⭐ Official Review [Album]: "VOICE OF THE HEART" (SP-4954)

[GaryAlan]

Richard Carpenter states that "Karen looked like Hell" during that session, April 1982.
He states:" She never sounded lovelier" (40th Liner Notes).
Levenkron, Karen was near 78lbs at that point in time.
Richard vacillated from 1983 until the present time in his assessment of those songs.
In 1983: None of these songs were considered--by him--to be discards, or outtakes. That is Documented.
Presently: He has since changed his mind. He would not have re-visited any of the songs, save a few. That is documented.
And,
"Now", was a single in the UK and Brazil.

 

[Mark-T]

I think Richard changes his mind about his work as any creative person would. (Hence, all the remixes.) Perspectives on life change over time.

 

[GaryAlan]

Mstaft, I agree with the sentiment, as perspectives , indeed, change over time.
Oftentimes, my concern is whether perspectives change based on financial
incentives or creative musical insights.
Perhaps, it does not matter the reasoning for such changing perspectives.
Nice to know, though, that the perspective of this creative musical genius
has not changed regarding Made In America !
But, in all truthfulness, I remain puzzled that Richard's perspective has undergone
almost a complete turn-around regarding Voice of The Heart.
It being a very good album.

 

[Aaron Moyer]

I don't know why I prefer Voice of the Heart over MIA. I think "Beechwood" and "Because We Are in Love" could be tossed and replaced with "The Univited Guest" or "Where Do We Go From Here?" or "Slow Dance." With Made in America as the title, Karen should have been singing "Born in the USA" or"A Little Good News" or "God Bless America."

 

[Aaron Moyer]

Look to your Dreams would never have been a contemporary song, not sure what Richard meant by that statement. This song is more of a bookend or a track that is timeless and would fit into any generation. It could have easily fit into Horizon or A Kind of Hush or even could have closed on MIA instead of the wedding track.

If MIA was striving to be contemporary then why include Beechwood?

I think you are dead on!

 

[GaryAlan]

Make no mistake about it-if Karen was totally in charge of her recording career,very little would've been accomplished.It's because of Richard's sheer brilliance & determination that we have as much of Karen on Record as we do.

And, yet, we have this:
"Combating Karen's iron determination to work whenever she was able to physically get to the studio...was to prove the impossible battle..."
(Coleman Biography, page 196)
"They both had tremendous driving force." (ibid., page 53)
"We got to a point where he (Richard) was not interested in going to a studio.",says Karen Carpenter (ibid., page 195)
"Karen was every bit as driven as I was, if not more so." says Richard Carpenter (ibid.page 99)
Then,too, this:
" Had Richard decided not to go into music with such determination, Karen would not have done so." (ibid., page 56).

 

[newvillefan]

And, yet, we have this:
"Combating Karen's iron determination to work whenever she was able to physically get to the studio...was to prove the impossible battle..."
(Coleman Biography, page 196)
"They both had tremendous driving force." (ibid., page 53)
"We got to a point where he (Richard) was not interested in going to a studio.",says Karen Carpenter (ibid., page 195)
"Karen was every bit as driven as I was, if not more so." says Richard Carpenter (ibid.page 99)
Then,too, this:
" Had Richard decided not to go into music with such determination, Karen would not have done so." (ibid., page 56).

Well said GaryAlan!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I forgot that I had this ad saved in my Carpenters Picture folder....I could be wrong but I think this was first provided to me from Murray (from the old Leadsister forums) but I could be mistaken....Murray was this from you?? Anyhoo....it's a keeper....Harry can you ad this one too, I'm not sure if this was from Billboard or Cashbox or where?

 

[Murray]

I forgot that I had this ad saved in my Carpenters Picture folder....I could be wrong but I think this was first provided to me from Murray (from the old Leadsister forums) but I could be mistaken....Murray was this from you??

It could have been Chris, but I honestly don't remember. I have so many pictures archived on CD/DVD and external hard drives, that I'm not even sure what I've got anymore. I do know that I've seen that VOTH ad before, so I'm not totally losing it! (yet)

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

It could have been Chris, but I honestly don't remember. I have so many pictures archived on CD/DVD and external hard drives, that I'm not even sure what I've got anymore. I do know that I've seen that VOTH ad before, so I'm not totally losing it! (yet)

No problem, Murray LOL in any case I'm so glad that I saved that one years ago and still had it on my old PC hard drive which I saved all my pics to a 2nd hard drive. I really love that billboard ad for Voice of the Heart....they nailed that slogan...A Good Voice bring back old memories (they are so right) A Great Voice always makes new ones. Karen will forever bring back old memories and create new ones for me, I'm still listening after all these years.....

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Found this on ebay....Billboard Review ad for Voice of the Heart, unfortunately the issue is not available online for viewing so this is the only shot available. If someone has the issue and better copy please post it.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

The only issue available for viewing online is the Dec 24 1983 issue of Billboard, I thought it was cool to see Voice of the Heart charted at #49 for week ending Dec 24, 1983 at that time it had been on the charts for 6 weeks. I'm not sure how high it charted.

 

[adam]

Voice of the Heart Album peaked at no 46 for 2 weeks january 7th and 14 th 1984

 

[GaryAlan]

Notice the "Distribution Co." RCA.
March 27, 1982 Billboard Magazine:
" RCA and A&M Records and Labels, The Formula For Success"

Entire Page 30-31:
https://books.google.com/books?id=wyQEAAAAMBAJ

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Voice of the Heart Album peaked at no 46 for 2 weeks january 7th and 14 th 1984

Thanks, those issues are not available online so no way for me to confirm but thanks for the info.

 

[GaryAlan]

Listened to the 1985 UK Vinyl Set Yesterday Once More,
which includes:
Now
immediately followed by,
For All We Know
This sequencing allows a comparison.
First: Differences evident between highs and lows, vocally.
(1971-Lower, 1982- Higher)
Second: Utilization of Choir (again, high notes) on the first mentioned ,1982 tune.
Karen and Richard --only-- overdubbing on the 1971 tune.
Had 'Now' omitted the Choir completely ,the song would be incredible.
As it is, the Choir--especially after that great Sax Sole--ruins the song.
Why were background vocals not attempted on the song ?
(It's the Make Believe It's Your First Time scenario repeated.)
For All We Know (15 sec. instrumental intro) retains a Classic Feel to it
( "The arrangement and recording were definitely rush jobs"--Richard)
the 1982 song (27 sec. instrumental intro)--beautiful as it is--
drowns in a sea of Choral overdubbing and de-emphasizing the stark nakedness of
the lyrics, not to mention Karen's fine rendering of the tune.
(And, on Vinyl, the irritating guitar string rubbing at 58 sec.).
Two songs, recorded roughly a decade apart and portraying variations in
arranging styles and vocal interpretation.

 

[Jeff]

I'm gonna dig my UK YOM cd's out for a run thru for sh*ts n giggles.

 

[newvillefan]

Had 'Now' omitted the Choir completely ,the song would be incredible.

To my ears, the choir always covered a glaring omission in Karen's lead vocal. Listen at 1m28s. The line should be "I was always afraid love might forget me/And that love might let me down". What we get instead is this:

Karen: I was always afraid love might forget me
Choir: [And that]
Karen: Love might let me down

This being a work lead, Karen, for some reason, omitted that first part of the second line. Similar to her fluffed line on 'Do You Hear What I Hear'.

Why were background vocals not attempted on the song ?

That's probably because Karen was only in LA for two weeks during her treatment in New York. She likely dropped in, recorded a couple of leads and went back to New York. She probably didn't have the energy to undertake exhaustive sessions recording all the overdubs that would have been required to replicate what the choir eventually did. More's the pity. It's a beautiful, majestic swan song.

 

[GaryAlan]

Thanks, Stephen,
And, it is a beautiful song.
I wish it were stripped down.
Regarding "...Karen not having enough energy to undertake exhaustive sessions.."
that makes sense. What does not make sense ,in that respect , is the Coleman account
that Richard and Roger Young flew out to NY with an eye to recording more with Karen,
after the April 1982 session. (page 309) .
Relevant Passage:
"When she returned to NY after recording successfully during that California trip, Richard and Roger
Young flew in to Manhattan. With a view to recording some more with Karen while she was there,
he and Roger viewed some studios."

Were she too lacking in energy in LA, why would they fly to NYC ?

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Billboard issue Oct 29, 1983 promoted Voice of the Heart. The same ad above I posted from ebay actually came from Billboard here is the Billboard ad. It looks like it wasn't scanned correctly for photos hence the pixels.

In addition here is the full page ad placed in Billboard issue Oct 29, 1983 for the Single, "Make Believe It's Your First Time". This was already posted above but I thought this one was good enough to post again. This is the way it appeared in Billboard, I didn't know it had a purple border. This is a really clean promo ad. I like this one.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I have never seen this article before....I think it's pretty awesome to read that Richard put himself in the fans position....
Billboard issue Nov 19, 1983

 

[newvillefan]

I have never seen this article before....I think it's pretty awesome to read that Richard put himself in the fans position....
Billboard issue Nov 19, 1983

Great article Chris, thanks for posting.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

There were a few eye openers for me on that article....I didn't realize that Richard went back to the recording studio so quickly but like he said it had to be a healing process for him just to stay busy during this time of tragedy. I also wasn't aware that VOTH was basically done in May, so it was possible that album could have been released 5 months earlier. It makes sense why A&M wanted to wait. It also made me think that had Karen lived, they were already set to get back in the recording studio so I would think the duo was already scheduled for allotted time at the studios for recording which then leds me to think there next album could have been released in summer of 1983.

Richard must have been working really hard and fast at getting VOTH completed for it to basically be ready in May 1983 for release. I had always thought that it wasn't finished until Aug and released in Oct. The article also mentions he did a lot of promotion for the album. I've never understood why A&M promoted VOTH so much yet when An Old Fashioned Christmas was released just a year later that hardly got any promotion or marketing. I've yet to see any promotion ad for their 2nd Christmas album and I think Richard has even eluded to that fact in his liner notes. It's also interesting to read in this article how Richard expresses how it's really up to A&M about releasing another album of unreleased tracks, (think Lovelines) and how he is hoping that there will be at least one more album. Interesting stuff especially since this was all in the works and we know now that Lovelines did materialize.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Richard basically got VOTH done so quickly for the fans, he wanted the world to hear their music, Karen's voice!!! VOTH has always meant a lot to me but knowing that he put the album together so quickly (May 1983) for the fans to hear makes it even more special to me. This article just hit home for me.

 

[newvillefan]

I didn't realize that Richard went back to the recording studio so quickly but like he said it had to be a healing process for him just to stay busy during this time of tragedy. I also wasn't aware that VOTH was basically done in May, so it was possible that album could have been released 5 months earlier.

Interesting, I also didn't know VOTH was completed as quickly as May. Richard was asked in a 1983 interview how long it was after Karen's passing before he was able to listen to Karen's voice and their music again and he replied that it was "about a month". So he must have started work on the album in mid-March and completed work on it within two months.