Do You Think Richard Should Release A New Single?

Should Richard release a new Carpenters single in North America?


  • Total voters
    29

tomswift2002

Well-Known Member
In light of the fact that Richard's prepping a vinyl release of Carpenters material, do you think he should release a new single to North American radio to promote it? After all, the last Carpenters single released in the US & Canada was "If I Had You/The Uninvited Guest" in 1989.
 
I thought Tryin To Get The Feeling Again was a release in 1994. Any way, There are a few left on the vine as possibilities. It would be nice to hear Karen one last time on a new to us song! But, somehow it needs tied to a movie.
 
As far as I am aware, while Canada got the UK version of "Interpretations", we did not get the single of TTGTFA, which was released in the U.K. Just like Japan got "The Rainbow Connection/Leave Yesterday Behind/Superstar-Rainy Days & Mondays Medley" in 2001. So the last Carpenters single released in Canada was "If I Had You", which was also the last single released in the US.
 
As far as I am aware, while Canada got the UK version of "Interpretations", we did not get the single of TTGTFA, which was released in the U.K. Just like Japan got "The Rainbow Connection/Leave Yesterday Behind/Superstar-Rainy Days & Mondays Medley" in 2001. So the last Carpenters single released in Canada was "If I Had You", which was also the last single released in the US.
I thought that might be the case. Thanks for the clarification. I’ll try to remember from now on. I used to have one of those
2001 singles but gave it to a girl I knew who finally got pregnant and who liked Karen’s voice and she liked her singing the Rainbow Connection so I gave it to this new Mom to be in celebration of her miracle baby! It’s hard to keep up! I still want one of the goodies left remaining!
 
I voted no for the simple reason that Richard has pretty much done all he could to preserve the Carpenters legacy thru the many years of recordings and remixes etc. As mentioned elsewhere it appears he has made it clear he's all done and he is now enjoying a very much deserved retirement with his wife and family and as a fan I'm Grateful for everything he and Karen have done together as well as separately over the years and I'm pretty content with what I have in my library.to enjoy for many more years to come.
 
He did that for over 20 years. He's allowed to retire and not give it another thought if he chooses, IMHO.

Ed
Agreed. Up until the SACD release in 2005(?) the man never stopped, and over the last decade he's still overseen compilations, docs, forewords etc.

The last of the kids is at college now. Maybe with more free time on his hands we'll see him dabbling a little more.
 
I don't count RC out. He's got a few tricks up his sleeve. However to tie the vinyl release to a new single might be a golden opportunity.
 
It's up to Richard.

In this digital download age, singles don't work the same way that they used to. Maybe a digital version makes more sense than a physical version.

The U.K. seems to be the only place where there might be some general interest from the public in a single. There seems little point in other places, unless it was just a bonus single packaged with the vinyl albums for the relative few who would be buying these albums.

I'm not sure how promos and radio stations work in the US, or whether there would be enough radio stations interested in Carpenters' music to warrant a promo. From what I read in this forum, it seems that even stations that play music of a similar vein and from a similar era don't play Carpenters. However, if it did make sense to release a promo there, why not?

Personally, I am not interested in a single or the vinyl albums, (unless the single was a top-notch song, performance and recording that we haven't heard before).
 
In North America I just don't see the point, for the reasons Brian described. If the box set included an opportunity to digitally download a number of previously unreleased efforts (again, I'm thinking of something like "ABBA Undeleted"), that might be a compelling bonus. Seems like the way to go...little/no expense in manufacturing, but something that the hardcore fans who'd consider the boxed set would want.
 
from what I remember, there is a song called ALL MY LIFE that could be completed. I don't see the wisdom in releasing a vinyl single in the u.s., but, it would be a joy to have one more from Richard and Karen.
 
I reluctantly voted "no". While as a fan I would love something new, I trust Richard's judgement that anything left at this point, unpublished, probably should remain so.

If something new _was_ released, I'd think Japan would also be a place to release it, no? I've heard the C's are still really popular there.
 
Speaking for the masses...Not wishing ain't getting. If Richard has any inkling it would only be bolstered from fans that declare themselves loud and clear. I'd settle for a simple song or even the A Song For You opening to MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC. Single and chart action aside.
We Adore CarpenterS music Richard! Evry shalalala...
 
Richard has some stuff left. Just last year he released "Christmas Alphabet" and "Make Me Laugh". Not to mention the outtakes from Karen's solo album. Plus who knows what else was recorded during the concert that yielded the live Bacharach/David medley.

He could even do a Christmas single with "Christmas Alphabet" as the A-side and his "Touland" or "Christmas Morn" as the B-side.
 
I would love to hear "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress"
In Jimmy Webb's new biography, "The Cake and The Rain" he has at the end of the book
a stellar slew of THE SINGERS that recorded his songs. "Karen Carpenter" is IN there but I don't
recall any released songs by "CARPENTERS" or Karen that were written by Mr. Webb.
 
Richard has some stuff left. Just last year he released "Christmas Alphabet" and "Make Me Laugh". Not to mention the outtakes from Karen's solo album. Plus who knows what else was recorded during the concert that yielded the live Bacharach/David medley.

He could even do a Christmas single with "Christmas Alphabet" as the A-side and his "Touland" or "Christmas Morn" as the B-side.

Would anyone want a 'Christmas Alphabet' single? It's painful enough to watch, let alone listen to!
 
Would anyone want a 'Christmas Alphabet' single? It's painful enough to watch, let alone listen to!
From the specials are there any unreleased Karen Christmas tracks like "Angel In The School Play"?

I know that there's still Richard's version of "Home For The Holidays" from Solid Gold Christmas 84 that could be released.
 
I thought all remaining potential tracks were burned up in the Universal fire a few years ago.
Considering that Richard was able to release Alphabet and Laugh in stereo last Christmas (remember 70's TV audio was mono, stereo simulcasting wasn't introduced until the early-80's and actual stereo broadcasts weren't till about 1986), there are most likely copies around. I think Chris May mentioned in relation to the PBS Singles collection that prior to the fire the majority of Carpenters multi-track tapes had been transferred to digital multi-track tapes and those digital ones had been stored elsewhere. Plus in the case of Alphabet, it was probably on the same tape as another Christmas track like "Sleigh Ride" or "The Christmas Song".
 
My feeling is that if there were something from the vaults that could have been used as a single at various points, it would have been out there already. I think the place to look is in the group of already-released tracks that did not get a chance as an A-side.

And that would lead us back to our earlier thread about the "ten best non-singles." The three top tracks in that vote were "Let Me Be The One," "Road Ode," and "A Song for You." My personal sense is that "LMBTO" is going to reinforce many of the stereotypes that still linger about the C's...but "Road Ode" and "A Song For You" are the bookends of what many believe to be their best LP (seems like a three-way between it, HORIZON and CLOSE TO YOU) and a single release of those two could make for a canny teaser campaign for that "Deep Cut Heaven" CD release that could be culled from our "best non-single" poll results.

I think these two have the greatest potential to push back against the negative elements that linger in the C's image--"Road Ode" is a beautiful track that actually rocks (in a jazzy way, of course), and "A Song For You" is considered by many to be among Karen's best vocal performances (plus it ties the C's back to their association with Leon Russell, which would have to be taken note of in those "hipper than thou" circles).

Both tracks should have been singles at the time of their original release, and I think they could lead a surprisingly sizable number of folks in a 21st century music audience back into the C's musical world--particularly if a "Deep Cut Heaven"-type CD collection was released in rapid succession with it.
 
My feeling is that if there were something from the vaults that could have been used as a single at various points, it would have been out there already. I think the place to look is in the group of already-released tracks that did not get a chance as an A-side.

And that would lead us back to our earlier thread about the "ten best non-singles." The three top tracks in that vote were "Let Me Be The One," "Road Ode," and "A Song for You." My personal sense is that "LMBTO" is going to reinforce many of the stereotypes that still linger about the C's...but "Road Ode" and "A Song For You" are the bookends of what many believe to be their best LP (seems like a three-way between it, HORIZON and CLOSE TO YOU) and a single release of those two could make for a canny teaser campaign for that "Deep Cut Heaven" CD release that could be culled from our "best non-single" poll results.

I think these two have the greatest potential to push back against the negative elements that linger in the C's image--"Road Ode" is a beautiful track that actually rocks (in a jazzy way, of course), and "A Song For You" is considered by many to be among Karen's best vocal performances (plus it ties the C's back to their association with Leon Russell, which would have to be taken note of in those "hipper than thou" circles).

Both tracks should have been singles at the time of their original release, and I think they could lead a surprisingly sizable number of folks in a 21st century music audience back into the C's musical world--particularly if a "Deep Cut Heaven"-type CD collection was released in rapid succession with it.
I like this idea, as long as the vocal harmonies are not hidden. They are clearer in the original versions than in the remix in A Song For You. Road Ode is a perfect remix. For example, the vocal harmonies in the remix of Bless the Beasts and the Children is better, especially in the last chorus than the original, but A Song For You on the phrase ‘love is in there hiding’ sounds more layered in vocal harmony on the original album or Remastered Classics CD than the remix. It could just be my system, since I listen with Dolby encoders, which usually bring those vocals forward, but the remix could be clearer as what was done on the SACD of Merry Christmas Darling.
 
I tend to agree with Brian, singles no longer have the same excitement or serve the same purpose they once did. How wonderful it was to have grown up in the good old days!
 
I like this idea, as long as the vocal harmonies are not hidden. They are clearer in the original versions than in the remix in A Song For You. Road Ode is a perfect remix. For example, the vocal harmonies in the remix of Bless the Beasts and the Children is better, especially in the last chorus than the original, but A Song For You on the phrase ‘love is in there hiding’ sounds more layered in vocal harmony on the original album or Remastered Classics CD than the remix. It could just be my system, since I listen with Dolby encoders, which usually bring those vocals forward, but the remix could be clearer as what was done on the SACD of Merry Christmas Darling.

I couldn't disagree more about the remix of 'Road Ode' - it MORs out what is a perfectly fine original.
 
I couldn't disagree more about the remix of 'Road Ode' - it MORs out what is a perfectly fine original.

"Road Ode", musically speaking, feels to me like "We've Only Just Begun" sideways. Lyrically, they didn't hit what they were going for. Karen's reading nearly saves it but it's pretty weak for me.

Ed
 
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