Carpenters (Reprise)

[Simon KC1950]

Well the Carpenters released 3 reprises, I find them very fun to listen to and nice to hear Karen's beautiful voice singing the words one last time before the album comes to a close.

Which out of the 3 is your favorite?

Are there any other songs that are known to have been recorded as a reprise? Or songs you would like to hear as a reprise?

In some ways the ending of "Close To You" is like a reprise...
The song feels like it has ended with "just like me they long to be Close To You..."
And then...!

"Waaaaa Close To You"

 

[Carpe diem]

For me, it was between two as I have never heard the For All We Know (Reprise) as I have no copy of The Carpenter's self-titled album (I know; SACRILEGE!) in any shape or form. I am still acquiring my C's library. But I voted for, YOM (Reprise) as I like the way they added "so fine...so fine" to it. I like ASFY (Reprise) because it has a certain haunting/dreamlike sound to it. I will adjust my vote if necessary once I get that Tan Album!

 

[Chris May]

Definitely went with Yesterday Once More. The first one was just an edit and remix of the title track, and For All We Know was a little on the bombastic side for me personally. Very tasty mini-remake of YOM.

 

[Simon KC1950]

For me, it was between two as I have never heard the For All We Know (Reprise) as I have no copy of The Carpenter's self-titled album (I know; SACRILEGE!) in any shape or form. I am still acquiring my C's library. But I voted for, YOM (Reprise) as I like the way they added "so fine...so fine" to it. I like ASFY (Reprise) because it has a certain haunting/dreamlike sound to it. I will adjust my vote if necessary once I get that Tan Album!

"For All We Know (Reprise)" is on the album called "The Singles 1969-1981". It was included as a bonus.
it is not on the tan album; it was recorded after the tan album was released for a TV show called Tom Jones' London Bridge Special.

Good luck and have fun with building your Carpenters collection ! ☺

 

[newvillefan]

For me it was A Song For You. That reprise is so hauntingly beautiful and not only the perfect way to close the eponymous album, but it was also used to close The Karen Carpenter Story, with equal impact. Just sublime.

 

[Harry]

I would have also included "Benediction" as a sort-of reprise to "Invocation" on the OFFERING album. The same holds true for "Eventide" being a sort-of reprise for "Aurora" on the HORIZON album.

 

[Toolman]

Both YOM and ASFY close their respective albums nicely. Voted for YOM but it could have gone either way.

 

[arthowson]

Definitely went with Yesterday Once More. The first one was just an edit and remix of the title track, and For All We Know was a little on the bombastic side for me personally. Very tasty mini-remake of YOM.

I agree with For All We Know reprise. It's probably one track that could have remained shelved. Not really worthy of release, like 8 of the 9 leftover Karen tracks. Karen drags on "knooooooowwwww" like she does on that long note at the live 76 Japan concert. Don't remember which song.

 

[newvillefan]

I agree with For All We Know reprise. It's probably one track that could have remained shelved. Not really worthy of release

I agree, I never felt any richer for having it.

 

[GaryAlan]

Here, you can watch the reprise of
For All We Know
(4-minutes in).
Seems as if the camera was panning outward at the point in which Karen sings "...grooow....knoooow...."
so, that may be why it was arranged (Marvin Hamlisch) in that manner....

 

[John Tkacik]

When I was collecting their albums through the 70's and 80's, I would have voted for "Yesterday Once More". That changed when I watched the tv movie in 1989. Richard's use of "A Song For You" at the end was a very emotional moment for me. A fabulous placement of the song in the movie's "playback" of Karen's life.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

One of my favorite parts of the A Song For You album was the reprise at the end; I thought it tied things together perfectly and was a killer close to the album, and I was glad to see that the followup album also included a reprise. Upon listening, I was instantly hooked; they really hit it out of the park with the "Yesterday Once More" reprise...I love it because of all the weird soundscapes and the way the vocals keep building. I only wish it was a minute or so longer.

I agree with Harry that "Benediction" could be considered a reprise on the Offering album too... the melody is different and even the vocals sound quite different than on Invocation, but both tunes end with the word "offering" which puts a nice closer on the procedings.

 

[Another Son]

The reprise of 'Yesterday Once More' is heavenly. All the reverb, echoe and swirling instrumentation gives the impression of dreamily looking back on those halcyon years. The lower tone of the 'o' on the word 'radio' somehow conveys the effect of melancholy and longing. Karen sounds amazing. I love the additional background vocals. And the piece makes the perfect book-end to the 'Now and Then' medley. This song is my choice.

Having said that, I like the reprise of 'For All We Know'. I like the way the arrangement calls for Karen to hold on to the notes around 'May grow' and 'Know'. And I particularly like the accompanying video. I like the way that it's filmed outside and the way that, at the end of the song, the camera begins on Karen and Richard and then gradually pans into a long-shot of the island that they are on at sunset. This also gives the effect of melancholy, particularly in conjunction with the note that Karen holds, the slowing hook phrase and the single final note. It's as if we're saying, 'Goodbye, Carpenters'.

The reprise of 'A Song for You' is a great idea. This shortened version emphasises the poignancy of the song, especially because of the lyrics chosen for this recording. The fact that this reprise was chosen to end 'The Karen Carpenter Story' telemovie just after Karen had said 'Goodnight' to her mother and the world for the last time adds weight to this. However, I don't think that Karen's vocal for either the full-length version of 'A Song for You' or the reprise is her best. I've always been disappointed that she doesn't hit that lowest note very purely, (around 'rhyme', 'you see' and 'of mine'). She's a bit shaky and unconvincing every time she goes for it, even though it's within her range and even though her low tones are usually among her most beautiful. I feel she also rips in to the full-length version of the song too much at times, instead of bringing the light and shade and sensitivity that the lyrics call for.

For me, the best is 'Yesterday Once More', but 'For All We Know' is also up there.

 

[LondonRobert]

YOM for me.
Always loved it so much.
However, the version on the medley without the DJ ( readers digest set? ) is very different, it doesn't build up and have that ethereal effect, it just starts and finishes, with fade.

 

[arthowson]

The reprise of 'Yesterday Once More' is heavenly. All the reverb, echoe and swirling instrumentation gives the impression of dreamily looking back on those halcyon years. The lower tone of the 'o' on the word 'radio' somehow conveys the effect of melancholy and longing. Karen sounds amazing. I love the additional background vocals. And the piece makes the perfect book-end to the 'Now and Then' medley. This song is my choice.

Having said that, I like the reprise of 'For All We Know'. I like the way the arrangement calls for Karen to hold on to the notes around 'May grow' and 'Know'. And I particularly like the accompanying video. I like the way that it's filmed outside and the way that, at the end of the song, the camera begins on Karen and Richard and then gradually pans into a long-shot of the island that they are on at sunset. This also gives the effect of melancholy, particularly in conjunction with the note that Karen holds, the slowing hook phrase and the single final note. It's as if we're saying, 'Goodbye, Carpenters'.

The reprise of 'A Song for You' is a great idea. This shortened version emphasises the poignancy of the song, especially because of the lyrics chosen for this recording. The fact that this reprise was chosen to end 'The Karen Carpenter Story' telemovie just after Karen had said 'Goodnight' to her mother and the world for the last time adds weight to this. However, I don't think that Karen's vocal for either the full-length version of 'A Song for You' or the reprise is her best. I've always been disappointed that she doesn't hit that lowest note very purely, (around 'rhyme', 'you see' and 'of mine'). She's a bit shaky and unconvincing every time she goes for it, even though it's within her range and even though her low tones are usually among her most beautiful. I feel she also rips in to the full-length version of the song too much at times, instead of bringing the light and shade and sensitivity that the lyrics call for.

For me, the best is 'Yesterday Once More', but 'For All We Know' is also up there.

I think Richard said somewhere that those notes you mentioned were the lowest notes she ever performed on any album. He specifically mentioned A Song for You, which happens to be my fav of all time because of all of the nuances in the song.

 

[CraigGA]

Mine Dittos Chris May for the exact same reasons.

 

[GaryAlan]

For me, this was a toss-up between A Song For You and Yesterday Once More.
The Marvin Hamlisch arranged For All We Know, while fitting the television program beautifully,
never did impact me the way the other two did (Richard Carpenter arrangements).
That being said, the Song For You reprise just floors me every time I hear it.
(As it is doing as I write this...).
It also makes perfect counterpoint to "Side One's"
Intermission.....another brilliant piece.

 

[Another Son]

It also makes a perfect counterpoint to "Side One's"
Intermission.....another brilliant piece.

It surprised me one day while listening to classical radio to hear the exact melody of 'Intermission' in a piece created by some composer a century or two ago. I think the vocal arrangement was the same, or very similar, too. On Carpenters records, Richard is credited with the composition, so I was surprised to learn that he had used somebody else's work for the piece. I think it's the same case with at least one of the other 'bookends' - 'Invocation' or 'Benediction'. I know that this has been done in pop music many times over the years. Eric Carmen did it with parts of 'Never Gonna Fall in Love Again' and 'All By Myself', (Rachmaninov, who remains uncredited), Barry Manilow did it with 'Could It Be Magic' and I've heard a couple of other more recent big hits where the melody is lifted straight from classical compositions. It always seems to me that the artists should have to credit the real creators, rather than claiming the work as their own, even if those composers did die a couple of hundred years beforehand. Mind you, Karen and Richard's voices blend beautifully on all of those Carpenters pieces mentioned. Karen sounds incredible, and on the 'Ticket to Ride' bookends, way beyond her 19 years.