đź“Ł News Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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I spoke yesterday with a producer over on BBC Radio 2. There's a Carpenters special coming on the 23rd December with Graham Norton (as some of you here mentioned). It's called "Carpenters From A-Z". It's a couple of hours long and will feature a variety of songs including singles, album tracks and stuff from the new album. The producer interviewed Richard at his home last week and the interview will be used on the special. He also said that he's heard the full album and that it is "remarkable" and that all he can say is that Richard's genius shines through whilst showcasing Karen throughout.
 
Maybe the entire album is in the same vein as these two tracks. In the link posted above ("Historic New Album..."), they quote Richard as saying he didn't want the orchestra to get in the way too much. If that's the case, and the result is that they're somewhat buried in the mix and just repeating much of the original arrangement (as is the case with Yesterday Once More), what's the point of having them there at all?

I think the same as you, I heard yesterday eleven more and I waited for the symphony orchestra to explode at some point and it never really happened.
The orchestra sounds more like an accompaniment and the mix sounds like very much behind the voices and the original accompaniment, I also feel that the drums sound very loud which makes me think of the karaokes, I do not know if this kind of confrontation is maintained throughout the cd (hopefully not), but I really expected the music to explode in the metaphorical sense to the voice of karen ....:goodie:
 
You heard eleven more tracks from the new album? How?
Just listen to the 2 songs that were released online, I was referring to that if I followed the tune of these 2 songs in the rest of the songs the album in my opinion would not have the impact that I imagined, for example the Album of Elvis and the Royal Orchestra is simply great as the orchestra accompanies Elvis and does not go behind him ....Regards :rimshot:
 
Just listen to the 2 songs that were released online, I was referring to that if I followed the tune of these 2 songs in the rest of the songs the album in my opinion would not have the impact that I imagined, for example the Album of Elvis and the Royal Orchestra is simply great as the orchestra accompanies Elvis and does not go behind him

Ah ok understood. Those other RPO albums do sound amazing and really showcase the orchestra.
 
Guess we'll all find out on December 7th, huh?

Although I’m in the “slightly underwhelmed” camp so far, I’m still dying to hear the rest of the album. I do think the way it’s been conceived will make it very special and I’m particularly looking forward to hearing the lesser known singles and album tracks, actually more than the hits!
 
Don’t forget that “Ticket To Ride” is scheduled to be released as the next single on Friday (Nov 16).

I am truly looking forward to the new version of TTR. To me this song has the most potential for a goose bumps reaction to having an orchestra added. I also hope that Richard re-recorded the piano in stereo.
Thanks for giving us the heads up!
 
I am truly looking forward to the new version of TTR. To me this song has the most potential for a goose bumps reaction to having an orchestra added. I also hope that Richard re-recorded the piano in stereo.
Thanks for giving us the heads up!
Considering that he re-record the piano parts in stereo on both YOM & MCD, I don’t see why he wouldn’t for TTR.

When I listened to the Beach Boys RPO, it seemed as if they had re-recorded all the parts in stereo, but the core parts that were to sound just like the original mono instrumental parts were mixed to sound like they were mixed in the 60’s, but in stereo. And that’s what YOM & MCD sound like, the classic mix is there, but it’s got orchestral flourishes.
 
I spoke yesterday with a producer over on BBC Radio 2. There's a Carpenters special coming on the 23rd December with Graham Norton (as some of you here mentioned). It's called "Carpenters From A-Z". It's a couple of hours long and will feature a variety of songs including singles, album tracks and stuff from the new album. The producer interviewed Richard at his home last week and the interview will be used on the special. He also said that he's heard the full album and that it is "remarkable" and that all he can say is that Richard's genius shines through whilst showcasing Karen throughout.

Simon, in all your youthful exuberance, you bless us with this gem of a post! Is this going to be a video thing or strictly radio? AND will it be available to Carpenters fans "across the pond"?
 
I am excited for this release. I don’t know if I will Be overwhelmed or underwhelmed, but I can’t wait.

As Carpenters fans we gripe and complain that there isn’t something new and now that there is, it feels like people are complaining that they don’t think it will be what they wanted. Just hang on. It is awesome that Richard has done this and that Carpenters are now back in the light of day for possible new fans to discover for the first time.

Jonathan
 
Simon, in all your youthful exuberance, you bless us with this gem of a post! Is this going to be a video thing or strictly radio? AND will it be available to Carpenters fans "across the pond"?


I believe it's just radio. I think you can get it, a friend of mine in the US has got the BBC Radio 2 app.
 
Is this going to be a video thing or strictly radio? AND will it be available to Carpenters fans "across the pond"?

Graham Norton has a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 2 (as well as a weekly TV show). This one looks like it’s purely radio as Simon said.

As well as the BBC IPlayer app, you should be able to download radio apps on iPhone or Samsung phones which include UK stations. We have apps in the UK which tune in to many US radio stations. Until we find out if it surfaces on YouTube, it’ll be a case of listening in live, depending on what time it broadcasts here and what time it is there. His usual show goes out on Saturday mornings at 10.00am but I think this may be a radio special, so could be a one off show in a completely different slot.

BBC Radio 2 - Graham Norton - Next on
 
This from a journalist called Howard Cohen on his Facebook page, he's played the album in advance. (Please note it sounds like he hasn't listened to it on a proper, or good, music system, just on his computer from downloads !) Here are the points I picked out from his post and comments/replies:

-70 piece orchestra is most noticeable on Yesterday Once More, Ticket To Ride, Rainy Days And Mondays and Goodbye To Love, orchestrations are fuller, decorative.

-addition of melancholic acoustic guitar on Superstar

-on Hurting Each Other when Karen sings "Can't We Stop"... The music abruptly stops (*I presume to go into a new orchestral segue to I Need To Be In Love*)

-Close To You, Top Of The World and This Masquerade less subtle

-He recieved a pdf from A&M which he hasn't opened yet that he presumes are linear notes: track by track and photos.

-Touch Me When We're Dancing's arrangement is quite good upon first listen.

-Minute long orchestral intro to Hurting Each Other which he describes as well as others on the album as having a "cinematic quality"

-Karen is up front and never lost in instruments

-Drumming is more muscular and full.


I will reiterate again that he has NOT listened to it properly.

On a side note regarding the two songs so far released, I've listened hundreds of times to them with my Sony headphones AND on my Samsung Hi Fi audio system and I can really hear a difference, the orchestra is noticeable, Karen sounds clearer than ever and the songs sound fresh and new, contemporary, up to date even. People need to remember Richard's "all done" comment and realise how great this is.
 
Some random thoughts ahead of this release:

1. One track I am really looking forward to hearing is Rainy Days And Mondays. The song is so beautiful, I’m wondering if Richard has made any alterations to the existing arrangement.
2. I’m wondering how many of the tracks feature re-recorded drums.
3. Will the liner notes include details of who played on the new recordings and when they were done?
4. Will there be any new photos of Richard and Karen in the booklet?
5. Will there be any more video footage?

Regarding drums, the re-recording was done here in L.A. back in July and I'm not privy to how many tracks were done. As everyone already figured out, YOM was one of them. Richard specifically requested a complete note-for-note takedown of Karen's playing for this one. It was the only request for a drum chart.

As I mentioned before, a video crew took extensive footage of 2 days worth of sessions at Abbey Road Studios. I don't know how this will be used.

I hesitate to mention too much of what I know, not knowing whether it will relieve disappointment or cause it. I can tell you that these songs are connected:

Overture—>Yesterday Once More—>Hurting Each Other—>I Need To Be In Love
(there's a hard break after "Hurting Each Other", but the intro to "I need To Be In Love" starts with melodies from it).
The Overture is not long, a scaled down version of the old one, with new material leading into YOM.

Merry Christmas, Darling—>Baby, It’s You

There may be some other surprises. Once more, I'm not privy to anything that was changed, added, or eliminated after the London sessions.
 
My only advance disappointment is having “Merry Christmas, Darling” (a Christmas song) sequenced in the middle of the album. Personally, as was the case with “From The Top”, I’ll only enjoy listening to the entire disc a couple of months per year; unless I remember to have my remote control in hand to skip the song or (when playing the vinyl) stand up, lift the tone arm to manually skip it. I’d prefer it was somehow treated as a hidden or “bonus track” (separate from the rest of the “program”).
 
70 piece orchestra is most noticeable on Yesterday Once More, Ticket To Ride, Rainy Days And Mondays and Goodbye To Love, orchestrations are fuller, decorative.

This doesn’t bode well for me if he considers Yesterday Once More to be one of the tracks where the orchestration is fuller, more decorative and most noticeable.
 
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My only advance disappointment is having “Merry Christmas, Darling” (a Christmas song) sequenced in the middle of the album.

This is my one and only complaint about this release, so far...I'll wait until I actually hear it to evaluate further. I don't know why Richard insists on inserting Christmas songs into places where they just don't belong. But I have a feeling he doesn't consider MCD a Christmas song in the typical sense -- to him it's just another amazing Carpenters song.
 
Merry Christmas, Darling—>Baby, It’s You

There may be some other surprises. Once more, I'm not privy to anything that was changed, added, or eliminated after the London sessions.

Certainly things could have changed but from the track order for the LP's....when MCD ends the user will have to lift the record and turn it over in order to start Baby It's You. I'm not sure how these songs could be connected from an LP aspect. Perhaps the CD version is different than the LP versions.

Here are the official tracks for the LP and how they flow. LP #1 ( A=side 1, B=side 2) LP #2 (C=side 3, D=side 4)

A1. OVERTURE
A2. YESTERDAY ONCE MORE
A3. HURTING EACH OTHER
A4. I NEED TO BE IN LOVE
A5. FOR ALL WE KNOW

B1. TOUCH ME WHEN WE’RE DANCING
B2. I BELIEVE YOU
B3. I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN
B4. MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING

C1. BABY IT’S YOU
C2. (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU
C3. THIS MASQUERADE
C4. SUPERSTAR
C5. RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS

D1. TICKET TO RIDE
D2. GOODBYE TO LOVE
D3. TOP OF THE WORLD
D4. WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN
 
This from a journalist called Howard Cohen on his Facebook page, he's played the album in advance. (Please note it sounds like he hasn't listened to it on a proper, or good, music system, just on his computer from downloads !) Here are the points I picked out from his post and comments/replies:

-70 piece orchestra is most noticeable on Yesterday Once More, Ticket To Ride, Rainy Days And Mondays and Goodbye To Love, orchestrations are fuller, decorative.

-addition of melancholic acoustic guitar on Superstar

-on Hurting Each Other when Karen sings "Can't We Stop"... The music abruptly stops (*I presume to go into a new orchestral segue to I Need To Be In Love*)

-Close To You, Top Of The World and This Masquerade less subtle

-He recieved a pdf from A&M which he hasn't opened yet that he presumes are linear notes: track by track and photos.

-Touch Me When We're Dancing's arrangement is quite good upon first listen.

-Minute long orchestral intro to Hurting Each Other which he describes as well as others on the album as having a "cinematic quality"

-Karen is up front and never lost in instruments

-Drumming is more muscular and full.


I will reiterate again that he has NOT listened to it properly.

On a side note regarding the two songs so far released, I've listened hundreds of times to them with my Sony headphones AND on my Samsung Hi Fi audio system and I can really hear a difference, the orchestra is noticeable, Karen sounds clearer than ever and the songs sound fresh and new, contemporary, up to date even. People need to remember Richard's "all done" comment and realise how great this is.

I agree. I listened to YOM last night, for the 8th time, and 'finally' heard all the changes - and loved them.
 
www.udiscovermusic.com/news/richard-carpenter-close-to-you/
From Universal Music, Richard Carpenter....
Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the latest in a series of RPO album projects....
---
"As Carpenter tells it, Alpert presented him with a simple lead sheet.
“It was just the song as it was written, no introduction, no arrangement, it’s just the bars,
the melody, lyrics and basic chord changes and that’s it,” Carpenter tells uDiscover Music.
---
"It turned out that Close To You was the perfect song to showcase Karen’s and my abilities.”
 
I received an email today from the Carpenters Official Store regarding my pre-order of the LE white vinyl w/ signed litho.

"As you may know, vinyl production can be a lengthy process and sometimes delays are inevitable. We were just informed that our vinyl has encountered a brief production delay and is now slated to ship on February 8th.
Rest assured that as soon as the vinyl arrives to our warehouse, we will get them turned around and shipped out to you!
Thanks for your patience and support,
Carpenters Official Store

There address was also listed at the bottom of the email, so apparently these will be shipped from Milwaukee, WI

I thought that was the original release date anyway for the vinyl?
 
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