"Beechwood 4-5789" - Yay or Nay?

[CraigGA]

Richard has a unique way of making 60's songs come to life. Plus, they seem effortless for Karen as she sings them relaxed with energy and fun. And their shared overdubs work well using their layered harmonies, as always, are perfect. I like both Goofus and Beechwood as album songs.

 

[theninjarabbit]

I vacillate between Yay and Nay on this one. I don't play it as much as "Postman". The time of release (early 80s) is most likely why it receives lukewarm reception. Recrafting the oldies was just not a vast treasure trove anymore- if anybody else had tried it, maybe something would've happened. For the Carpenters, it was "been there, done that" outside of the loyal fans. Saying that... their cover of "Beechwood" is a fun, well-crafted song; I especially like the steel guitar bit towards the end. I respect that they weren't afraid to take that kind of fun approach ("Jambalaya", "Occupants") on other selections also.

On a side note, the oldies medley on Now and Then has some of my favorite Karen leads along with "Sing". Such rich sound and flawless delivery...

 

[adam]

Hi
Beechwood 45789 may be a fun song but hardly single material .no wonder it only reached no 74 on Billboard charts.

 

[CraigGA]

Well, I feel that the formula is nice but after 10 years and their immense talent as resources, a new horizon would have been welcomed in my book. Luckily we have more from which to listen today than we did in 1982, and done from new horizons.

Craig

 

[Daniel Perales]

It's funny that this thread has appeared again.

This song is actually a big favorite from the album. One of the few Carpenters songs that everyone riding in my car ask to crank the stereo up when it comes up.


Danny

 

[Superstar]

Amit-I agree with you,the "Beechwood" video is very tacky(especially the "cool dude" with the sunglasses trying to make the moves on Karen!).Then again,"Beechwood" is a tacky song to begin with.Actually,Richard stated to Ray Coleman that he regrets recording several songs,including "Beechwood","Sing","Please Mr.Postman","There's A Kind Of Hush".Those cheap songs really lower Karen's status.K&R made several attempts during their career to try to sound "Top 40",and these turned out to be very embarassing!Incidentally,(talking about videos...),The "Superstar" clip on the "Gold" video,filmed at Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas,is definitely the best K&R video I've seen!Karen is so cool,sultry and sensual on that clip(and very serious).I was never crazy about "Superstar" in general,but that video really enhances the "dramatic" feel of the song.

Ooooh.... is that on youtube? I tried to find it, but came up with nothing.

 

[WYBIMLA]

I like "Beechwood"! I think it's fun! I wouldn't say they shouldn't have done it. Of course it's done well. Yet, even as someone who likes MIA even I'd say I'm not too sure about it being chosen as a single or really needing a video. It's fine. I get the "partners in crime" thing and that it's part of their act, but like ten+ oldies or whatever since at least '73 at this point it's running dry. I'm not completely against them milking it. They're having fun and it can be infectious.

 

[Joe P.]

NAY.

The greatest female voice in the history of the world should not have been made to sing bubblegum songs.

 

[WYBIMLA]

Well, to that I'd say it was her own choice. She loved those old tunes. It's her voice and that's apparently what she wanted to do. Even on the solo project she loved "Jimmy Mack" enough to do a recording of it. I read the interview on the inner booklet of the Reader's Digest collection. I think they'd have probably loved to do more oldies by the sound of it. Can't hold it against KC or RC it's something they enjoyed to re-do those. Not everyone's cup of tea. It would have been great to have had hear more material penned by Bettis and Carpenter though.

 

[newvillefan]

It would have been great to have had hear more material penned by Bettis and Carpenter though.

In a way we did get more...on VOTH. And those tracks were average at best. They never really matched their creative peak in 1972 when they were writing songs like Goodbye To Love and Yesterday Once More.

 

[Joe P.]

Well, to that I'd say it was her own choice. She loved those old tunes. It's her voice and that's apparently what she wanted to do. Even on the solo project she loved "Jimmy Mack" enough to do a recording of it. I read the interview on the inner booklet of the Reader's Digest collection. I think they'd have probably loved to do more oldies by the sound of it. Can't hold it against KC or RC it's something they enjoyed to re-do those. Not everyone's cup of tea. It would have been great to have had hear more material penned by Bettis and Carpenter though.

Even RC has said during interviews he regretted having her record bubblegum tunes.

"Jimmy Mack" was not good and way out of her normal range.

 

[WYBIMLA]

I didn't hear that part. I've also heard him say there are not any songs he wishes he never did.

 

[Joe P.]

I didn't hear that part. I've also heard him say there are not any songs he wishes he never did.

Of the many hours of interviews I've heard RC give, I cannot remember exactly where/when I heard him say that, but he did say they recorded too many bubblegum songs.

It's mind boggling to me that "Please Mr Postman" could be on the same record with "I Can Dream, Can't I" and "Solitaire".

 

[WYBIMLA]

You're right it's is funny to think of "Postman" there. I feel the same way of "I believe you" on MIA. Just cause it sounds so different and sticks out.
They always seemed to have to play catch up once they came out with a smash single. Same story with "Close to you", but at least that sounds more consistent with that album.
Maybe just kind of how it is in that business... in their case anyway.

I just try to accept that they did some "bubblegum tunes". Nothing "wrong" with it. Just part of who they were, they had fun, it was something they devoted time to and the nostalgia is a portion of their legacy. They explored different styles. It was said they were "all over the place" (musically).

Makes me think, "We're not squeaky, but we're clean". - KC

 

[newvillefan]

Of the many hours of interviews I've heard RC give, I cannot remember exactly where/when I heard him say that, but he did say they recorded too many bubblegum songs.

To my knowledge Richard has never said that in an interview. If anything, in the liner notes of one compilation, he remarked about (Want You) Back In My Life Again that "you can't beat a good bubblegum song".

 

[Joe P.]

To my knowledge Richard has never said that in an interview. If anything, in the liner notes of one compilation, he remarked about (Want You) Back In My Life Again that "you can't beat a good bubblegum song".

Now I'll have to find it. Could take me years though

 

[Harry]

I'm thinking you're right Joe. I'm sure I've heard him say something like that.

 

[Bobberman]

I wanted to chime in and say YAY. When i first bought my vinyl copy of MIA in the 80s i really liked Beechwood 4-5789 ( the carpenters version was the first time i ever heard the song) i liked the whole album. And still do. Im glad i have all my Carpenters albums ( combination of CD Reissues and needle drops from vinyl to CD-R and a pretty decent transfer of The Horizon album from a vintage cassette version to CD-R ).

 

[newvillefan]

I haven't contributed to this thread yet but if I had to choose, I'd say yay! It's not the best track to have recorded at this time in their career (as I think we all would acknowledge) but for what it is, it's a fun slice of throwaway pop. I know lots of casual fans (as opposed to die-hards) who absolutely love it, mainly because it's not the usual downbeat ballad they tended to specialise in.

 

[Joe P.]

I'm thinking you're right Joe. I'm sure I've heard him say something like that.

Thanks Harry. Pretty sure he said it during the mid-90's. I remember this subject being discussed on Randy's Newville Ave mailing list during that time. I'll have to search my storage unit soon... I have most of my C's goodies there.

 

[Made In America]

Thanks Harry. Pretty sure he said it during the mid-90's. I remember this subject being discussed on Randy's Newville Ave mailing list during that time. I'll have to search my storage unit soon... I have most of my C's goodies there.

I've said a lot of things in my life that seemed appropriate at the time but later realized I was just spinning whatever the listener wanted to hear. I've also created things that seemed right at the time but seemed dated years later. Why oh why would I regret any of it as it represented me in a space in time and it was the foundation to who I became. I'm sure someone can find any alleged comment from Richard thoughout his career to satisfy an agenda. But I have a feeling Richard has few regrets because he generally did things his way and that means it was done the right way.

 

[Rumbahbah]

I've said a lot of things in my life that seemed appropriate at the time but later realized I was just spinning whatever the listener wanted to hear. I've also created things that seemed right at the time but seemed dated years later. Why oh why would I regret any of it as it represented me in a space in time and it was the foundation to who I became. I'm sure someone can find any alleged comment from Richard thoughout his career to satisfy an agenda. But I have a feeling Richard has few regrets because he generally did things his way and that means it was done the right way.

On the contrary, from what little we have heard from Richard about his thoughts on his career and recordings in recent years, he seems to have more regrets than ever now about decisions he made in the past - he's commented on regretting recording 'There's a Kind of Hush', on releasing Voice of the Heart, on his involvement with 'The Karen Carpenter Story', on the If I Were a Carpenter tribute album... Then there's the continual remixing of old songs for compilations, which suggests a dissatisfaction with the original versions.

I wouldn't say he's necessarily right in regretting all of these things, but it hardly suggests contentment with past decisions.

 

[Eyewire]

A very enthusiastic "Yay" vote for me. I love the song. I also like the video very much. Karen looks so happy here, and I dig the '50s theme.

I love all the oldies and "bubblegum" songs the Carpenters recorded, so I guess I'm guilty as charged. Of all their bubblegum songs, Please Mr. Postman is my favorite of them all. The video for that is probably my favorite of all their videos.