Karen's '82 guest vocal on Garfunkel track

[ullalume]

Upon re-reading the Coleman biography I was a gain reminded of Karen's guest slot on the Garfunkel track. Since Coleman states that Now was her last track recorded, this Art session must be from Jan-March of '82. A few years back I did some detective work and found out this '82 album was never released but someone out there may have some info on it, or, god forbid, have a copy of the track, or know it's name at least.


Any info at all, guys,


Neil

 

[Harry]

The quote from the Coleman book is as follows:

On some days, Karen would drop in to the recording studio where Itchy's husband, Phil, was producing (she once guested on an Art Garfunkel session and was proud at his compliments); but such visits often left her dejected. She realized what music making she was missing during this yaer of therapy.

In April 1982, Karen flew home for a two-week intermission...

So it really doesn't pinpoint the time very well. Karen went in to visit Phil in 1982, but the line about Art Garfunkel just says that she "once guested" on a session - rather vague when it comes to timing. It's not even clear that Phil Ramone was working with Art Garfunkel here, though it can be inferred, I suppose, otherwise why bring up his name?

Doing a small amount of detective work with the Art Garfunkel stuff I have around here, I find no reference to Karen Carpenter at all, but I did find a couple of anomalies.

The album WATERMARK is credited as being produced by Art Garfunkel himself, yet the track "(What A) Wonderful World" is listed as having been produced by Phil Ramone on a British compilation CD I have called simply THE ART GARFUNKEL ALBUM. It was an early Compact Disc compilation (1984) that I picked up in Europe, and I don't know if it's still in print or not.




Anyway, that disc is essentially a greatest hits-type of compilation featuring Art's best stuff from his earlier albums, all stuffed onto one CD. As often happens with compilations, there appears to be one "new" track on the disc, this one called "Sometimes When I'm Dreaming." It was written and produced by Mike Batt and has a copyright date of 1984, and doesn't seem to appear on any other Art Garfunkel albums or discs that I can find.

I'd not listened to this in years, but did so this morning, intrigued by the remote possibility of a Karen Carpenter appearance. The year 1984 doesn't match up, but perhaps the finishing touches hadn't taken place until then, changing the date.

Results: inconclusive. The track features a great deal of reverb, with a large backup vocal. There are times that I think I can hear Karen in the backing vocals, but it could just as well be a wall of Art Garfunkel voices I'm hearing. The vocal range is right, but as I say, it's pretty much impossible to tell if this is the track referred to.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Karen appeared on some other track, perhaps earlier, uncredited due to some legal thing between A&M and Columbia. Anyone know? Did we talk about this before? Or was that on Ran's old board?

Harry
...with no concrete answers, only more questions, online...

[edit: included picture and link to Amazon UK where there are a few new and used copies of the disc still available]

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Karen appeared on some other track, perhaps earlier, uncredited due to some legal thing between A&M and Columbia. Anyone know? Did we talk about this before? Or was that on Ran's old board?

Richard and Karen sang background on some records at Joe Osborne's garage studio.

Two songs -- "Mississippi Bridge" and "Sixteen States" -- featured the harmonies of Richard and Karen Carpenter, the only commercial recording with Karen singing background vocals.
http://entertainment.msn.com/artist/?artist=244908


I talked about Jan & Dean at another forum with this forum members last year.

Jan & Dean
http://www.surfinagain.com/sm-02-1.html

http://www.history-of-rock.com/jan_and_deantwo.htm

"Like A Summer Rain" from "Anthology: Legendary Masked Surfer Unmasked" by Dean Torrence
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/torrence_dean/320236/album.jhtml

"Save for a Rainy Day" which contains "Like A Summer Rain" (mono, original J&D version) was released as CD.

I found that "Like A Summer Rain (instrumental version w/background vocals) (3:34)" was available as CD-R last year, but I couldn't get it. If you have heard or get it, would you share your comment with us?

Sakura

 

[PJ]

Karen's track(s) contribution still reside in the vaults as the proposed solo album was delayed & finally cancelled -Garfunkel went on to work with Jimmy Webb on several projects before his next solo release in 1988

Believe Ramone was the producer on these sessions -until a career Box set is considered and vault tracks assessed -unlikely these rare and intriguing tracks will be issued officially

Peter

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Hi everyone, I could have sworn that I posted this but I checked the archives & can't find it, anyway, About a year ago or so I emailed the site owner of the official Art Garfunkel website. The site owner is in close connection with Art on his website & he often asks him questions from the fans each year. Well I asked him to ask Art if Karen ever guested on a recorded session of his, The site owner said he would be glad to ask him the next time he talked with him because he was also a fan of Karen Carpenter. I even quoted from the Coleman Book. Well some time passed & I asked him again & he answered & said that he spoke with Art about Karen & Art told him that Karen never recorded on a session with him on any of his albums. Wish he would have elaborated more about his experience with Karen but that was all I was able to find out.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I have the exact Lp that Harry linked above. I think the Coleman book is misleading the way it is phrased. Karen may have sat in on a session but according to Art's website owner she never sang with him on a recorded track.

..hoping to clarify, online...

 

[Dave]

Hi, Y'All!

The last record Art Garfunkel had recorded around this period was Scissor's Cut, which was released in '81 and featured songs by Jimmy Webb; the title-cut among them. As well as one of his last hits, "A Heart In New York", originally done by (A&M Artists!) Benny Gallagher & Graham Lyle, whom Art had also done other songs of (like "Breakaway", the title-song of his second LP).

It would have been neat to have this unknown track with Karen on it, though. Or if enough tracks to make an entire album were thought up, it sure could have been done the following year.

Dave

 

[ullalume]

Greetings,

Thanks for clearing that up everyone.

Neil

 

[newvillefan]

Harry

You mentioned 'Sometimes When I'm Dreaming' - incidentally, this is the much feted song that has been included on the new Agnetha Faltskog album 'My Colouring Book' - listen to it and you will hear that its pure Karen material, but sung beautifully by Agnetha. Standout track. Wish Karen had done it!

Stephen[/quote]

 

[Jeff]

This thing has my head spinning with the what if? Why hasn't karen's Coming Thru The Rye/Good Vibrations duet with John Denver ever surfaced. CarpenterS background vocals knocked me out in 1970 whatever. Maybe the first special. I'd have to dig out my CarpenterS T.V. Guides to know for certain. I keep hearing some of you guys mentioning a live CTTR. John Davidson hosted The Tonight Show with K&R featured. They sang Thank You For The Music, Superstar/Rainy Days. The medley was nice. TYFTM was sort of lackluster. I bought a copy of VHS from a now deceased Knoxville fan club.Perhaps with studio wizardry this music could be refined. Here I am chomping at the bit for all things Karen...

Jeff

P.S. Anyone else belong to the F/C with Joe Cormier as foreman?

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Ok, yes I'm reading old newsletters.

I noticed this on NEWSLETTER #65 - September, 1979

Says

"In the meantime Karen has enjoyed her recording sessions in New York, and was happy to meet Billy Joel and Paul Simon. Her album is progressing well, and she anticipates it's release early in the New Year"


I wonder if it could be possible that Karen sat in on a recorded session of Paul Simon in NY? I would assume that Phil Ramone had connections for Karen to easily see them.