Daddy's Home - Richard sings live 1974

Dano

Well-Known Member
On my Google feed a Belgium live concert where Richard sings Daddy's Home, with Karen on backup.

What a vocal by Richard 🤩! I know Richard doesn't see himself as a lead singer.

His solo track Calling your name again with lyrics on YouTube has 19 millions views...its on some non official channel.

Richards leads on the Christmas albums are stunning. With his first solo outing Time, this album really has some outstanding singing from Richard.

I understand that when Richard reflects that Karen is one of the greatest singers of all time. Yet he knows that many of us love his leads. Wonderful Parade, Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing, Kept on Loving You, When Time Is All We Had, Calling Your Name Again, Old Fashion Christmas, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, What's The Use and many many more!

Richard doesn't view things as he once did but he underestimates how unique and loved his leads are. I am truly grateful to him to adding leads and backups for many posthumous Carpenter projects. Tryin' To Get The Feeling for example, Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore, Prime Time Love, Leave Yesterday Behind, You're Just In Love, Without A Song.

I do hope when his Christmas album gets a release that Together at Christmas, has a Richard lead. I would love to see a new live album commercially released that curates various live performances spanning their live career.

I know and appreciate very much his decision to say he has released everything he has wanted and he is done when it comes to Carpenters. I know he has some regret over some of the posthumous releases and said certain songs should of remained shelved. I hope he hears more the joy these songs have brought to many fans, also the newer fans discovering their work.

Also he has spoken many times about the Oldies, should of stopped with Now and Then. Yet the fans who love these songs definitely view it differently. I know Postman, Kind of Hush, Beechwood, Goofus but most love these songs. Also the only version most of us know is the Carpenters. Many of these songs I never knew of till Karen and Richard introduced them to me.

I feel much in reflection (hindsight) that had he realised Karen would of passed so young, he would of wanted to of recorded other songs in their place. Certainly of put the breaks on their touring schedule, make more time for album development/recording as too much time was spent on the road, his view now they had been managed poorly.

On the One Show 2018, It was joyful to see how much happiness Richard expressed by the comments the fans made about the importance of his and Karen's songs in their lives. Richard knows from letters and many interviews how important every song has been to somebody.

There is a reason the posthumous releases sold so well is because the music, the quality...even if it is shelved songs all have important value. Only A Fool, Now, Your Baby, Kiss Me, Uninvited Guest, Rainbow Connection, Little Girl Blue, If I Had You, From This Moment On, When he Smiles...again just too many to list.

I know As Time Goes By, should of sold better, I know in Japan it did very well. I am not sure about other countries. I am so glad it is getting far more love/appreciation now. It really is packed full of gems and special moments.

It is an album I play all the time in its entirety.

Might a deluxe/expanded edition in 2024 could may be reignite the deserved interest in this album again. Could include some of the tracks included in From The Top/Essential Collection. The medley from Music Music Music which included Someday, which is gorgeous. Kareb singing Goodnight. So we wouldn't be asking Richard for anything new that hasn't been out there but From The Top, holds many tracks that would work well for a special edition release of ATGB.
 
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Daddy’s Home is a great Richard lead on the Live In Japan album, also his lead on The Book of Love is a good lead. It’s too bad neither exist as studio recordings (or do they?). I would’ve loved to have heard these a tracks with Richard on lead on Horizon or A Kind of Hush or Made In America. Unfortunately, between Now & The and As Time Goes By, with the exception of the Christmas and Live albums, the other studio albums were Karen Carpenter solo albums, released under the Carpenters label. Richard really took a step back and became a part of the backing crew, and the albums went downhill. Whereas before, Richard had at least 1 track per album as an instrumental or lead singer and you could hear the group.
 
I hope that in time Richard reflects as a duo that as much as we love Karen we're truly thrilled when he added a solo lead on their albums. An example is the song You'll Never Know, he absolutely knocks it out of the park with his vocal. I wish and hope a studio track exists...I heard a version on a CD thrown on Your Navy Presents CD, I purchased years ago.

I know many other leads exist for songs that were shelved, sung by both Karen and Richard. Also they recorded songs for their own private collections. I absolutely agree that Richard should only release tracks that showcase what he wishes the listener to hear.

Thank You for the music is an example where Richard felt the best arrangement had been done by Benny and Bjorn from ABBA. It doesn't mean we wouldn't enjoy hearing the track and enjoying it for what it is. Sung beautifully by Karen and having what it is a very enjoyable cover by the Carpenters. Can't Smile Without You is a great example where that song should of been a smash and wasn't until Barry Manilow covered the song. Yet I love the Carpenters version. It is till this day my favourite version, again not because its Carpenters but because it has all the elements of a fantastic song, with enduring quality and is timeless. I also prefer Carpenters version of Tryin' To Get That Feeling, though again Barry had a hit with this song (different lyrics), yet Carpenters recorded though unreleased the original version.

Richard always picked strong songs and it didn't always pay off for them but he is vindicated by the fact these songs became hits (later on for other artists). Richard/Karen were as always, on the right path for song selection. Sadly for whatever reason the songs may not of charted well as singles but have continued to endure the test of time 50+ years later.

Yet many tracks he isn't too fond of now released posthumously are still loved by millions around the world. My general concensus is that even when tracks aren't always up to the standards he and Karen have, it doesn't mean they're not fantastic to the listener. Carpenters were always a head of their time, it just took the world too many years later to realise this. This is why they still continue to sell millions of records as the production value is so high and there is no one else like them.
 
Daddy’s Home is a great Richard lead on the Live In Japan album, also his lead on The Book of Love is a good lead. It’s too bad neither exist as studio recordings (or do they?). I would’ve loved to have heard these a tracks with Richard on lead on Horizon or A Kind of Hush or Made In America. Unfortunately, between Now & The and As Time Goes By, with the exception of the Christmas and Live albums, the other studio albums were Karen Carpenter solo albums, released under the Carpenters label. Richard really took a step back and became a part of the backing crew, and the albums went downhill. Whereas before, Richard had at least 1 track per album as an instrumental or lead singer and you could hear the group.
I think much of the struggles during and after Horizon was the pressures on Richard. The man had to find the songs, create hits, arrange, produce, write material, record instruments, vocals etc, much the same for Karen too as she would often have a lot of input. Then their health was suffering and being overbooked all over the world for tours/promotion. It unfortunately took its toll on them. Though what they did record I still find outstanding how till this day most of it holds up. They recorded songs that weren't smash hits for them but indeed became hits for other artists. So the material was well chosen. They seem to have better chart placing (albums) overseas then on the American Billboard Charts 1976 onwards. Made in America started a return to success in America and I think they were not far off from another monster hit album/singles...sadly losing Karen 😔
 
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