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Fan Club Newsletter #67, May 1980:
Karen plays drums on these cuts, Close To You Album....
Love Is Surrender
Mr. Guder
Another Song
I'll Never Fall In Love Again.
I'm surprised that she wasn't on the drums for "Help". I had always assumed that she played the drums on both the Your Navy Presents recording and on the album recording.Fan Club Newsletter #67, May 1980:
Karen plays drums on these cuts, Close To You Album....
Love Is Surrender
Mr. Guder
Another Song
I'll Never Fall In Love Again.
What I was hoping to find was some more information about "Love Is Surrender".
Here is an original recording by Ralph Carmichael & The Young People.
The changes Richard made are far beyond just the words. The tempos, the swing, the harmony. Sorry, much better.
This is a classic example of Richard being at the top of his game. His arrangement takes the song into a completely different territory and it’s almost unrecognisable compared to the original. Fast forward to 1978, when he seemed incapable of rendering anything other than carbon copies of original songs that they went on to cover...
B’Wana She No Home, Slow Dance, I Believe You, Touch Me When We’re Dancing, Beechwood 4-5789, All You Get From Love Is A Love Song, (Want You) Back In My Life Again, Calling Occupants, Man Smart Woman Smarter...
...the list goes on.
Probably all...He was a dim light bulb during his addiction.How much of this was due to his Quaalude's addiction, I wonder.
Here is a promo ad that is new to me....it ran for half the page...pretty cool but why would marketing allow an Offering photo for the Close To You Single? Maybe it was a UK thing?
Your right, it’s like they were saying how are we going to market these...a brother and sister you would think it was the first brother and sister singers of all time. Ha It really became an issue that even up to 81 on the Merv show Karen was still talking about brother sister vs husband wife. This should have all been nipped in the bud the moment they emerged in 69, 70 and should have never have been an issue ever again.If you think about it, there is very little photographic evidence that they did any proper photoshoots in 1970, aside from the album cover (which, I agree with Richard, is "crappy"). They really only started doing proper shoots with their third and fourth albums. Google "Carpenters 1970" and all you see are a few shots from 1969 and then most from 1971 onwards.
Karen was always a beautiful woman, I really believe (and I'll be crucified for this)
that Karen should have been the only person photographed for all Album Covers.
The marketing was even more obfuscated than simply brother-sister
singing love-songs....vs. husband-wife singing love songs (being easier to visualize).
In the early years Karen was at the drums, and exhibited a stronger physical persona than her brother--
here, Richard 'sitting' at his piano, singing backup vocals.
So long as she remained behind the drums ( back then, a male-dominated instrument)
and sang lead vocals, she would appear to the public as the stronger personality.
Note, too, Richard was quite lean much of the time, sometimes more-so than Karen,
so, that too, would pose a visual issue !
There was more going on marketing-wise besides the brother/sister persona !
(Karen--recall- was quite athletic--pitching in softball, for instance).
Karen was always a beautiful woman, I really believe (and I'll be crucified for this)
that Karen should have been the only person photographed for all Album Covers.
(Save the duo photos for the inside, and record co. promos).
Of course, keep "Carpenters" logo, simply emphasize Richard as Arranger and Producer.
^^Keep in mind, I am only approaching my above post
purely from a "marketing" angle.....that is, marketing the Albums.....
I am not implying that Richard Carpenter was not the musical architect of "the Carpenters" !
Especially those background vocals he arranged---I've always marvelled at that !
So, I want to make clear I am not demoting his talents in any manner.
But, I am implying there had to be a better way (of marketing, that is).
Why did no one put thought into it !
Karen was always a beautiful woman, I really believe (and I'll be crucified for this)
that Karen should have been the only person photographed for all Album Covers.
(Save the duo photos for the inside, and record co. promos).
Of course, keep "Carpenters" logo, simply emphasize Richard as Arranger and Producer.