Karen's Solo Album: Original release date.

[goodjeans]

I was re-reading the New York Times article on Karen Carpenter's second life and it said something about the album's release being cancelled the night before the release date. Does this mean that the album was shipped to record stores and then retail outlets were told not to sell it, or was the shipping curtailed? I don't mean to belabor the point, I guess I would like to know if albums were pressed, covers printed, etc. or didn't the process get to this point. If anyone knows, please enlighten me. Thanks.

 

[no1kandrfan]

Great question - I'd heard this before as well.

I do recall reading 2 small articles in Billboard; the 1st mentioned that she was in the studio with Phil Ramone and I believe it referred to fall - spring - or some 'season', date of release - I don't recall an actual date.

BUT, I do recall going back to the record store around the time of release (this makes me think a date was mentioned) and picking up another copy of Billboard where they said the 'record had been shelved' and more details would follow. There was never, to my knowledge, a follow-up article.

Overall, wasn't the decision to not release made at the time of playback? Making records are expensive, and I would hate to think that the album was packaged, wrapped, and in boxes ready to ship! That would have been devastating to her - more then it obviously was.

Mike

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wasn't there a single CD issued from her solo album called If We Try? I kinda doubt that everything went to press & then was halted the day before, that kinda seems unrealistic since A & M & Richard did not approve of the material. How could the material have been pressed without approval from the label? What you might be referring to is the fact that Karen called Phil the night before she died & said what a great album it was (inserts more family friendly word to describe what Karen said)

Here are some notes from the official newsletters:

NEWSLETTER #65 - September, 1979 - 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. She returns to New York next month. All the material apart from one oldie will be original (No Disco!). Karen is unable to confirm at this time any information regarding a single from her eagerly awaited album, so keep your eyes and ears open!

NEWSLETTER #66 - January, 1980 - Karen has made several return trips to New York in connection with her recordings, and we can anticipate release of her solo album sometime in March. She is in New York now, working on the final segments, but until completion stage it cannot be determined which track will be chosen for the initial single release, so watch for it soon.

NEWSLETTER #67 - May, 1980 - After much thought, Karen has decided not to release a solo album. Scheduling difficulties between producer and artist has resulted in the album still not being completed. Finishing the project would delay the Carpenters new album and next Special, both of which the duo is delighted to be working on.

 

[no1kandrfan]

I do recall the release of "If I Had You" - with Karen's picture up front, backed with - if I'm not mistaken - "The Uninvited Guest". I have it in cassette - somewhere. But this was for the "Lovelines" album - I don't recall a release from her solo.

Mike

 

[Harry]

Didn't someone here (or at Ran's old board) mention having been in the A&M complex sometime in 1979-80 and getting a pre-release glimpse of the album artwork? I seem to remember that being mentioned somewhere, and that it wasn't the same as what was ultimately used on the CD.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Your right, my bad. But it would have been cool to have a single release from the solo album. I'm sure Karen knew what she wanted the single to be & Phil knew what would have been the best single. But too much time had passed from recorded material to release date. Still a single in memory of Karen would have been sweet for sure.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Didn't someone here (or at Ran's old board) mention having been in the A&M complex sometime in 1979-80 and getting a pre-release glimpse of the album artwork? I seem to remember that being mentioned somewhere, and that it wasn't the same as what was ultimately used on the CD.

Harry

Yes, you are correct Harry that was mentioned, I forget who but I'm sure it is in the archives somewhere. This person got to see the original artwork up close & personal and it was indeed different. I remember the person saying they have never seen it again since.

 

[Harry]

There was a Japanese single from the Karen Carpenter solo album. It contained "Make Believe It's Your First Time" and "If We Try." I don't have it, but I see it's available at Matt's CD Singles:

Click here

for the paltry sum of $43.73. Too rich for my blood.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

aahh so I knew I wan't losing my mind. That's the single I was referring to earlier. I would love to have that in my collection. I wonder if this is the solo version of Make Believe it's Your First Time?

 

[Mike Blakesley]

As one who was "there" during all this, I can attest that the album was never released to stores until the eventual CD release.

Those newsletter notes are typical of fan-club newsletters, which often turn the facts around to make things sound better than they actually are. The fact is, as we all know, Richard did not like the album, nor did the "higher-ups" at A&M, so they decided not to release it. But no fan club newsletter would ever say "They decided the album was not good." So they went with the more fan-friendly version.

 

[aaflyer98]

The fan club (and I was a member for many years) in hindsight, covered up many many things...personal and professional to make them 'fan friendly'. From Richard's month long "driving trip" to Karen's solo album and health issues, NO real information was given out. Don't you love how in the newsletter it said Karen's album contained "no disco". Well, it did!

 

[newvillefan]

To answer previous posts, the album was assigned a catalogue number and the tentative artwork had been prepared. I remember this story very well indeed. It was made up of the picture we now see on the cover of the solo album, but for its 1996 release, this had been extensively recoloured. The original was Karen's picture in colour, with hues of green, deep red and violet to match her red jacket. Her name was also 'scrawled' across one corner, the effect being that she had signed her own name. The back picture was a full size shot of Karen on the purple stuffed velvet chair.

Various things were put out as singles in 1989 and 1996, predominantly in Japan. As far as I recall, these include:

If I Had You (3" CD single) - 1989

If I Had You 45" - 1989

If I Had You (US 1-track promo-only CD, featuring the LP version, CD17926) - November 1989

Make Believe It's Your First Time/If We Try - 1996

plus, I heard from Sakura that Germany put out a 45 of 'Still Crazy After All These Years', but she may be able to verify this.

Stephen

[/align]

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Hi Stephen,

When I talked about "Still Crazy After All These Years" CD singles (not 45), I didn't have much time to talk in detail. I think I saw them on the site that you posted to another site. (The site has Carpenters CD's, Japanese release. I saw "Hangin' On A Nail" CD for the first time at the site. You may find rare ABBA or the BeeGees CD's or records on the site.) What we call Side A was "Please Mr. Postman". You can recall.
I guess another "Still Crazy After All These Years" CD single was from U.K. Maybe it was from "from the top" and "Still" is not side A, either. With "Rainy Days And Mondays" and "Let Me Be The One". Did "Rainy Days" chart in in 1993? Was it 3 track CD?

If I Had You (3" CD single) - 1989

If I Had You 45" - 1989

[/align]

As you know Carpenters in Japanese, your guess is right.
First CD and promo 45 that you posted have
Side A: Karen Carpenter and
Side B: Carpenters.

Sakura

 

[newvillefan]

I guess another "Still Crazy After All These Years" CD single was from U.K. Maybe it was from "from the top" and "Still" is not side A, either. With "Rainy Days And Mondays" and "Let Me Be The One". Did "Rainy Days" chart in in 1993? Was it 3 track CD?
Sakura

Hi Sakura

My misunderstanding - I now realise you were indeed talking about the From The Top UK-only single releases of Rainy Days And Mondays (Radio Mix). I have them both, and each contained two other tracks (different tracks on CD1 compared to CD2) - one of them being Still Crazy After All These Years as an additional track, as opposed to being the lead side.

Thanks for pointing that out

Stephen

 

[newvillefan]

Sakura

I think you might be thinking of this single also, featuring 'Still Crazy...'

Rare German 3 Track:

1 Please Mr Postman 2.50
2 Desperado 3.36
3 Still Crazy After All These Years 4.17


Scarce From The Top promotional UK CD Single (CD1):

1 Rainy Days And Mondays - Radio Remix
2 Still Crazy After All These Years
3 Let Me Be The One

Stephen

 

[Mark-T]

I was the one who saw the album cover artwork- but it was in 1989.
I'll try to find my original post. If not, I'll repost some info.
For now- Don't recall green in the artwork but rather roses, violets and blues- much like the inside solo photo found in the "Yesterday Once More" compilation. With a photo of Karen with earrings, holding up her hair...

 

[Mark-T]

OK_ Here it is:
"Has anyone ever seen the mock ups or the test pressings of the cardboard jacket for the solo album?
I was able to get a brief tour of A&M back in 1989 with a friend who worked there. He happened to know a man in the international department, Doug Haverty or Haggarty or something like that. Doug had a copy of the jacket for her solo album, which he had hidden in his office. as I am sure all these were destroyed when the album was shelved.
What a treasure! The left side was the back of the album and had a photo of Karen holding the back of her hair up. The front was the same photo as the cover of what came out eventually but not colorized in greys, browns, and greens. All the album was in rose, violets, and blues. (Her red jacket and leather pants were obviously colorized to match.) Very cool. I don't remember seeing any song titles at all on it. And the front only said "Karen Carpenter" in a stylized design which looked like her signature. (I always thought the cover and colors that came out in '96 or so were a "bastardazation" of the real thing- and that Karen's face looks awful. Such a poor contrast to what I saw!)
Anyway...I remember thinking when I drove home that if I ever had a chance to get anything as a souvenir, that would be it!!! A&M was exciting to see but not even close to seeing the jacket of the solo album! What a story I had to tell my wife about that day!
I know some solo photos show the original color scheme (ie the inside photo in the original Yesterday Once More album jacket), but I haven't seen others since.
Maybe some of these photos will surface in the new boxed set.
Mark"

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Thanks Mark for finding that & providing the details.

It would be so cool if someone could photoshop a print of what is sorta looked like so we all could get a somewhat visual photo in our mind of what you saw.

So the photo of Karen you saw was one with her holding her hair up? Has that photo ever surfaced? I wonder if I have seen this?

Anyone got photoshop skills?

 

[Tom]

I remember seeing a program produced by or for one of the cable t-v networks which included an on-camera interview with Phil Ramone. In that interview he talked about he and Karen in the studio in New York working on the album. He said the top brass back at A&M in L-A had listened to the album. He said Herb ordered the project shelved because it was "not marketable".

Tom

 

[Tom]

My quote from Phil Romone was inaccurate. It should have read "not releaseable" sted marketable. My sincere apology for the discrepancy.

Tom

 

[Jeff]

Ya know What?

I BELIEVE that the release of KAREN CARPENTER may of in fact saved her life.

Now many theories appear and much spec over the years...yet given "general" perception this was the glory of a life that had been/could've been a great reward to its artistic and soulful creator.

Forever more I will view this achievement as the crowning glory attained in a young girls life.

Jeff

 

[goodjeans]

As far as the Karen photo holding up her hair...she looks incredible. I have it saved somewhere on my laptop and will continue to search for the benefit of the group. There is another site that took a great deal of time with the Karen solo and shows some photos. I hope it is ok for me to give that info. on here. http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Midfield/8042/kcsolo.html There may be a shorter way of getting there, but I don't know it. Anyway...it does not show the Karen holding up her hair, but does show three other photos from that same session and again; I think she looks incredible.

 

[brycem]

The fact is, as we all know, Richard did not like the album, nor did the "higher-ups" at A&M, so they decided not to release it..

Let's face reality about why the solo album was shelved - Richard couldn't stand to see Karen do something for herself and succeed. I've listened to the album lots and think that it's some of the best work she ever did as do lots of other people. Can you imagine what it would of done for her self esteem had the album been released in '79-'80 and got to the top of the charts? Don't get me wrong I have tremendous respect for Richard but there are certain things that really upset me. I remember reading in the Coleman book that according to Phil Ramone when Karen would return from visits to LA she wouldn't be herself for days - it's no wonder she had the problems she did living in an envoronment where everything she did was controlled. Coming from a very similar environment I can relate to how she felt - I have been lucky enough to break away from it and now have a great life....

Bryce

 

[Mark-T]

^^^ Worst case scenario... isn't it time we offer an olive branch of forgiveness (based on our speculation- not necessarily fact) to those who chose to shelve the solo project? Or at least come to peace with it?

Karen is, unfortunately gone- and no one alive feels that pain deeper than Richard. Let's cut him some slack.

I know I've been shown mercy and forgiveness many times when I havent deserved it.

This is a good time to go forth in peace- it is what this Christmas season is about.