⭐ Official Review [Album]: "AS TIME GOES BY" (UICY-1060)

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS ALBUM?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 10 12.0%
  • ****

    Votes: 35 42.2%
  • ***

    Votes: 31 37.3%
  • **

    Votes: 5 6.0%
  • *

    Votes: 2 2.4%

  • Total voters
    83
I thought richard recorded the track so that he and karen could have a copy of their performance for their archives.
 
I think it’s a very sweet track and I never heard it as a duet between lovers. If you really study the lyrics, there’s no mention of “we” or “us”. He’s not singing to her, he’s singing the counterpoint vocal which echoes what she is feeling. It’s like listening to someone talking to their best friend about being in love. So for me it’s perfect because it’s the only true duet they ever did together.
You hear it correctly Stephen, because it isn't a song between lovers, and never has been! I don't know how many people here are into old movies, but this song is best known from the movie "Call Me Madam" (1953). It was a duet between Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor. Ethel played the US ambassador to a tiny European country, and O'Connor played her young press attache. The ruler of the country has arranged a political marriage between his daughter, and the prince of a neighbouring country. However, a wrench is thrown into the plan, when the princess and O'Connor's character fall for each other. In the song, O'Connor's boss (Merman) explains why he is feeling the way he is, based on her own past experience. It's the kind of song I could even see as a duet between a parent, and their child who is in love for the first time. There's nothing creepy about R&K's duet at all!

 
You hear it correctly Stephen, because it isn't a song between lovers, and never has been! I don't know how many people here are into old movies, but this song is best known from the movie "Call Me Madam" (1953). It was a duet between Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor. Ethel played the US ambassador to a tiny European country, and O'Connor played her young press attache. The ruler of the country has arranged a political marriage between his daughter, and the prince of a neighbouring country. However, a wrench is thrown into the plan, when the princess and O'Connor's character fall for each other. In the song, O'Connor's boss (Merman) explains why he is feeling the way he is, based on her own past experience. It's the kind of song I could even see as a duet between a parent, and their child who is in love for the first time. There's nothing creepy about R&K's duet at all!


I definitely learned something new here and it makes total sense as far as the actual lyrics of the song go. I'd like this 10 times if it were possible.
 
While I am certainly no raging John Davidson fan and the price gouging wasn’t classy, Richard in no way holds a candle to John vocally, IMHO. Richard’s talent for vocal arranging is colossal but his talent for singing lead is minimal on his best day for my ears.

Ed

Yeah, I'd take John's lead vocal anyday. He wasn't a bad singer, not on Karen's level, but good.
 
A while ago, Barry Manilow said he was unable to find a song in which to "duet" with Karen.
I always felt that the song You're Just In Love
would have been a good one for him choose for that venture.
As for the version of the song we got on As Time Goes By,
I never did understand not getting another lead male vocalist
to sing the male part, why didn't Richard simply find another ?
It did not have to be John Davidson.My money would have been for Donny Osmond.
 
A while ago, Barry Manilow said he was unable to find a song in which to "duet" with Karen...My money would have been for Donny Osmond.

Donny could sing the phone book and sound great doing it. He's forever stuck as a "teen idol" but he has it and always has. He can do anything he choses with his voice. He even makes a very convincing R&B vocalist. There's simply nothing he can't do and he would have sounded great with Karen.

Ed
 
I'd go with Wayne Osmond on that one. I saw him in a Christmas movie when I was younger and his singing blew me away. A slightly nicer voice than Donny in my opinion.
 
Yeah, but just this once on an album that was full of outtakes they could have used an additional vocalist from a twenty plus year recording.
 
Why the compulsion for a 'straight-jacket' ?
Richard is not a lead vocalist. He has great vocals for the background harmonies ("Carpenters").
Why must he be the only suitable male vocalist to accompany Karen on
As Time Goes By ?
That duet does not work with Richard's vocals replacing John's vocals(You're Just In Love).
Especially, since, in viewing that TV segment, Karen and John are singing to each other .
The song simply does not work with Richard's lead vocals dueting with Karen's lead vocal.
 
A bit off-topic perhaps...Speaking of Donny Osmond, I saw a PBS special a few weeks back that featured him today (I believe the title was; "Donny Osmond, A Man And His Music" or something similar). He came out and did a dance number first thing and he was quite good. He then sang the song Moon River as a tribute to Andy Williams (Andy had the Osmonds on his TV show a lot when they were young). Donny "teared-up" while performing the song and I actually found it quite touching and he sang it very well. I was pulled-away from seeing the rest of the show, but I am hoping they will replay it during their endless pledge season. He is a excellent entertainer and has genuine talent (the Osmonds had a heck of a lot of hits back in the day).
 
Hopefully, I do not promote a misunderstanding:
I am glad we got the song You're Just In Love on the album, As Time Goes By.
Richard's vocals, while not strong as lead, are perfectly adequate.
Be that as it may, in the Television Special it is John and Karen singing to each other,
not an older brother singing to a younger sister.
The issue is Why not substitute a stronger, better, male lead vocal ?
Why is that such an issue ?
Richard is a fantastic PACC: producer, arranger, composer, conductor.
That does not imply he has to be a great lead vocalist, too.
No one person is great at everything.
So, step aside every once in a while with another male lead.
That does NOT detract from Richard's greatness in other areas !
 
Since this thread already drafted a bit, I'll chime in. The first time I heard the Carpenters version of You're Just In Love, I was wondering why it sounded so familiar. Turned out I had seen old Dodge commercial on Youtube which used the song... In the commercial a boy and a girl go out on a date. The girl is disappointed because she thinks her bf is still driving some rusty old cart. She dreams of a new car and sings: "I keep dreaming that you bought a car / finer than the finest car by far / gleaming like a million shining stars / wish it were true x2" while touring around her dream car in her ponytail and circle skirt. The dream fades and her bf starts singing: "It's not your imagination / it's a real live sensation / bought a new Dodge four fifty nine!" And proceeds to tell all the great qualities of his new car. Anyhoo, although I saw this commercial first I never thought it was a romantic duet between siblings... More like Richard singing to his lovestrucked sister, being older and wiser.
 
I'll have to stick with my view on this song:
You're Just In Love.
I took another listen to the version on As Time Goes By.
I watched, and listened, to the version as performed on Music, Music, Music.
While JD is not a great lead (as Donny Osmond would be), the lead by Richard Carpenter
on As Time Goes By is simply too high a key for my tastes.
Do Compare:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlI6hL5iYAk
 
Water under the bridge, or not,
it behooves me to point out that I felt the Thread for the entire album
As Time Goes By
accentuates BOTH the positive attributes and the not-so-positive attributes.
We have here a rather exceptional cd of rarities and outtakes.
The issue was: Why were sales not higher ? Why are these songs not better known ?
I mean, this is not a bad release, by any stretch of the imagination,
and I am glad we have it.
So, Why were sales so sluggish ?
That is not such a bad question to ponder.
Every single song of Carpenters' output is not of equal substance.
 
The issue was: Why were sales not higher ?

For me there are two reasons:

1. The lengthy delay between its original release date and its subsequent release in the US. By the time the US version hit the market, most of those who wanted it had already imported it from Japan.

2. The complete failure by A&M to get behind the album and promote it.
 
That more people are not familiar with
NoWhere Man,
is a crime.
Richard Carpenter: "Karen recorded in the (Joe's) garage studio, 1967."
 
For me there are two reasons:

1. The lengthy delay between its original release date and its subsequent release in the US. By the time the US version hit the market, most of those who wanted it had already imported it from Japan.

2. The complete failure by A&M to get behind the album and promote it.

This is correct. Not making excuses, but in 2004, when the US version finally came out, Universal was in the midst of all sorts of restructuring and this "re-release" sort of fell through the cracks. Anyone who bought the USA version will note that it had a hype sticker that really promoted a new lower price:
AsTimeHypeSticker.jpg

That more people are not familiar with
NoWhere Man,
is a crime.
Richard Carpenter: "Karen recorded in the (Joe's) garage studio, 1967."

That is indeed a crime. When the album came out, I tried to interest the program director of our AM nostalgia station to play it, but he felt that his audience didn't really care for Beatles tunes. He DID play the Karen/Ella medley. He also enjoyed "California Dreamin'" until Karen broke out with the drums. Too rough for his audience!
 
the lead by Richard Carpenter
on As Time Goes By is simply too high a key for my tastes.
Exactly my thoughts. Too high of a key, the same as the Como medley, borderline uncomfortable range for Richard, but he had to get in where he could fit in. It probably took him an hour tops to record those vocals himself and just be done with them rather than go through the trouble of finding a male vocalist, coaching through the parts, doing take after take until the right one was achieved, etc. With that being a shaky time for UMe, especially, it seems like this "quick and dirty" approach was the only way the tracks were going to be releasable. And as Harry said, he could have just left them in storage, but he got them in shape the best he could, and he deserves our gratitude for that. I tend to be a little nit picky about things simply because I want nothing but the best for this music. It doesn't make me less grateful, though, by a long shot, and I know I'm not alone in that sentiment.
 
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