🥂 50th 50th Anniversary Celebration - West Coast*

[Chris May]

Same song, definitely! But done in a "tack" style piano and not horns. Harold and Richard provided the backing vocals while Agnes handled the lead. I think one of the huge takeaways was, at the end, Karen saying "that's my mom," and Richard saying "that's my dad!"

For the record, Karen is actually singing the melody along with Agnes during the partner bit at the end (panned hard-right) while Harold and Richard sing their melody (panned opposite/hard-right). I had a digital transfer made off of one of the acetates that were cut in the studio.

 

[Geographer]

For the record, Karen is actually singing the melody along with Agnes during the partner bit at the end (panned hard-right) while Harold and Richard sing their melody (panned opposite/hard-right). I had this transferred off of one of the acetates that were cut in the studio.

I'm going from memory! Thanks for the added information!!

 

[newvillefan]

I think one of the huge takeaways was, at the end, Karen saying "that's my mom," and Richard saying "that's my dad!"

I’d forgotten about that! Loved it. You can imagine them saying it to camera if the song had been included in the TV special.

 

[Chris May]

 

[Carpe diem]

Same song, definitely! But done in a "tack" style piano and not horns. Harold and Richard provided the backing vocals while Agnes handled the lead. I think one of the huge takeaways was, at the end, Karen saying "that's my mom," and Richard saying "that's my dad!"

I think one of the huge takeaways was, at the end, Karen saying "that's my mom," and Richard saying "that's my dad!"

I really loved that part as well. It was just icing on the cake...

And Agnus really went to her bottom register at times. So reminiscent of Karen. Magnificent "gem" from Chis May to cap off the evening!

 

[Chris May]

And Agnus really went to her bottom register at times. So reminiscent of Karen. Magnificent "gem" from Chis May to cap off the evening!

Her opening note is an "F" below middle-C... just three semitones above Karen's lowest recorded on a lead so that ain't too bad! Very reminiscent actually

 

[Mark-T]

So, @Chris May - whose handwriting is on the label? Karen's, Richard's, yours?

 

[Chris May]

So, @Chris May - whose handwriting is on the label? Karen's, Richard's, yours?

That would be miss Karen's

 

[Mark-T]

Nice! Really nice. (I thought so.)

 

[Carpe diem]

Chis, are you going to post the audio of this on the forum?

 

[Chris May]

Chis, are you going to post the audio of this on the forum?

Unfortunately, no, as this is technically an unreleased track that has been cataloged which is the reason I never posted it online before.

 

[Mark-T]

Makes perfect sense. Maybe it will see the light of day on the rumored new anthology boxed set.

 

[Carpe diem]

Unfortunately, no, as this is technically an unreleased track that has been cataloged which is the reason I never posted it online before.

No worries. Just wanted to say your presentation at the event was great, especially your demonstration of the "vocal stacking" technique the duo used on We've Only Just Begun. Wonderful Job, thank you!

 

[Chris May]

No worries. Just wanted to say your presentation at the event was great, especially your demonstration of the "vocal stacking" technique the duo used on We've Only Just Begun. Wonderful Job, thank you!

Well thank you

I know when you try and explain things like that in a forum discussion online it pales in comparison to a live demonstration. I figured it would be a nice piece of ear candy for the folks at the event!

 

[Proudofyou]

more more more!!!!!! it's like crack cocaine!!!!! (not that I would know). lol. thanks for the uploads.

 

[Geographer]

Well thank you

I know when you try and explain things like that in a forum discussion online it pales in comparison to a live demonstration. I figured it would be a nice piece of ear candy for the folks at the event!

Honestly, there should have been MORE of this during the discussion. Gayle, I think, really saved it as, of course, did Earl Dumler's demonstration and your audio segments. The buffet wasn't too bad either (and I've ate my share of conference buffet's in my lifetime!). The photorealistic cupcakes were impressive for sure. Yummy, yummy, I got Live in Japan in my tummy.

 

[Carpe diem]

Honestly, there should have been MORE of this during the discussion. Gayle, I think, really saved it as, of course, did Earl Dumler's demonstration and your audio segments. The buffet wasn't too bad either (and I've ate my share of conference buffet's in my lifetime!). The photorealistic cupcakes were impressive for sure. Yummy, yummy, I got Live in Japan in my tummy.

Gayle was a delight! My wife and I were behind her in the buffet line and she turned around and asked us where we were from and how did we like the celebration. I told her aside from the traffic we were having a great time. She then went on a humorous rant about how "rush hour" in Los Angeles was 24 hours a day now. You could tell immediately that she was very down to earth and just had that "likeability" factor. Also during the group photo at the very end of the evening as the photographer was setting up the shot she got up from her seat and said something along the lines (not an exact quote) "Excuse me, I have something to say...I really did love Karen, she was like a sister to me."

 

[Rumbahbah]

Thanks for everyone's reports - sounds like a good time was had by all!

What other topics came up in the panel discussion?

 

[Carpe diem]

If you please, a couple of photos from our tour of Downey High School:



The beautiful site of Karen adorns the classroom hallway of famous DHS alumni. My apologies, I didn't frame the shot too well, but isn't she lovely!



Oh, yeah...Richard is there too...

 

[Geographer]

Thanks for everyone's reports - sounds like a good time was had by all!

What other topics came up in the panel discussion?

Sometimes the conversation veered away from Carpenters and into a general discussion of the recording industry today; however, Randy and Chris did their level best to bring it back around. It was interesting, though! Chuck Findley, in my opinion, maybe had an axe to grind over the firing of Jack Daugherty all those years ago? But I could have just been reading into it.

 

[Chris May]

It was interesting, though! Chuck Findley, in my opinion, maybe had an axe to grind over the firing of Jack Daugherty all those years ago? But I could have just been reading into it.

Funny you should mention this. Chuck's recollection of Jack's contribution was actually inaccurate, as Jack really handled the scheduling duties more than anything. He had no experience as a producer to begin with. Not to say that he didn't work hard on Richard and Karen's behalf for A&M when he was there, but he simply was not in all reality responsible for the success of those records as far as the output of the Carpenters' brand or "sound" if you will. He got the tape to Herb, that was about it. Jack tried to sue them after he was fired for essentially "ruining his career by terminating him" which cost about $400k to defend. Ultimately, Jack's name ended up on those early records and they let him go because of this.

When we finish up with the editing of official video footage, I'm hoping to respectfully address a couple of these issues in the post in order to keep the facts in check.

 

[newvillefan]

Chuck Findley, in my opinion, maybe had an axe to grind over the firing of Jack Daugherty all those years ago? But I could have just been reading into it.

I sensed people bristling a bit around the room when Chuck was singing Jack’s praises repeatedly, as we all know what really happened with the benefit of hindsight. I did wonder whether this may have been down to the fact that Chuck wasn’t actually around them much (personally or as a session musician) by the 1980s, so he may have just been unaware of the details of how the association with Daugherty actually ended.

I got a question read out to the whole panel (thank you @Chris May!) which asked for their thoughts on how the Carpenters’ musical style would have adapted as they progressed into the 80s and beyond, had Karen lived. At first they all went “that’s a difficult question” (even Gayle), so I thought “oh dear that didn’t go down well”, but then she and Earle must have given it some thought when others were trying to answer and they went on to give really lengthy, eloquent answers. I was so pleased!

 

[Geographer]

Funny you should mention this. Chuck's recollection of Jack's contribution was actually inaccurate, as Jack really handled the scheduling duties more than anything. He had no experience as a producer to begin with, and not to say that he didn't work hard on Richard and Karen's behalf for A&M when he was there, but he simply was not in all reality responsible for the success of those records as far as the output of the Carpenters' brand or "sound" if you will. He got the tape to Herb, that was about it. Jack tried to sue them after he was fired for essentially "ruining his career by terminating him" which cost about $400k to defend. Ultimately, Jack's name ended up on those early records and they let him go because of this.

When we finish up with the editing of official video footage, I'm hoping to respectfully address a couple of these issues in the post in order to keep the facts in check.

That's what I thought, too (about his recollection being inaccurate); but I was in a room with a lot of people who may or may not know more about the subject than I did/do; however, I just read (in the Complete Discography book, maybe?) where Richard finally had enough when a review for A Song For You credited Mr. Daugherty with the creative genius of that album when it was "all Richard."

 

[Chris May]

I got a question read out to the whole panel which asked for their thoughts on how the Carpenters’ musical style would have adapted as they progressed into the 80s and beyond, had Karen lived. At first they all went “that’s a difficult question” (even Gayle), so I thought “oh dear that didn’t go down well”, but then she and Earle must have given it some thought when others were trying to answer and they went on to give really lengthy, eloquent answers. I was so pleased!

That's the kind of question that brings the tension you want in a discussion like that. It was definitely a great question, and I figured it would get answered thoughtfully and appropriately!

 

[Geographer]

I sensed people bristling a bit around the room when Chuck was singing Jack’s praises repeatedly, as we all know what really happened, only with the benefit of hindsight. I got the impression this may have been down to the fact that Chuck wasn’t actually around them much (personally or as a session musician) by the 1980s, so he may have just been unaware of the details of how the association with Daugherty actually ended.

I got a question read out to the whole panel which asked for their thoughts on how the Carpenters’ musical style would have adapted as they progressed into the 80s and beyond, had Karen lived. At first they all went “that’s a difficult question” (even Gayle), so I thought “oh dear that didn’t go down well”, but then she and Earle must have given it some thought when others were trying to answer and they went on to give really lengthy, eloquent answers. I was so pleased!

Congratulations! That was a GREAT question!!! I'm glad it got asked...and answered. Gayle, I think, contributed the most to that discussion...and it brought the subject of Carpenters back on track!