RCA Sessions

Simon KC1950

Well-Known Member
As we know before the Carpenters were The Carpenters they had a brief record deal with RCA Records. As the Richard Carpenter Trio.

I believe they cut something like 9 sides. I'm not sure if most of it has been heard before. I've got digital copies saved:Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night", The Beatles "Every Little Thing" and Richard Carpenter's "Iced Tea"

Do we know the names of any others? Perhaps "The Girl From Ipanema"

Could these ever see an official release?
 
As we know before the Carpenters were The Carpenters they had a brief record deal with RCA Records. As the Richard Carpenter Trio.

I believe they cut something like 9 sides. I'm not sure if most of it has been heard before. I've got digital copies saved:Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night", The Beatles "Every Little Thing" and Richard Carpenter's "Iced Tea"

Do we know the names of any others? Perhaps "The Girl From Ipanema"

Could these ever see an official release?

A 1966 recording of “Iced Tea” was released on the box set already so I don’t think we’ll see another. The recording of “The Girl From Ipanema” from 1966 also exists but curiously hasn’t been released, except partially in the TV movie. The time and place to release the others was probably also that first box set. I very much doubt we’ll see another so I can’t really see any other vehicle for the others to be included, as they’re curiosities only.

Here’s a cool interview with the duo about “The Girl From Ipanema” that some may not have heard:

 
A 1966 recording of “Iced Tea” was released on the box set already so I don’t think we’ll see another. The recording of “The Girl From Ipanema” from 1966 also exists but curiously hasn’t been released, except partially in the TV movie. The time and place to release the others was probably also that first box set. I very much doubt we’ll see another so I can’t really see any other vehicle for the others to be included, as they’re curiosities only.

Here’s a cool interview with the duo about “The Girl From Ipanema” that some may not have heard:



Is that interview from their 1981 trip to Brazil? If so, then it's a real eye (or ear)-opener to hear them able to switch into singing something so alive and different from the music they were promoting at the time. If only they'd been arranging songs and performing them in 1981 like they did in this interview!
 
Is that interview from their 1981 trip to Brazil? If so, then it's a real eye (or ear)-opener to hear them able to switch into singing something so alive and different from the music they were promoting at the time. If only they'd been arranging songs and performing them in 1981 like they did in this interview!

Yes that’s from the MIA promotional trip to Brazil in late 1981. I agree, they could shift from general conversation to humming and tapping their way through “The Girl From Ipanema”, including all the exotic time signatures it involved :)
 
I have their live version, and this impromptu explanation/version is great. Brought a smile to my face. I think that they should have kept more of this adventurousness in their music. It's just so much fun.
 
With the RCA stuff, I have to wonder if the original master tapes still exist—-which is highly unlikely as Richard notes in “From The Top” that ‘Iced Tea’ was transferred from a ‘tired, acetate reference disc’.

Of course, from the same time period, you have to wonder what tracks were recorded at “Orange County”. Apparently there were 9 tracks, and “You’ll Love Me” is one of them. And, apparently the tapes still exist, as Richard made no mention of having to transfer it from acetate.
 
Of course, from the same time period, you have to wonder what tracks were recorded at “Orange County”. Apparently there were 9 tracks, and “You’ll Love Me” is one of them. And, apparently the tapes still exist, as Richard made no mention of having to transfer it from acetate.

I do believe You’ll Love Me is from the original master tape. You can also hear the difference in quality between that and the preceding track The Parting Of Our Ways, which was not.
 
I do believe You’ll Love Me is from the original master tape. You can also hear the difference in quality between that and the preceding track The Parting Of Our Ways, which was not.
Actually the preceding track was “Iced Tea”; Parting was from the Magic Lamp era.

But it would be interesting to see what tracks were done at Orange.
 
Actually the preceding track was “Iced Tea”; Parting was from the Magic Lamp era.

But it would be interesting to see what tracks were done at Orange.

Tom, sweetie, Orange County is not a recording studio. It's where the Carpenters lived. It's where Joe Osborne's garage studio was. It's where Disneyland is. It's just a county south of Los Angeles. Please stop referring to it like it's some mystical recording studio.
 
Tom, sweetie, Orange County is not a recording studio. It's where the Carpenters lived. It's where Joe Osborne's garage studio was. It's where Disneyland is. It's just a county south of Los Angeles. Please stop referring to it like it's some mystical recording studio.
I think Karen might have appreciated the term; "The Orange County Sessions." She liked to play with word meaning.
 
Tom, sweetie, Orange County is not a recording studio. It's where the Carpenters lived. It's where Joe Osborne's garage studio was. It's where Disneyland is. It's just a county south of Los Angeles. Please stop referring to it like it's some mystical recording studio.
Uh... in the liner notes Richard calls it Orange County studio. And he says that it was a new studio (and Parting was not licensed from Joe Osborn or RCA).
 
Uh... in the liner notes Richard calls it Orange County studio. And he says that it was a new studio
No...he doesn't. He says, and I quote,
Richard Carpenter said:
We got a deal on some time at a new studio, United Audio, in Orange County.
The recording studio was United Audio, and it was located in Orange County, California.
 
Geography lesson: Downey (Newville Ave) is in Los Angeles County. Karen's condo was in Century City which is LA County. As I recall, Joe Osborn's garage studio was in the San Fernando Valley within the city of Los Angeles which is obviously Los Angeles County. Disneyland is in City of Anaheim which is located in Orange County. Karen, after she married the jerk, might have lived partially in Newport Beach considering she was involved with 2 homes there (one on Lido Isle that she purchased) and a Tom Burris home in the same city somewhere (I believe it was on Pacific Coast Hwy on Newport Bay), which is in Orange County. Grand Ave & Edinger Ave is in the city of Santa Ana. Tustin Ave & Katella Ave meet in the city of Orange. All Orange County.

Reference: Thomas Guide Updated 1986 Edition Los Angeles/Orange Counties Street Atlas and Directory (hard copy) :).
 
November 1984,Fan Club Newsletter #82:
Q: "Does Richard plan to release the songs he and Karen recorded on the RCA or Magic Lamp Label ?
A: "No"
Q: Will Karen's solo album ever be released ?
A: "No"
 
Geography lesson: Downey (Newville Ave) is in Los Angeles County. Karen's condo was in Century City which is LA County. As I recall, Joe Osborn's garage studio was in the San Fernando Valley within the city of Los Angeles which is obviously Los Angeles County. Disneyland is in City of Anaheim which is located in Orange County. Karen, after she married the jerk, might have lived partially in Newport Beach considering she was involved with 2 homes there (one on Lido Isle that she purchased) and a Tom Burris home in the same city somewhere (I believe it was on Pacific Coast Hwy on Newport Bay), which is in Orange County. Grand Ave & Edinger Ave is in the city of Santa Ana. Tustin Ave & Katella Ave meet in the city of Orange. All Orange County.

Reference: Thomas Guide Updated 1986 Edition Los Angeles/Orange Counties Street Atlas and Directory (hard copy) :).

Thank you! It was driving me crazy!
 
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