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I just uploaded this to YouTube. Enjoy!
Not really the sort of thing that was going to burn up the charts in 1978
I just uploaded this to YouTube. Enjoy!
I think I hear Richard on background vocals. But for B.L Mitchell, I think “Venus” should’ve been the A side.
But I think Richard should’ve recorded a lead vocal himself and put it on “Horizon” or “A Kind Of Hush”, it would’ve made either album better and would’ve been a stand-out track on either. Richard did a good job with lead vocals on the older songs on “Now & Then” And “Live In Japan”, such as “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” And “Daddy’s Home”.
Makes me wonder if there is a Richard lead to “Venus” in the vaults. We know that Richard And Karen recorded tracks for their own collections, so I wonder if Richard maybe used the same backing track but recorded his own vocal (just like he would do years later, but in reverse for “All Those Years Ago” And strip Veronique’s vocals from the track and just put the instrumental track on PACC).Yeah, is that Karen and Richard on the backgrounds? Richard's mixed it low coz this was a Mitchell showcase not the Carpenters, but I think I hear him and maybe her too.
B.L. has a sweet voice. . .reminds me of David Gates, whom Karen loved so it makes sense they backed this fellow.
Considering how ill they both were in '78 they were spinning a lot of plates. . .massive Christmas Album, recordings for a planned '79 album, concerts, 2 TV specials, producing this chap, promoting and remixing a new singles album, several guests spots on TV shows. . . .I think I'd be ready for Menninger's by the end of that lot.
Makes me wonder if there is a Richard lead to “Venus” in the vaults. We know that Richard And Karen recorded tracks for their own collections, so I wonder if Richard maybe used the same backing track but recorded his own vocal (just like he would do years later, but in reverse for “All Those Years Ago” And strip Veronique’s vocals from the track and just put the instrumental track on PACC).
I think I can hear K&R’s background vocals, too.
The “A” side almost sounds like a dramatic Barry Manilow tune at the end, with the orchestra and choir. I think with a little “de-easyfying” the “A” side could have been a decent hit. For me its the oboe on both of these tunes that takes it one toe over the line too far into the easy listening category. I’d love to know more about how they found him though and what their plans were and where he is now. Outside of what was in the fan club letter, that is.I was just listening to the ‘A’ side of this single, ‘Where I Want to Be’, on YouTube, and thought that B. L. Mitchell sounds quite a bit like Neil Sedaka in the quieter sections of that song.
Discogs lists ‘Where I Want To Be’ as B. L’s only release, but wasn’t ‘Leave Yesterday Behind’ also a single by him?
I’d love to know more about how they found him though and what their plans were and where he is now. Outside of what was in the fan club letter, that is.
I imagine they stumbled across him somewhere/somehow and wanted to share the magic? But that is a very good question.With all the troubles going on in their personal and professional lives, why were they going to all the additional time and effort of producing a non-entity at this point in their careers?
Could he have been foisted on them by A&M?With all the troubles going on in their personal and professional lives, why were they going to all the additional time and effort of producing a non-entity at this point in their careers?
Agree it sounds to me like something to the effect of " Neil Sedaka Meets the Carpenters". I like the song and this cover version as well but sadly this came out several years too late but it would have been a hit had it been recorded in about 1973 or so. Just my opinion.Sounds a LOT like Neil Sedaka.
Hi Jarred - no I do not have the single; a friend of mine does, and he graciously made a mp3 for me of both sides. I'd like to get single from him someday, so we will see...Did you have actual 45?
Jarred - I do have the promo 45 (bought it online recently). with Where I Want to Be on both sides. Was always curious to hear Venus, and to think I could have bought copies from the fan club when I was a member in the late 1970s. There are at least three other songs that B. L. Mitchell recorded for this project that were never released: Mad, Lately, Funny FacesDid you have actual 45?