Remix and additional production...

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I must admit that I've been less than thrilled with the fact that Richard Carpenter feels the need to continually remix, add to, or otherwise "fool with" the songs Karen and he created. I feel this way for a few reasons.

First of all, the sound is rarely better than what came before. His basic approach is always the same:

1. Overly-accentuate the kick drum. Likely, he's re-recording one and adding it to the proceedings. Most of the time he does this, the kick drum goes out of time quite a bit. Check out "Love Is Surrender" from the black and gold set. In Pro-Tools, these sounds can be "slid into place". Why he doesn't do this is beyond me.

2. Drench Karen in reverb. I've never enjoyed this. "Calling Occupants..." and the latest "Yesterday Once More" fall victim to this and it really sounds horrible to my ears.

3. That "doubling" effect. He added it on "Calling Occupants..." and songs that were finished after she passed like "Tryin' To Get The Feeling". It just doesn't work.

4. Compression. I can't tell you much I dislike that. Check out the very last "So they sprinkled moondust in your hair..." line from "(They Long To Be) Close To You" from the SACD. At the end of it, you can hear the compression kick in. I am not a fan of that kind of revision.

5. Adding synths. He did this work "Superstar" and "It's Going To Take Some Time" from the SACD. That remix of "It's Going..." - is unlistenable because of this. That piano sounds positively synthetic.

His remixes very rarely work. This is mostly because the additional elements he adds just don't sound like they belong in the song. They sound like they were added after the fact rather than sounding like they're a part of the song. You also get additional "tape hiss". Whenever Karen's vocal is faded in, this hiss accompanies it and it's always quite "jarring".

What does everyone else think about his penchant for remixing?

Ed

 

[Dave]

As for my thoughts...:

Karen in Reverb...: The Echo Chamber at A&M--still alive 'n' well, long-after The Sandpipers sang "And I Love Her" in Spanish in it...

I never thought "Close To You" would have ANY compression in it... The song seems so well-pronounced no matter when I heard it...

Synths..., Synthsss..., Synthsssszzzz... --Why can't a keyboard, or any other instrument, be a...--???!!!

Kick-Drum-happy are we...?!

Eh, "Calling Occupants..." and "Trying To Get..." seemed like they wouldn't be what they are WITHOUT doubling, either...



Dave

...Sorry--, ...can't tell you "where it was" when I went to where it was I first heard "Close To You" at...!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I can't really disagree with any of your points, Ed.

I also don't usually like the electric guitar fills that he did on singles, like on "Yesterday Once More." They usually sound tacked on.

On the other hand, it's Richards revisionism that's played a large part in keeping the Carpenters as vital as they are. So I guess it's both sides of the coin.

Pretty much without fail, the original versions are my favorites. Although that could be because I heard those versions first. A person who was first exposed to some remixes might think the originals sounded "stripped down" or weak.

 

[Dave]

A "fill" on "Yesterday...", A "solo" on "Goodbye To Love"...; Tony Peluso Rocks...!!!

Dave

 

[Harry]

For the most part I've enjoyed Richard's remixes, but always with the caveat that as long as I have access to the original mixes, I don't care what he chooses to do with the recordings, for good or bad.

Yeah, I hear all of the bad stuff you mentioned, Ed, but I also find many enjoyable things in those remixes. For the most part, I listen to the original mixes, and when I feel the need for something different, I'll put on a remix package and revel in the differences. Sometimes that doubling or reverb in the vocal will be enough to add another "goosebump layer" to the song for me, so it's not all bad.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I enjoy the original mixes more and will always be the standard for me. There are times when I feel Richard went too far on the re-verb side when remixing alot of the favorites. While I understand where your coming from Ed and agree on the most part but I am happy to have both. Like Harry mentioned there are times when sometimes the re-mix will affect you a little more in certain areas and gives a different take on an old familar tune. Thank goodness we have the originals to always fall back on.

Let's also not forget that had Richard chose not to continually remix or felt he had to enhance or perfect the originals, we would not have some of the compilations we have today. Just think, we would basically only have the originals, knowing what I know now, I would feel shortchanged because he has done some great stuff.

For instance, on the Japan 2 CD set of Treasures (of which is almost all remixed on the first disc), we would not have the cool remix of Crystal Lullaby with the corrected S punch in, then there is the remix of I Can't Make Music, the remix of this I feel is much better than the original, it starts out with a little more reverb than I would have liked but after the opening line it tones down and the remix really works here for me, the chorus here is really great, having this remix of this song was one of the main reasons I sought out this set and now today I can't imagine NOT having this remix. On this same set we also have the remix of "A Song for You" here I feel this is superior to the original, Karen sounds so much more to the front which increases the whole presence of the song. Richard also says he re-recorded the piano in dolby stereo. I also have to mention the wonderful remix of "Love is Surrender" (although you mentioned Ed not liking it, I'd have to disagree ) with that more pronouced drum kick, OMG it gives me goosebumps cause I really really enjoy this track, which of course leads you into the remix of Maybe it's You, with the remix of the added DX-7, Richard says he prefers this to the original and I have to say I really agree with him. Then let's not forget the remix of Baby it's You-here Richard deleted the bass in the first verse which he says recorded static noticible on CD, so here he has enhanced the original by making it better on this remix.

Soooo without making this post go on and on and on...you get the idea of where I am going, there are other tracks he had remixed that I feel was needed and while yes he didn't have to and could have left us all with just the originals (untouched) I am certainly glad he did not.

Of course this is all just my personal opinion.

 

[aaflyer98]

I'm glad we have both the originals and the remixes! It's cool to hear the differences in each. So I am a fan of the remixes too! Since we probably are not going to get anything 'new' from the unreleased vaults, at least we can hear some of the songs in a different light. Thankfully, we also have the originals!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I too am glad to have both the originals and the remixes available. It makes for an interesting "jigsaw puzzle" for the fans, to try to put all the pieces together!

As for future projects, I wish Richard would do more things like he did on the original "Singles" album -- creating segues, new intros, things like that.

Or I've always thought he could do a sort-of "Carpenters Unplugged" album, where the orchestration is taken away and we hear Karen's voice backed by a simple studio band. (Admittedly, he may not like that idea since the arrangements are really 50% of their sound.)

But you get the idea. There are lots of avenues he could pursue when he gets an inspiration.