"Ordinary Fool" - Special Verson Found on You Tube

motownboy

Well-Known Member
This came up in my suggested videos. The person who created this was able to use audio software like Izotope RX-8 or similar to extract Karen's lead vocal from "Ordinary Fool" and do the same for Paul Williams' version from his A&M LP. Both versions are in the same key. This person took the separated backing track of Paul's version and overlayed Karen's isolated vocal. It works rather well, I think. What do you think?

 
It doesn't sound much like the Carpenters.
It sounds like a solo Karen track without Richard's production input. It would almost fit in on KC's solo album! But the production sounds older than 1979, which it is.
 
Yes, that works, and very well indeed - really nice, soft, easy accompaniment arrangement - but then Richard's original arrangement was all of that too, just different - it would be hard to imagine any serious, professional arrangement not working on a song like this with Karen's gorgeously intimate voice present on the lyrics and dominating your attention and emotions...
 
I'm a great fan of Richard's arrangements. He usually gets it right. Also, call me a purist or whatever, but I hate the original work of an artist being tampered with by somebody else.
 
Yes, that works, and very well indeed - really nice, soft, easy accompaniment arrangement - but then Richard's original arrangement was all of that too, just different - it would be hard to imagine any serious, professional arrangement not working on a song like this with Karen's gorgeously intimate voice present on the lyrics and dominating your attention and emotions...
I agree! And I think Richard's arrangement is superb! But it is fun to hear one one my favorite Karen performances in a new light.
 
Sorry, but to me, this just "cements" Richard's genius as an arranger. I'm sure the arrangement here was fine for Paul Williams, but for Karen, it just doesn't frame her voice well.
 
It would be so great if Richard would produce or at least curate new releases of Karen's vocals with new arrangements and instrumentation. While I love the RPO project, it would be great to get more intimate arrangements with Karen's voice. I deliberately would stay way from the biggest hits and concentrate on some carefully chosen album tracks. The purists can always enjoy the originals and anyone can enjoy the new as well as the original.
 
Sorry, but to me, this just "cements" Richard's genius as an arranger. I'm sure the arrangement here was fine for Paul Williams, but for Karen, it just doesn't frame her voice well.
It would have sounded better if Karen actually sang to that arrangement, rather than having it spliced to fit.
 
Kprather, your comment had me thinking how amazing it is that Richard’s arrangements suit Karen’s performances so well. As we know, these were done after she had recorded the lead vocals, particularly on ‘Voice of the Heart’, ‘An Old Fashioned Christmas’, ‘Lovelines’ and ‘As Time Goes By’ - but also on the earlier releases, when she was still around, as it was Richard’s standard practice to leave the exact arrangements, other than piano, bass and drums, until last. Incredible that Richard’s arrangements consistently, or always, in my opinion, compliment Karen’s vocals so well - and vice versa. (Oh - except the oft-maligned OK Chorale - here we go again - although I usually don’t even mind that, at all, either).
 
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