Karen on Drums on AS4U and Horizon

[ullalume]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping you guys can give me the sources for how I know this info:

Karen played drums on Crystal Lullaby and Love Me For What I Am.

I know I read it somewhere, but can't find the details.

Laters

Neil

P.S. On Close To You she played on Guder, Another Song, Crescent Moon, Fall in Love Again and Help, right?

 

[masqueraded]

I'd like to know too and songs for S/T. I'm assuming B/D medley but not sure what else.

 

[Chris May]

When I have a few minutes, I can give a breakdown of each song (by album through Horizon) in which Karen played drums.

 

[Harry]

When posted, we should make it a sticky - or a list on the Resource.

 

[ullalume]

When I have a few minutes, I can give a breakdown of each song (by album through Horizon) in which Karen played drums.

Wahoo. Cheers Chris.

 

[Chris May]

Offering (of course) was all played by Karen. So, here's the first of the album run-down "who's who" for albums 2-6:


CLOSE TO YOU:

1. "We’ve Only Just Begun": Hal Blaine

2. "Love Is Surrender": Karen Carpenter

3. "Maybe It’s You": Hal Blaine

4. "Reason To Believe": Hal Blaine

5. "Help": Karen Carpenter

6. "(They Long To Be) Close To You": Hal Blaine

7. "Baby It’s You": Hal Blaine

8. "I’ll Never Fall In Love Again": Karen Carpenter

9. "Crescent Noon": Karen Carpenter

10. "Mr. Guder": Karen Carpenter

11. "I Kept On Loving You": Hal Blaine

12. "Another Song": Karen Carpenter

 

[Chris May]

CARPENTERS [S/T]:

1. "Rainy Days and Mondays": Hal Blaine

2. "Saturday": Hal Blaine

3. "Let Me Be The One": Hal Blaine

4. "(A Place To) Hideaway": Hal Blaine

5. "For All We Know": Hal Blaine

6. "Superstar": Hal Blaine

7. "Druscilla Penny": Hal Blaine

8. "One Love": Hal Blaine

9. "Bacharach/David Medley": Karen Carpenter

10. “Sometimes”: N/A

 

[newvillefan]

11. "I Kept On Loving You": Hal Blaine

This one is a surprise to me. The tom fills at the end of each chorus really sound like Karen's playing style.

 

[Chris May]

A SONG FOR YOU:

1. "A Song For You": Hal Blaine

2. "Top of the World": Hal Blaine

3. "Hurting Each Other": Hal Blaine

4. "It’s Going to Take Some Time": Hal Blaine

5. "Goodbye to Love": Hal Blaine

6. "Intermission": N/A

7. "Bless the Beasts and Children": Hal Blaine

8. "Flat Baroque": Karen Carpenter

9. "Piano Picker": Hal Blaine

10. "I Won’t Last a Day Without You": Hal Blaine

11. "Crystal Lullaby": Karen Carpenter

12. "Road Ode": Hal Blaine

13. "A Song For You" [Reprise]: See Track #1

 

[Chris May]

This one is a surprise. The tom fills at the end of each chorus really sound like Karen's playing style.

Definitely Hal. I don't recall off-hand (without going back into the archive to listen to the interview on this album), but Karen may have given input—particularly during that first fill following chorus one. I know Richard and I both have mimicked it (the fill) whenever we talk about it, as it is one he is particularly fond of.

 

[newvillefan]

Definitely Hal. I don't recall off-hand (without going back into the archive to listen to the interview on this album), but Karen may have given input—particularly during that first fill following chorus one. I know Richard and I both have mimicked it whenever we talk about it, as it is one he is particularly fond of.

Yeah that run after the first chorus is a favourite of mine too

 

[Harry]

I suppose it's fair to point out that any of the above songs with drumming credited to Karen Carpenter, that she wouldn't be there on most remixes, correct?

 

[Chris May]

I suppose it's fair to point out that any of the above songs with drumming credited to Karen Carpenter, that she wouldn't be there on most remixes, correct?

Oh no, she would still be there. The only time Richard replaced any of Karen's drumming was on "Yesterday Once More" and "Ticket to Ride" for the Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic mix in 2018.

 

[Harry]

Oh no, she would still be there. The only time Richard replaced any of Karen's drumming was on "Yesterday Once More" for the Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic mix in 2018.

Seriously? "Love Is Surrender"?

 

[Chris May]

Seriously? "Love Is Surrender"?

He didn't replace the entire drum track. He just redid the kick for that awful remix in '87 that sounds similar to "Top" in '91. But the native drum tracks beyond that stayed intact.

 

[Harry]

He just redid the kick for that awful remix that sounds similar to "Top" in '91.

Did he overlay the kick drum with Karen's kick drum intact? Or is that a total replacement of that one drum track?

 

[Chris May]

Did he overlay the kick drum with Karen's kick drum intact? Or is that a total replacement of that one drum track?

Just replaced it. The kick drum on those early masters always had its own track—with the rest of the drum kit subbed down to a second, separate track.

 

[Harry]

Just replaced it. The kick drum on those early masters always had its own track—with the rest of the drum kit subbed down to a second, separate track.

So on remixes we could say that Karen's drumming remains, except for perhaps the kick drum.

 

[Chris May]

NOW & THEN:

All drums played by Karen Carpenter, except "Jambalaya"—drums by Hal Blaine.

 

[Chris May]

HORIZON:

So on remixes we could say that Karen's drumming remains, except for perhaps the kick drum.

Absolutely.

 

[Chris May]

HORIZON:

1. "Aurora": N/A

2. "Only Yesterday": Jim Gordon

3. "Desperado": Jim Gordon

4. "Please Mr. Postman": Karen Carpenter

5. "I Can Dream Can’t I": Alvin Stoller

6. "Solitaire": Jim Gordon

7. "Happy": Karen Carpenter

8. "(I’m Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You": Karen Carpenter

9. "Love Me For What I Am": Karen Carpenter

10. "Eventide": N/A

(*Bonus track found on Interpretations © 1994/'95): "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again": Jim Gordon

 

[Beto]

Oh no, she would still be there. The only time Richard replaced any of Karen's drumming was on "Yesterday Once More" and "Ticket to Ride" for the Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic mix in 2018.

Thank you for all this info. I have a q, this is from the Complete Recording Resource (Close To You Album)

Another Song

(Richard Carpenter, John Bettis) Irving Music, Inc. BMI 4:23 Original album mix: – {{CLOSE TO YOU}} and all CDs of this album 1994 remix: bass and drums re-recorded – {{SWEET MEMORY at …

carpenters.amcorner.com

Another Song 1994 remix: bass and drums re-recorded

Who re-recorded the drums in that song?

Also, in the beginning of The Singles 69-73, there's a snippet of Close To You before WOJB, it's present a little drumming and its sounds like a new recording. Is Karen or Hal Blaine who played that?

 

[Chris May]

Thank you for all this info. I have a q, this is from the Complete Recording Resource (Close To You Album)

Another Song 1994 remix: bass and drums re-recorded

Who re-recorded the drums in that song?

That's a typo. Karen played the original drum track with Dan Woodhams on bass. The bass was rerecorded by Joe Osborn in 1994, and the original drum track remained intact.

 

[Chris May]

Also, in the beginning of The Singles 69-73, there's a snippet of Close To You before WOJB, it's present a little drumming and its sounds like a new recording. Is Karen or Hal Blaine who played that?

That's Karen.

 

[newvillefan]

9. "Love Me For What I Am": Karen Carpenter

Another big surprise! Aside from 'Postman', which was tracked in 1974, I had no idea Karen had drummed on any of the Horizon tracks.