⭐ Official Review [Album]: "OFFERING"/"TICKET TO RIDE" (SP-4205)

[JohnFB]

....

... I don't really see Karen singing a lead on "Clancy". I read somewhere that Karen wouldn't sing Damn/Damned (2:47). I just gave another listen to "Get Together" and I can definitely hear Karen owning this song.

Just as in SUPERSTAR they could have changed the lyrics - damned could have become darned (although I admit it doesn't have the same tough impact) - and you might be right - the lyrics are fairly "rough" and "masculine" for even "tom-boy" Karen...I'm not sure she'd want to sing about getting smashed in the face...be that as it may, I really do like her drumming on this, proving once again that even if she didn't have the "power" of some pro studio drummers she did have all of the nuanced "chops" you would expect from a jazz-oriented and accomplished drummer...

Here's what Wiki has to say about Neil Young's "Clancy" :

"Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" is a song by the Canadian-American folk rock band Buffalo Springfield, released as the group's debut single in 1966. Neil Young wrote the song in Yorkville in 1965 shortly after returning from a series of performances in Toronto, during a period when his bid at a solo career had been met with little positive response. The lyrics reflect metaphorically on Young's frustration toward his stalled career in music, and was inspired by Ross "Clancy" Smith, an aberrant classmate who incited awe in his school. Commentators recognize "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" as one of Buffalo Springfield's signature songs, as well as a milestone in Young's progression as a songwriter.

The song was the lead single to Buffalo Springfield's self-titled debut album, bubbling under the Billboard Hot 100 at 110. Buffalo Springfield played "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" at many concerts during their stay in Los Angeles where it found regional success.

 

[Nemily]

Karen does it on "Your Navy Presents" and, of course, it's light years better than Richard's.

What a little nugget this is @Vinylalbumcovers ! Thanks for this gem! In March 1970 Carpenters recorded 12 live songs at A&M Studio C for a “Your Navy Presents” broadcast that was segmented over 2 weeks (@KHJ LA). The program was pressed on vinyl and sent out to Military Radio Stations for broadcast. There is an audio that can be found titled Carpenters “your navy presents” 2020 (38:26 in length). It includes songs from Offering 'Clancy’, 'TTR', 'All I Can Do', 'All of My Life' and ‘Get Together’ with Karen doing the lead vocal as Ed points out. Karen’s lead vocal on Get Together could have been released as a single it is that good. I am sure that the full series of interviews is out there. I now seem to remember hearing the full interview w/Nelson Riddle some time ago however hearing the songs as they were recorded live in the studio for 'your navy presents' is a treat. I am sure that some of the songs were edited for the time on the interview. They also recorded 3 songs I had never heard them perform 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'Cinderella Rockefella' and 'I Fell In Love With You'.

 

[Harry]

Richard definitely isn't without talent; he just doesn't have any talent as a lead singer, IMHO.

I call that a little bit of hyperbole, Ed. Richard was at least talented enough on "I Kept On Loving You" that it was in contention to be the "A" side of that single, as the matrix numbers indicate.

Many fans find Richard's singing quite adequate - and one has to have some talent to do that.

 

[Harry]

“your navy presents”

There were four 15-minute segments produced to air on local US stations as a way of recruiting for the Navy. The four, with all Navy commercials intact runs 58 minutes or so.

Karen's lead on "Get Together" is also found on both the FROM THE TOP and ESSENTIAL COLLECTION box sets. Richard tweaked those to have a bit of reverb for the CDs. The LP version doesn't have the reverb, but also isn't mastered very well. And you're right, a few of the songs are edited for time.

 

[JohnFB]

.. Karen’s lead vocal on Get Together could have been released as a single it is that good...

So true (just as I predicted!) - but it will have to get in line with the other dozen or so songs in the same elevated category...

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I call that a little bit of hyperbole, Ed. Richard was at least talented enough on "I Kept On Loving You" that it was in contention to be the "A" side of that single, as the matrix numbers indicate.

Many fans find Richard's singing quite adequate - and one has to have some talent to do that.

I just said IMHO. His lead voice isn't my thing at all. I honestly don't feel that he has a lead voice at all. "I Kept On Loving You" is about as good as he got but it's still miles away from a good lead, IMHO. I'm sure we'd all agree that if given the choice, we'd much rather have had Karen do all the leads than Richard.

Ed

 

[Harry]

I just said IMHO. His lead voice isn't my thing at all.

Yeah, I get that, I always felt that he had the same accuracy as a singer that his sister had, and when they harmonized, it was sheer magic.

I've never minded his voice and actually regretted that he was reduced to nearly no vocals at all on those later albums. I preferred the early albums where he had a lead or two.

 

[JohnFB]

I generally agree with Ed about Richard's vocal talents (or lack thereof) and it's really too bad, because if he had had a good or even just decent singing voice it would have added another dimension to their recordings, doing duets and lead-vocal harmonizing with Karen that would have raised the appeal of their music to yet another level - I think Richard did do a good job on the "The Night Has a thousand Eyes" segment of the Oldies Medley on the "Now and Then" album and a very surprisingly good rendition of a partial Perry hit song "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" on the Perry Como Show... not sure why he didn't sound this pleasant on other recordings (perhaps far too much "technical enhancement")...did he ever work on improving his voice with professional training? Where was Frank Pooler when he needed him?

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Yeah, I get that, I always felt that he had the same accuracy as a singer that his sister had, and when they harmonized, it was sheer magic.

I've never minded his voice and actually regretted that he was reduced to nearly no vocals at all on those later albums. I preferred the early albums where he had a lead or two.

I LOVE his harmonies. Few sing background better than he does.

Ed

 

[1969]

Richard was pretty good singing up front with Karen and Carol Burnett with this medley of Paul Williams songs. One of the few times (or maybe only time?) I've seen him sing with confidence and as an equal front and center.

 

[Chris May]

Richard will be the first one to tell you that his value vocally rested in his ability as a background vocalist. When he stacked his background vocals (as well as leads), there was a warmth and a sound that was truly marketable and unique. In harmony—added to what Karen brought to the table both in her lead and backing vocals, the two were truly greater than the sum of their parts.

 

[JohnFB]

From Broadway's "Call Me Madam" in 1950 comes Irving Berlin's lovely song for duet - Richard does a commendable job here (the soundtrack is from the MMM Special) - given all of his other immense musical talents Richard is the one guy who we should cut a ton of slack about his singing...

 

[newvillefan]

In March 1970 Carpenters recorded 12 live songs at A&M Studio C for a “Your Navy Presents” broadcast that was segmented over 2 weeks (@KHJ LA).

If you do a search on YouTube all the songs are there, one or two clips feature the entire set of recordings in one upload.

 

[Don Malcolm]

Richard will be the first one to tell you that his value vocally rested in his ability as a background vocalist. When he stacked his background vocals (as well as leads), there was a warmth and a sound that was truly marketable and unique. In harmony—added to what Karen brought to the table both in her lead and backing vocals, the two were truly greater than the sum of their parts.

Richard has a good voice, and he doesn't embarrass himself on the tunes where he sings lead. It's just that he gets immediately compared to one of the greatest singers of all time. He was pretty quick to cede center stage to Karen after OFFERING, and he tended to pick spots where his lead or shared leads added some value to the song ("Crystal Lullaby" comes to mind). I think the reason he didn't work harder at improving his voice vis-a-vis lead singing is pretty self-evident: he had a lot of other things on his plate (!!), and in Karen he had someone whose talents were such that even the most mean-spirited of their media detractors were forced to (often grudgingly) concede that she was simply phenomenal.

BTW, I'm with Nemily re: "What's the Use." It's a very underrated track, primarily due to the fact that Richard is singing lead. While he's a little too indistinct in his lower register, and he's not quite as jaunty as he needs to be for the song (let's face it, "jauntiness" is not really a Carpenters' thing...), his vocal arrangement for the song reveals some other dimensions of his talents not on display in other tunes from the LP--and (biggest benefit of all) it reveals that Karen is also one of the greatest back-up singers in pop history. I've long since gotten past the "guilty" in my pleasure regarding "What's The Use," and firmly believe that, in terms of itself, its title is a wonderful misnomer.

 

[tomswift2002]

In Paraguay/Argentina, Richard did get an A-side single release in “Druscilla Penny”.

However, it’s too bad that Richard didn’t do a studio recording of “Daddy’s Home”, since the LIVE version was very good. Or “Shuboom”.

Also on the Christmas albums, Richard’s opening vocals are always the first things you hear every Christmas season.

But Richard should’ve done at least one vocal on the 1975-1989 non-seasonal albums, since the Carpenters most successful albums always had at least one Richard lead. Otherwise, the post-1975 albums are Karen solos.

 

[JohnFB]

... I think the reason he didn't work harder at improving his voice vis-a-vis lead singing is pretty self-evident: he had a lot of other things on his plate (!!),..

Very true - and with their insane touring schedule that was grinding them both down he hardly had any time or energy for his primary tasks, let alone taking singing lessons on a concentrated, extended basis from a voice teaching professional - he had had a golden opportunity before they hit it big when he was a student under choral director Frank Pooler at CS-LB...yet another lost golden opportunity in a far too long string of them in a far too short career...

 

[song4u]

Richard was pretty good singing up front with Karen and Carol Burnett with this medley of Paul Williams songs. One of the few times (or maybe only time?) I've seen him sing with confidence and as an equal front and center.

I love those Carol Burnett appearances. Karen came off as cool and their live harmonies were exquisite.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I'm sure we'd all agree that if given the choice, we'd much rather have had Karen do all the leads than Richard.

Well, we wouldn't ALL agree on that. I've always liked the variety that an occasional Richard vocal would add to the Carpenters albums. This is why the albums after Now and Then don't get played by me as often as the earlier ones - with all Karen vocals, they lose that variety and especially the sense of humor. Imagine how bland A Song For You would have seemed if you took out "Piano Picker," "Flat Baroque," and "Intermission" (and you'd probably have to lose "Crystal Lullaby" too, if you wanted to eliminate Richard's leads). Every album after NaT, after a listen, I come away wishing there'd been a Richard vocal or two in there.

This attitude of mine might be explained by the fact that most of my other favorite bands are ones with at least two lead singers -- Fleetwood Mac, Alan Parsons Project, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, America, Doobie Brothers, and lots of others.

 

[Without A Song]

All this talk about Richard's vocal leads takes me back to the same question I've had for years: Did he record leads for a couple of songs in the early 1980s, including "Fool Me," as rumored? If so, will they ever be released?

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Well, we wouldn't ALL agree on that. I've always liked the variety that an occasional Richard vocal would add to the Carpenters albums. This is why the albums after Now and Then don't get played by me as often as the earlier ones - with all Karen vocals, they lose that variety and especially the sense of humor. Imagine how bland A Song For You would have seemed if you took out "Piano Picker," "Flat Baroque," and "Intermission" (and you'd probably have to lose "Crystal Lullaby" too, if you wanted to eliminate Richard's leads). Every album after NaT, after a listen, I come away wishing there'd been a Richard vocal or two in there.

This attitude of mine might be explained by the fact that most of my other favorite bands are ones with at least two lead singers -- Fleetwood Mac, Alan Parsons Project, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, America, Doobie Brothers, and lots of others.

Karen is the main selling point of Carpenters. If Karen's not there, Richard doesn't have a career in Pop music. This cannot be disputed in any way, shape, or form. No one ever bought a Carpenters' album because of a Richard lead they liked. "Time," in particular, wasn't anything anyone wanted (as we know, it bombed badly) and that's the one he took lead vocals on for most of the record.

I will absolutely grant that Richard is an absolutely amazing background vocalist. That is very much its own skill and Richard has mastered it. I just have no desire to listen to Richard leading songs. Again, he was teamed with one of if not the greatest female pop singers in music history. It makes no sense to use an at-times-passable singer when you've got Karen Carpenter at your disposal. Like...that makes zero sense IMHO.

P.S.: I could quite comfortably do without the songs you cite in order to get more songs with pure Karen leads on them. She's the only lead vocalist in Carpenters that holds my interest in any way.

Ed

 

[tomswift2002]

Karen is the main selling point of Carpenters. If Karen's not there, Richard doesn't have a career in Pop music. This cannot be disputed in any way, shape, or form. No one ever bought a Carpenters' album because of a Richard lead they liked. "Time," in particular, wasn't anything anyone wanted (as we know, it bombed badly) and that's the one he took lead vocals on for most of the record.

I will absolutely grant that Richard is an absolutely amazing background vocalist. That is very much its own skill and Richard has mastered it. I just have no desire to listen to Richard leading songs. Again, he was teamed with one of if not the greatest female pop singers in music history. It makes no sense to use an at-times-passable singer when you've got Karen Carpenter at your disposal. Like...that makes zero sense IMHO.

P.S.: I could quite comfortably do without the songs you cite in order to get more songs with pure Karen leads on them. She's the only lead vocalist in Carpenters that holds my interest in any way.

Ed

I’d disagree with “Time”. In that case there were a bunch of marketing blunders. The big one being the lead single. While Something In Your Eyes was a great album track, it was out of touch with the times in 1987, not to mention that the single omitted Dusty Springfield’s name, so it was confusing if you were expecting a man’s vocal, but a woman’s vocal was coming out of your speakers.

But compared to the rest of the album, Something In Your Eyes really didn’t represent the album musically either. SIYE was more traditional Carpenters with non-electric instruments, whereas the rest of the album had that 80’s electronic sound to some part of each track. SIYE was more like All Those Years Ago from Veronique where it used non-electronic instruments on an otherwise electronic album.

As far as lead single, Say Yeah! or Who Do You Love should’ve been released (WDYL was released in Japan) as they were more in touch with the times in 1987. Also they had that 80’s electronic pop sound that the album was full of and would’ve better represented the album. And they were Richard leads.

 

[Mark-T]

Who Do You Love? is a well done pop confection. One of the best representations of Richard.

 

[Harry]

Ed, what some of us are saying, at least Mike and I agree on this, is that there was a perfect balance of tracks that had Richard or Karen leads on those early albums, and it is precisely that balance that made Carpenters - a duo - something special for us.

I can listen to The Seekers and hear tracks with a male lead and some with Judith Durham's lead. Her tracks are far more memorable, but the albums hang together because of the variety.

I can say the same about a smaller musical sample of The Poppy Family. Susan's leads are exquisite and far better than Terry's, but their two albums are listenable to me because of the variety of sounds I'm given, not just solitary Susan vocals.

ABBA: a group with four members and there are tracks where each of them takes or shares leads, making their albums more enjoyable. I don't for a minute think that Björn's vocals are all that special, especially when comparing them to Agnetha or Frida's singing abilities, but he's competent enough to pull off a "Rock Me" or "Does Your Mother Know" and balance out the albums on which they appear.

That's what I miss on the albums from HORIZON on (not counting Christmas). The songs are all Karen leads - very pretty - very competent - meticulously sung - but just in a somewhat "bland" setting of one after the other. Even the backing harmonies are reduced for the most part on those later albums, especially when compared to a masterpiece album like CLOSE TO YOU.

 

[Mark-T]

Ed, what some of us are saying, at least Mike and I agree on this, is that there was a perfect balance of tracks that had Richard or Karen leads on those early albums, and it is precisely that balance that made Carpenters - a duo - something special for us.

I can listen to The Seekers and hear tracks with a male lead and some with Judith Durham's lead. Her tracks are far more memorable, but the albums hang together because of the variety.

I can say the same about a smaller musical sample of The Poppy Family. Susan's leads are exquisite and far better than Terry's, but their two albums are listenable to me because of the variety of sounds I'm given, not just solitary Susan vocals.

ABBA: a group with four members and there are tracks where each of them takes or shares leads, making their albums more enjoyable. I don't for a minute think that Björn's vocals are all that special, especially when comparing them to Agnetha or Frida's singing abilities, but he's competent enough to pull off a "Rock Me" or "Does Your Mother Know" and balance out the albums on which they appear.

That's what I miss on the albums from HORIZON on (not counting Christmas). The songs are all Karen leads - very pretty - very competent - meticulously sung - but just in a somewhat "bland" setting of one after the other. Even the backing harmonies are reduced for the most part on those later albums, especially when compared to a masterpiece album like CLOSE TO YOU.

Everyone here knows I love Horizon- but I agree, Harry, that more prominent backing vocals by Richard if not even a lead vocal on a cut or two would have helped with the feel of variety. Is Horizon stunning? Absolutely! And Karen was never better recorded or sounded as incredible.

 

[Harry]

A lot of fans do indeed love HORIZON, but I found it to be the beginning of their slide into more mediocrity. It is quite the stunning production and I was both wowed and disappointed in "I Can Dream Can't I" - wowed with the phenomenal production values - disappointed that the backing singers weren't Karen & Richard. But I also later "got" that it was supposed to be a replica of the old big band sound, which it mimics perfectly. And then there was the sleepiness of the tracks, but I've mentioned all that before.