CarpenterS future

[Jeff]

Does ANYBODY out there have knowledge of pre-release info? Thinking beyond ATGB I'd like to know if there is follow-up. ATGB 2? The U.S. version of a LIVE album? MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC medley? Some, not all of Karen's unreleased solo sessions? It would seem to me that a bevy of selections could produce yet another album or two. I don't know who, where or when this type of info can be accessed. It seems that I only hear of "projects" two or three months prior to actual release. In the case of ATGB we all know how long a domestic release was to become a reality. If I were in the music biz I would think that an extended forecast of projects would be necessary. PJ, How do you come up with the latest and greatest inside scoops? Your posts are always of interest to me. Aside from Yuka Ogura, you appear ro have a hotline of sorts.

It is not that I am chronically discontented per say...It's is more accurate to say that since 1970 I have awaited, envisioned and held my breath for any and all CarpenterS music. It is a way of life at this point. I know I often sound "over-the-top". The simple reason for my intense devotion is because CarpenterS have always been a haven in a life that was otherwise troublesome, tumultuous and chaotic. So please forgive my enthusiasm, rambling and so on. I would also be curious to know why other's on this forum are so passionate? This is a place to come where I feel somewhat normal in my pursuit of these particular activities?

Decidedly obsessed,

Jeff

 

[CarpentersToYou]

Hmm...good question.

I've been a fan since 1998, and obviously I am a fanatic.

Richard doesn't seem too interested in releasing much new material. There really isn't too much to released.

It's pretty safe to say that Budokan won't see a US release, but there are LOTS of concerts that were professionally recorded:

Netherlands,
Las Vegas,
Boston Pops, etc. I've wrote to Richard countless times, but I never have recieved a response about future releases.

If ever any news comes up, you can count on me reporting it!
http://www.thecarpenters.tk

 

[mr J.]

I can probably say without hesitation that there won't be another new release after AS TIME GOES BY.The last studio album,LOVELINES,came out 15 years ago(hard to believe!),and was designated as the final album.AS TIME GOES BY owes it's existence to the fact that most of those tracks weren't releasable on earlier albums due to copyright/royalty problems.Richard had no intention of ever releasing another album after LOVELINES.As far as knowledge about future releases,keeping in contact with A&M and Richard's management is the only way to get advance info on new releases.

 

[andywithaz]

There is alot of stuff that can be released. I have about 3 CDs full of unreleased material and most of it can be released. The tracks are completed and Karen's vocals are real good.

The tracks probably won't be released on a new album but maybe on a new box set.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Maybe someday there will be a website with every single Carps mix, snippet, tidbit and smidgen available for download. In fact, maybe he ought to make each individual multi-track available, that way people could make their OWN remixes. Imagine.....a million different remixes of "Close to You."

 

[Tony]

Do I detect a bit of sarcasm in your post Mike?

Tony

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Yes and no. On the one hand, it WOULD be nice to be able to hear any mix, any time. And, there are probably lots of people who would find listening to individual tracks and growing their own home mixes very entertaining, not to mention educational.

But, there is a reason that not everything was released back in the day. There's only one person who can (and should) judge what is "good enough" Carpenters material for the marketplace. If Mr. Carpenter keeps releasing more and more disks full of "leftovers," the overall quality of their catalog suffers. A Carpenters "novice" stumbling onto AS TIME GOES BY might say, "Why was there such a fuss about THESE people?" Whereas a novice hearing A SONG FOR YOU the first time is sure to be impressed with its musical depth.

Look at what's happend to the Elvis Presley catalog....it's nearly impossible to find a "pure" Elvis album now that isn't a half-baked "greatest hits" collection full of "previously unreleased" performances that were originally considered substandard for one reason or another.

 

[jfiedler17]

If Mr. Carpenter keeps releasing more and more disks full of "leftovers," the overall quality of their catalog suffers ...

Look at what's happend to the Elvis Presley catalog....it's nearly impossible to find a "pure" Elvis album now that isn't a half-baked "greatest hits" collection full of "previously unreleased" performances that were originally considered substandard for one reason or another.

I gotta agree with you 100%! The more Carpenters "leftovers" product that comes out (or, on a similar note, the more Carpenters "different mixes" or "touch-up-jobs" product that comes out), the more I feel it hurts their catalog as a whole.
While I don't necessarily think that releasing previously-unreleased-material is always a bad thing (actually, one of my favorite McCartney solo songs hasn't been released to this day!), there's USUALLY good reasons why they weren't released (most often, 'cause they don't stick in your head nearly as much as the stuff that WAS released), and it IS kind of sad when an artist's catalog becomes one neverending flood of "odds-and-ends" collections or shoddy-compilations-with-one-lost-cut-on-them. Like Elvis, which is the perfect example. Elvis' catalog has become a discographer's nightmare. It's headache-inducing. Like you said, finding a "pure" Elvis album these days is a real chore.
(Prince is another artist I can think of off the top of my head who's put out way too much "previously-unreleased" product over the years.)
And, between the constant flood of Carpenters repackagings and archival releases, and the abundance of outtakes or different mixes or re-recordings between releases, even the Carpenters' discography's starting to get way too confusing for my tastes. And, personally, I'd rather hear fresh solo stuff from Richard than hear more outtakes.

I DO like rarity packages (compilations of B-sides, etc.) of stuff that WAS released, but when you start making "outtake" packages of stuff that wasn't released the first time around, you chip away a bit at the aura surrounding the artist and their catalog. And they also usually don't make for albums that you'll want to listen to repeatedly. Case in point: the Beatles Anthology packages. Wildly fascinating stuff the first time you listen to it. I haven't listened to ANY of them in their entirety a second time. I break out "Real Love" every now and then, but, other than that, I can't say I've listened to them in years. And I'm a pretty big Beatles buff, too!

 

[Harry]

I'm in wholehearted agreement with Mike and JFiedler on this subject. Though fascinated with the recording process, I find releases like the Beatles' ANTHOLOGY series to be lacking in listenability. Hearing various song fragments edited together is interesting once, but not multiple times. If I've pulled out the Beatles ANTHOLOGY for anything, it's to hear a specific full song that was left off of their main albums. The fragments and outtakes just don't sit well on repeat listens.

To some extent, I view Carpenters in the same light. AS TIME GOES BY has some interesting completed tunes that I enjoy hearing over and over again ("Rainbow Connection", "And When He Smiles", "Nowhere Man", "California Dreamin'", maybe the "Karen/Ella Medley"), but as an album, it just doesn't hold together very well.

Several of the hits medleys are nice to hear as a different take on some of the old songs, but I'll take the originals any day. The TV soundtrack stuff overall is nice to hear once or twice, but really it needs to be put onto DVD with its accompanying video portion to be thoroughly appreciated.

We all agree that Richard is a terrific pianist, but who among us can't honestly say that they don't reach for the "Next" button on the CD player when the "Star Wars/Close Encounters Medley" or "Dizzy Fingers" comes on. Again - these would be far more interesting with their accompanying videos.

After discovering the joys of what Richard did with Veronique, I'd be happier if he just continued to provide us with more like that, which is why I was excited to hear of him working with Jo O'Meara. Now sadly, THAT's beginning to sound like more of a fan rumor than reality.

 

[Tony]

Mike, JFielder17 and Harry,

You each make excellent observations. And you point out things that many of us might overlook in our desire for more, more, more. Thanks for such thoughtful replies.

Tony

 

[Jeff]

Guys,

I agree that the overall integrity of the catalog may be affected by the occasional release of this-n-that. However, it sounds to me as though many of you expect and desire ATGB to be the last and final word from the C's repetoire. C'mon, honestly don't you want a "little" more?

Still pursuing trax,

Jeff

 

[PJ]

Going back to Jeff's original queries ...is As Time Goes By ...the last all unissued Carpenters set ....

Really Richard has never closed the door on future unissued material ....after Lovelines ....Richard bowed to A&M / Fans pressure to release more rarities on From The Top Box set ....then again to A&M UK requests for Interpretations and more unissued material

Richard seems to change his opinons of the quantity and quality of unissued material from year to year ...aka 1993 interview "The Cupboard is Bare ....! to 1994 UK visit when after several fans asked about any future plans ...Richard's reply "There is more good material and there will be more issued in due course" ....leading to Karen's Solo set and after delays with planned 30th Anniversary release .....ATGB(2001)

Now ATGB is due in it's original form ....AT LAST FOR USA RELEASE ....Richard can consider other projects and plans for future release ....after his long planned Christmas album ...perhaps for 2005 /2006

No doubt Universal UK & Japan will press harder for other releases & material ....perhaps even Universal USA after success of Gold and ATGB will also request more ....with quality tracks still unreleased

As for ATGB ....this is my favourite Carpenters Post -Karen release after Voice Of The Heart .....reminding me more of the early Carpenters albums styles , variety and playfulness in their enduring music

Also ..it is unfair to compare ATGB to standard studio sets ....as this is mainly a collection of studio rarities with some live TV performances and never intended to be seen as another straightforward studio album

Roll on some quality future releases ......

Peter

 

[andywithaz]

I have an idea that wouldn't hurt the catalog as a whole.

If Richard organized another official fan club then he could release some material and it wouldn't be out there for the general public. I mean the diehard fans are the only people that buy the rare stuff anyway.

 

[davidgra]

I'm in agreement with most on this topic, although I do feel there is more room for "new" releases. Specifically, a live album/box set is needed in the United States. Even though the Carpenters were very much a "studio" band, I don't feel it would hurt the catalog's legacy to have a really comprehensive live collection available.

The area in which I'm in a little disagreement is that more collections of "outtakes" would significantly drag down the overall quality of the Carpenters' catalog. Yes, I agree that "new" albums like AS TIME GOES BY are not really possible in the future, as they would get poorer and poorer in quality while the bottom of the barrel is being scraped for workable vocals. However, specifically-themed collections are possible -- a set of "early recordings" or YOUR NAVY PRESENTS or songs from the television shows.

The other possibility, which I'm seeing more and more these days, is (yet another) re-release of the original catalog with bonus discs of material. Elvis Costello has being doing this for a while now, and recently three Fleetwood Mac albums came out in this manner. The first disc is the original album; no alterations or remixes, just the original album. The second disc is "extra" material -- demos, outtakes, live recordings, B-sides, remixes, anything from the era of the original album that wasn't included on the album.

An example could be TICKET TO RIDE. The first disc would contain the complete original album. The second disc could contain the original demos (including the demo versions of "Nowhere Man" and "California Dreamin'"), original single mixes of "Ticket to Ride" and "Your Wonderful Parade," remixes of those tracks which have been remixed, the CSULB songs, live recordings, etc. Anything Karen and Richard recorded in the 1968-1969 period. CLOSE TO YOU could contain a second disc with single mixes, the original "Merry Christmas, Darling," some of the rare songs from YOUR NAVY PRESENTS, remixes, etc., from 1970. In this way, all sorts of interesting material could be added to the Carpenters' catalog without actually affecting the original albums or adding "new" CDs to the catalog.

I know we've all bought the entire catalog at least two or three times, but this sort of re-working of the catalog could be quite significant -- especially if it were all released as CD/SACD hybrid discs...

Forgetting everything I've just said above, I want to say that in many ways the Carpenters' catalog HAS been negatively affected by the endless re-packaging of compilations of the same songs, over and over and over. While the quality of the material has always been excellent, the reputation has become that of a group that keeps releasing the same songs again and again.

David

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I have said it before and I'll say it again: Richard should do a nationwide "talent search," find a lovely new young female vocalist, and make some new music. There are probably thousands of songs that would make excellent "Carpenters" music if there was only a vocalist to sing them!

Of course he wouldn't want to use the Carpenters name, but he'd certainly get a lot of media attention for any such project.

My other idea: He should make an instrumental Christmas album.

 

[jfiedler17]

After discovering the joys of what Richard did with Veronique, I'd be happier if he just continued to provide us with more like that, which is why I was excited to hear of him working with Jo O'Meara. Now sadly, THAT's beginning to sound like more of a fan rumor than reality.

I agree! Even though, like you said, it's unfortunately probably not going to happen, the prospect of Richard doing new material with someone like Jo O'Meara (who I'd be glad to hear ANY solo stuff from, and that much more so if HE was involved) excites me far more than the idea of more outtake releases.

I also like Mike's idea of an instrumental Christmas album from Richard, too!

Jeff F.

 

[coolvox]

Everyone at the A&M Corner has
such a great understanding about
the history and the logistics of
Carpenters releases,its fantastic!
I am grateful for ATGB but if this
is to be the last release, I am
a little dissapointed that Comin
Thru The Rye/Good Vibrations or
Thank You For The Music were not
included or used instead of Dizzy
Fingers and Space Encounters.
I have heard Together At Christmas
and when its completed It will
be outstanding! I am just wondering
if anyone out there knows if there
are any unreleased Christmas tunes
with Karen that could be included
on Richards Christmas project?
JIM