Source of apparent photo Hal hugging Karen?

[Michael Hagerty]

Yeah, I'm scratching my head wondering what all the to-do is about with this photo. So it's Karen in a parking lot. Why is it important to know any more about it?

BenKlesc made the first post. He wants to know where the photo came from, who first posted it and if that's Hal Blaine.

I don't know that there's a to-do---Ben asked questions and we've been trying to help provide answers.

I established the scene as the A&M employee parking lot after there was some speculation about where and under what circumstances it was taken. It's a place where Hal Blaine and Karen Carpenter would certainly be at the same time (as well as the studio directly to the west of it).

But we still don't have answers as to where the photo came from and who first posted it. I assume Ben still wants to know, but he never answered my question as to where he got the original shot in order to post it in this thread.

And honest to God, Harry---have you read this forum? An uncommon, apparently unpublished picture of Karen Carpenter? Why is it important to know any more about it? This place would be a ghost town if it weren't for trying to nail down the details of K&R ephemera.

 

[Harry]

So sorry.

 

[BenKlesc]

Seriously?

There's a Holiday Inn sign in that shot. In fact, this is probably the Holiday Inn parking lot. We've established the original is the employee parking lot behind A&M (now Henson).

There's a limo driver with the trunk open. In the original, Karen's between a light-colored pickup truck and a VW convertible. There is nothing in the color shot that matches them.

I'll give you the hairstyle, the short-sleeved light top and the sunglasses. But in the color shot, Karen's purse strap is dark---in the original shot it's a white (or at least light-colored)purse.

You have better attention to detail than me. I at least figured it was the same day perhaps.

 

[BenKlesc]

BenKlesc made the first post. He wants to know where the photo came from, who first posted it and if that's Hal Blaine.

I don't know that there's a to-do---Ben asked questions and we've been trying to help provide answers.

I established the scene as the A&M employee parking lot after there was some speculation about where and under what circumstances it was taken. It's a place where Hal Blaine and Karen Carpenter would plausibly be at the same time (other than the studio directly to the west of it).

But we still don't have answers as to where the photo came from and who first posted it. I assume Ben still wants to know, but he never answered my question as to where he got the original shot in order to post it in this thread.

And honest to God, Harry---have you read this forum? An uncommon, apparently unpublished picture of Karen Carpenter? Why is it important to know any more about it? This place would be a ghost town if it weren't for trying to nail down the details of K&R ephemera.

I'm in a Hal Blaine fan club, and I wanted to share this photo but until we got more information on it's authenticity or identifying who is in the photo and where it took place, I was not allowed to share it.

The person who shared me the photo can't remember who gave it to him. It's also significant because, the claim that Hal would hug Karen would turn out to be true and not just a good story.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I'm in a Hal Blaine fan club, and I wanted to share this photo but until we got more information on it's authenticity or identifying who is in the photo and where it took place, I was not allowed to share it.

The person who shared me the photo can't remember who gave it to him. It's also significant because, the claim that Hal would hug Karen would turn out to be true and not just a good story.

Okay---so, why would Hal Blaine not hug Karen? They worked together on many recording sessions.

 

[BenKlesc]

Okay---so, why would Hal Blaine not hug Karen? They worked together on many recording sessions.

It's very endearing to see an actual photo of Hal hugging Karen, when I've heard for so many years that he did this often at the studio.

On second hand, there is some speculation that there was some bad blood between Karen, the label, and Hal because they wanted Karen off the drums against her wishes. Her mother was extremely upset. This photo shows Hal cared very deeply about Karen and that there was actually no bad blood between them.

I'm happy to see a photo of two of them hugging. There are some who still say this isn't Hal, so don't want to mis-caption a photo after publishing it.

 

[Portlander]

Alright, it's time to come clean. That's me hugging Karen in the photo which will allow all of us to just move on with our lives with no need to verify. Now I'm going to take a few moments and listen to Kenny Nolan's only top ten hit!

 

[Jack A.]

Alright, it's time to come clean. That's me hugging Karen in the photo which will allow all of us to just move on with our lives with no need to verify. Now I'm going to take a few moments and listen to Kenny Nolan's only top ten hit!

LOL! We all wish that could have been us…

 

[BenKlesc]

For context...

Hal - "Karen comes up to me and she says,
"Sweetheart, would you have a set of drums like yours made for me?" And I say, "Sure, these people would be happy to do that. It's gonna be expensive, but why are you sitting behind the drums?" - by now they'd have about five or six hit records - "Why aren't you just in front of the band singing?" The mother is screaming, "She's the drummer! Richard is the star!"

And I said, "Well I'm sorry. It's just my feeling, something about a girl sitting behind the drums doesn't look natural I don't care how good she is, it doesn't look natural. And she sings so beautifully. She should be out in front with a nice gown.." So, (laughs) during this television show, Richard says, "You know, Karen, I think you should come out from behind the drums, I don't think you should be behind the drums …..”

However he also said...

"When they decided to go with professional musicians, they had talked to Karen about my playing drums, and as far as she was concerned. it was fine because they wanted a hit. Her mother was upset at first and said, 'I've watched drummers on T.V for years and Karen is as good as any of them.' She didn't understand that there were different techniques involved, but eventually she understood.

I've always said Karen was a good drummer to begin with. Often times, guys think that a girl drummer isn't right, no matter what. But I knew she could play right away when she'd sit down at my drums on sessions. She played a lot of the album cuts as well, and we had Howie Oliver make her up a set of my monster drums. But about the third or fourth hit, I remember I said to her, 'When are you going to get off the drums? You sing too good and you should be fronting the band."

It was also Hal who apparently suggested that Karen sing in a lower register on the records. Close To You was originally in a higher key, and thus Karen's basement was born. Lots of interesting history. It was Joe Osborn and Hal Blaine that discovered the Carpenters on their label Magic Lamp in 1966.

 

[Reason to believe]

Interesting. Looks like same outfit, glasses, purse and cars. From the same shot.

This photo was taken in Saratoga Springs NY

 

[Nemily]

For context...

It was also Hal who apparently suggested that Karen sing in a lower register on the records. Close To You was originally in a higher key, and thus Karen's basement was born.

Here is Richard's reply to that in Fans Ask.

Vocals​

6​

23

I read that drummer Hal Blaine said he is the one who told you or Karen that she should sing in her lower voice. Is that true?

Heavens, no! Don't believe everything you read​

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

Alright, it's time to come clean. That's me hugging Karen in the photo which will allow all of us to just move on with our lives with no need to verify. Now I'm going to take a few moments and listen to Kenny Nolan's only top ten hit!

If only it could be…

Ed

 

[newvillefan]

It was also Hal who apparently suggested that Karen sing in a lower register on the records. Close To You was originally in a higher key, and thus Karen's basement was born.

Yeah as posted above, that’s a load of old nonsense. Hal was known for embellishing the truth.