Anyone read this?

December 18, 1976 Billboard Magazine:
Carpenters at London Palladium
"Compared with the almost clinical and perfectionist act provided by the duo on a previous visit, the
Carpenters went all out November 22, to pull out a surprise-packed spectacle full of gimmicks, yet making
sure that the musical side was as super as ever."
---
"In the past, the duo as been accused of appearing almost too good, too perfect, to be true. In providing some of the finest
popular music of the day, they have appeared somehow dehumanized."
---
"Karen Carpenter's voice remains an instrument of perfect pitch and clarity--particularly when showcasing the duo's string
of never-ending hits.."
---
"Quite simply, the show turned out to be one of the most entertaining and professional highly-glossed, but flexible, pop
performances to hit the London Palladium in years. It was genuine show business of the highest order."

Complete Article at:
books.google.com/books?id=-iQEAAAAMBAJ
 
Taken from the Preview of the newly published book:
TOP 40 Democracy- The Rival Mainstreams of American Music (Eric Weisbard)
University of Chicago Press,November 2014
Starting on Page 136,
"...Richard in 1976,' it seems that if you're in Country and Western and you make a couple of hit singles, you're there for life.
Not in Pop. We can go down as quickly as we came up if our records are not selling.'
Once the Carpenters' vogue passed, they plummeted in popularity,with AC Stations declaring it would alienate listeners to play them.
In many ways, A&M as a label shared the same insecurities.
One memo insisted: All MOR Stations should be playing the LP by the Carpenters.
By 1977, A&M could tout massive hits...."
Come 1979, A&M nearly went bankrupt,as Alpert and Moss were forced to secure $10 million in loans
by mortgaging their homes and purging 14% of the label's employees...."
---
"A&M vice-president Bob Fead reported in 1977 that it cost $300,000 to create a chart-topping LP before the first copy sold,
including production, marketing and artist fees..."
--
"As part of a severe Global recession , sales slumped 10% in 1979, 20% between 1979 and 1982--and would not hit 1978 levels until 1984.
A&M, like many, found itself buried in returned product."
 
It was mentioned earlier in this thread that Joel Samberg—who did an excellent piece about Karen Carpenter on NPR last year—was working on a new book about the singer. I couldn't find where anyone has mentioned on this forum previously that he has already published an ebook about Karen titled Pockets Full of Good Intentions. Has anyone here read it?
 
Again, in case it has not been re-read in awhile,
some quotes from the July 4,1974 Rolling Stone Cover Story:

"Karen is in some ways like a child, which is not surprising"
----
"So long has she deferred to her brother, it seems, she cannot express a distinct personality of her own."
-----
"When agreed-upon patterns are deviated from, the transgressor (usually Karen) is quickly slapped down."
----
"When she really comes alive is when she sings; she changes completely."
-----
"The music is wonderful. Karen sings like a dream, a wish fulfilled, a sorrow resolved in the telling."
-------
"When Karen plays the drums she flails away with unthinking enthusiasm; she is a very good drummer. It all makes an excellent show."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-carpenters-up-from-downey-19740704#ixzz3KIyOsyhP
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
 
Billboard Magazine, November 28, 1970:
"If you think this picture is another snap-shot of deserving people being presented Gold Records, you're right.
They deserve all three of them: One for 'Close To You', one for 'We've Only Just Begun' and one for their album Close To You.
With Jack Daugherty's help (he's the producer on the left) Karen and Richard Carpenter have sold almost
four million records in six months.
Need we say more?
A&M Records, Inc. "

See, here:
books.google.com/books?id=tSkEAAAAMBAJ
 
June 2011, Paul Williams ASCAP:

"Paul Williams knows all about the blood, sweat, tears and toil that go into creating a memorable piece of music.
“It all begins with a blank piece of paper,” said Williams, an Oscar-winning songwriter. “You stay up half the night. You write something. You pour blood on the paper. … You know that you have written something that is going to change the world. You get a little sleep. You get up and look at what you’ve written, and you realize you’ve rewritten “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
Williams’ joke about the trials of the songwriter kicked off a program at the Library of Congress on May 10 that was much more about celebration than heartache.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation staged “We Write the Songs” at the Coolidge Auditorium, a night of songwriters performing their own tunes and telling the stories behind their creations—with a lot of laughs thrown in for good measure.
The event was the third staged by ASCAP at the Coolidge since the organization donated its vast papers to the Library in 2009.
ASCAP, founded in 1914, protects the rights of composers and songwriters and ensures that they are compensated for the use of their works.
The organization’s membership—some 400,000 strong—includes not only current songwriters but also some of the greatest composers and songwriters of the past century of American music, from Berlin and Basie to Gershwin and Goodman.
The ASCAP Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 1975, supports songwriting through music education and talent-development programs.
Williams, president of ASCAP and the man who wrote such classic pop tunes as “Evergreen,” “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays,” emceed the event.
“I wrote this song for The Carpenters—they hated it,” Williams said before swinging into a few bars of “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” a song that eventually found a friendlier reception with Three Dog Night and became a big hit in 1971.

Source:
http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/1106/ascap.html
 
Paul Williams, again, this time December 16, 2013 Interview:

DK: You are known for writing hit standards, particularly love songs. How did you write the classic "We've Only Just Begun"?
Williams: When I first started, I desperately wanted to write a rock & roll hit. I loved listening to Delaney & Bonnie, David Bowie and kick-ass rock bands. But what was coming out of me was Hallmark card lyrics and love songs! In the midst of that, Roger Nichols and I wrote a song for a Crocker bank commercial which turned out to be "We've Only Just Begun." The commercial showed a young couple getting married. We decided to write something bigger, a full song (not just a commercial jingle). Then Richard Carpenter heard me singing it in the commercial, and we played him the full song. Karen Carpenter did a wonderful job of singing it for their record.

Source:
http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/paul-williams-ascap-123.htm
 
Another concert review, from Billboard Magazine August 11, 1973:
Carpenters Garden State Arts Center ( Holmdel, New Jersey)
"The Carpenters appear to possess a magnetic hold on Middle-America, as evidenced by the various components seated inside and snuggly
sprawled across the surrounding lawns of the saucer-shaped amphitheater. The brother and sister singing duo were warmly greeted as they took
the stage: Karen behind the drums and Richard at the keyboard. The rich, harmonic sound of the Carpenters is faithfully recreated in live performance-
noteworthy in view of the heavy use of 'overdubbing' they employ on their A&M recordings. The pacing is very much like a Bee Gees concert--hit follows hit.
Karen's clear, almost too perfect voice, carries the lead vocal chores, lending an air of freshness to everything she sings. Million sellers such as Close To You,
We've Only Just Begun and Goodbye To Love lead up to the duo's current gold contender Yesterday Once More. All are enthusiastically received.
Richard, a fine musician, fronting a versatile band, communicated nicely with his audience by illuminating the behind-the-scenes techniques and devices
used by the Carpenters when recording.It added an extra dimension to the performance. Highlights included an elaborate 50's Medley mounted within
the framework of a top-40 radio show, and during their last hit single Sing a children's chorus marched out on stage to augment the tune.
The Carpenters may be a bit too saccharine for some,but judging from the avalanche of applause they left the stage with, Karen and Richard would be
foolish to tamper with their G-rated approach to music."


Source:
books.google.com/books?id=KgkEAAAAMBAJ
 
Billboard Magazine, September 16, 1978 Inside Track, page 76:
"The Carpenters bowed out of a two-week run at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, after just five nights--pleading illness.
The Celebrity Room was dark for two nights before Dean Martin came in a week before his scheduled run to fill in.
Mums the word at Management 3--we don't even know who to send our get well card to.
Source:
books.google.com/books?id=dAkEAAAAMBAJ

Coleman,1994,page 239-240:
'After telling Karen and Weintraub, who informed Management at the MGM Grand, Richard told
the band and crew between performances on September 4, 1978--"That's it,I'm not playing another night".
Karen commented wryly on the atmosphere:"I'm surprised we got out of there without the plane blowing up."
In Britain, the Carpenters were in big demand at precisely the time when Richard was in dire straits.
Weintraub: "Richard was now the bigger threat to their act."
Bitter exchanges followed Karen's return from London.'
 
Billboard Magazine, October , 1972 ,page 14:
"(Las Vegas) The Riviera Stars, The Carpenters, taking off four and a half months, the first of the year,
to record in Los Angeles for A&M."


Source:
books.google.com/books?id=-A4EAAAAMBAJ
 
LOL! Actorman,
Would you believe I have yet to hear "We've Only Just Begun" at any wedding I have attended.
In regards the above article in the Downey Patriot, the author has Offering as selling 18,000 copies.
I do not recall coming across that figure, previously.
Although, Richard Carpenter in, 1970:
"..We recorded an album, it did nothing. But, the single sold 200,000 copies and made some noise for us."
Source:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...TwdHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ny0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5635,741509
 
The 10 best drumming moments
Friday 3 October 2014
1969

Karen Carpenter becomes pop’s first drumming frontwoman

Karen Carpenter considered herself a drummer first and foremost, not a singer; in early TV performances, she’s always singing behind her kit.
As the Carpenters became increasingly famous, she was encouraged to leave the snares and toms behind, though, and let her 5ft 4in frame stand tall behind the microphone.
Many singing drummers have made the same journey, from Levon Helm to Don Henley, Phil Collins to Sheila E, but Carpenter always missed her first love.
On The Carpenters’ Very First Television Special, in the US in 1976, she makes this clear,running around the stage playing different-sized kits, her technical ability loud and proud.

Here:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/oct/03/the-10-best-drumming-moments-in-pictures
 
Carpenters' Fan Club Newsletters begin with #1 May 1971;
This, from Billboard Magazine May 15, 1971, is not mentioned there, then or later:
Talent in CNE Exhibition
"..and the Carpenters head up the talent list at this year's CNE Grandstand Show..
which takes place in August. Carpenters appear on August 22nd."
 
Another performance I am unaware of:
"Ed Sullivan...and show business stars entertain wounded Vietnam Veterans at Walter Reed Army Hospital,
in Washington D.C., on Sunday November 8,1971, on CBS. The special show originates in Walter Reed's Rose Garden.
Headliners..include..the Carpenters...who sing a medley of tunes by Burt Bacharach "Make it Easy On Yourself" and
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again."

Source:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...0oUiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JKoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5555,742642
 
GaryAlan said:
LOL! Actorman,
Would you believe I have yet to hear "We've Only Just Begun" at any wedding I have attended.
Click to expand...

Actually, come to think of it, neither have I. I would love to see how it would go over at a football game though.

TOUCHDOWN! The crowd goes crazy!! From the loud speakers roar the thunderous, anthemic sound of... oboes? Do do do do do doooooooooo.... Everyone clams back down.
 
Hi
I think the date was november 8th 1970 at vietnam veterans at walter reed army hospital in washington D C
 
May 25th, 1972 The Age Newspaper (Bryan Patterson):
Bell-Like Duo Won Audience
"The Carpenters skilled handling of complex melodies and rhythms captivated a capacity crowd at Festival Hall last night.
The performance, one of the best at the hall in a long time, revealed pure talent brought to a peak by hours of rehearsals.
But the act also relied on spontaneity for its success--the kind of spontaneity that few pop artists could match.
The star was the younger half of the duo, Karen Carpenter.
The 22-year old Karen quite and conservative off stage, captured the audience with intelligent and relaxed interpretations.
She was supported by brother Richard at the electric piano,and a basic backing group of five musicians.
The musicians, all former members of well-known American bands, projected their talents with clarity and polish. They
provided a varied and capable backing for the duo's warm bell-like harmonies. The addition of a 35-piece string and brass orchestra
made the Carpenters sound as good as, if not better than, their award winning records.
Supporting the Carpenters was a virtually unknown singer, Denny Brooks--at times sounding much like Neil Diamond, he brought
the house down with his one-verse rendition of The Pub With No Beer."

Source:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...ddjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tJADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6178,5243628
 
GaryAlan said:
Denny Brooks--at times sounding much like Neil Diamond, he brought
the house down with his one-verse rendition of The Pub With No Beer."
Click to expand...
After which, Denny Brooks was summarily fired by Richard Carpenter. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously, this is a terrific review, the type of which Karen and Richard deserved and should have continued to receive...
 
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