Anyone read this?

Portlander said:
I admire Herb Alpert and will always be grateful that he signed Karen and Richard. However, it's not the first time he's made comments that the Carpenter's music wasn't his type or style. But he recorded and released "This Guy's in Love With You" which was a great song and a big hit for A&M during the lean years but was just as sappy and easy listening as some of the Carpenter's ballads. He 's kind of saying that he was too hip to have their music in his personal collection but they were very talented which comes off as a back handed compliment in my opinion.
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Not sure I see that comment as "back-handed." I have never really liked much of the Beatles music (heresy, I know), but that doesn't mean I don't have tremendous respect and appreciation for their importance in music and the influence/impact they had on the music scene. That doesn't feel "back-handed" to me; it's recognition that, my personal tastes aside, they (Beatles) were one of if not the most important bands in music history.

As you said...just my opinion.
 
I would agree. Herb's tastes in music, from what I understand, always tended toward jazz, so when listening to a vocal/choral duo on a demo, he instinctively knew that A, it wasn't something that he personally would choose to listen to, and B, that the voice on that tape was something special.

As for the song "This Guy's In Love With You", Herb was essentially talked into doing a vocal for his TV special because the director wanted him to do something different rather than the constant trumpeting. The public reacted favorably and the rest, as they say, is history.

When Herb was given "Close To You" as a follow up, he did it in a rather jazzy style, but his engineer told him it wasn't very good. Instinctively knowing that the song might be right for that voice on the tape, he gave it to Richard to work on.
 
I get what you both are saying and agree with most of your points. However, as co founder of the record label and their biggest creative cheerleader I'm not sure what Herb gains by still mentioning that the Carpenters music is not his preference in interviews. It's combines a negative comment with a positive one and prolongs the image stigma that has been associated with the Carpenters since the beginning and is something that just doesn't need to be said. Anyone watching or reading his comments would come away with "wow, their own record company president didn't even care for their type of music".
 
I have a different read on what Herb said. I took away that he and Jerry Moss initially set out to make good records that they would buy themselves. That was their mindset. Then he was saying (I think) that although Carpenters didn't fit his and Jerry's game plan, he rolled the dice with them anyway based on his instincts.

I think the first paragraph of this part of the interview, he was just trying to set up a point of how special they were in the second paragraph. I get it, the stigma attached to their management right out of the gate, but Herb gets a pass from me here on this one. This is the quote....

“Jerry and I were trying to make good records, but records that we would buy ourselves, so that was our pursuit,” Alpert said. “We weren’t trying to make that magical hit record that everyone else could expect. We were going for the road less travelled with most of the artists we have.

“When I heard the Carpenters, it wasn’t the type of music that I play for my own personal collection. But there’s something about (Karen Carpenter’s) voice and Richard’s enthusiasm that struck me, like, this is the real thing. So I … gave them the tune ‘Close to You’ to record and man, bang! They hit hard. They’re still selling records, God bless (Karen). She was a fabulous artist.
 
People are being waaaaay too sensitive about Herb's comments. We already know that Herb had a real thing for Karen's voice (who didn't?) and he appreciated Richard's talent for arranging. The statement he made above doesn't change that. He was just "keeping it real" as the kids say. Nothing wrong with that. At no point does he insult them; he just says what they do isn't really his thing...no biggie.

Perhaps I interest a few of you in a glass of warm milk and a fluffy pillow? :)

Ed
 
Vinylalbumcovers said:
People are being waaaaay too sensitive about Herb's comments. We already know that Herb had a real thing for Karen's voice (who didn't?) and he appreciated Richard's talent for arranging. The statement he made above doesn't change that. He was just "keeping it real" as the kids say. Nothing wrong with that. At no point does he insult them; he just says what they do isn't really his thing...no biggie.

Perhaps I interest a few of you in a glass of warm milk and a fluffy pillow? :)

Ed
Click to expand...
Totally agree. Herb highly respects the Carpenters, adored Karen and is friends with Richard to this day. He was just being literal and recalling the moment, as he frequently does.
 
Whenever I am in LA and in the area of LaBrea, I make my way to 1410 and park near the entrance of the former A&M Records lot.... for a moment of imagining the start of something big. I can picture Herb Albert's amazing discovery of Carpenters and an invitation to them to drive through these inspiring gates and make A&M their new new home away from home...I can only imagine...and I really look forward to another visit down LaBrea memory lane.
 
Faithful Fan said:
Whenever I am in LA and in the area of LaBrea, I make my way to 1410 and park near the entrance of the former A&M Records lot.... for a moment of imagining the start of something big. I can picture Herb Albert's amazing discovery of Carpenters and an invitation to them to drive through these inspiring gates and make A&M their new new home away from home...I can only imagine...and I really look forward to another visit down LaBrea memory lane.
Click to expand...

On the 50th anniversary convention we got to see those gates and amazingly, were invited inside to take photos of the courtyard.

The door that led to the recording studios:

919AC619-FA70-4492-A1D7-F72756810BED.jpeg

The windows above the staircase in the photo below is Richard and Karen’s old room where they often met press and radio interviewers. The 1981 BBC Radio Interview with Ray Moore was done in this room.

03EB5922-34C6-4427-8FB8-9F9EEC69644A.jpeg

In the next photo, through the window behind Richard you can see the tiled roof of the smaller building to the right hand side in the above photo:

610B5EA4-A959-4633-BF0C-18FED1DC4C00.jpeg
 
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newvillefan said:
On the 50th anniversary convention we got to see those gates and amazingly, were invited inside to take photos of the courtyard.

The door that led to the recording studios:

919AC619-FA70-4492-A1D7-F72756810BED.jpeg

The windows above the staircase in the photo below is Richard and Karen’s old room where they often met press and radio interviewers. The 1981 BBC Radio Interview with Ray Moore was done in this room.

03EB5922-34C6-4427-8FB8-9F9EEC69644A.jpeg

In the next photo, through the window behind Richard you can see the tiled roof of the smaller building to the right hand side in the above photo:

610B5EA4-A959-4633-BF0C-18FED1DC4C00.jpeg
Click to expand...
Who are the two guys in the photo with Richard and Karen?
 
Vinylalbumcovers said:
People are being waaaaay too sensitive about Herb's comments. We already know that Herb had a real thing for Karen's voice (who didn't?) and he appreciated Richard's talent for arranging. The statement he made above doesn't change that. He was just "keeping it real" as the kids say. Nothing wrong with that. At no point does he insult them; he just says what they do isn't really his thing...no biggie.

Perhaps I interest a few of you in a glass of warm milk and a fluffy pillow? :)

Ed
Click to expand...
My main takeaway from the interview was his comment that "They’re still selling records..." Coming from him in 2023 is reassurance that Karen and Richard's musical legacy is secure. Nothing else bothered me about his comments at all.
 
Cool Cars, American Graffiti, and Karen Carpenter

For you car buffs -- The article above, from a couple of days ago, is from a Petaluma Argus-Courier staff writer recounting his youth, cool cars in American Graffiti, his crush on Karen Carpenter and meeting her at a car wash in Downey in 1977. (Had no idea she had a yellow Porsche)

excerpt:

I myself would one day meet Karen Carpenter, who also lived in Downey, and had even once attended the same high school I eventually graduated from.
It was 1977 and I was 17, and she was driving a sleek yellow Porsche. I worked at Robo Car Wash at the time, the same place where her brother Richard usually took the family’s many cars to be washed and waxed. It was the only time I ever saw Karen bring a car in, but I recognized her immediately. She rolled down the window, said, “Hello,” handed me a dollar bill and added, “Wax please. Have a nice day,” then rolled up the window.

And I washed her car.

Okay, okay. I know that isn’t the world’s most exciting meet-your-celebrity-crush story. But it’s true and it’s mine and I’m keeping it.
 
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Came across an online article today on a website called workandmoney.com that lists top selling music acts by certified U.S. album sales. The article was from last November. The Carpenters are listed as being tied at #95 along with REO Speedwagon with 24.5 million U.S. album sales. The next highest batch of performers are tied at #89 with 25 million sales. They include ZZ Top, Toby Keith, Motley Crue, Lil Wayne, Creed, and Hootie & The Blowfish.
 
Music agent legend Paul Charles on Karen Carpenter, Christy Moore and the Irish artist that left him 'starstruck' - (May 26, 2023)

Paul Charles recounts in his new memoir among the most memorable memories of his career (excerpt from article):

"I saw The Carpenters once in The Palladium. I couldn't believe how beautiful a singer Karen Carpenter was, and how soulful her voice was. It really made you want to cry. It was so beautiful and so good. And she was also a major, perfect musician as a drummer.
When you're there in the middle of that, and that's happening, that's the best night of your life."
 
1969 said:
I saw The Carpenters once in The Palladium. I couldn't believe how beautiful a singer Karen Carpenter was, and how soulful her voice was. It really made you want to cry. It was so beautiful and so good.
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It’s such a shame that this doesn’t translate onto the screen. The Palladium (well, New London Theatre) performance comes across as pretty lacklustre to me, and always has. Even the Budokan concert isn’t that enthralling visually. But I’m envious of anyone who got to hear them live, because by all accounts their sound system was amazing, with each instrument clearly heard and impeccably mixed, and her voice filled the auditorium.
 
Interesting opening section to an article about Joni Mitchell in this month’s UK Mojo magazine. I certainly wasn’t aware of the “riotous” and drug-fuelled parties going on around the A&M lot. What an incongruous picture with our beloved duo recording ”Sing“ and ”YOM” next door…IMG_1374.png
 
Whoever is singing "Close to you" in the Simpsons video linked there is not Karen. I've been asking myself for years:
a) Why didn't they use Karen?
and
b) Who is that?
In the Simpsons movie it is definitely Karen.
 
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