⭐ Official Review [Album]: "A KIND OF HUSH" (SP-4581)

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Bass, drums and piano, no orchestration and no woodwinds. Probably sounded quite boring and uneventful. It’s such a slow track, maybe that’s why Karen didn’t like it when she recorded the lead.

Gotcha, so the strings and Tom Scott's sax were added after the fact. It seems I usually agreed with Karen's choices but she missed on this one by a nautical mile. It's absolutely gorgeous and Richard just nailed the production/arrangement too. The last four chord changes are just spine-tingling. For a song she apparently wasn't a fan of, she absolutely nailed the vocal.

Ed

 

[GDBY2LV]

You can hear a bit of it on iTunes for free. It’s almost what they called an answer song in the 60’s. The back ground singers are repeating shoobee dobbee do-wop down down da dobbee dobbee over and over behind Skeeter’s main vocal. It’s very much in the BUIHTD in sound and tempo. I’m sure the writers were capitalizing on Neil Sedaka’s hit. It would have been perfect for Carpenters if they got it right. Very catchy song. Sorry if I misspelled the silly words of the past. I’m sure they opted out because of Please Mr. Postman in 1974. People would grown tired of it after a couple of listenings. Novel, but fun tune. I’d love to hear it someday. BTW it was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Sedaka wrote Oh Carole about her and she answered back with Oh Neil right after. His was a hit, her’s a flop.

 

[Murray]

You can hear a bit of it on iTunes for free. It’s almost what they called an answer song in the 60’s. The back ground singers are repeating shoobee dobbee do-wop down down da dobbee dobbee over and over behind Skeeter’s main vocal. It’s very much in the BUIHTD in sound and tempo. I’m sure the writers were capitalizing on Neil Sedaka’s hit. It would have been perfect for Carpenters if they got it right. Very catchy song. Sorry if I misspelled the silly words of the past. I’m sure they opted out because of Please Mr. Postman in 1974. People would grown tired of it after a couple of listenings. Novel, but fun tune. I’d love to hear it someday. BTW it was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Sedaka wrote Oh Carole about her and she answered back with Oh Neil right after. His was a hit, her’s a flop.

I wonder if Karen and Richard recorded it as a sort of "apology" to Sedaka, but then decided that covering his biggest hit would be a more appropriate gesture...

 

[Chris May]

Gotcha, so the strings and Tom Scott's sax were added after the fact. It seems I usually agreed with Karen's choices but she missed on this one by a nautical mile. It's absolutely gorgeous and Richard just nailed the production/arrangement too. The last four chord changes are just spine-tingling. For a song she apparently wasn't a fan of, she absolutely nailed the vocal.

Ed

The orchestra and Tom’s solo were cut in April of ‘83 to finish the arrangement.

 

[newvillefan]

Gotcha, so the strings and Tom Scott's sax were added after the fact.

The orchestra and Tom’s solo were cut in April of ‘83 to finish the arrangement.

Another track finished off around the same time was Slow Dance, with the flute solo recorded to ready the track for possible inclusion on Voice Of The Heart.

 

[GaryAlan]

Here is Ella Fitzgerald and her live performance of Ordinary Fool.
Had Karen performed Ordinary Fool in a 'live' setting (Tonight Show, for example) imagine the applause !

 

[GaryAlan]

I remind folks of this....
Richard Carpenter (Voice of the Heart):
"the songs are outtakes, and though I still feel that Ordinary Fool
is a good vehicle for Karen and a good piece of arranging and production on my part,
had Karen lived, we would have turned our attention to the new songs (along with some standards, no doubt)
and not thought of these tracks again."
Source:

Carpenters: Voice Of The Heart album 1983

 

[GaryAlan]

I had forgotten to add this opinion: Regarding the song Real Love by Doobie Brothers.
I think the song is terrible.
Not only that, the song Want You Back In My Life Again
has virtually the same rhythm pattern as the song Real Love.
No one hears the similarities except me ?

 

[Geographer]

I had forgotten to add this opinion: Regarding the song Real Love by Doobie Brothers.
I think the song is terrible.
Not only that, the song Want You Back In My Life Again
has virtually the same rhythm pattern as the song Real Love.
No one hears the similarities except me ?

I don't. But I never thought of it before. I will do a side-by-side listen for this. However, of all the rumored songs still "in the vault," this is THE one I am most intrigued with; what Richard would do with the arrangement (assuming he would just "dial" it in, but put his own "spin" on it as only Richard can do) AND how Karen would interpret the lyric. When I listen to this song, I can imagine hearing Karen singing it.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I had forgotten to add this opinion: Regarding the song Real Love by Doobie Brothers.
I think the song is terrible.
Not only that, the song Want You Back In My Life Again
has virtually the same rhythm pattern as the song Real Love.
No one hears the similarities except me ?

It’s just a basic 4/4 Pop/Rock beat. Thousands of songs share it. The melody and chords are totally different.

Of course, I have to live up to my reputation and I actually think it’s “Want You” that’s bad in every conceivable way. It’s uninteresting, the arrangement is just desperate to be cool, and Karen doesn’t care. Nothing about it is good. My dislike for it was immediate and has never cooled.

The Doobies had a top 5 hit with “Real Love” - an achievement that Carpenters hadn’t approached in years by that point. I don’t love the tune either but it’s far fresher than anything Carpenters were giving us by that point.

Ed

 

[Carpe diem]

^^

 

[Mark-T]

I think @Chris May said its not the same "Real Love" as the Doobies recorded. I could be wrong here. It could be the Kenny/Dolly duet.

 

[David A]

Said with light-hearted, humorous intent:

Some on this forum missed their calling as music critics

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Said with light-hearted, humorous intent:

Some on this forum missed their calling as music critics

"Some". Oh, the passive aggressiveness...

I absolutely love reading all the opinions here and how respectful we are of each other while we're expressing them. There are other forums where the moment you express an opinion, you get completely and utterly mugged. I have no patience for stuff like that. I want to read what everyone has to say and I don't want anyone to be afraid to speak their mind. We get to do that here and it's really refreshing.

Ed

 

[Harry]

As someone once said, if we all agreed, why the need for discussion?

 

[David A]

"Some". Oh, the passive aggressiveness...

I absolutely love reading all the opinions here and how respectful we are of each other while we're expressing them. There are other forums where the moment you express an opinion, you get completely and utterly mugged. I have no patience for stuff like that. I want to read what everyone has to say and I don't want anyone to be afraid to speak their mind. We get to do that here and it's really refreshing.

Ed

Glad my comment was taken in the humorous context intended

As to "some"; I really wasn't referencing you specifically. All of us here are passionate about Carpenters and their music, and have strong opinions about a wide variety of things. I've been on this forum over 5 years; many others far longer. If there wasn't free, open, civil discussion about almost anything (there are some "taboo" subjects, obviously), no one would be here that long. I certainly wouldn't.

I just happened to find some recent comments this week in several threads, had that "music critic" feel.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Glad my comment was taken in the humorous context intended

As to "some"; I really wasn't referencing you specifically. All of us here are passionate about Carpenters and their music, and have strong opinions about a wide variety of things. I've been on this forum over 5 years; many others far longer. If there wasn't free, open, civil discussion about almost anything (there are some "taboo" subjects, obviously), no one would be here that long. I certainly wouldn't.

I just happened to find some recent comments this week in several threads, had that "music critic" feel.

LOL!! No worries at all. I'm a singer and sound engineer by trade and thus, a hyper-critical listener. I can't help myself. Thanks for not nailing me to the wall over it. I mean well...LOL!!

Ed

 

[Jarred]

Count me as another who believes Ordinary Fool is far beyond just an ordinary track. One thing I caught the other day is that Karen possibly refers to herself in a male sense (“when his ordinary dreams fall through...”), I think it’s just a saying that “he”, any kind of fool, encompasses both sexes and she’s just using that general pronoun. She refers to herself in the first person and then for that line she broadens the scope for who or what an ordinary fool can be. Paul Williams pronoun could’ve been changed but wasn’t, and in one context it didn’t need to.

Does anyone know if I’m getting at something or overthinking this too much?

 

[Chris May]

Count me as another who believes Ordinary Fool is far beyond just an ordinary track. One thing I caught the other day is that Karen possibly refers to herself in a male sense (“when his ordinary dreams fall through...”), I think it’s just a saying that “he”, any kind of fool, encompasses both sexes and she’s just using that general pronoun. She refers to herself in the first person and then for that line she broadens the scope for who or what an ordinary fool can be. Paul Williams pronoun could’ve been changed but wasn’t, and in one context it didn’t need to.

Does anyone know if I’m getting at something or overthinking this too much?

In actuality, Karen didn’t take a majority of the lyrics she sang nearly half as seriously as fans tend to think she did. As a matter of fact, there were a handful of instances where she recorded a lyric incorrectly because it’s the way she remembered hearing it at one point or another and sang from memory.

All that to say, and with all due respect of course, I wouldn’t get too hung up on it. Most of this stuff wasn’t autobiographical, contrary to popular belief.

 

[Jarred]

In actuality, Karen didn’t take a majority of the lyrics she sang nearly half as seriously as fans tend to think she did. As a matter of fact, there were a handful of instances where she recorded a lyric incorrectly because it’s the way she remembered hearing it at one point or another and sang from memory.

All that to say, and with all due respect of course, I wouldn’t get too hung up on it. Most of this stuff wasn’t autobiographical, contrary to popular belief.

I wasn’t claiming or implying in this particular post that the lyrical interpretation was autobiographical (that’s a whole other discussion which gets into “taboo” territory, oddly enough), but rather as Karen the Narrator, not connecting the words to her personal life, how was she interpreting the lyrics as a piece of storytelling simply as an artist? The words are open for possibly different readings, as subtle as they can be.

 

[tomswift2002]

Count me as another who believes Ordinary Fool is far beyond just an ordinary track. One thing I caught the other day is that Karen possibly refers to herself in a male sense (“when his ordinary dreams fall through...”), I think it’s just a saying that “he”, any kind of fool, encompasses both sexes and she’s just using that general pronoun. She refers to herself in the first person and then for that line she broadens the scope for who or what an ordinary fool can be. Paul Williams pronoun could’ve been changed but wasn’t, and in one context it didn’t need to.

Does anyone know if I’m getting at something or overthinking this too much?

I always just thought she was singing it more like someone who was reading an autobiography. It’s not ther person reading it who’s talking but the author through them, so if you hear “I”, “My” or another personal pronoun, it’s natural.

 

[Jarred]

I always just thought she was singing it more like someone who was reading an autobiography. It’s not ther person reading it who’s talking but the author through them, so if you hear “I”, “My” or another personal pronoun, it’s natural.

Right, that makes sense. You can read it that way or from the narrator’s first person perspective in the way I mentioned before, but the former is more fitting. Interesting stuff.

 

[GaryAlan]

I double-checked Carpenters' Fan Club Newsletters (#50) and this concert was indeed on the schedule.


"QUESTION: On Oct. 20, 1976, I went to see the Carpenters at Longview high school auditorium. This was a very big deal, and I was curious to know how it came to be that they picked Longview and who arranged this concert to happen. Did the Carpenters stay overnight in Longview? Who from Longview got to work with them to make this concert happen ? "
"ANSWER: I didn’t find a whole lot of information about the concert, but I did find one article in the Longview newspaper from Oct. 3, 1976, in advance of their performance.The article said a man named Jim Tucker was the local producer, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Association of Gregg County. Southwest Concerts of Houston and Art Squires was named as the executive producer. By the way, you paid anywhere from $5.75 to $7.75 for tickets, which were available at several local businesses. Or, you might have mailed in your payment with a 50-cent service charge."
Source:

Answer Line: Carpenters stopped in Longview in 1976

QUESTION: On Oct. 20, 1976, I went to see the Carpenters at Longview high school auditorium. This was a very big deal, and I was curious to know how it

www.news-journal.com

 

[newvillefan]

^^^ Not many artists of their stature would have done a full concert in a high school several years into their career, I’ll give them that much.

 

[Carpe diem]

They should've done a concert at Downey High School. They could've had a double-bill with James Hetfield and Metalica or perhaps the Alvin brothers.

I think it's nifty when performers that hit it big go back to their high school to do lunch time concerts. Didn't Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys do that a Hawthorne High School?