newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
I'm sure we must have covered this before but - how do we reconcile this comment with the shot below?
30th Anniversary coverage of Karen's death
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I'm sure we must have covered this before but - how do we reconcile this comment with the shot below?
cam89
Well-Known Member
Yes, I remember these photos from the inside of CARPENTERS COMPLETE vol 1 and 2 songbooks. My mother gave them to me for my birthday in July 1989. I was 17, and so thrilled! There was not a lot of Carpenters stuff available, save perhaps a cassette or something at the local record store....it was a few years before I found out that were lots of memorabilia here and there. One regret, I had a $10 check signed by Agnes Carpenter herself, and I wished I had saved it. But I didn't. But for a moment, I had the mother of Richard and Karen's signature on a piece of paper!!! Of course later on, I got signatures from Richard, which I still have......by the way, looking at Karen's photos from the solo sessions....some of them look as if she had dyed her hair, or maybe frosted the tips or something...or maybe it was something they added on just for that photo shoot.....
Mark-T
Well-Known Member
I think here is how we reconcile the solo album cover question: I saw it as the photo below- trust me, I stood there and just looked at the jacket for a Long time. Perhaps a decision was made earlier to change that decision from the white sweatshirt to this?
I'm sure we must have covered this before but - how do we reconcile this comment with the shot below?
wideawakeat4am
Well-Known Member
Very much so.
It is hard to know what to say as words always seem so inadequate at times like these, but I'm sure Karen looks down with a smile.
May she sing forever x
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
And another article just went online:
http://www.thebacklot.com/rememberi...ing-facts-about-the-legendary-singer/02/2014/
http://www.thebacklot.com/rememberi...ing-facts-about-the-legendary-singer/02/2014/
wideawakeat4am
Well-Known Member
They've got the date of Karen's passing wrong! They've put the 3rd February.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Thanks Gary for posting that video, that is a new one to me...never seen that Casey Kasem clip, so nice to see Karen speaking, this looks like around 81, Karen and Richard are very tan looking and this interview reminds me so much of the interview they did on Good Morning America where Richard is looking over at Karen and just letting Karen take over the interview, Richard being very careful about what he says. It's so bittersweet because I crave for these later interviews just to hear Karen & Richard speaking about their career, the fans and yet Karen is so terrible looking.
This interview is a prime example of how Karen puts the emotional aspect into their interviews, speaking of how important the fans are to their career and their music....she really understands how much the fans mean to her and their music....I think....if she had lived she would have only grown closer and closer to the fan base....embracing our love towards her and her music and voice....this is something I just don't think Richard ever got, he always lacked the emotional side and that is half of why the fans love our favorite artist the other being the music. Karen just expressed it so that she always made mention of the fans. She was so special, you could just see the excitement in her actions and voice.
This interview is a prime example of how Karen puts the emotional aspect into their interviews, speaking of how important the fans are to their career and their music....she really understands how much the fans mean to her and their music....I think....if she had lived she would have only grown closer and closer to the fan base....embracing our love towards her and her music and voice....this is something I just don't think Richard ever got, he always lacked the emotional side and that is half of why the fans love our favorite artist the other being the music. Karen just expressed it so that she always made mention of the fans. She was so special, you could just see the excitement in her actions and voice.
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Great to see that interview finally surface, I remember seeing it only the once and always wanted to see it again 
byline
Well-Known Member
Thank you for posting that NYT article and American Top 40 video! Both gems. Amazing how spot-on that NYT article was.
I was with friends when the news report came on the TV. I was shocked and saddened, but felt I had to hide my reaction because one friend was laughing it off in much the same way that people laugh off many celebrity deaths. I only came to terms with my feelings much later, especially as her death was caused by a condition that is still so difficult to treat. But back then, far less was known than is known now. If anything good came out of Karen's death, it's that it brought anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders out of the shadows. Many girls and women were prompted to seek treatment after her death.
I was with friends when the news report came on the TV. I was shocked and saddened, but felt I had to hide my reaction because one friend was laughing it off in much the same way that people laugh off many celebrity deaths. I only came to terms with my feelings much later, especially as her death was caused by a condition that is still so difficult to treat. But back then, far less was known than is known now. If anything good came out of Karen's death, it's that it brought anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders out of the shadows. Many girls and women were prompted to seek treatment after her death.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
This video was posted on another forum, I've never seen this, apparently it was a "Songs Special", which aired on Japan's NHK on April 9, 2009. Richard performs at the end with Karen on video, it's nice to see Akiko performance and Richard interacting.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE0MzUwMjA0.html
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE0MzUwMjA0.html
song4u
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for posting that Chris. I'd forgotten how beautiful Akiko Kobayashi's singing voice is. It's plain to see why Richard Carpenter worked with her - she has similarities in style and range to Karen.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
The ending at 22:58-23:30 you can clearly see Richard choking up and getting teary eyed...when he says Karen was the voice of my songs and in 1 fell swoop she was gone, leaving me without a voice...
I don't think I have seen him so vulnerable on an interview, he always seems to be more relaxed and open for the Japan audience. I agree the Akiko segment was great to see in such great clarity and nice to see his speaking parts were not overdubbed so as not to hear him as the case on some past Japan broadcasts. It would be nice for Japan to include some of these specials on future box set for the fans to preserve.
I don't think I have seen him so vulnerable on an interview, he always seems to be more relaxed and open for the Japan audience. I agree the Akiko segment was great to see in such great clarity and nice to see his speaking parts were not overdubbed so as not to hear him as the case on some past Japan broadcasts. It would be nice for Japan to include some of these specials on future box set for the fans to preserve.
song4u
Well-Known Member
I think that in Japan the public at large were probably kinder to him after Karen's passing. He took a lot of abuse from non-fans here, and even from some fans of Karen here.
Mark-T
Well-Known Member
Watching this now. Looks like Akiko is singing a Richard composition- "Fall in Love"? Did they work together again?
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Great to see new footage of Richard, but if this is his song, I think the English lyrics are pretty lame. It reminds me of the lines from 'Together At Christmas Again' - "traces of summer, have long departed.../...my winter's reverie, returns to you and me". No one talks like that any more. If that's what Richard's supposed solo album is made up of, I'd rather pass.
I've never understood his fascination with Akiko...she's a tribute singer at best with a nice voice but terrible pronunciation, which makes me wonder why he ever signed up to the project.
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Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
I could be wrong but I believe that song, "Fall in Love" was Akiko's hit song that made her famous back in 1985, people close to her advised her to contact Richard about recording and Richard heard a demo tape of Akiko and they decided to record together in 1988. I think in the video, Richard was just listening and saying how great she sounded on that song but Richard didn't produce or write that song it was her hit before they got together.
Akiko also released a cover's album on CD of Carpenters hits. Both of these CD's (City of Angels- produced by Richard) and her CD of Carpenters Covers "A Song for You") are both out of print. I really like her voice and can see why Richard produced an album with her...you can see in this video how much she looks up to Richard.
Akiko also released a cover's album on CD of Carpenters hits. Both of these CD's (City of Angels- produced by Richard) and her CD of Carpenters Covers "A Song for You") are both out of print. I really like her voice and can see why Richard produced an album with her...you can see in this video how much she looks up to Richard.
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Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
If you search Richard Carpenter on that tube site there are other performances I have never seen before from Japan with Richard.
Here is another, Richard plays piano on YOM with a boy band vocal group with full orchestra and video of R&K at the end. I never knew he did this performance in Japan.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTIxNzg3NTEy.html
Here is another, Richard plays piano on YOM with a boy band vocal group with full orchestra and video of R&K at the end. I never knew he did this performance in Japan.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTIxNzg3NTEy.html
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