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

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS ALBUM?

  • ***** (BEST)

    Votes: 8 12.5%
  • ****

    Votes: 13 20.3%
  • ***

    Votes: 24 37.5%
  • **

    Votes: 12 18.8%
  • *

    Votes: 7 10.9%

  • Total voters
    64
On the Official Richard and Karen Carpenter Website, under Recordings,
I note that the second Richard Carpenter solo album is included, but,
album "Time" is nowhere to be found.
(Correct me if I err !).
I was looking to learn more details about the album, synthesizer, and all that.
The Time album is as interesting in its details as any of the other recordings !
(Moderate use was made of Synthesizer on the recording
"Producer, Arranger, Composer, Conductor".)

Which, of course, elicits this question:
Is Richard Carpenter unhappy with the utilization
of synthesizer on all of the recordings ?
 
Thanks for the reference, Mike.
Also, as mentioned in the Fan Club Newsletter #52 March 1977:
Q: What is the name of their publishing company?
A: They have two--Ars Nova and Hammer and Nails.

I always thought Hammer and Nails was a cool, tongue in cheek name given their surname. It always reminds me of this picture:

6bb53539dfb0e022addfeee17991e99f.jpg
 
Nope. I guessed at the URL based on how the others were spelled out.
 
Pardon my off-topic post:
Did I miss the Official Review of
Richard Carpenter's Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor ?
In any event, sticking with the Richard Carpenter theme,
I have a few questions regarding PACC:
I rather enjoy listening to this cd,
And:
(1) Sandy is the weakest link, additionally, it utilizes Jim Gordon's drumming--
presumably taken from the Hush sessions.(?).
Why not a drummer re-do?
Vocals here include Karen and, after countless listens, I am unable to discern where
exactly she is singing--it all seems to meld together with those OK Chorales.
(2) For All We Know, one of my favorites here, astonished to read that
Peter Knight is credited on the Arrangement.
When would that arrangement have been penned?
(3) I read : Flat Baroque utilizes Karen's drumming. Nice touch.
Synthesizer on this tune, also (Jeffrey Vanston).
Can someone explain its use on this song?
 
(1) Sandy is the weakest link, additionally, it utilizes Jim Gordon's drumming--
presumably taken from the Hush sessions.(?).
Why not a drummer re-do?

Saves money? :)

Vocals here include Karen and, after countless listens, I am unable to discern where
exactly she is singing--it all seems to meld together with those OK Chorales.

Karen's vocals are underneath all the choir voices in the choruses and then it's just Richard and Karen towards the end with the "ooh ooh" backing vocals. The nice thing about the ending is you get to hear their background vocals as acapella and for slightly longer than in the original track...so out come all of Richard's lovely deep harmonies that you can't hear on the original album version.
 
Thanks, Stephen !
Finally, it finally hit me--thanks to your a capella description of the ending of that song.
Until now, it had eluded me--where Karen's vocals were in that mix--love it !
Makes a nice segue into the next tune, Time.
This 'album', the second Richard Carpenter solo,
is a bit more complex than first I thought !
(But, oddly enough, I like instrumental music.)
 
While perusing (and, listening to) the Notes for Pianist,Arranger,Composer,Conductor:
Again,
Peter Knight is credited (with Richard Carpenter) for arranging on The Medley,
(When would that have occurred? as with For All We Know)
and,
Why was the Harp not utilized ?
Gayle Levant is always a dream to listen to as she plays the harp.
Missed Opportunity.
 
While perusing (and, listening to) the Notes for Pianist,Arranger,Composer,Conductor:
Again,
Peter Knight is credited (with Richard Carpenter) for arranging on The Medley,
(When would that have occurred? as with For All We Know)
and,
Why was the Harp not utilized ?
Gayle Levant is always a dream to listen to as she plays the harp.
Missed Opportunity.

Gayle is a wonderful lady. Most likely Richard and Peter crossed paths with this song when Peter was alive (he died in July of '85) for either a possible TV special or concert tour. This was not uncommon for Richard to revisit altered arrangements from years earlier, as this is how he came to change and fill out the chord on Superstar during the intro where the French horns come in. This was a suggestion by his conductor Dick Polumby during the '76 tour. Richard added the three additional parts to the song in late '84/85 when he remixed the song. Most of the remixes since then feature a 6-part chord rather than the original 3-part that were added by incorporating "sampled" French horns, utilizing Richard's Kurzweil synthesizer.
 
This was not uncommon for Richard to revisit altered arrangements from years earlier, as this is how he came to change and fill out the chord on Superstar during the intro where the French horns come in. This was a suggestion by his conductor Dick Polumby during the '76 tour. Richard added the three additional parts to the song in late '84/85 when he remixed the song. Most of the remixes since then feature a 6-part chord rather than the original 3-part that were added by incorporating "sampled" French horns, utilizing Richard's Kurzweil synthesizer.

Is this why the intro to Superstar sounds so much richer in the remix than on the original LP?
 
Is this why the intro to Superstar sounds so much richer in the remix than on the original LP?

That's exactly right. He left the original horns in, pulled them back and added a the new chord completely, 6 parts played on the synthesizer. All of this got mixed together and was made to sound very "warm". The reverb helped with this as well. :)
 
Reading the text of the Advertisement for Richard Carpenter's Time,
(the marvelous scan by ChrisAnOrdinaryFool, posting #139 above),
it states:
"Between 1970 and 1983, The Carpenters sold more than 60 million records..."
And, yet, the Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter#71, September 1981, says:
"We were reminded by Herb the duo had sold over 79 million records as of March..."
 
I've said it before but I don't mind saying it again - I think Richard's all time best lead vocal is his version of 'You'll Never Know', that he re-recorded for his and Karen's own personal collection following the wrap of the studio sessions for the 'Music, Music, Music' TV special. This should have been included on 'As Time Goes By'. It's an absolute gem and shows that with the right song, he actually can sing really well. I often wonder what Karen thought of his performance and also why he didn't include it on ATGB. I'd challenge any non-hardcore fan to correctly name the singer if you played it for them.



That's a nice song, But there's also Richard's version of (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays that he sang on Solid Gold Christmas 1984. It's to bad that he didn't include it on An Old-Fashioned Christmas or even a decade later as a bonus track on the Christmas Collection.
 
Taking another listen to Richard Carpenter's 1997 Second Solo album,
which I rather enjoy.
Sandy, as I noted earlier credits Jim Gordon on Drums.
(Also, Guitars... Tony Peluso and Tim May in Sandy...whereas other LP's credit only Tony Peluso on guitar.)
After repeated listening, I wonder if the Jim Gordon credit is simply misprinted ? (Cubby O'brien on 1976 LP Hush, and elsewhere.)
Someday, also credits Peter Knight on arrangement.
Thus, this album, too, affords some interesting questions,
Those Whys and Wherefores !
 
August 1998, Keyboard Magazine , by Greg Rule
Richard Carpenter Interview:
Regarding Karen's Theme :
"Q: Tell us the inspiration and creation of the song 'Karen's Theme' ."
"Richard Carpenter :
Originally a cue for the Karen Carpenter Story. Maybe 40 seconds long,
and that was it. It was written in 1988 and the show aired January 1st,1989.
But, then, when the time came to put this new album together, I thought, I'd really like to
finish Karen's Theme. I came up with the bridge and the third verse, so it was finished.
Then, I got to the beginning of the album and thought I want to come up with something
different. And, I came up with the F-Minor opening (Prelude) and just happened to go through
a B-half diminished and a Bb-over-C. And, I thought, Hey ,I could put the bridge of Karen's Theme
here--that way if, someone listens from the start to the finish, it bookends the whole thing."
 
In regards to Karen's Theme, I never was that taken with the song. It just didn't seem to represent her, since I found it was so sorrow and blue filled. Had it been more chipper and upbeat, I think it would've been better, but as it is, it's probably the weakest of all of Richard's solo tracks.

But getting back on track, I've been listening to the "Time" album quite a bit lately. Don't know if anyone's noticed this, but the title on the front cover has "Time" on the CD up near Richard's shoulder, while the LP has it down by his foot.

I've really been rockin' the opening songs "Say Yeah!", "Who Do You Love", "Calling Your Name Again" and "Remind Me To Tell You". Plus "Something In Your Eyes" is really nice, and considering this was one of the few singles from this album, why Richard hasn't included it in a Carpenters singles collection, even though it has Dusty Springfield on lead. Or even "Who Do You Love" which was released in Japan as a single, but has a Richard lead.
 
"I'm Still Not Over You" came into my earbuds while I was at the gym today. I was struck what a great job Richard did on this number. I wish it had been a follow up single or something.
 
So agree with you! It's a very Carpenteresque tune; I'm surprised it wasn't a single.
"I'm Still Not Over You" came into my earbuds while I was at the gym today. I was struck what a great job Richard did on this number. I wish it had been a follow up single or something.
 
I often wonder if "I'm Still Not Over You" was written in '82 along with In Love Alone, as both have lyrics by Bettis. If so, it would have made a great '83 single.
 
Took this one for a 'spin' this morn.
Amusingly, the male leads sing consistently higher than the female leads.
That is, the ballads sung by Dusty and Dionne are sung in lower notes than the
songs sung by Richard and Scott Grimes: these two sing leads in very high keys.
 
Always struck me as a bit peculiar as to the
under-utilization of Tenor Sax/Bob Messenger
in later recordings.
In particular, on this LP,
John Phillips is credited twice--two songs:
Tenor Sax, Time
Alto Sax, That's What I Believe

Other than those two instances, no Sax Credits.
Was there a considered effort to trend away from sax-solos
between choruses ?
 
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