Carpenters Original Master Karaoke

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I still can't get over how wonderful this CD is. Hearing all the background vocals is really neat, sometimes on the original songs the backing vocals can get lost but on this CD they are there to enjoy.

It says on the back this:

"All Karaoke tracks totally remixed & digitally mastered by Richard Carpenter and Roger Young for this package."

1. Does this mean that these are not the original versions but remixed versions? Or does it mean that Richard just took out Karen's lead vocals? I'm a little confused with the above statment. Richard had his hand in this project and I can tell right off the bat. Great quality sounding.

2. What made Richard pick these particular songs for Karaoke?

3. When did this CD originally come out? Would Karen have known about this process of Karaoke? Would she had known about this CD?

4. Would these tracks be considered re-mastered (minus the lead) like the remastered classics that Richard did for the 30th Anniv? I can't find the word Remastered Classics on the disc or CD case.

 

[Harry]

1. I believe that these tracks are simply the standard CD remixed tracks from the '80s and early '90s with Karen's vocals removed. Just the mere fact that Richard or Roger Young was keeping down the fader on which Karen's vocal track resided on the master tape makes these constitute new remixes.

2. The track selection is just a representation of their biggest hits -- those that would likely be performed at a 'karaoke' session. This disc was originally released as a two-disc set called THE BEST OF THE BEST. One disc had the vocal tracks, one didn't. It was later released on its own.

3. I think the first release might have been 1991, with the single disc package coming out in 1992. I don't think karaoke was in vogue when Karen was alive, and this disc certainly post-dates her passing.

4. Remastering is simply the process of digging out the original master tapes and creating a new master for a release. Remixing involves the changing of the way the track sounds by, for example, adding echo to a vocal part, or recording a new piano part -- two things that are the hallmark of Richard's remixes. Thus, this disc is both a remix and a remaster, since the act of removing Karen's vocals constitutes remixing. This is not part of the late '90s REMASTERED CLASSICS series.

By the way, if you listen really closely, you CAN hear Karen's lead vocal track on "Superstar" -- it's way down in the mix but it's there.

Harry
...who had Yuko find this one for him, online...

 

[kennyv]

Greetings from Bangkok, Thailand!!

Chris, I've been trying for the past few years to purchase this CD but it was nowhere to be found. Can you or anyone out there help me find a copy?

I started listening to The Carpenters since I was 15 years old. Their music gets airplayed every NOW AND THEN and it will stay.

Kennyv

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Hi Kennyv,

I may find "Karaoke" that you tall about. I am going to send a mail in a private message.

Sakura

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Kennyv,

I apologize for having mistaken.
I saw them at cd shops or cd-for-rental shops at that time.
But I see none of them recently. They said that "Original Master Karaoke"
would be available again this year in Japan, but it is not available.
There is not the title on Universal releases list of April or May.
It may be degitally remastered and available on the day
when Richard's christmas album will be released.

I hope you will get it at an auction site or an used record shop in near future.

Sakura