Production of unreleased solo trax

[Jeff]

This is just my thought...if Richard has a hand in completing some of Karen's unfinished solo songs, PLEASE God don't use the OK CHORALE as back-up. A very simplified mix would be nice. I'm sooo over the elevator thing. Perhaps the Voice Of The Heart version of Make Believe would've faired better had it not been for the over-production. I feel the same way about Now and At The End Of A Song. Karen's stark vocal on I Need To Be...would've been far superior to the OKC... I have noticed on some mixes that the OKC has been pushed further into the background on INTBIL, just NOT far enough for my taste. Maybe I'm alone here...I dunno.

Any other thoughts kids?

Jeff

 

[Murray]

Maybe I'm alone here...I dunno.

I'd be surprised if you'd find even one person here who disagreed with you! I think that the OKC sounded alright on the Christmas albums, but on the regular albums, I can't think of a single song that wouldn't have sounded better without the chorus. I sometimes wonder what the heck Richard was thinking when he chose to use the OKC. In the early-mid 70's, he was one of the most innovative producers/arrangers in popular music, and then one day he woke up and thought he was Lawrence Welk! Maybe it was the drugs?...

Murray
...imagining how wonderful INTBIL would sound chorus-less...

 

[Harry]

It may have been the pressure of touring, TV shows, plus the drugs and eating disorders that prevented both Karen and Richard to do the overdubbing backing vocal work like they did on all of the early stuff. It was probably just a lot easier to hire some voices to be the "choir."

I'm in complete agreement about the OK Chorale. I'd just as soon hear the songs without these extraneous voices.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I agree with you all here on this one. For the Christmas albums, they are appropriate EXCEPT on Ave Maria . I also wouldn't have minded it on 2 or 3 Carpenters songs but Richard used it way too much. But maybe this stems back to his earlier days in high school?

 

[Only Yesterday]

I totally agree that teh choral blew up some songs. The only exception for me would be the gorgeous "I Just Fall In Love Again". I didn't care for these tune at the begining but it really growed on me...

Amazes me the great way Karen sings a little bit higher in the last chorus, and the choral do make a good difference adding more depht and emotion at the end of this song ....great one...and only, I guess...

 

[Only Yesterday]

I've just noticed right now, that in "I Just Fall In Love Again", the background singers aren't the OKChorale, but the "The Gregg Smith Singers"...anyway they sound great....

 

[coolvox]

I not sure if this is off topic
but in the liner notes from MIA
on the song Touch me When Were
Dancing it mentions backing vocals
Karen and Richard Carpenter and
the Carpettes Karen Carpenter,
Carolyn Dennis. Who was she?
I don't have my liner notes from
Love Lines handy but on Kiss Me
The Way You Did Last Night it
mentions another backround singer,
I think her name was Sida Garett,
Im just guessing on the name.
As far as the OK Chorale, I can't
imagine how that could work on
any of the unreleased solo work.
Jim

 

[350hunny]

Here's a tip on Carolyn Dennis.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~mansion1/carolyndennis.html

She seems to have worked with many other artists.

As for Siedah Garret, she wrote Michael Jackson's Man In the Mirror as well as she did a duet with him on I Just Can't Stop Loving You.
Here's her pic with Michael.http://www.neverland-valley.com/nev...gerous-tour/sites/dangerous-misc-site_023.htm

Later on, she joined Brand New Heavies.

 

[Harry]

Siedah Garrett also sang on the Sergio Mendes ARARA album in 1989. She had the lead vocal on the opening track, "Sarara."

Two recent threads dealing with ARARA (though not specifically Siedah Garrett) can be found in our Mendes/Brazilian Forum:

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3421

and

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3353

Harry

 

[coolvox]

Hey thanks guys! I had seen these
artists mentioned in the liner
notes in the past and always
wondered who they were. I had
no idea that they were involved
in so many other projects. My
next question is why did they
include them in these songs?
I thought the C's did all of there
backing vocals alone.
You know I am 40 and have loved
the C's from the time I was 6
I was even lucky enough to attend
a concert! I labled myself a C's
expert but the things I have learned from the members here
are amazing! I am truly gratefull
to this site and all its members.
THANKS Jim

 

[close2u]

In my quest to visit with just about anyone who ever worked with the Carpenters I came across Siedah Garrett and made contact with her about a year ago. Here is her reply:

-----

Dear Mr. Schmidt,

My experience with the Carpenters was very limited. I did some "ghost
recording" after Karen's death, on some of her previously recorded
tracks that her brother was producing. It was only one or two songs,
many years ago. I've no idea what, if anything ever became of those
sessions.

Sorry that I can't be more helpful to you.

Kindest regards,

Siedah Garrett
Singer/Songwriter

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Randy, what does that mean, do you think?

"ghost recording" after Karen's death, on some of her previously recorded
tracks that her brother was producing.

Would these be tracks that Richard has already released? Or something rare that we have not heard?

 

[close2u]

I would assume she was referring to the song(s) from LOVELINES released with her backing vocals. I don't have the liner notes here with me and can't remember which song(s) she is listed on. "Ghost Recording" would mean... well... I would hate to make something up here. Chris May -- can you explain if this means more than just adding backing vocals to something previously recorded? Or did she plan to go uncredited on these songs? I am not sure I know what she meant exactly either.

Randy

 

[Chris]

My favorite performance of Siedah Garrett is her lead vocal on "Everchanging Times" the theme from Baby Boom starring Diane Keaton.

Siedah Garrett is credited for backing vocals on "Kiss Me The Way You Did Last Night" on Lovelines. Wonder if she did other backing vocals for the Carpenters that are not released yet?

Chris

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Thanks guys.

Is there a link that shows a picture of her, I'd like to see what she looks like, since she is credited on a Carpenters song, like to put a face to her backing vocals.

 

[350hunny]

Here is her own site:http://www.siedahgarrett.com/flash.html

Check her latest single 'Man In The Mirror'.

 

[newvillefan]

Hi!

I'm surprised that Siedah wasn't actually there to record her backing vocal for 'Kiss Me' at the time Karen and Richard were present recording it. Obviously she didn't, but that's the inference on Richard's liner notes for Lovelines:

'[for this recording] Karen and I are joined on backing vocals by siedah Garrett'.

Pity then that Karen never got to hear the finished version, mixed down in late 80s and with the new backing vocals mixed in - I think it sounds quite superb, and wouldn't have been quite the same if Siedah wasn't present on the recording.

The same can be said for 'Touch Me When We're Dancing' - Carolyn Dennis just adds that extra little dynamic to the mix by blending her voice with Richard and Karen's harmonies.

This begs the question, what made Richard particularly pick Siedah to add one harmony so many years after it was first recorded?

Stephen

 

[coolvox]

Hi all! Well I am really surprised
that according to information in
the letter provided by Siedah, she
was involved in ghost recoding for
Richard. I have read the liner
notes from LoveLines many times
but never had the impression that
her vocals where added after Karens
death. It reads as if she was there
I wonder why Richard was not more
specific about this? The letter
from Siedah certainly leads one
to feel there is more than one
recoding she was involved with.
Kiss Me is one of my favorite
songs, if there are others I would
love to hear them. Also I am now
wondering if she or Carolyn might
work with RC to complete any unreleased material.
Jim

 

[andywithaz]

I got in the mood so I listened to the Unreleased solo tracks.

I came across the song Truly You and I realized something.
This song is a perfect song to be released. To me it is not dated at all and it could easily get lots of airplay. Wonder why Richard hasn't released it.

What are your thoughts

 

[coolvox]

Well I went back to the begining
of this thread and it started out
with the topic of the production
of the unreleased solo tracks by
Richard. I think every member of
this site would jump for joy if
an unreleased song was released
as a single and played on the air!
I think Truly You would be perfect
for a lite Jazz type station but
as far as main stream stations, I
don't think there is much chance.
I know there are many site members
with proffesional music industry
backrounds who can explain the
factors involved.
Jim

 

[coolvox]

Hi All! I just wanted to say thank
you for all the input on the Siedah
and Carolyn backrounds questions,
it was amazing information!
I know from past posts that RC
feels that the songs remaining on the buried trasure list will most
likely remain buried. However I
still find some of the titles so
interesting. Has anyone ever heard
any of this material? I know Im
day dreaming but if Sieadh worked
on ghost recordings is there a
chance some workleads from the list
be completed?
After reading Andrews post last night I listenend Jimmy Mack and
I thought if the insturnmentals
where changed and some backings
from someone like Siedah. This
could sound alot like Mr. Postman
or Beachwood. What do you think?

JIm