Future Unreleased Material

[PJ]

Following on from several topics re: recent releases , unissued material and Universal's limited interest and a few messages on tracks that could be issued for the future , I understand several projects of unreleased material could appear after additional work / production from Richard.

My own suggestions would include :

One quality Album of Studio Recordings -there should be enough from Made In America outtakes plus other 1980's sessions.

One Album of Television / Radio and Rehearsal tracks , ideally from 1970's and 1980's sources.

One Rarities Album with Adverts tracks , Jingles , Demos , some Studio rarities that do not fit on a Studio Album and other Rarities.

A 2 CD Live American Album -perhaps from Hollywood Bowl , Greek Theatre or New York / Chicago Concerts ?

A 2 CD Live Las Vegas Album -ideally from MGM Grand seasons in the later 1970's with plenty of rare live performances and previously unissued live recordings only ?

There are other projects that could be considered and worked on , unlike some Reviewers / Fans I do not compare the later issued Albums with the Original Albums and find fault with the later material.Either Carpenters had surplus Studio tracks or Richard decided not to include songs for various reasons as for example You're The One , Sailing On The Tide, Ordinary Fool , Kiss Me etc

The only real issue is Richard's belief in issuing more unissued material after seeing Lovelines lost in the A&M / Polygram Sale and As Time Goes By caught up in Universal Music Politics.No wonder Essential Collection revised Box Set has the minimnum of rare material included.

When I spoke to Universal Staffer in 2000 , Carpenters were perceived as a Catalog Act , valuable to Universal as Classic Artists , consistent sellers and very profitable....... after all there are minimum amounts spent on even the Hits Collections , low remixing / remastering costs and no high recording / video /marketing costs , an absolute goldmine !

The latest Universal Viviendi accounts were interesting , Music sales were down 20% and profits 28% , while ATGB being released worldwide would not have brought UME into profit , Carpenters fans would have embraced this set and sales / profits improved.....

I am sure further material will be forthcoming , possibly delayed until 2004 (35th Aniv) , 2006( Richard's 60th) ? or until Universal change their perception of Carpenters and appreciate / release and market new material

Any other ideal future releases of New material

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Richard Carpenter should follow the Chicago plan:

1. Start own label and reissue whole catalog.

2. Sell the catalog on the internet, but fail to get a reliable distribution deal with one-stops. Result: Catalog won't be available in stores.

3. When label flops, close up shop and license the whole catalog to Rhino Records (or equivalent reissue label).

4. Watch sales take off as Rhino scores a big Billboard special issue and countless bits of other, free publicity.

5. Result: First top 20 and Gold album in at least 15 years.

 

[GoofusKAC]

As much as I hate conglomerate music companies (there are now, what, only FOUR record companies worldwide?) who gobble up and bastardize the little guys, I'd like to see Universal just drop the Carpenters altogether. According to their website they don't exist on any of their labels anyway.

I'd LOVE to see someone like Rhino pick up, release, and promote the C's catalog the way it deserves to be, but it's not gonna happen until Universal gets off the pot one way or another.

I'd even like to see the Carpenters on Sony Legacy or BMG Heritage -- these guys do wonders with reissues, remasters, and packaging. Sony did things with the Johnny Mathis and Billy Joel catalogs when they got re-released that I didn't even think was possible.

Universal has become too big and too unorganized of late, and catalog artists like the Carpenters, Captain & Tennille, Herb Alpert (A&M founder, HELLO???) have become lost/ignored in the shuffle.

 

[mr J.]

In response to the previous posts,here's a few facts to set the record straight! 1.The carpenters ARE a catalog artist.Karen Carpenter is dead,so they obviously can't be a current artist with current albums-and,again obviously,Universal can't "drop" them-they don't have a "current" recording contract.Any material that might possibly be released in the future would still be marketed as a catalog album. 2. A&M owns the rights to all their A&M recordings,so it wouldn't be possible for RHINO,SONY or BMG HERITAGE to reissue their material. 3. The Carpenters have not become lost/ignored in the "Universal shuffle". To the contrary,They are the only A&M artist whose whole catalog has been continuously in print for 3 decades,and whose entire catalog is represented(and remastered) on CD.In addition,Universal is upgrading and expanding the 4-CD boxed set.

 

[PJ]

In response to the last post :

1. Carpenters are not a Catalog Act , whilst Karen is clearly unavailable for new releases , re-issues , concerts and promotion , there is a tremedous amount of material , Film , recordings etc that have not been used and should be for marketing Worldwide. A&M 's new owners Polygram and Universal have failed to take advantage ......

BMG do not regard Presley as Catalog , EMI do not promote Beatles as Catalog nor Queen even though these Acts cannot perform again / promote in person.Indeed given the huge costly failures with new Acts , these Artists keep the Record Giants going......

All these Acts have current Contracts , which cover new releases, unissued material , rarities , Album reissues etc and ensure the Still Living Members or Estates receive royalties , monies etc .Without current Contracts , no material can be released or re-issued.The real problem is that in Europe Recorded Copyright expires after 50 years and Elvis , other 1950's Acts plus Early Beatles are close to this deadline

2. A&M and with successive takeovers , Polygram and Universal have inheirited these rights. If a Current Contract ends and Richard cannot agree a new Contract , these Carpenters tracks have to stay within the Vaults , thereby achieving nothing for either side.

Richard has licensed Carpenters tracks to Time Life , Readers Digest etc and could again for the future to similar companies or other Music Companies.

I am sure that several original A&M sources have confirmed that eventually Richard will gain possession of all Carpenters Masters , unissued tracks and Solo Material , I would think that the major re-negotation of Carpenters Contracts in the 1970's by Jerry Weinthaub would have a Masters expiry included and given Herb Alpert / Carpenters relationship would have occured.

3. Carpenters Albums Catalog have been issued , re-issued etc along with Police , Bryan Adams as one of the few A&M Acts to have this accolade , however Universal are attempting to restrict even these Acts and currently only USA , UK and Japan have full Catalogs issued.Elsewhere Universal have reduced Albums available or made these expensive imports !

4. Universal have done the very minimum with Carpenters and Solo Albums since 1998 takeover , even when given the excellent As Time Goes By , Universal partly released in Asia and ignored elsewhere. There seems to be an attitude that as long as a few Asian releases continue to chart / sell in huge numbers plus an occasional Worlwide Compilation thats OK ......actually it is not and just for this attitude plus Universal's lack of any real Music Policy , Richard needs to move on .....his loyalty is not rewarded under Universal and the old A&M THAT WE LOVED HAS LONG GONE.....

Essential Collection Box Set is a case in point , the minimum of extra tracks , few changes and a lazy way of re-issuing material.Hardly a compliment to Carpenters.No wonder Richard changed his intentions from proposed Box Set and left Universal to do the minimum......

Richard and Carpenters Music can do better and achieve so much more .....so lets hope the Carpenters / Universal relationship does end sooner rather than later........

Peter....Looking to the Future .........

 

[mr J.]

Peter-I share your enthusiasm for wanting another Carpenters release,but,the bottom line is that at this point Karen Carpenter's legacy is complete!Karen Carpenter IS a catalog artist-her career is in the past,not the future!You say that "Richard and Carpenters music could do so much better and achieve more."-how would that be possible?All of Karen's achievements are past-and she can't do any better,all her best work is available right now!Whatever material is left in the vaults is not worth releasing.Richard has very high standards for Carpenters albums,and he was barely able to round up enough good tracks for LOVELINES in 1989.Most of the tracks in the vaults are songs similar to "Beechwood 45789" and "Honolulu City lights"-and personally,I don't want any more of those songs! Karen and Richard released enough bubblegum songs to last a lifetime!I think people need to start appreciating and enjoying Karen's legacy for what it is!There are alot of flaws in her recording catalog,but there are also some great albums -CLOSE TO YOU,HORIZON,CHRISTMAS COLLECTION,VOICE OF THE HEART,INTERPRETATIONS-this is Karen's best work,and I'm satisfied with these albums!

 

[GoofusKAC]

1. The Carpenters ARE a catalog act. Period.

2. Most of A&M Records contracts were re-worked or voided completely during the great A&M/Universal/Alpert litigation of 98/99. 30 artists were dumped from their contracts almost immediately.

3. Richard could very easily shop the Carpenters catalog to Sony, BMG, Concord, AOL Time Warner/Rhino, IF he was in control of his own catalog.

4. Richard is NOT in control of his own catalog (mainly) because Universal has ventured into Japan at this point where the Carpenters are still HUGE sellers. They've exercised some sort of existing grandfather clause in these old-ass contracts in order to make $$$ in Japan, while releasing the bare minimum in the United States.

The whole point of all this is: Universal could (at any time) hand the entire Carpenters catalog over to Richard and say "here...Godspeed"; but as long as Karen and Richard continue to be heavily marketed overseas, and as long as their CDs continue to sell, Universal will retain control and leave U.S. fans scrambling for overpriced imports they won't spend the money to clear and release here.

My brief encounter with Richard, in person, left me with the impression that he'd release EVERYTHING if he could, but Universal simply won't pay for the rights to do so. If we can't even get AS TIME GOES BY in the U.S., then our chances for anything more are less than a snowball's in hell.

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