⭐ Official Review [Album]: "TIME" (SP 5117/CD 5117/DX 1687)

[John Adam]

This was mentioned in the thread earlier on.
Recorded by Claire de la Fuente (who is known as the KC of the Philippines!) about 20 years after Richard and Dusty's version from "Time."

Would of been a great track for a Karen vocal, add the full Richard/Karen background vocals for a true Carpenters record!

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

This was mentioned in the thread earlier on.
Recorded by Claire de la Fuente (who is known as the KC of the Philippines!) about 20 years after Richard and Dusty's version from "Time."

Would of been a great track for a Karen vocal, add the full Richard/Karen background vocals for a true Carpenters record!

I just can't stand Autotune. Didn't get far with this one. I do like the key though.

Ed

 

[GaryAlan]

New to me and nice to see,
Entertainment Tonight 1987 promoting album Time:

 

[Another Son]

'Something In your Eyes' is quite a nice song, for its genre. It always leaves me with a feeling of, "It could have been better", though. Could have been better if it had Karen's lead vocal, could have been better if Dusty had sung it differently, could have been better if it didn't sound so cumbersome, could have been better if Richard hadn't been into his synthesiser and electronic drum phase.

Both Clare de la Fuente's and Richard's & Dusty's version sound too overdone and cluttered to me - and I think it is the electronic overkill that does it.

I think the composition itself is nice. If the two versions had a lighter feel, I think they would sound better to me. They're both OK though - I don't mind them too much.

I did used to play the single over and over again when it was first released.

 

[newvillefan]

New to me and nice to see,
Entertainment Tonight 1987 promoting album Time:

Really great to see this - thanks for posting. It looks as though the TV crew hit lucky with Dusty still in town working with Richard on the album. She must have come back some time later to record the promo video footage once it had been decided the song would be the lead single.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

'Something In your Eyes' is quite a nice song, for its genre. It always leaves me with a feeling of, "It could have been better", though. Could have been better if it had Karen's lead vocal, could have been better if Dusty had sung it differently, could have been better if it didn't sound so cumbersome, could have been better if Richard hadn't been into his synthesiser and electronic drum phase.

Both Clare de la Fuente's and Richard's & Dusty's version sound too overdone and cluttered to me - and I think it is the electronic overkill that does it.

I think the composition itself is nice. If the two versions had a lighter feel, I think they would sound better to me. They're both OK though - I don't mind them too much.

I did used to play the single over and over again when it was first released.

I agree with every syllable of this. Underneath the sturm un drang, there is a good song - one that would be better with a less-Hallmark-ian lyric, but still a good song. Pamela’s cliched lyrics just never did it for me. It’s just hard to find. The major issues remains that it’s just overproduced. I’m a singer and sound engineer by trade (should explain a few things...😂) and Dusty’s vocal is just so edited. Nearly every line is “punched in” and it feels like it. It has no emotional flow. The electronic toms date it immediately and, as is often the case, the orchestration is too much. He’s rarely known when enough is enough. It’s like Richard has to show us everything he can do on every song. There’s no restraint.

The best part of it is his background vocals. Lots of the ear candy we always get from him.

Ed

 

[newvillefan]

The electronic toms date it immediately and, as is often the case, the orchestration is too much. He’s rarely known when enough is enough. It’s like Richard has to show us everything he can do on every song. There’s no restraint.

I agree with all of the above. It would be great to hear the electronic toms replaced with a real, full drum kit. The backing vocals are sublime. Right after the instrumental break and key change, they both come back in and sing in unison the line “Something in...” and it sounds for a second like one amazing voice, before she carries on with the melody and Richard breaks off into harmony. That little part has always given me chills.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I agree with all of the above. It would be great to hear the electronic toms replaced with a real, full drum kit. The backing vocals are sublime. Right after the instrumental break and key change, they both come back in and sing in unison the line “Something in...” and it sounds for a second like one amazing voice, before she carries on with the melody and Richard breaks off into harmony. That little part has always given me chills.

That ending tho! The final “something in your eyes” is just gorgeous. Love that key change.

Ed

 

[GaryAlan]

I'm an outsider again. I love this Dusty/Richard collaborative song, I always have !
Is it really "punched-in" and "...so edited" ? How do we know that specifically ?
I love the 'over-produced' feel of the song, but, no one should be surprised.
In fact, generally, the over-production of Richard's 'productions' appeals to me (e.g., I Just Fall in Love Again) !
Wouldn't Calling Occupants and Don't Cry For Me Argentina fit that description ?
How about the beauty entitled How Could I Ask For More ? Over-produced ? I love that song, too.

 

[Mark-T]

I love How Could I Ask for More!

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I'm an outsider again. I love this Dusty/Richard collaborative song, I always have !
Is it really "punched-in" and "...so edited" ? How do we know that specifically ?

I can absolutely hear it. "There was a certain face (edit) that filled a thousand nights (edit) with all the sweetest dreams and promises of paradise (edit), etc. You can hear the "punch in"s if you listen really closely. Dusty was known to do this and I remember reading some time ago (though I can't remember where) that it happened here too.

Ed

 

[ars nova]

i think i was waiting at musicland, taping the window, for them to unpack something in your eyes. as soon as i got my purchase home, it was on my technics turntable. i liked the opening, i liked the tune, lyrically it was okay, but not overwhelming, until dusty sang the word "framed ", i was completely frozen, because that one word sounded, to my ears, exactly like karen carpenter. the tune, richard's backing vocals and arrangement was absolutely what i needed to hear.

 

[goodjeans]

There is an article somewhere about 80's songs that should have been hits.
This track is mentioned and quite favorably.
I will try to find it.

 

[Bobberman]

That ending tho! The final “something in your eyes” is just gorgeous. Love that key change.

Ed

I agree for me that last line and key change just for some reason really moves me to the core as many things in the 80s had that effect on me I still consider this song " should have been a bigger hit" as well as a standard power ballad just my opinion

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

BTW, here's the video posted a month ago in the best quality I've seen it in since it aired ages ago:



Ed

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I saw this next to the video above. It's by Claire Dela Fuente. She was apparently dubbed "the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines", though the comparison is non-existent to my ears. She apparently cut this in 2008. It's nice but it's Autotune'd like most things have been since then.



Ed

 

[newvillefan]

I saw this next to the video above. It's by Claire Dela Fuente. She was apparently dubbed "the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines", though the comparison is non-existent to my ears.

The comparison is non existent. She doesn’t do it for me I’m afraid.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

This'll teach me to post when I need sleep. Sorry, John...LOL!

Ed

 

[GaryAlan]

So, Richard Carpenter's Calling Your Name Again....has over 17 Million views as of June 10, 2021.
It was about 14 Million views on March 21, 2020.... it has logged over 3 Million views in about one year....
Not bad !
We do have a Carpenters #1 Today...somewhere in the World !

iTunes Top 100 Music Chart - Real-time iTunes Music, App & Movie Charts

Apple Music Top 100 Album Chart in Bahrain - Real-time charts & music news updated today

www.icharts.co.za

Top of the World iTunes: #24 Bahrain

(They Long To Be) Close To You iTunes: #69 Cambodia

Album: Gold: Greatest Hits iTunes: #1 Bahrain #29 Philippines #49 Australia #69 Sri Lanka #79 Ireland #82 Singapore #96 El Salvador #110 Vietnam #119 Oman #123 Barbados #136 Paraguay #142 Taiwan #154 Malaysia #161 Honduras #172 India #183 Qatar #186 New Zealand #188 Costa Rica #198 United Arab Emirates #230 Netherlands #304 Indonesia #472 Spain #489 South Africa #1449 United States Apple Music: #64 Philippines #69 Laos #117 Ireland #158 Mongolia #197 Singapore #225 New Zealand #436 Hong Kong #487 United Kingdom #489 Indonesia

 

[Cuyler]

I just can't stand Autotune. Didn't get far with this one. I do like the key though.

Ed

100% agreed regarding the autotune.

'Something In your Eyes' is quite a nice song, for its genre. It always leaves me with a feeling of, "It could have been better", though. Could have been better if it had Karen's lead vocal, could have been better if Dusty had sung it differently, could have been better if it didn't sound so cumbersome, could have been better if Richard hadn't been into his synthesiser and electronic drum phase.

Both Clare de la Fuente's and Richard's & Dusty's version sound too overdone and cluttered to me - and I think it is the electronic overkill that does it.

I think the composition itself is nice. If the two versions had a lighter feel, I think they would sound better to me. They're both OK though - I don't mind them too much.

I did used to play the single over and over again when it was first released.

Also agreed here regarding the electronic overkill. Unfortunately, seeing as it was released in 1987, the world was well into replacing studio musicians with electronic keyboards. That being said, this was before the loudness war, so there is some sonic redemption here! I personally quite like the song, even though it is drenched in reverb. The big thing that could have made this song better to me (impossible timing) would be Karen on backup vocals with Richard. (I won't say if I would replace Dusty's lead with Karen though, because I can't imagine how a Karen lead would sound. I think Dusty did a fine, professional job with it, and her raspy voice suits the mood.)

 

[Cuyler]

I saw this next to the video above. It's by Claire Dela Fuente. She was apparently dubbed "the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines", though the comparison is non-existent to my ears. She apparently cut this in 2008. It's nice but it's Autotune'd like most things have been since then.



Ed

Unfortunately, I just learned that Claire dela Fuente died from COVID-19 in March of this year. It's a shame that whomever recorded her while she was living autotuned her voice; I'm sure she would have done a fine job singing this song without autotune.

 

[Matthew S]

Unfortunately, I just learned that Claire dela Fuente died from COVID-19 in March of this year. It's a shame that whomever recorded her while she was living autotuned her voice; I'm sure she would have done a fine job singing this song without autotune.

This version is pleasant. It would have been better with more filled out backing vocals and I think the way the key change was handled was underwhelming but otherwise a pleasant rendition.

 

[Another Son]

This version is pleasant. It would have been better with more filled out backing vocals and I think the way the key change was handled was underwhelming but otherwise a pleasant rendition.

The dela Fuente version also takes out some of the chord changes in the introduction of the original. I like the Richard and Dusty intro better - it sounds a bit more complex, interesting and maybe creates a greater sense of anticipation, before the vocals begin.

One thing - I understand the words better on the dela Fuente version a bit better. There were a couple of phrases that I've never been able to catch on Dusty's performance. "As I watch you, framed in sunlight"... nice. Never knew those were the words. And there are a few other indecipherable words that Dusty sings, that slightly throw out full comprehension of the lyrics - for me, anyway.

"I recognise each curve and line of you. I knew you well", sung by Dusty, makes better sense, though, than "...I knew it well", sung by Claire.

You can actually appreciate the lyrics well on the dela Fuente version. If you're looking for an overly romantic song, they're quite nice words.

 

[GaryAlan]

Speaking of album covers....this one is great (imho).
Speaking of solo albums, I would love the Garden Grove vinyl performance
to be given a digital treatment and official release.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Speaking of album covers....this one is great (imho).
Speaking of solo albums, I would love the Garden Grove vinyl performance
to be given a digital treatment and official release.

Honestly, I would have preferred the back as the front cover. The last thing Richard needed was a "smiley" photo. The back presents him differently and that's the one I really like. Still, this is all far better than any Carpenters' album cover we got save "Horizon."

Ed