Time for Some Love for Richard!

I always thought "Who Do You Love" was the missed opportunity off of Time. I think that track had the most contemporary sound for the time and still was reminiscent of Richard's "style." Just my opinion.
 
Here I am, listening to "Who Do You Love", which I'll confess I have not done in eons.
Long story short, I like it !
 
Since my tastes tend to run against the grain of most of society, TIME was an instant winner with me. I first bought the Compact Disc that I saw in the racks in the store and later acquired a couple of tossed-out LPs from the radio station. In 1987, car CD players weren't too common yet. They were expensive add-ons, and we didn't have any just yet, so I had to be satisfied with dubbing the CD to a cassette and playing that. And play it I did. It was a constant companion for quite a few weeks/months, and I listened to it as much as any big, new album that I might gravitate towards.

"Say Yeah!" was quite a departure from the Richard of old, but I liked it. And I liked just about all of it. I could lose Scott Grimes, but even his song wasn't the end of the world. While I don't listen to it very much these days, when I do, it's like an old friend. I'm happy to own it.

Harry
 
The sad fact is that Richard's first solo album was always doomed. There was no way for him to win. Richard & A&M played it safe with a Carpenters style first single. Truth is the Carpenters sound was passé by the mid 80's. There just was not enough interest in a RC solo recording, no matter how good it was.

I always liked the album, because so many tracks sounded like KR & RC. I remember the goosebumps I received when I was watching a segment on the new album on Entertainment tonight. When they played the final eight bars of "something in your eyes" with the signature "Carpenters sound", such emotion came over me. I was missing Karen and that beautiful harmony.
 
I wonder if a lot of the dislikes from Richard's solo album comes from listening to it 20-25 years later and picking it apart according to today's music standards or what we're listening to today. The same can be said of Karen's solo album. I've seen people pick the album apart saying the sound is dated or the instruments out of date or hate disco etc...I just wonder if you could transport yourself back to the environment of 1980 and 1987 would there be so much dislike from the fan base?
 
I couldn't find a CD of Time when it was released, so had to settle for a cassette tape version.
 
I always thought "Who Do You Love" was the missed opportunity off of Time.

I thought "Who Do You Love?" was the hit that was missed.

Have to agree with this, I think it could have enjoyed moderate success in the US and even the UK as a single, especially with some TV promotion. The only problem is that on the very few occasions I've seen Richard front and centre holding a microphone, he looks wooden and uncomfortable.
 
Transporting myself back in time to 1987, I can honestly say I was thrilled to purchase
anything new with Richard Carpenter's name and talents associated with it !
I bought--at release date-- the album on cassette, compact disc, and the cassette single for "Something In Your Eyes".
I was disappointed in the lack of (apparent ?) promotion for his efforts.
Then again, the copy of Lovelines which I bought--at release time--was the only copy in the record store.
Thus, I presumed the fateful 'image' problem and lack of promotion had as much to do with low sales as anything else.
 
I must say, Richard Carpenter performs about a minute and half , on piano, of
Look To Your Dreams, along with ( two minutes of )
We've Only Just Begun in (the second part of )
1983 Interview on CBS News Nightwatch.
Excellent !
 
The sad fact is that Richard's first solo album was always doomed. There was no way for him to win. Richard & A&M played it safe with a Carpenters style first single. Truth is the Carpenters sound was passé by the mid 80's. There just was not enough interest in a RC solo recording, no matter how good it was.

I always liked the album, because so many tracks sounded like KR & RC. I remember the goosebumps I received when I was watching a segment on the new album on Entertainment tonight. When they played the final eight bars of "something in your eyes" with the signature "Carpenters sound", such emotion came over me. I was missing Karen and that beautiful harmony.
I had that same emotion hit me when I heard Richard come in on the final seconds of Smoky Robinson's "Hanging on by a Thread".
 
...I love "Time", "Scott Grimes" , "Akiko" and "Veronique" because I love that sound. I still play many tracks from all said releases because of the incomparable sound.
"Who Do You Love"
"Rainbow, Rainbow"
"House Of Love"
"Walking On The Water"
Pure pop perfection.
So very glad to have these tracks to enjoy over and over...
 
I bought--at release date-- the album on cassette, compact disc, and the cassette single for "Something In Your Eyes".
I was disappointed in the lack of (apparent ?) promotion for his efforts.
Then again, the copy of Lovelines which I bought--at release time--was the only copy in the record store.
Thus, I presumed the fateful 'image' problem and lack of promotion had as much to do with low sales as anything else.

The sad thing about the 80s is that the Carpenters were way out of fashion and Karen was already gone, so there was very little interest in their product. The same thing happened to ABBA. In the UK, both artists only got their well deserved acclaim in the early 1990s, when they were critically re-evaluated and they enjoyed a massive revival which brought them back into the conscience of the masses, helped by compilations like ABBA Gold and Their Greatest Hits.
 
...I love "Time", "Scott Grimes" , "Akiko" and "Veronique" because I love that sound. I still play many tracks from all said releases because of the incomparable sound.
"Who Do You Love"
"Rainbow, Rainbow"
"House Of Love"
"Walking On The Water"
Pure pop perfection.
So very glad to have these tracks to enjoy over and over...

I think my favourite of them all is this one...you can hear chord changes in the orchestration and backing vocals on this song that Richard was employing way back when on tracks like 'Love Is Surrender' :love:

 
I think my favourite of them all is this one...you can hear chord changes in the orchestration and backing vocals on this song that Richard was employing way back when on tracks like 'Love Is Surrender' :love:


...oh, yes! And that track also newville fan. Actually, I love every track on that release. :)
 
...oh, yes! And that track also newville fan. Actually, I love every track on that release. :)
"I Don't Even Mind", the single release was great but a modulation would have (maybe) propelled it. I was working in an underground club when the 12" of "You've Got A Friend ," was released to clubs. It was awesome and drew a crowd to the floor.
 
Have to agree with this, I think it could have enjoyed moderate success in the US and even the UK as a single, especially with some TV promotion. The only problem is that on the very few occasions I've seen Richard front and centre holding a microphone, he looks wooden and uncomfortable.
...def yes. Too awkward. Maybe have Itchie give him a , well, nevermind. Studio magician yes but...can anyone realize the faces of Steely Dan?
 
Another fine Richard Carpenter performance--I do not know the date--
in Japan, with vocalist Akiko. (Lookup Youtube: Carpenter/Kobayashi).
Richard sings background (nicely) and plays keyboards, plus Tony
Peluso on guitar, for the Superstar/Rainy Days/Goodbye to Love Medley.
 
I think my favourite of them all is this one...you can hear chord changes in the orchestration and backing vocals on this song that Richard was employing way back when on tracks like 'Love Is Surrender' :love:


Right at :49 for the next line or two.... When you squint and stand on one leg, and tilt your head just so - - it sounds like Karen... I always loved this song, and certainly that specific part... Yes - RC's backing is sublime.
 
I think my favourite of them all is this one...you can hear chord changes in the orchestration and backing vocals on this song that Richard was employing way back when on tracks like 'Love Is Surrender' :love:



First time hearing that song and yes I listened all the way through however I didn't enjoy Scott's voice. It's weird because I had to actually tune out his voice and only listen to the words and the orchestration, completely opposite of listening to Karen where I'm hanging on to every word she sings. This is a great song but just not with Scott singing it. I'd love to hear Richard sing this or Akiko or how about Harriet?
 
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