Carpenters on German TV

[goodjeans]

Karen is adorable. Richard possibly could have lost the suits as he sort of looks like 'the piano player', but I don't have a degree in fashion design myself.

 

[Bruno]

I'm glad that my memory didn't fail me and that Carpenters indeed did perform BEECHWOOD on SHOWEXPRESS.

Sadly at the time being my home PC is out of order and I have to buy a new one.

In the meantime, I'm surfing the internet via the PC in my office. But this computer doesn't allow to watch videos, so I have to wait to take a look at the BEECHWOOD video at YouTube until I get a new PC for my home.

Off topic, Sakura:
Thank you for your information about Manilow's new album. I just ordered it at amazon.

He looks kind of thin on the cover.

Bruno
God bless America these days! :usflag:

 

[kc4eva]

I'll dig up the tapes today, and transfer them to DVD. The Show Express tape is from a guy I met around 1985. He put them on the crappiest possible quality vhs tapes in existence. The quality isn't good, but I will transfer, and then see if I can figure out how to post. I've been wanting to share some stuff for a while now. "Those Good Old Dreams" is average quality, and just the song. It's just that one segment.

sorry to post on an old topic, but how is your transferring going i cant wait to see the those good old dreams video

 

[Bruno]

As time goes by.....

After two years (!) without a private computer at home, I bought a notebook in February 2010. The first weeks I watched Carpenters videos on youtube over and over again.

I'm so glad I finally could watch their performance of BEECHWOOD again -after 29 years!

Karen looks a lot thinner than in the MMM special. They performed BEECHWOOD in Bremen (Northern Germany, nearby Hamburg) at the show SHOWEXPRESS, which was the follow up to STAR PARADE. It was during their promotion tour for MIA in 1981 through Europe and to Brazil. Carpenters were still very popular in Germany these days. In fact, they did have a compilation album called BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS at the No.1 spot of the German charts in 1980.

Sadly, the TOP OF THE WORLD performance from SHOWEXPRESS hasn't surfaced yet at youtube, or did I just not find it?

Bruno, back in the world wide web again

 

[newvillefan]

Bruno it is there on youtube, I'll try and find it and post it for you unless someone else beats me to it

 

[goodjeans]

A&M Retro wrote:

as WELL as "Those Good Old Dreams" out-take from Merv Griffin

I would love to see this. We gathered in the student center to watch this show when originally aired and they must have cut out this performance due to time constraints. My friend Barbara M. worked for Mike Douglas when Carpenters appeared and told me that Karen was energetic and not a diva like so many guests. She also told me that Karen wore a lot of makeup for the show but I can't see that. Maybe she meant TV makeup.

 

[goodjeans]

A&M Retro wrote:

as WELL as "Those Good Old Dreams" out-take from Merv Griffin

I would love to see this. We gathered in the student center to watch this show when originally aired and they must have cut out this performance due to time constraints. My friend Barbara M. worked for Mike Douglas when Carpenters appeared and told me that Karen was energetic and not a diva like so many guests. She also told me that Karen wore a lot of makeup for the show but I can't see that. Maybe she meant TV makeup.

 

[Bruno]

Thanks, Stephen, that would be just great!

Bruno

 

[newvillefan]

A&M Retro wrote:

as WELL as "Those Good Old Dreams" out-take from Merv Griffin

I would love to see this. We gathered in the student center to watch this show when originally aired and they must have cut out this performance due to time constraints.

The clip of Those Good Old Dreams was cut due to time constraints. Richard and Karen watched the final show in New York en route to Brazil when it aired, and were disappointed when they found out it had been cut.

 

[newvillefan]

Sadly, the TOP OF THE WORLD performance from SHOWEXPRESS hasn't surfaced yet at youtube, or did I just not find it?

An old thread, but great new quality footage has been posted of the 'Top Of The World' appearance in Germany! Is it just me or is this a clear example of how Karen's illness had ravaged her body? The top half doesn't seem to match the bottom half, really distressing to see

 

[Mark-T]

The Beechwood link. Karen looks horrible.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

The person that uploaded the Top of the World video above that Stephen posted also posted the Beechwood video which is better quality than the one Mark posted above see this one....it's breaks your heart to see her like this, she should not have been traveling around the world....this clearly shows her lowest point and most likely the reason why she passed away years later.

The Carpenters should not have been recording songs like Beechwood in 1981 this was really a set back in both of their careers, Richard proved that he is better than material like this how is this improving upon block buster hits they made in the past and Karen is so much better as a artist but for her to be singing and performing a song like Beechwood in 1981, it just doesn't ring true, it looks like a show put on. I like the song but it's not something of a comeback like MIA was suppose to be. It's hard to believe (what we didn't know then) was the material Karen recorded for her solo album 1 year earlier didn't get released and now she is singing Beechwood in 1981, something is a miss. The toll was taking it's affect on Karen and no one could help her.

 

[Chris Mills]

I really do not want to be critical of Karen's appearance because she is obviously not at her best, but that awful hairstyle which I think is called a perm, does not suit her skelatal facial features, just makes her look worn out.

On a more positive note, the quality of the video is very good, enjoyed watching.

 

[adam]

This must be the worse Karen looked out of all her TV appearances.For all their promotion for their Made In America Album.That Album didnt even make the charts apart from Us,Uk and japan.

 

[newvillefan]

it's breaks your heart to see her like this, she should not have been traveling around the world....this clearly shows her lowest point and most likely the reason why she passed away years later.

The Carpenters should not have been recording songs like Beechwood in 1981 this was really a set back in both of their careers, Richard proved that he is better than material like this how is this improving upon block buster hits they made in the past and Karen is so much better as a artist but for her to be singing and performing a song like Beechwood in 1981, it just doesn't ring true, it looks like a show put on. I like the song but it's not something of a comeback like MIA was suppose to be. It's hard to believe (what we didn't know then) was the material Karen recorded for her solo album 1 year earlier didn't get released and now she is singing Beechwood in 1981, something is a miss. The toll was taking it's affect on Karen and no one could help her.

What really, really bugs me about these appearances is that Richard is ready and raring to go, all smiles for the camera and looking fit and healthy, whereas Karen looks like she's at death's door and just going through the motions. She was denied her hip solo record and they end up performing 'Top Of The World' from 1973 in 1981?

Someone - Richard, Werner Wolfen, their parents, management or whoever - should have taken one look at her and realised there was no way she was in any fit state to undertake a promotional trip of the US and Europe at this late stage. They all knew what she was going through in her personal life. I'm absolutely sure that this contributed to her demise.

 

[song4u]

What really, really bugs me about these appearances is that Richard is ready and raring to go, all smiles for the camera and looking fit and healthy, whereas Karen looks like she's at death's door and just going through the motions. She was denied her solo record and they end up performing 'Top Of The World' from 1973?! Someone - Richard, Werner Wolfen, their parents, management or whoever - should have taken one look at her and realised there was no way she was in any fit state to undertake a tour of the US and Europe at this late stage. They all knew what she was going through in her personal life. I'm absolutely sure that this contributed to her demise.

I used to think about that too. Yes, it seems everyone kept after her verbally about her eating disorder. But why oh why didn’t those who were vital to Karen getting what she wanted - performing - say "No one is going to work or perform with you until you address this". Look what happened when Richard went to rehab and suggested Karen work out her problems too. She went to work w/o him. She was an adult, extremely gifted, and do we believe she really wouldn't have found another team willing to work with her in her condition? From Richard's perspective, at least he cared for her and could keep a watchful eye on her. But she was determined.

 

[newvillefan]

Yes, it seems everyone kept after her verbally about her eating disorder. But why oh why didn’t those who were vital to Karen getting what she wanted - performing - say "No one is going to work or perform with you until you address this". Look what happened when Richard went to rehab and suggested Karen work out her problems too. She went to work w/o him. She was an adult, extremely gifted, and do we believe she really wouldn't have found another team willing to work with her in her condition? From Richard's perspective, at least he cared for her and could keep a watchful eye on her. But she was determined.

This is fanciful thinking, but if Karen had married someone by this point that really cared about her, then maybe that would have been the person to put a stop to this madness and said "No!" to Richard, her family and the label. The trouble is, I don't think such a person exists.

 

[song4u]

This is fanciful thinking, but if Karen had married someone by this point that really cared about her, then maybe that would have been the person to put a stop to this madness and said "No!" to Richard, her family and the label. The trouble is, I don't think such a person exists.

I don't think she would have stayed with such a person. No one was going to come before her career. It's very sad. And to be fair, we don't know that Tom didn't try to do that - albeit in the wrong way.