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And not a single drum lick from Karen…unfathomable.All, here is the complete list. I just needed to give it proper attention. I never really gave it that much thought before, so thanks Mark for helping me keep my geek on!
Steve Gadd tracks:
Still Crazy After All These Years
Last One Singin’ the Blues
My Body Keeps Changing My Mind
John JR Robinson tracks:
Lovelines
If We Try
Liberty Devitto tracks:
All Because of You
If I Had You
Making Love in the Afternoon
Remember When Lovin’ Took All Night
Still In Love with You
Make Believe It’s Your First Time
Guess I Just Lost My Head
And not a single drum lick from Karen…unfathomable.
Especially when this was her very own solo project. Fair enough there were a few uptempo tracks but there were also a few chances for Karen to shine, especially on the jazz-inflected tracks.
She manage it just fine only a few months later when she laid down the drum tracks for the ‘Music, Music, Music’ special
I seem to recall she was struggling with energy and talking about how much effort vocal arrangements took in order to get her record done. Am I remembering incorrectly?
While I understand that idea, she was still a musician, that’s like saying you can’t drum because it’s going to remind you of working with Carpenters. How do you separate a musician from one group to another?I think the bigger point here is that Phil urged her to get away from everything “familiar.” He was well-aware, as was she, that having her play drums would have made her all too comfortable and open to getting pulled back into the same-ol’ stylistically.
Yes, but there are few musicians who can literally play any style or genre with equal authenticity and passion. Karen knew that, and so did Phil. Remember, the whole angle here was this was to be a departure from the typical “formula.”.At the end of the day, she could have still chosen to drum on one of her solo tracks and still removed any references to Carpenters on her album. That what musicians do…they adjust and adapt to fit in to where they are and what they’re playing.
If she had insisted she play on any of the cuts, she would have likely then felt inclined to recreate that ‘live’ once the album dropped and was being promoted/concertized.
Very true!It was her project, why not? We can only dream
I can see it from both sides. I get where Phil was trying to go but from an outsider I don’t get why (if she wanted to) not play drums of a slower jazz track. It could have been kept low key and only credited in the liner notes.Yes, but there are few musicians who can literally play any style or genre with equal authenticity and passion. Karen knew that, and so did Phil. Remember, the whole angle here was this was to be a departure from the typical “formula.”
Aside from that, I think the point was to strip Karen down and get her to think with a “front and center” mentality. She was the focal point … the star. If she had insisted she play on any of the cuts, she would have likely then felt inclined to recreate that ‘live’ once the album dropped and was being promoted/concertized.
I can see it from both sides. I get where Phil was trying to go but from an outsider I don’t get why (if she wanted to) not play drums of a slower jazz track. It could have been kept low key and only credited in the liner notes.
This is where I was coming from. How nice would it have been for Karen to see a drumming credit on her own album. She didn’t have to be pounding away on tracks like ‘Still In Love With You’, she could easily have handled others like ‘Guess I Just Lost My Head’.
Exactly.It's also possible that she didn't want to. We don't know what was going through her head but maybe she just didn't want to do that. Besides, the drumming on her album is incredible. Karen was a very good drummer but she was a singular singer. She shined as a singer. That's what people most want(ed) from her.
Ed
I seem to recall she was struggling with energy and talking about how much effort vocal arrangements took in order to get her record done. Am I remembering incorrectly?
Ed
It's also possible that she didn't want to. We don't know what was going through her head but maybe she just didn't want to do that. Besides, the drumming on her album is incredible. Karen was a very good drummer but she was a singular singer...
Ed
And began the chain of awful decisions regarding her solo effort. My first thought was "this album is called 'Karen Carpenter' and she's NOT playing the drums?" It's as conceivable as having a solo album where she only drums and never sings.I think the bigger point here is that Phil urged her to get away from everything “familiar.” He was well-aware, as was she, that having her play drums would have made her all too comfortable and open to getting pulled back into the same-ol’ stylistically.
And began the chain of awful decisions regarding her solo effort. My first thought was "this album is called 'Karen Carpenter' and she's NOT playing the drums?" It's as conceivable as having a solo album where she only drums and never sings.