50th Carpenters COMPLETE - Box Set ideas

[John Tkacik]

With the video, it would be nice if whatever videos were shot and edited on film were rescanned, cleaned up and put on a Blu-Ray (and if any were originally shot on film but then edited on videotape, if those could be re-edited in HD, of course that is if the original seperate film still exists). We don’t need a 4K Blu-Ray, but still it would be nice to see those in at least 1080p, and maybe the 5.1 SACD masters could be pulled out and synched to the video as Uncompressed PCM or DTS-HD 5.1 mixes. Also Richard’s commentary from the 40th box set Gold DVD could be ported over. And then it would be nice to have a DVD featuring the videos that are from videotape, and again with any SACD 5.1 tracks synched to their respective videos in DTS 5.1, with any others that are stereo only presented in either Uncompressed PCM 2.0 Stereo or 2.0 DTS. (Or they could always put these videos on Blu-Ray in 480i and have their soundtracks in DTS-HD 5.1 or Uncompressed 5.1/2.0). Also seeing all the TV specials on DVD or Blu-Ray with their original mono audio and a 5.1 remix option would be great as well. Imagine seeing “The Carpenters At Christmas” on DVD in Uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo. (We know that the audio masters for “Christmas Alphabet” still exist as Richard was able to Remaster it from mono to stereo for the 2015 Christmas DVD).

I would love to see a BBC DVD set of their 1971, 1974, and 1976 performance broadcasts and a PBS DVD of their Boston Pops concert.

 

[tomswift2002]

Yes ! Those BBC specials need remastering on DVD. And the 5 ABC, MYOKOM as well as any other tv spots... Time, effort and money went into making them, they deserve to be preserved and reshown, not aired once and left on a shelf to collect dust.

I'd also love Richard to do something with all the live shows he has. He could release a box set, maybe the best concert of each year or a "best of" all live shows. If an album-by-album box set was released, Live At The Palladium could be extended by including the songs removed like I Need To Be In Love, Don't Be Afraid/Sing (with the fun audience participation), Close To You (Spike Jones), the Grease scene and Yesterday Once More. I think they also did These Are The Jokes Folks and Coming Thru The Rye/Good Vibrations. Also it could include dialogue between songs.

With the BBC specials, the original masters probably no longer exist, as the BBC had quite the junking policy right upto the 80’s, which is probably why the DVD producers of the Live In London” DVD were using a Japanese copy. Richard might have a copy in his collection that he got in the 70’s from the BBC, and that might be where he got the audio for “And When He Smiles”. Otherwise, those specials were recorded on 1970’s PAL tape, so there wouldn’t be any film to Remaster from.

 

[Mark-T]

Mark, could you give additional information on a "infamous" version of Calling Occupants? I've never heard of it before.

I don't know much about it other than it supposedly had several different artists on the radio dial before you get to "All Hit Radio".

 

[Rumbahbah]

With the BBC specials, the original masters probably no longer exist, as the BBC had quite the junking policy right upto the 80’s, which is probably why the DVD producers of the Live In London” DVD were using a Japanese copy. Richard might have a copy in his collection that he got in the 70’s from the BBC, and that might be where he got the audio for “And When He Smiles”. Otherwise, those specials were recorded on 1970’s PAL tape, so there wouldn’t be any film to Remaster from.

Indeed. Copies of many of the BBC music specials from the same series (featuring the likes of Bobbie Gentry, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro) were erased and thus far no other copies of them have ever surfaced. So we're lucky that the Carpenters special is still available at all!

 

[tomswift2002]

Indeed. Copies of many of the BBC music specials from the same series (featuring the likes of Bobbie Gentry, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro) were erased and thus far no other copies of them have ever surfaced. So we're lucky that the Carpenters special is still available at all!

It wasn’t just music specials. It was their entire catalog. If your a Dr. Who fan or even a sci-fi fan then you’ve heard or know about the junking issue.

 

[Harry]

Just surprise me. I'm not the demanding type.

 

[Actorman]

I like Simon's idea of 2-disc deluxe editions of Offering through Made In America with all of the posthumously released tracks, demos, jingles, and single mixes appended where they make the most sense.

I would also be absolutely thrilled with a US release of the Japanese box set from a few years ago where each album was done as a little book. I would love to see all of the liner notes and photographs it contained.

 

[newvillefan]

I like Simon's idea of 2-disc deluxe editions of Offering through Made In America with all of the posthumously released tracks, demos, jingles, and single mixes appended where they make the most sense.

I also love the idea but as Simon also mentioned though, that renders Voice Of The Heart and Lovelines unusable.

 

[CarpentersToYou]

So instead it could be a box set of songs that are placed in chronological order of recording date instead of by album.

 

[Mark-T]

^^^ I can't like this idea enough!

 

[tomswift2002]

Maybe a disc of tracks remixed in a dance format like My Body Keeps Changing My Mind from the From The Top box set could included.

 

[aaflyer98]

I’ll trade your box set for the studio completed version of “Thank You For The Music” that sits in the vaults

 

[Carl]

This is an interesting thread, I very much like the idea of a TV specials dvd and maybe the release of Karen Carpenter Goodbye to Love on DVD. What I'm looking forward to is the release of the Carpenters discography, I think that book will look great among many Carpenters collections and I feel it will serve as a great companion to the albums. I have the Essential Collection 4cd , which I think came out in 2002. But I'm very curious to see what develops over the next few months.

 

[KevCav333]

I’ll trade your box set for the studio completed version of “Thank You For The Music” that sits in the vaults

or how about the newly regrouped ABBA joining forces on Karen's vocal of "Thank You for The Music"? ~
now that would BE an event and probably "single of the year" - with two 70's supergroups joining forces.

 

[aaflyer98]

Now

or how about the newly regrouped ABBA joining forces on Karen's vocal of "Thank You for The Music"? ~
now that would BE an event and probably "single of the year" - with two 70's supergroups joining forces.

THAT would be amazing!

 

[Simon KC1950]

Anyone else here have a feeling that this thread is actually to generate ideas for Richard? I mean take a look at his comments in this interview:

Carpenter reveals that he’s finishing off some new songs. “I can’t say it’s a new album at the moment, just four or five numbers. We’ll see.”

Richard Carpenter - Record Collector Magazine

 

[KevCav333]

Anyone else here have a feeling that this thread is actually to generate ideas for Richard? I mean take a look at his comments in this interview:

Carpenter reveals that he’s finishing off some new songs. “I can’t say it’s a new album at the moment, just four or five numbers. We’ll see.”

Richard Carpenter - Record Collector Magazine

yep

 

[Mark-T]

Any decisions made on these projects for the 50th or are they still just considerations?

 

[Someday]

Does anyone actually know if there IS going to be a 50th Ann project? If something were released for April, shouldn't we have heard about it by now? We're already half way through February ...

 

[tomswift2002]

Does anyone actually know if there IS going to be a 50th Ann project? If something were released for April, shouldn't we have heard about it by now? We're already half way through February ...

There could always be something in the works for November/December to celebrate Offering/Ticket To Ride’s 50th.

 

[Chris May]

There could always be something in the works for November/December to celebrate Offering/Ticket To Ride’s 50th.

Or perhaps 2020 for the 50th Anniversary of Close To You... This was the bullet that set it all in motion

 

[GaryAlan]

I was watching the 1978 performance of Thank You For The Music.
In itself, a very good performance (with technology, that performance could be 'enhanced.')
So, if a full-blown studio version exists--that song gets my vote.
Dismayed when Richard repeated no New material for release.
How can that be ? It defies credulity that there would not be enough
good material (including studio,solo, live, tv...etc) in the vaults.

 

[tomswift2002]

I was watching the 1978 performance of Thank You For The Music.
In itself, a very good performance (with technology, that performance could be 'enhanced.')
So, if a full-blown studio version exists--that song gets my vote.
Dismayed when Richard repeated no New material for release.
How can that be ? It defies credulity that there would not be enough
good material (including studio,solo, live, tv...etc) in the vaults.

I know. We know for a fact that there are 2 completed tracks from at least Karen’s solo album that wouldn’t take much to release.

Plus I was just thinking, for a 50th box, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a disc where it looked at Richard’s producer role after Karen and included tracks from Veronique, Scott Grimes and Akiko.

 

[newvillefan]

Plus I was just thinking, for a 50th box, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a disc where it looked at Richard’s producer role after Karen and included tracks from Veronique, Scott Grimes and Akiko.

That's a really nice idea!

For me it would look something like this:

1. Something In Your Eyes (feat. Dusty Springfield)
2. That's What I Believe (feat. Scott Grimes)
3. Gomenasai (feat. Tatu)
4. In Love Alone (feat. Dionne Warwick)
5. How Could I Ask For More (feat. Akiko Kobayashi)
6. Show Me The Way To Your Heart (feat. Scott Grimes)
7. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (feat. Veronique Beliveau)
8. Only The Angels Know (feat. Akiko Kobayashi)
9. Chance In A Million (feat. Scott Grimes)
10. All Those Years Ago (feat. Petula Clark)

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

That's a really nice idea!

For me it would look something like this:

1. Something In Your Eyes (feat. Dusty Springfield)
2. That's What I Believe (feat. Scott Grimes)
3. Gomenasai (feat. Tatu)
4. In Love Alone (feat. Dionne Warwick)
5. How Could I Ask For More (feat. Akiko Kobayashi)
6. Show Me The Way To Your Heart (feat. Scott Grimes)
7. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (feat. Veronique Beliveau)
8. Only The Angels Know (feat. Akiko Kobayashi)
9. Chance In A Million (feat. Scott Grimes)
10. All Those Years Ago (feat. Petula Clark)

I really wouldn’t want this kind of CD as part of the 50th set.... I mean we already have those tracks on the original CDs.