Karen Carpenter Solo Sessions - Continued
- Thread starter leadmister
- Start date
Murray
Well-Known Member
I
that photo so much! But now Chris De Burgh is singing "The Lady In Red", in my head, and I can't make him stop! 
JohnFB
She was born to belong to the lines of a song...
I really love it too Mark - it didn't make it into one of the 6 that I put together in my avatar, but only because I saw it later - may have to revise that...That B&W photo is my favorite from the solo sessions. In fact, It's equal to my avatar photo. Which everyone here knows I love.
JohnFB
She was born to belong to the lines of a song...
I did the same thing yesterday in my basement workshop while re-loading shotgun shells - my wife was out so I cracked up the volume and played the album from my phone thru the Bluetooth speakers on both sides of my bench. I think this may be the first time I've ever heard the album at full volume.
My impression: the album sounded better as a whole than it ever had before; some of the songs that I was on the fence about before, such as "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night" sounded much better ( this has more of a jazz feel than I originally thought) and "Make Believe..." really stood out for the simple arrangement and the intimacy of her interpretation; and I have to admit that the strength of Karen's voice was more pronounced than my long-standing impression (although still not as beautifully resonant as the pre-75 Karen).
Yes, I agree that the album should have been released right away - out of respect and love for Karen and all the effort and time she put into it; as a recognition for all that she had accomplished for the label in the past, including a whole ton of money flowing into their coffers; and because with at least 5 really good songs it deserved to be put out to her adoring public because this was a better number than many albums. (As mentioned before, it's ironic or maybe a little hypocritical that Richard later discovered that 4 of the songs on the Solo Album were suddenly good enough to be included on the "Lovelines" album.)
I would have changed some of the song choices (leaning heavily towards a smooth or fusion jazz sound); I would have given the producer role to Bob James; and I would have probably gone with lower keys on many of the songs because this was where her voice was so compelling and mesmerizing and where her millions of fans wanted her to be - there was no need to sing in a higher range, especially just to do something different.
But, I really do like that idea of a duet with Billy Joel!
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I never knew this hidden gem was on that DVD, which I've got. Thanks so much for pointing that out Chris! I'm going to dig it out and see if I can get a high resolution USB grab of it from my DVD player.
New Horizons.
Well-Known Member
I love all these posts. Just having a catch up. I play this album a lot.
Not sure if it will ever happen but I would like a proper art work vinyl release of this album. Surely a record store day release would be ideal given Karen's now legendary status amongst fans , musicians and a lot of younger fans these days too.
Also a wish for Karen Carpenter the unreleased demo songs from the same session on lp....with a poster.
I see so many artists get these kind of releases. Karen deserves them too.
In my dreams at least.
Not sure if it will ever happen but I would like a proper art work vinyl release of this album. Surely a record store day release would be ideal given Karen's now legendary status amongst fans , musicians and a lot of younger fans these days too.
Also a wish for Karen Carpenter the unreleased demo songs from the same session on lp....with a poster.
I see so many artists get these kind of releases. Karen deserves them too.
In my dreams at least.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Let us know which comes out better. My bet is that Chris photo will look a bit clearer but I’ll be curious.
Vinylalbumcovers
Ah am so steel een luv weeth yoo
LOVE that idea. It’s been floated before and I’d definitely part with my money for it. I’m sure we all would.I love all these posts. Just having a catch up. I play this album a lot.
Not sure if it will ever happen but I would like a proper art work vinyl release of this album. Surely a record store day release would be ideal given Karen's now legendary status amongst fans , musicians and a lot of younger fans these days too.
Also a wish for Karen Carpenter the unreleased demo songs from the same session on lp....with a poster.
I see so many artists get these kind of releases. Karen deserves them too.
In my dreams at least.
Ed
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Wow! First glance - LOVE IT...then I looked at it closer and thought she looks 'waxen'...then I noticed her facial clarity doesn't match the lesser quality of her jacket. The perils of AI technology I guess.
Would this stand up to a large scale poster reproduction is my main question. Thoughts?
What resolution is this Murray?
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newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Second thoughts...I don't need second thoughts. Amazing.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I worked out what was 'odd' about the picture. The AI photo Murray kindly generated was taken from a DVD screenshot, rather than the higher resolution earlier image. So that compounds any flaws already there.
Compare the hair locks left to right. The hair in the AI photo close up (right) looks superimposed and the red jacket is much grainier. I'm massively nit-picking and in the daily scheme of things this is miniscule. But I really want to enlarge the AI photo to a large print and wondering to those with a critical eye, would the artificial nature be too noticeable?
Portlander
Well-Known Member
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Does any one know this answer? The cover photo of Karen’s solo CD, was this photo ever released to the public prior to when the CD came out in Oct 1996?
We know Richard used some of the songs on the Lovelines release in 1989. Did her cover photo on her CD ever get used in 1989 or leaked out. Or was 1996 the first time we ever saw it?
I ask because there is a trade ad for Lovelines from 1989 for the single released If I Had You and it shows both the Lovelines LP but with a large photo of the front used for her CD cover. So this CD cover from her solo CD was used in 1989. I wasn’t aware that photo was shown prior to 1996.
We know Richard used some of the songs on the Lovelines release in 1989. Did her cover photo on her CD ever get used in 1989 or leaked out. Or was 1996 the first time we ever saw it?
I ask because there is a trade ad for Lovelines from 1989 for the single released If I Had You and it shows both the Lovelines LP but with a large photo of the front used for her CD cover. So this CD cover from her solo CD was used in 1989. I wasn’t aware that photo was shown prior to 1996.
goodjeans
Well-Known Member
Me too.i too bought kace's album,on release day,oct 8 1996. mom bless her,she let me skip school that day. great album,raw deal she got.loveya karen
It was raining buckets but I would gave rowed a boat to get it on release day.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Yep - it was published in the original 'From The Top' square box set booklet in 1991.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Ahh, I should have looked there.Yep - it was published in the original 'From The Top' square box set booklet in 1991.
But that was 1991, If I Had You was first released on Lovelines in Oct 1989. How would a trade ad for the single If I Had You off the Lovelines LP use a photo from Karen’s solo Cd cover in the ad? The photo must have first been released in 1989.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Here is the trade ad, hard to read the writing but it’s for the single and off the Lovelines LP.
I believe it was published in a trade magazine in Nov 1989.
This is NOT an ad for her solo album in 1996.
I was just wondering how the press had access to this photo in 1989? It’s a poor copy but looks to me like a full page trade ad.
At the very bottom it says Produced by Phil Ramone then below that says taken from the Lovelines album
I believe it was published in a trade magazine in Nov 1989.
This is NOT an ad for her solo album in 1996.
I was just wondering how the press had access to this photo in 1989? It’s a poor copy but looks to me like a full page trade ad.
At the very bottom it says Produced by Phil Ramone then below that says taken from the Lovelines album
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Here is the trade ad, hard to read the writing but it’s for the single and off the Lovelines LP.
I believe it was published in a trade magazine in Nov 1989.
This is NOT an ad for her solo album in 1996.
I was just wondering how the press had access to this photo in 1989? It’s a poor copy but looks to me like a full page trade ad.
That's an A&M press release for Lovelines - so their marketing department would have had access to the entire library of photos Claude Mougin took of Karen. I'm guessing because it was documented in the liner notes that some of the tracks were from Karen's solo sessions, someone had the idea to look back over the photos from the February 1980 shoot when coming up with ideas for the layout. And don't forget Voice Of The Heart is where the very first photo from those sessions premiered, some six years earlier.
That's a really cool item. Wonder what it would go for now. I was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous item some months back as a gift from a fellow forum member - Lord knows how he found it, but I'll share a photo soon of what I've done with it
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Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Right I know about the VOTH photo but was trying to pinpoint when her solo CD cover was first released and it appears it was on this trade ad from Nov 1989. It amazes me that they used all these photos yet her album would not be released until 7 yrs later.
It’s no wonder the public kept asking Richard when it would be released, A&M and all kept teasing the public with photos and songs from her album but would not give us the “Album”.
It’s no wonder the public kept asking Richard when it would be released, A&M and all kept teasing the public with photos and songs from her album but would not give us the “Album”.
JohnFB
She was born to belong to the lines of a song...
Yes, me too - hell, I'm still befuddled by all of the issues and reissues and mixes and remixes over the years, and weary of fighting the double-tracking battle pretty much on my own - there's no way I can (or want to) get into this complex photo imagination seminar...what next? A video game?Analyzing hair follicles and going all CIS and M15 on me. I've always considered myself a huge fan of the Carpenters but I'm just a novice compared to you guys! I'll just focus on being the number one fan in my neighborhood from now on.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I'd say you're right. The earliest I knew of it was 1991 but this beats it by two years.
