Unreleased solo trax

[Jeff]

I've heard over the years that there are still two mysterious solo trax that didn't make it to Donald's old Goofus site. I know one was titled CHURCH CHOIR and the other I don't remember the title of. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows of these trax existence and has anybody out there had a listen?

over-n-out,

Jeff

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I think that these tracks were somehow released before Donald ever put them up on his old site. So I don't think that Donald was the originator.

I'm still curious after all these years...who leaked these tracks. One of Phil's assistants? Maybe even Phil (knowing they would never get released any other way) Could it have been someone close to Richard that betrayed him? For some reason I don't think Richard would have approved them getting to the internet.

As far as your question, I've never heard any others, the name Church Choir as been around for long time but nothing has ever materialized.

...who still thinks some of KC unreleased solo tracks can be perfected by Richard & released officially to the fans, online...

 

[davidgra]

According to the infamous "Buried Treasure" list, the two tracks from the solo sessions that didn't get leaked were "Basket Case" and "Church Choir (Wild)."

I've been dying to know for years where the leak came from, too. I'd like to think that Phil Ramone or maybe even Richard himself made a copy for someone, knowing that it would eventually make its way to the fans (as a way of letting the fans have something that would never get "officially" released), but that seems rather unlikely.

More likely would be that someone who either had access to the tape vault or who knew someone who had a copy of the recordings made an unauthorized copy for themselves, which then got copied for another friend, who made a copy for another friend, and so on.
I agree that many of the unreleased tracks could be fixed up -- either by Phil Ramone or Richard -- and turned into completed tracks. Some are just too rough, though, to be anything other than the work leads they are. In either case, an official release of all the remaining tracks would certainly be a treasure for all fans of Karen Carpenter's voice...

David

 

[350hunny]

Why doesn't it have to be Karen Carpenter herself?
She could have made a copy cassette of her unfinished recording sessions so that she was able to let her friends know what she was up to and how exciting it was.

And those friends of hers might have been kind enough to give out that copy cassette to their friends.

This is only anybody's guess.
But I think that if this should happen to be true, Karen would have really been serious about this project.

 

[Harry]

The only problem with THAT theory is that if Karen had 'leaked' a tape to a friend, it likely would have surfaced much sooner in the bootleg market. The tracks that DID surface didn't show up until a couple of years ago.

My feeling about the two remaining titles is that they may be completely unfinished, with perhaps only a backing track done before being abandoned.

Harry
...all theories and no answers, online...

 

[mr J.]

I'm surprised that anyone is even remotely interested in the unreleased solo tracks,being that the solo album sold so poorly.I know many people wrote to Richard concerning the solo album over the years,but when it finally came out in 1996,practically nobody bought it.I know I've told this story before,but I went to Tower Records the day the solo album was released,and they had 30 copies on the shelf(Tower apparently thought it was gonna be a blockbuster!).I went back to Tower about 5 months later,and 24 or 25 of those 30 copies were still sitting on the shelf.(the dates were printed on the price tags,so I knew they were the same copies).I think Richard approached the solo album the right way by taking 4 of the best solo tracks,polishing them up,and including them on LOVELINES.LOVELINES has been a consistent seller over the years,and it gives people a "taste" of the solo album,and that's all they really need.I don't think releasing the solo album on it's own in 1996 was a smart move,for the obvious fact that a major portion of it was already released on LOVELINES in 1989.(plus,2 more solo cuts were issued on FROM THE TOP in 1991).When the solo album finally came out,it wasn't really a "new" album.

 

[Harry]

I've always been in the minority when it comes to my music choices, so basically, I don't care whether or not my choice sold well to others. I'm happy that the solo album finally got released. Any excuse to hear Karen's voice is a good one.

No, I don't play the solo album very often, nor do I listen to the extra tracks that floated around the Internet all that much, but I do treasure them all the same.

The solo Karen Carpenter album had its flaws - I freely admit it, and agree with the decision that it not be released back in 1980. From a business standpoint, it was the right decision, painful though it was. And it was also right, from a historical point of view, to finally release the whole album all those years later.

The other tracks...? Well let's just say I'm happy to have those as well.

Harry
...escaping jury duty and happy about that too, online...

 

[newvillefan]

Can I open up this discussion further by asking if anyone knows exactly HOW many copies Karen's solo album has sold to date?

I've read discussions in other sources before regarding sales of all of their albums, and those of us in the know seem to skirt around this issue completely. It's been released, reviewed, some love it, some hate it, can anyone cap this off by revealing the actual numbers?

For what it's worth, I bought 2, the second being my still sealed Japanese copy!!

Stephen

 

[350hunny]

From what I heard, [Karen Carpenter] sold a minimum of 100,000 copies here in Japan at the time of its release.
The number is not so bad considering the business scale in this country.
Of course it is a far cry from 3,000,000 copies for [22 hits of ].

This CD was out of print for a while but now it has been re-released over here.

If the remaining unreleased tracks were not so good as a whole new cd,
then it would be good to have them on a rarity mini box-set.

I do not expect Carpenters or Karen or Richard respectively to have a hit on the charts after all these years but I do hope to hear any kind of recording that they have done so far as far as I'm concerned as a fan.

 

[Jeff]

Well stated Harry! My sentiments exactly! I have 4 copies of the solo effort and three remain factory sealed. Excessive? Yes. However, Thanx to a few other K-fans here in the Pacific NW, Our Tower is clean-out of KAREN CARPENTER. If nothing else...a novelty. Now if I could get my hands on a few more copies of the Mobile Fidelty Sound Lab Gold Disc of A SONG FOR YOU I'd really be happy. I've seen them auctioned at $150.00. Wish I would had the foresight to "stock-up" at the original release time.

Jeff

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

This topic seems to always come up & there are those that like the solo project & those that don't, each person has the right to their own decision about the project.

With that said, I think it is unfair to "rate" the Karen Carpenter Solo Album on poor sales or on bad material. Too much time passed between when she recorded it & when it was released. The music industry changed sooo much so did the music.

Look at alot of the Carpenters recent releases in the past 5-8 years after Karen has died. None of them have been huge sellers like albums before Karen died. Are any (recent) Carpenters releases getting any radio play?

We can't expect to think that Karen's solo album or Richard's solo album or any more future Carpenters albums (even As Time Goes By) Will gross sales like their original albums. After Karen died, so did the Magic. All we have left is left over tracks & unreleased recordings. Anyone who really is head over heels with Karen's voice (like me) will take whatever songs Karen has "ever" recorded, doesn't matter to me whether they are "hit" wonders. I think some of the fans just expected her solo material to be hits like "Superstar" & "Rainy Days" Karen was passed that time period in her life, she was looking for new material, times changed & Karen was trying to move on with her life.

So I thank Richard for finally releasing the solo album & yes I want more of it, so I reach for my unreleased solo tracks to fulfill my need.

 

[kennyv]

Well stated Chris!! As Karen had sung it "There is two sides to every situation yes there's two sides, two interpretations....Well, there's two sides, there's another side of me...." that we'd always treasure.

 

[mr J.]

As far as I know,Karen's solo album has sold less than 100,000 copies to date.The solo album,released in 1996,was dropped down to mid-line(price) in 1998.That automatically means that even in it's first two years of release,it was only selling a minimal amount of copies.LOVELINES,on the other hand,is still selling at full price,14 years after it's release.As long as an album is selling consistently,record labels keep them at full price,But,when an album's sales start to slow down,the record label drops the price.Incidentally,I have to disagree with Chris about his statement "When Karen died,so did the magic!"To the contrary,VOICE OF THE HEART and OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS were both certified Gold albums,with VOICE OF THE HEART selling almost a million copies.LOVELINES is currently one of the best sellers in the Carpenters catalog.The posthumous albums were just as successful as the 70's albums.the main distinction is that people bought the posthumous albums because they were good albums,not because they had 4 or 5 hit singles on them.The fact is,if it wasn't for the hit singles,albums like A SONG FOR YOU,NOW AND THEN,and A KIND OF HUSH wouldn't have sold as many copies as they did.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I am definitely no expert on The Carpenters, but I rather like Karen's solo album and bought one as soon as it was released. No, it wasn't your typical Karen Carpenter album, but it was a step in the evolution of Karen as a soloist. In other words, I appreciate Karen's courage in breaking out on her own. Had she lived, I believe she would have been one of the greatest (if not already) soloists of our time.

Jon

...saluting Karen's strength and courage, online...

 

[350hunny]

If their magic died, then we might as well be dead!

Richard says 'their music is timeless' and if Karen Carpenter is as good as theirs and timeless, then it will stand the test of time.

Richard calls their unreleased material outtakes and some of the fans in Japan have started calling it so and deciding they are below par.

For him to call his own creation outtakes seems to me a sign of modesty
while for others to have them labelled as outtakes sounds like another pair of shoes.

It's not too late to decide how great Karen's solo efforts after you listen to the remaining unreleased selections.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Chris said "After Karen died, so did the Magic"

Guess I should have explained myself better there

Of course her magic will always be there so will the magic with the carpenters sound, just meant that after Karen died...there would be no more music by her & hence the carpenters sound would never be making records like they use to do.

The magic that Karen left us in her solo sessions tracks gave us a peak into what might have been down the road. But after she passed away, she would no longer be able to give "US" that magic in future material.

I also feel that if you listen closely alot of her unreleased tracks from the NY solo sessions sound alot like Olivia Newton-John's style.

Now I'm sad after posting that.

Now Playing, Midnight (Unreleased Track), online....

 

[Rick]

I feel that as time goes by Karen's solo recordings will hold up to the test of time. "Making Love In The Afternoon" will still be enjoyable to listen to 20 years down the road as with "Guess I Just Lost My Head".

The solo album may not have sold much initially, but I have noticed many of the larger chains still sell the disc. I think with time it will probably be certified U.S. gold. There have been several albums by other artists that were not on the charts but were certified gold.

In listening to the unreleased tracks, I feel some of these songs are better than what was released. "Something's Missing" and "Don't Try To Win Me Back Again" would have been better choices than "Still Crazy After All These Years" and "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind".

Maybe I'm biased and I hope not to offend anyone, but I just can't compare Karen to Olivia Newton-John. Although Olivia is good, Karen's voice has so much more depth and quality to it.

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

I have thought why "Something's Missing" was not released, too. I love this song.

Does anybody tell me the lyrics of "Something's Missing"?
What did Karen sing between " 5:52am, I'm awake (And) thinking about my life" and "I can see I won't sleep a wink tonight"? '5..degree?', '5:53?' or somethng else?

This song was written by Jay Asher and Paul Jabara. I have not known that Paul wrote "Last Dance" for Donna Summer and "The Main Event / Fight" for Barbra Streisand.

Sakura

 

[Murray]

Does anybody tell me the lyrics of "Something's Missing"?
What did Karen sing between " 5:52am, I'm awake (And) thinking about my life" and "I can see I won't sleep a wink tonight"? '5..degree?', '5:53?' or somethng else?

She sings "5:53".


Murray

 

[Rick]

You can find the complete lyrics to "Something's Missing" and the other unreleased tracks through this link
http://amazingforums.com/forum1/CARPONLINE/17.html

The lyrics are in both English and Spanish.

 

[Murray]

You can find the complete lyrics to "Something's Missing" and the other unreleased tracks through this link
http://amazingforums.com/forum1/CARPONLINE/17.html

Just checked out the above link, and there's an error in the lyrics of "Love Making Love To You". It's listed as:

"And there's the lightening and thunder
Any set of wonders
Party on with what you've got"

The lyric is actually:

"'Cause there's no lightening or thunder
Any seven wonder
Mightier than what you've got"

"seven wonder" is a reference to the "seven wonders of the world".

BTW, this song was recorded as a duet by Cher and Greg Allman. Has anyone ever heard their recording? How does it compare to KC's?

Murray
...wondering what Agnes thought when she heard her daughter sing this song...

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Thank you, Murray!
I am not good at English, so I felt that I heard something different from 53.
Does your comment on Karen's mother mean something about religion?

Thank you, Rick!
I have not been to your website lately. I enjoy your site. I saw Karen and Richard's large photo in Grease for the first time. We can see Grease photo both on your website and Murray's website.

I have read the lyrics of solo tracs on other websites before. But Spanish is new to me. I'm sorry but I cannot understand Spanish. I only hear "Canta" on "from the top".

I cannot hear Karen talking on the clip on Maurray's website clearly. Did Karen and Richard sing "Sing" in Chinese or with Chinese children? And what language or what country(?) did Richard mention ( New York ) after Chinese on the clip "Don't Be Afraid - Sing" on Dutch TV?

Sakura

 

[Rick]

Hello to all. there were far too many problems with my old new message board. so I had to replace it. Here is a new link to view the message with the Lyrics to the unreleased tracks.

http://carponline.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=karlc&action=display&num=1059246077&start=0