Carpenters videos

[Bruno]

During the last week, I searched the internet for Carpenters related videos.

I found several:

The opening of MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC, then Richard and Karen perform WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN with Karen on drums, and then Herb Alpert sings THIS GUY'S IN LOVE WITH YOU.

TOP OF THE WORLD, which is taken from their first tv special, and which is the same as in CARPENTERS GOLD.

And to my big surprise:
SUPERSTAR - THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY.
This is the movie by dircetor Todd Haynes, which uses Barbie dolls to portray Karen and Richard. It was forbidden by Richard, officially because of Carpenters songs being used in this movie without permission. The real reasons are different for sure.

This is a great movie. If you want to understand, why Karen developed her eating disorder, this is the movie you have to watch. It's a tribute to Karen, although it is very sad.

Bruno

Shortly after writing this thread, I discovered youtube for the first time. There are so many Carpenter videos - it's fantastic! I think, this will be a long Carpenters weekend for me.....

 

[goodjeans]

I love that movie. It's very real and chilling.

 

[Bruno]

I just watched Karen's interpretation of ABBA's hit THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC for the very first time on youtube, and it is just great. This is the first song sung by Karen which I had never heard before since the release of AS TIME GOES BY in 2001.

It's the live performance during the TONIGHT SHOW. There's a rumour, that there is a studio version of this song - is there?

Bruno

 

[Harry]

I think that rumor is likely true. The story I've heard is that they were working on a studio version of the song when asked to appear on THE TONIGHT SHOW, so they did it live. The idea was apparently later rejected, but the tapes are probably still around if Richard wanted to work something up around Karen's vocals. I have a funny feeling though that Richard isn't all that eager to tread into ABBA territory.

If you can find it, there is a Richard Carpenter arrangement of an ABBA song that DID get recorded - "One Of Us" was done by Veronique on her 1989 album that Richard arranged and produced. It's a good arrangement too, with Richard performing backing vocal duties.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I could never really figure out why they choose to sing this song on the Tonight Show. Karen's live vocal on this is indeed superb however one can't help but compare the song to Abba. In my opinion nothing beats the Abba version. I highly doubt Richard will ever release it probably for this very reason unless it shows up on some box set in future release. A much more fitting song that "should" have choosen instead would have been A Song for You, which involves much of the same meaning, "Thank You for allowing me to sing for you" Karen's message to the audience.

 

[Harry]

I think it was a situation at the time where the group felt it necessary to use the time on TV to promote something new, rather than just do an old track. Since they had pretty much decided to do "Thank You For The Music" for perhaps the next single, it seemed appropriate. Perhaps audience reaction, or even Richard and Karen watching the performance on tape changed their mind about it.

Harry

 

[newvillefan]

I think that rumor is likely true. The story I've heard is that they were working on a studio version of the song when asked to appear on THE TONIGHT SHOW, so they did it live. The idea was apparently later rejected, but the tapes are probably still around if Richard wanted to work something up around Karen's vocals. I have a funny feeling though that Richard isn't all that eager to tread into ABBA territory.

Check this out from the latest Fans Ask on the official site, which has loads of new questions, including an answer to mine regarding 'I Won't Last A Day Without You'!!

"A terrific song and even better record, but, of course, nobody does ABBA like ABBA. I was really taken with that song. We first heard them perform it on a highly popular music program in Europe called " Starparade" on which we were both performing in Bremen, Germany, 1978.We laid down a track, but the more I thought about it, I realized that, as usual, Benny and Bjorn had done the definitive arrangement and all I'd be doing was copying it; something I just don't do, of course. It's an outtake, never completed and in storage with the rest of the stuff in Pennsylvania."

Stephen

 

[goodjeans]

hmmmm. I'm in Pennsylvania. Any chance I could assist in listening to every outtake and partial recording??I'd be happy to donate my time.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Oh Stephen, thanks.

Richard answered just like I thought he would, he would only be copying Abba take and he really doesn't do that sorta thing so I completely understand his reasoning. But we now have confirmation that their is indeed a studio version of this track they recorded of course along with the live version Karen sang on the show itself.

Looking forward to reading the new stuff he posted.

 

[Tony]

The new Q&As on the 'Fans Ask' section of the Carpenters' site is really informative; Richard seems to have an amazing recall of past events. Thanks for the heads up Stephen. Every time I read that section I begin thinking to myself that Richard should write a book.

Tony

 

[newvillefan]

A few other tidbits from the new Q&As:

Karen and I were planning on redoing two songs from the first album that were always near and dear to us, "Someday" and "Eve".

I did not know this was on the cards at the time she died

It's an outtake, never completed and in storage with the rest of the stuff in Pennsylvania.

Wow, so that's where all the master tapes are? Why aren't they stored at A&M in LA?

On Close To You:

Regarding the fade- you always leave yourself enough extra length on a fade. We went on plenty long. the "click" was going, we were all getting worn down, and once we got to the point where I knew we didn't need to play longer, I started to play a "tick-tock" octave-like thing to the click for fun. I knew none of this would matter at all because it was way past where the record was to end. I made it from the root A flat gradually up to D flat. I thought I had to resolve, it was building up and the D flat would go to an E flat, and at that very moment Hal struck a tom-tom and went into a fill, so we all went into the tag, louder this time, just screwing around.

Once again, I would say that he should and could have released this as a box set track. The fans would love to hear this!

And here was my question:

My friend and I discussed Karen's doubled lead on "I Won't Last A Day Without You" and he noticed that in the first chorus, the pitch of both voices doesn't quite match on the word "when there's no getting over that rainbow." He'd read that Karen had a sore throat when they were recording the " A Song for You" LP and that it took her several takes, and whether this had any bearing. I myself was wondering if this was deliberate, related to consonance pitch. Sometimes where you try and sing exactly the same note over a previously recorded note, there is a clash in the two voices because the frequencies are identical. So the two voices sometimes have to be ever so slightly out compared to each other, but just enough so that they remain in consonant pitch with each other. We wondered if Richard could shed any light on this?

Richard's Answer: Regarding the recording of "I Won't Last A Day Without You", Karen had more than a sore throat. This was the first and only time in her life that Karen had almost a "cold sore" on her larynx. Normally, she never had any trouble matching the backgrounds or doing the leads. Regarding the "clash" you note, both takes are in tune and what you are hearing is a clash in the vibratos. If indeed the frequencies are identical the overdub creates an almost phased effect.

Yay!

Stephen

 

[Harry]

On Close To You:

Regarding the fade- you always leave yourself enough extra length on a fade. We went on plenty long. the "click" was going, we were all getting worn down, and once we got to the point where I knew we didn't need to play longer, I started to play a "tick-tock" octave-like thing to the click for fun. I knew none of this would matter at all because it was way past where the record was to end. I made it from the root A flat gradually up to D flat. I thought I had to resolve, it was building up and the D flat would go to an E flat, and at that very moment Hal struck a tom-tom and went into a fill, so we all went into the tag, louder this time, just screwing around.

Once again, I would say that he should and could have released this as a box set track. The fans would love to hear this!

Well, he didn't have to - it's on every CLOSE TO YOU album ever released from day one - the album version of "Close To You". Richard is describing eaxactly how the long ending occured with his little octave-figure on the piano, leading to Hal Blaine's tom-tom fills and back into the "Waaahhhh, Close To You" ending,

Harry

 

[newvillefan]

ANd I thought he was talking about something after the additional reprise!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

There is alot of info from Richard on this last set of Q & A. I had to re-read it again. I did not know Karen had more than a sore throat on the recording of IWLADWY. This is new to me. Now listening to this I will always remember this, what an awesome song and Karen was not feeling good at the time.

I also did not know what that noise was on Make Believe, now I understand, very cool bit of info and it was indeed Karen's cheek we hear.

I too did not know they were gonna re-record "Someday" and "Eve". But you know alot of artists do that in their career, look at Olivia she re-did I honesty love you but funny thing is at her concerts now she reverts back to the original ha ha. But it's always cool to have 2 versions. Remember too that Karen did re-record Someday for the tv special MMM and we have this on CD on From the Top.

 

[thestitch]

I agree with you, Tony, that Richard should write a book! Not only is his recall amazing, but his wording and his capabilities as an author are outstanding. I've always been very partial to the liner notes that he himself wrote. What a unique memoir he could write! However, I don't see it happening any time soon, if ever. I don't think Richard would want to invest that much time right now in a venture like that, not with all his kids and all that he does for them. And, that's the way it should be--family first!

Marilyn

 

[Harry]

I too did not know they were gonna re-record "Someday" and "Eve". But you know a lot of artists do that in their career, look at Olivia she re-did I honesty love you but funny thing is at her concerts now she reverts back to the original ha ha. But it's always cool to have 2 versions. Remember too that Karen did re-record Someday for the tv special MMM and we have this on CD on From the Top.

Regarding "Someday" and "Eve", isn't it documented in the liner notes to FROM THE TOP or ESSENTIAL that they had planned to redo both songs but never got around to it. I think it's in the MMM Medley section where he mentioned that. I know I'd read that before.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

From The Top

Karen was particularly happy to be re-recording at least a part of Someday as she was never happy with her performance on our 1969 recording.

Essential says the same.


So did Karen actually re-record the entire song or just this portion that appears on MMM.

 

[Harry]

Just the part on MMM. She was "happy to be re-recording AT LEAST SOME PART of Someday".

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I've noticed that we have heard Richard speak of this more and more that Karen seemed to like her vocals more later instead of her really early stuff. Wasn't it also Karen's decision that she wasn't really happy with her original recording of MCD and wanted to re-record it to improve upon it.

The original MCD is the standard for me, I'm glad she re-recorded it but I still like the original better. I guess Karen was not really a huge fan of her early voice. As she matured her voice got more perfected and smooth. It's amazing listening to her early work and then listen to her on MIA album.