ullalume
Well-Known Member
Actually Adam he seems to like it quite a bit and always has. His most recent comments concerning the song in Chris and Mike's book were very complimentary. It's one of my favourites too.
⭐ Official Review Carpenters Royal Philharmonic Review and Comments Thread
- Thread starter Harry
- Start date
Thank goodness our TomSwift isn't in charge of the catalog! We'd never have heard "Those Good Old Dreams."
adamj95
Well-Known Member
I must have been mistaken. I was always under the assumption he didn’t like this song, glad to hear i was wrong. This song always reminded me of Yesterday Once More, another personal favorite of mine.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
Sorry but it was an outdated track in 81 and it’s still an stale outdated track now.
And Karen just doesn’t sound like she’s into it. It sounds like she called in her vocals for a paycheck.
CraigGA
Well-Known Member
To me, it’s too similar to Top Of The World. I love Top of the World but by 1981 it was already done and with almost 3 years of silence I had played it many times yearning for Karen’s voice with new songs. Perhaps that was the intent. And it’s on the album I like least. I am happy for all the songs we have and still yearn for the few left. Today, I still listen to Top of the World and not to Those Good Old Dreams. Karen sounds perfect on Top of the World. Even with the live versions on YouTube from 1974 it even sounds great! She was an unbelievable talent. That I think we all agree.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
Those Good Old Dreams is a favorite of mine. I find it a happy song something we need more of in today’s world. I don’t find it dated, the lyrics apply in 81 just as they do in 2022. It makes me happy when I sing along with Karen.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
There are several lyrics I really like on this song especially Karen’s phrasing.
“ Like a child eyes on a Christmas night”
Love how she goes down on vocals on “prayers”
I love the way she sings this lyric.
“Like an old love song gone for much too long
You hear it once again
And it carries you away”
“ Like a child eyes on a Christmas night”
Love how she goes down on vocals on “prayers”
I love the way she sings this lyric.
“Like an old love song gone for much too long
You hear it once again
And it carries you away”
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
I’m so curious what Richard did on the arrangement for this song with RPO. Did he remove any instrumentation or add a different instrument or flourish? Was there an interlude that led into this track like some others on the RPO album?
I hope someday we get to hear it.
I hope someday we get to hear it.
Geographer
Well-Known Member
Again, I find my self a "weirdo" in the sea of popular opinions, especially regarding this track. First, it doesn't remind me of Top of the World at all. I keep hearing that from a lot of fans, but I just don't get it other than it has a "country" tinge to it. Second, it's not one of my favorite songs of theirs. I do "get it" as a nice opening track for the first album in three years and for a new decade ("it's a new day for those good ol' dreams" and "same old stage but what a change of scene" and all). So I'm ambivalent when it comes to Those Good Ol' Dreams.
John Tkacik
Well-Known Member
I've always wondered if the decision to release the song at the start of the Holiday Season had anything to do with the mention of Christmas in the lyrics.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
But I don’t think old-country-pop cross overs were in vogue. Even the few country albums from the early-80’s that I have, TGOD doesn’t even sound like a 81 current country song (I.e. Anne Murray). It sounds more like something from the country of the 40’s such as Hank Williams and the Carter family. Remember back in 78 the Carpenters had the Top 10 Country Hit with Sweet, Sweet Smile which was a pop-country crossover, and it was a a lot more upbeat and even compared to country music 4 years later it still fit in with country in 81. TGOD was still born and stale in 81.
Even with Top of the World, Richard virtually eliminated the steel guitar for the single version, whereas the album version has that steel guitar.
Last edited:
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
^^Billboard April 18, 1981 (page 48):
"The crossover trend, far from abating, seems to be gathering momentum, as country- flavored records continue to make inroads into
pop and Adult Contemporary playlists."
---
"By the same token, pop -styled artists are showing up on country playlists more often than ever."
----
Then,
Billboard Sept.11, 1982: "Labels Push Crossover Product."
"The crossover trend, far from abating, seems to be gathering momentum, as country- flavored records continue to make inroads into
pop and Adult Contemporary playlists."
---
"By the same token, pop -styled artists are showing up on country playlists more often than ever."
----
Then,
Billboard Sept.11, 1982: "Labels Push Crossover Product."
Shalom Bresticker
Well-Known Member
One of the interesting aspects of Those Good Old Dreams is the opening. There is a sequence of, I think, 4 notes, that is played 3 times, and then Karen starts. That the sequence is played 3 times, not 2 or 4, is unusual in music of this type. The first time you hear it, Karen's opening vocal comes unexpectedly. You expect to hear the 4-note sequence one more time first.
Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Well-Known Member
We have a video edit mix! Ha
Yes I remember that. Olivia had this on her video edit of her single Landslide. There’s an added drum beat edit. Love video edits!!
Yes I remember that. Olivia had this on her video edit of her single Landslide. There’s an added drum beat edit. Love video edits!!
in my youth, it was my practice to phone a&m whenever i felt there should be updates available. i called to learn that the new album was being readied for release. i was told a song called DANCING was probably going to be the first single, karen's wedding song had been recorded, and, there was a two-step to be included.
i have never understood the comparison between TOTW and TGOD. TGOD is a pleasant song but too laden with sentiment and low energy to be considered with TOTW.
i think it was released because it was a CARPENTER-BETTIS song and the possibility of a two-step crossover.
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
That video mix also contains the original synthesizer mix.
One thing tomswift2002 may not have learned yet -- when you're on the internet and trying to convince everyone to come over to your way of thinking, it's not usually a successful endeavor! I've always thought the internet isn't as "influential" as people give it credit for -- to me, it mainly gathers people of the same mindset together in groups. (Hence this forum!)
Similar discussions
