterday Once More compilation (which Randy fully acknowledged as being just that) with Little Girl Blue, Randy's bio on Karen. But then, as he talked more, it seemed he really was referring to Little Girl Blue. I did find that part of the interview a bit odd. Maybe part of this stems from his very understandable loyalty to Richard, and the fact that Richard had no involvement in this project. So John feels that Little Girl Blue lacks that perspective, which in turn leaves us with a less-than-complete picture of Karen. I think that in the end, John is right. Put all the journalism and biography together, and we have a fairly complete picture of Karen. But no one source does her justice (though, in our own subjective eyes, some sources may "feel" more just than others).

John's comment about being emotionally similar to Karen was an interesting one. I wonder what exactly he meant by that?

I get the sense that John's humor, his intellect, his sensitivity, his fire (we sure heard that at the tail-end of this interview) and his commitment to excellence in his craft, combined with the relationship struggles in his personal life for so many years (he has cited that as creating the background for writing "I Need to Be in Love"), all seem to be on par with Karen's personality. I kind of like it that, listening to John, I can get a clearer sense of Karen. Not a carbon copy, of course. But something closely akin to her in the present day.

 

[GaryAlan]

In one of the documentaries, I forget which one, an insider (again, I forget who) said ,
(regarding the solo LP):
"we weren't exactly throwing any 'good' songs her way", or words to that effect.
And, in the Coleman Biography, Richard Carpenter praises the production values of the album. ("It was produced well, and performed well")
Richard's primary complaint(s): Vocals too high, and Karen recorded Disco .
Richard Carpenter believed that she was never meant to do disco (this is in print , ibid., 1994 Coleman).

Given the circumstances surrounding the entire fiasco, what could anyone have expected?:
1. Richard was not happy to begin with: "she was jumping ship" (Coleman)
Karen sought his blessing for commencing the album on the eve of her flight to NY.
2. Phil Ramone, stating that in the beginning her health was alright, but, as the recording took shape,
and trips were made back to L.A., Karen's health deteriorated substantially.
3. Why (and, how) was so much money spent on this project? Who authorizes that kind of cost-overrun expenditure?
4. At least one valid comparison can be substantiated:
Karen recorded Make Believe It's You First Time Perfectly--production, arrangement,vocals.
Richard decided it worthy enough to , then, re-record for the upcoming Made In America (MIA) sessions.
This later version suffers greatly in comparison.
5. Much of the same higher notes in Karen's vocals are utilized by Richard on MIA, so if that were his primary concern
then,why was much of the 'basement' vocal style abandoned on MIA?
( If someone has some type of frequency analyzer, I do believe this can be objectively substantiated).

 

[Chris Mills]

For a record label that had a reputation for giving their recording artists musical freedom in the studio, sometimes it does feel as though A&M almost castrated the musical talents of Richard and Karen, in the belief that they would always achieve a multi million selling album by sticking to the same formula.

 

[byline]

I think the basic problem was that Karen and Richard, as the Carpenters, effectively bankrolled the label's creative freedom. So everyone else on A&M could experiment but them; they were the ones paying for all that creative freedom ... literally and figuratively.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

At any rate, it sounds like John is not willing to acknowledge that Made in America is not a very good album. Maybe he's just too close to it, whereas he has no relationship at all with Karen's solo album.

Made in America is not a bad album, it just was not a comeback album, the material was weak for getting them back to where they were commercially, it's unfortunate that there wasn't a firm direction that they were taking instead of doing more of the same. The short interview they gave on the steps of A&M confirms that the album was in the same vein of their previous material plus 1 oldie.

The quote above was really something to think about and I wonder if John had written a track on Karen solo album, would he have (then) felt differently about her album? He was close to Made in America because of the material but he had no relationship to her solo album. I guess this could equally flip scenario using the same idea, Phil had a vested interest in the material on her solo album so he will defend the album however ask him about Made in America and I wonder what he would say about how that album faired and how Made in America compared to the material from her solo album and I'm sure you would get differences of opinions between writers and producers.

 

[Don Malcolm]

Late to the party, but wanted to say that as excellent as Part I was, Part II is one of those rare interactions where the interviewer subliminally creates an environment where a real alchemy of insight can occur. And John Bettis proves by his singular powers of articulation just why he is a first-class lyricist.

And the beauty of how you phrased the last question, Chris, brought the interview to a fabulous closing crescendo--forgive me for overreaching here, but it was like Peluso nailing the guitar solo in "Goodbye to Love." John rose to the "bait," seized the moment, and left us with a spirited soliloquy that was as insightful as it was entertaining! Fantastic!

I think he confirmed what we all have sensed--that the ambition and craft of Richard and Karen was something that consumed them, and their familial bond made for a complex dynamic that was only made more difficult by the paradox of their combined great success/artistry and the backlash they lived with--literally from the dawn of that success. It's hard for anyone to understand, I think, unless you happen to be in that cauldron--they don't call it "the frenzy of reknown" for nothing!

Thanks again, Chris--a masterful job and a masterpiece of an interview!

 

[mr J.]

Great interview-and John's comment regarding Karen's album "the greatest singer of her generation imitating other people" was spot-on. And,I think that sentiment was the defining factor in A&M's decision to shelve the album.

He also used an excellent analogy of Karen regarding her solo album:"She was a great racing driver,but they put her in a bad car".

 

[GaryAlan]

This, indeed, was an insightful interview.
I enjoyed it greatly, and have the utmost respect for John Bettis.
He did mention the overwhelming concentration of melancholy in the Little Girl Blue Biography.
(Never mind that many 'insiders' declined to get involved or offer biographical support).
True enough, no one who did not know Karen personally, would ever come away with the impression
other than that her over-all life was a sad, if not, tragic one.
Most fans, though, are well aware of her keen intelligence, her sense of humor, her adventurousness and playfulness,
her love of children, her love of drumming.
That being said, the public-at-large is not as well-informed.
Newspapers at the time were wont to show the side-by-side photos, the before and after pictures, of the ravages
of her disease.
The extant news publications (at that time) did not concentrate on Karen being The Voice of a generation.
Thus, if one only recalls only the bad album covers, the awful television skits, the pop- fluff ( i.e., Sing),
rotten record reviews, goody-four-shoes image, and , then,
ultimately the stigma of that disease,
How on earth could an accurate, well rounded portrayal of Karen Carpenter ever see the light of day?
(never mind, even, the CBS Movie of the week...that's another 'story').

 

[A&M Retro]

I always have a tough time responding to these moments because hearing new revelations can almost be overwhelming to hear after so many years. That being said....

FANTASTIC INTERVIEW!! Chris, you hit another one out of the park with this latest installment with John Bettis. He's a class act, and such a natural unpretentious talent. Very similar qualities to his good buddy, Karen. The chemistry he had with Karen (and continues to enjoy with Richard) makes the success of the Carpenters even more clear to all of us.

While I disagree with his perception of the solo album, I very much respect his opinion.

 

[arthowson]

a lot on this thread about how the C's should have played to an audience of their peers and not older generations. I like that R and K always stayed true to themselves. They were decent people who had an incredible work ethic and were driven to be successful. I really don't give a damn about declining record sales toward the end. The were exquisite. Love when John said that Rich knew he had to envelope Karen in best production because nothing but the best would have been a disservice to Karen. That's why he keeps remixing. He wants to Karen to be seen in the best light possible. It's really all he can do to honor her and keep her alive for millions of listeners. Feeling really grateful for Richard today!

 

[Toolman]

Again regarding his reaction to the solo LP -- admittedly just one small part of an excellent interview -- one thing I'll always admire about Phil Ramone is that he never, ever, publicly criticized or derided the people who spoke out about their dislike of what he and Karen did. Never tried to defend himself from that. He remained a total class act about it until the end, more likely to analyze his own actions and decisions than the lack of support shown by others. And I sometimes wish folks like Bettis and Richard could have set their egos aside and followed that example. You weren't willing to write a song for it, John? Then don't berate the song choices.

Minor criticism. He comes across as a smart, witty guy and an important part of the C's lives and careers. I only wish there could have been a Phil Ramone interview to accompany those of Rich and John.

 

[newvillefan]

You weren't willing to write a song for it, John? Then don't berate the song choices.

My feeling about that is if John had offered up a song or two for the album, I think Richard would have considered it as much an act of treason as he did when Karen told him she was doing the album in the first place.

 

[Chris May]

I only wish there could have been a Phil Ramone interview to accompany those of Rich and John.

Oooh I love that idea....will work on that!! LOL (Oh how I wish Phil were here - there probably would be something in the works as we speak)

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Again regarding his reaction to the solo LP -- admittedly just one small part of an excellent interview -- one thing I'll always admire about Phil Ramone is that he never, ever, publicly criticized or derided the people who spoke out about their dislike of what he and Karen did. Never tried to defend himself from that. He remained a total class act about it until the end, more likely to analyze his own actions and decisions than the lack of support shown by others. And I sometimes wish folks like Bettis and Richard could have set their egos aside and followed that example. You weren't willing to write a song for it, John? Then don't berate the song choices.

I agree and very good points to consider. ^^^

I can understand magazine writers or album/cd reviewers critiquing her album or giving their thoughts on why it should not have been made or why the material was not right for Karen, we have seen those articles. However those in the music industry specific to this post, Richard, A&M exec's, John B. and even the Carpenters band members should always use discretion and poise when expressing how they felt about her solo project, not because they don't have an opinion or a right to speak (being in their profession) but because Karen is no longer here to defend herself and to speak about the process and why she chose the songs she did and what this whole process all meant to her. Sometimes we forget their was a real human being behind those songs from her solo album she was just expressing herself musically just as she did when making a Carpenters album, the person is still the same, the material just changed. It was the same when Olivia released the Physical album, it scared Olivia because the music was far from what she had previously released and she worried she might alienate her fans. However an artist fan base is stronger than anything known to man.....I loved her no matter what she released and I soon learned that Olivia was the same Olivia before she made Physical and after she made Physical, still a warm and caring person I fell in love with as an artist.

It would almost have been better for A&M to have allowed part of it to release this way they would have shown they did all they could at letting it go forward and if it failed let it fall on the artist. Karen would have bounced back and I bet she would have got enough letters from fans encouraging her and offers would have poured in for that next album. I don't know who held up the album in 80 but they didn't even attempt to try by releasing a single first and see how that went, it seemed the longer it took to make the album (go back and tweak it more) the faster the door was closing on any attempt at a release. Whether this was the intention all along...well we will never know.

 

[song4u]

Oooh I love that idea....will work on that!! LOL (Oh how I wish Phil were here - there probably would be something in the works as we speak)

Maybe Karen Itchy Ramone?

 

[newvillefan]

I don't know who held up the album in 80 but they didn't even attempt to try by releasing a single first and see how that went, it seemed the longer it took to make the album (go back and tweak it more) the faster the door was closing on any attempt at a release.

Lots of people on here have asked why they didn't release a single to test the water and I think it's a valid question. It would have been the perfect way to gauge public reaction to Karen surfacing as a solo artist after two years of no Carpenters activity. If it had cracked the Billboard Top 40, I'd say the album would have definitely stood a chance and should have gone forward. If not, then they could legitimately said to her "look Karen, we tried and the single failed, we don't think it's worth going ahead with this thing as a whole". To me, that scenario would have been a lot more plausible and definitely fairer to Karen and Phil, instead of rejecting the project outright.