Another Song

Song4uman

Well-Known Member
putting together a CD of Carpenters songs for a friend and want to include some notes on each song. Where can I find the story about "Another Song"....where it mentions that it is based on a recitative/aria by Handel or something like that.

Has that been talked about on here or is it in the Coleman book?

Thanks
JOnathan
 
I've always found this entry, from Wikipedia for the Close To You album, very interesting:

"Another Song" was another Carpenter/Bettis creation that was very different from the typical Carpenters song and is essentially a suite in three movements: a pop section (0:00–1:45), a medieval-influenced section (1:45–2:28), and a jazz
section (2:28–4:22). The song opens with a short prelude based on the harmony and melodic contour of the accompanied recitative "And, lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them" from Part I of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah (1742).
 
This was one of the original songs that made the Carpenters seem "cool" to me -- as purveyors of a lot of "love songs," they were really "uncool" to my early '70s teenage self (although I hated to admit that I LIKED those love songs). "Another Song" proved that they really had the instrumental chops and were adventurous.
 
And this from Rick Henry. Carpenters --- Album by Album: Song by Song. Lexington, KY: R. Henry, 2014.

"The song, which dates back to their Spectrum days, starts out with Karen's crystal clear vocal delivery as she sings the perils of a lost love. Karen's vocal begins tender and delicate but works into a cry of a yearning intensity. Slowly the music works gracefully into a well thought out thunderstorm of music where each instrument carefully portrays the emotions of emptiness and forlorn love. The song ends sounding like a master jam performed in a similar vein as what you may hear from the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Karen not only performs lead vocals on this song but also masterfully shows her jazz-influenced chops on the drums.

'Another Song' is one of several recorded by Carpenters which displays their unique and versatile talents. The breadth of their musical spectrum crosses over a wider scope than most realize."​
 
And this from Rick Henry. Carpenters --- Album by Album: Song by Song. Lexington, KY: R. Henry, 2014.

"The song, which dates back to their Spectrum days, starts out with Karen's crystal clear vocal delivery as she sings the perils of a lost love. Karen's vocal begins tender and delicate but works into a cry of a yearning intensity. Slowly the music works gracefully into a well thought out thunderstorm of music where each instrument carefully portrays the emotions of emptiness and forlorn love. The song ends sounding like a master jam performed in a similar vein as what you may hear from the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Karen not only performs lead vocals on this song but also masterfully shows her jazz-influenced chops on the drums.

'Another Song' is one of several recorded by Carpenters which displays their unique and versatile talents. The breadth of their musical spectrum crosses over a wider scope than most realize."​
I don't think I could have said it any better. The recitative introduces the song (aria) that follows. The vocal stacks of overdubbed harmonic structure on the word GONE is the pathway to the desolation that follows in the land of a lost love. It's not clear as to the reason for the lost of warmth of this love, it could even be suicide as in Romeo and Juliet or some adaption from a Puccini opera. It is a very clever adaption of using the formula done in earlier times and the jazz influenced instrumental ending is as descriptive as Karen's vocals that depict several moods during the song. This song is layered in goodies as a candy bar dipped and layered in chocolate. It is one of the best offerings from Close To You and is a perfection conclusion to the album.
Not to take anything away from these "greats", but this song did not need Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach or Leon Russell. It is pure Carpenters and one of my favorites and shows the promise of great songwriters equal to those "greats" just mentioned. If you could make a album from the idea of "PASSAGE", taking songs from their career, this song would certainly fit.
 
This song is layered in goodies as a candy bar dipped and layered in chocolate. It is one of the best offerings from Close To You and is a perfection conclusion to the album.

I agree with you, @CraigGA! I really enjoy how you've described this gem and how you equate the song in terms of its Passage-esque feel. Over the years, I have played this song for friends in an effort to showcase Carpenters' versatility and musicality, in particular Karen's drumming. And when I want to highlight Karen's vocal ability, my go-to song is "Solitaire," but that's another song...
 
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Another Song demonstrates Carpenters ability to almost have their sound explode in your head. It sounds dramatic, but listen to this track with headphones, and you should feel that sound. It's the combination of vocals and drums, carefully linked together, it's all down to intricate timing. A Carpenters masterpiece.
 
It’s such an unusual song in many ways. It has a dark, baroque feel to it with lots of minor chords, an offbeat lyric, some great dramatic harmonies and amazing drumming from Karen, right up to the cold ending. An underrated gem of a song. I’m so glad it got a much needed remix.
 
This thread made me fo listen to this song. I've chosen the remix on Sweet Memory: at last.

The remix I like as it gives it a fresh breath of life.
 
"Another Song" is one of the primary reasons why, as much as I love the Carpenters' subsequent musical output, the CLOSE TO YOU LP has always been my favorite. The eclecticism displayed on it is still astonishing today.

It would have been totally amazing to hear them do this song in concert!!
 
All the more astounding given that
Another Song
is only represented once on any subsequent anthology/compilation.
I listened to the SHM-Jp replica cd, quite an impressive sonic experience.
The song is most certainly different in structure from subsequent Carpenter/Bettis compositions.
 
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