CARPENTERS OFFICIAL WEBSITE UPDATE!

[Chris May]

Richard Carpenter has once again updated his website with a newly authored "BIO", updated "FANS ASK" portion, and has even included album notes for "OFFERING" and "CLOSE TO YOU". Check it out!! -Chris

www.richardandkarencarpenter.com

 

[Dave]

Nice "Bio"--just the thing I've been waiting to see! "Check-It-Out" is right! artyhat:


Dave

 

[DVB]

Great Updates. Some Great questions too on Fans Ask

 

[andywithaz]

Yeah, but Rich sounds a little hacked off at some of the questions.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

He's pretty much direct & to the point like he always has been. Interesting set of questions.

So we are likely to never see another DVD of Carpenters songs. That is really sad to hear. I sure hope he isn't lumping in any of the tv shows and that we will never see any of the tv shows on DVD in the future, I had always hoped that he would at least give us some excerpts from their specials.

It also appears we will NEVER see the INTBIL video ever released on DVD. So glad I finally got this on VCD. I think it's a cool video. But I see Richard hates it. LOL

Also suprised to hear Richard say: "The record company is the one to decide if the format is economically worthy to produce another. I certainly hope it turns out to be" Regarding the SACD format. So it's the record company that decides, not Richard. I thought it was the other way around.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Yeah, but Rich sounds a little hacked off at some of the questions.

Yeah, doesn't he though? I've heard of "directness" but geez...LOL! As for the TV shows, he already mentioned in another answer that he the logistics for making those available is nightmare-ish and, thus, probably won't happen.

Ed

 

[Harry]

Personally, I think it's great that he's answering our questions - and the fact that he's done so over and over again to fans over the years has to be a bit tiring, so I don't mind the directness of his answers at all. I'd rather have that than wishy-washy "maybe's" any day.

I can't believe that people would expect more DVDs that feature "videos" anyway. The fact that we have what we have seems like a miracle to me given that music videos didn't exist in the Carpenters era. And I surely wouldn't want a bunch of thrown together still images while a Carpenters song plays in the background - that would seem like cheating.

The TV shows as I see it are pretty much a dead issue. Royalty payments and obtaining performance rights are a nightmare - so I don't expect to ever see those in my lifetime. My fuzzy old VHS copies will have to do.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

This reminds me of all the griping about the TJB reissues packaging. Sheesh, there are lots of artists who pay little or no attention to their fans, especially when it comes to minute recording details. I'm amazed that RC has answered some of the questions he has. I'm sure he's tempted to pull a William Shatner at times. (Star Trek fans will know what I'm talking about here!)

 

[CarpentersToYou]

I must say that I am very dissapointed with this fans ask. It sort of has a ring that Richard isn't too interested anymore.

Also it's a shame that this will be a hayday for bootleggers, I don't know if he sees that. This would be money in his pockets.

I guess this kind of takes our hopes down, as sad as it is to say. It's up to us to keep the Carpenters legacy alive. We have to promote them ourselves.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

On the C's Website: Under the Biography section Richard says this:

In January 1982, Karen moved to New York to spend most of the next 11 months seeing a therapist five times weekly for treatment of anorexia nervosa. She made a short trip to Los Angeles in April for a visit, during which time several rhythm tracks with work leads were recorded, including Now.

What were the other rhythm tracks with work leads that were recorded besides Now?

 

[Dave]

Well, I think the "Fans Ask" was updated in a worthwhile manner--least with the info on Karen in 1982...

I agree that there is little to complain about compared to what more I learned from having gone to Richard's Website...

Kudos to Richard for "keeping the Carpenters Legacy Alive" in the best was possible, even though the days of touring are long gone... (...and finding "another Karen" just won't be...)


Dave

 

[thestitch]

Has anyone tried getting on this site today? I can't get it up no matter what. I've tried using my bookmark and also the link provided at the top from Chris with no luck. Perhaps they're updating it? I've tried since 8:30 this morning to no avail.

Marilyn

 

[Rudy]

I think the site's been offline for a couple of days. Probably a technical issue.

One thing about "Fans Ask" though--at least if the questions are answered and posted online, Richard does not have to answer them over and over again. I know *anyone* gets tired of answering the same questions ad nauseum.

 

[Chris May]

It turns out that the Carpenters Official site has been down due to a technical glitch. Things should be back to normal shortly. -Chris

 

[thestitch]

Thanks, Chris! I thought there was one more thing wrong with my antique computer!!

Marilyn,
a genuine antique herself!

 

[PJ]

Hi All,

Safely back in the UK & slowly catching up on work , e-mails , private messages .....

I too like Marilyn tried to access official website several times today without success ....until returned a few hours ago to the site restored ....

Richard has added some great Bio notes -clearly a labour of love-plus more album / track notes & many more fans ask questions with his personal replies ....

I for one really appreciate Richard's website , notes & time taken to answer many different types of fans queries ...how many other major / classic artists do that ....very few...and I look forward to many more throughout 2005...

I have read on various forums some fans comments that Richard does not care any longer for the fans , that he is very negative & seems unwilling to take on their requests , views & outright demands ....and others stating the obvious ....claim if Karen were still here today ....all would be different ...yes of course ...in one sense ...however having discussed Karen & Richard with many who have worked with them , read various first hand accounts & fortunately met Karen & Richard ....I believe Karen would be very supportive of Richard today as she was throughout their active career & with his stewardship of Carpenters music & legacy ....

If Richard were not interested ...then this website would not have been created & maintained , Richard's written replies to various fans not continued & his interest & appreciation of our Carpenters support not visible ...the problem with some ....is that unless Richard immediately states his complete agreement with various questions & demands ....he is cast in a negative light ...absolutely unfairly ...by the minority....

Richard is always considering various projects plus his own personal work ...however he has to consider :

1. Do requests actually add to Carpenters catalogue of musical or
Video / DVD releases & their future legacy .....

2. Time , effort , costs ...not to Richard personally -more with
overall project costs ?

3. Will Universal / A&M support these projects worldwide , actually
promote rather than just issue to the market ?

4. Having already provided 5 sets of unissed Carpenters material
plus Karen Carpenter album -available at last ....both Lovelines
& As Time Goes By ...excellent albums ....were neglected by
Universal / A&M ....why work on another similar set ....with
such a lack of support ...at present .....

5. The Music Industry is changing rapidly ...within five years ....
downloads plus other innovative forms will provide artists
with different ways to keep original & new fans happy ...
Universal / A&M plus others may have merged or downsized
leaving key artists / groups masters of their own catalogues
& archive material .....

To close on a positive note ...Richard has stated in the past ....
there are no more tracks to release ....no more DVD's to be
issued ....only for more to be released in one form or another ...
I feel sure more Carpenters , solo & film material will eventually
be issued ....that is surely the pleasure of being Carpenters
fans...we never know what is due or coming .....and
rather than demanding to know ...everything ...about all the
studio recordings or TV / Live tracks ....Richard keeps the
mystery alive ....something else for the future ....I for one ...
appreciate that all the more .....

Peter ...Carpenters Thoughts .....

 

[coolvox]

Yes I agree Peter. After VOTH was
released I thought that was the end. Then came Lovelines, which
Richard stated in an Entertainment
Tonight interview in 1989 that this
would be the last release of any
Carpenters material, with the exception of future compilations.

Well, we have had many surprises
since, and there is nothing like
a good surprise.

I know I and all the other dedicated, well seasoned fans get
a little tired of these compilations but they do have a hidden plus. For the rest of the
the public who only remember Close To You along with the other chart
toppers and have not taken the time
to listen to each album song by song. When Richard puts out a new
compilation, he always includes tracks from each of the albums that
are songs that for most of the public, new and for the first time
they hear what we have been hearing
for decades(yikes), hidden gems. Which hopefully leads to higher sales of the idividual albums.

I do love the DVD releases and even
though Richard says there will be
no more, I didn't expect anything
after Yesterday Once More, which
was a complete surprise to me when
it came out on BETA and Laser Disc!

I only have one gripe and that
is, why did Richard not release the
Japanese Carpenters Forever in the
States? Remembering The Carpenters
is similar and the KFRC jingle is
a super short but ever so sweet gem. Yet Carpenters Forever is so
interesting and unique. The live
concert footage is something I treasure and I am so glad I was
able to obtain a copy. The opening
with Richard driving from LA south
with the Carpenters billoards along
the way, so cool. Then a tour through Downey and finally parking
the red Jag in the same spot where
it appears on Now and Then. So fine, so fine. I would finish the
reprise but my typed version, is
Goofus.....Does anyone know when
Wolf Man Jack recorded the intro and
where it was used? I can see that
showing up someday on a future CD.

I know that Richard became hacked,
in many interviews through the years for many reasons but I think
he is becoming much more open with
US fans as he is with Japanese fans
now that the critics are busy with
Celine and Spears and he is for the
most part safely out of spot light
and knows that he has a very loyal
and large group of fans in the US
so I think he was wise in waiting
for the right time for an official
web site.

The end.

 

[Mark-T]

I am thrilled Richard is so involved in the website. As for his answers to our questions, I may not always like what he says, but I would rather know what he's thinking than not know!