LAST ALBUM WOULD HAVE HAD MOST ORIGINAL SONGS.

[ullalume]

Hello all,

When I have spare time my thoughts inevitably end up with "What-if's" for the carpenters.

Well, it occurred to me that the album they were working on at the time of Karen's death would have had many orginal compositions.

At the End of a Song and You're Enough had already been tracked in April of '82, and In Love Alone and I'm Still Not Over You were due to be recorded a few weeks after her death. That's 4 ORIGINAL SONGS. Keeping in mind that HORIZON had Aurora and Eventide (gorgous tracks but not official songs) and remembering A SONG FOR YOU had flat baroque which was an instrumental, this new album would have had the most original music since OFFERING 14 years before.

I know we can attach significance to things after the fact, but It pains me to think Karen couldn't have lived just a few months longer to see what I think would have been a very successful album, and artistically one of their best.

Her voice has a maturity in the last 3 tracks from '82, I personally think both In Love |Alone and I'm still Not Over You are top 10 material, and by late '83 disco was dead, their image was finally waining, and 2 years earlier they had had a top twenty track.....and all that CARPENTER/BETTIS MAGIC,


Get back with your thoughts, guys,



Neil

 

[ullalume]

An afterthought,

I realize Close to You had 4 tracks, but all of those had been written years earlier.

Hey-ho,

Neil

 

[newvillefan]

Neil

Do you mean songs composed at the time of inclusion on a given album?

If so, I think the Song For You Album possibly equals if not beats this, with Top Of The World, Goodbye To Love, Road Ode (touring band composition, so does it qualify?), Piano Picker, Intermission.

Horizon had Aurora, Eventide, Only Yesterday, Caught Between, Love Me For What I Am, possibly also 'Happy' by Tony Peluso, so maybe again equalling 5 or even 6.

Or possibly also the Hush album, with You, Sandy (re-written lyrics in 1976), I Need To Be In Love, I Have You, which also equals 4.

For what it's worth, although I find the songs from 82 pretty, I think Karen's voice sounds thinner and weaker than say 70s style. Even in 1978 she was knocking out When I Fall In Love and her voice is sooo rich, it doesn't bear comparison to the 82 recordings for me (and my ears).

Maybe that's just how her voice matured, but I can't help thinking her being poorly had something to do with it .

Having said that, if she had recorded 'Something In Your Eyes' with Richard, I think it would have gone top 20 or even 10. With Dusty (or anyone else for that matter), I just don't think that his heart was in it, he barely gave her a credit on the single sleeve and she didn't even get a picture on the cover. I think she took that as a snub (from her biography).

Stephen

PS. At The End of a Song was from Made In America sessions, going by the newsletters.

 

[ullalume]

Interesting stuff, Steven. I actually meant, Carpenter/Bettis. and You and Piano Picker with both by Randy Edelman.

As for At the End of a Song, it does my head in that I still don't know when it was recorded. Her voice just sounds so similar to You're enough.

Anyway, maybe someone out there can decide it once and for all.

 

[PJ]

Remember Karen did hear playback of several MIA & 1982 outtakes -obviously in their rough form ....so she may have heard YOU'RE ENOUGH , AT THE END OF A SONG ETC just before her passing

Richard & John Bettis were writing many new songs during 1982 for next album project and recordings sessions in February 1983 -most of these have not been completed or recorded by Richard or for other projects ....these must remain personal songs in his archive

More original songs would have emerged on the 1983 album -quite different from eventual VOTH and next Christmas album ....another might have been ....

Peter

 

[ullalume]

Hello Peter,

I mentioned a couple of months ago if I'd met you at a couple of conventions. It was years ago and I was a mere 16, in fact I think it was a decade ago, which is scary. But are you the self, same Peter who I bought TIME amongst others from? But even if you're not. I'm sure I met you. Anyway, hope you're doing well.

BUT, you seem an authority on this. Was AT THE END OF A SONG made in '80 or '82.

Get back, mate,

Neil

 

[Jeff]

Now this is something I've always been very reluctant to admit to myself much less anyone else. At certain points on the KC solo outtakes it seems...well, she is a little weak on some phrases. It's somewhat the same on NOW and YOU'RE ENOUGH. Karen's ultimate ability to belt one out like the chorus of DESPERADO or SOLITAIRE is somehow different. Strange, on MMM she sparkled, that was '80. Why this is I don't know nor do I want to speculate. I'm quite satisfied to possess all of her recordings as is.

Jeff

 

[PJ]

At The End Of A Song sounds like 1982 recording , Richard stated in post Karen UK interview that this track was amongst their final recordings ....but some forum members believe song was MIA outtake

Early question for Richard via website PA -when site finally up and running .....amongst a few thousand more !

Peter