Where did the Carpenters get their music budget?

[BenKlesc]

I have always found it really astonishing how well put together their debut album was. Fully orchestrated.

My question would have to be... where did Richard get the budget to hire the best in the business. From Joe Osborn, Hal Blaine, Jack Daugherty (plus their live act)

Even their earlier recordings were so well polished. Was it their connection through Herb Alpert?

 

[BenKlesc]

Ticket To Ride is a perfect example. That couldn't have been cheap to produce. Beautifully orchestrated and produced. I have always wondered how that would have worked back in the day. Did the studio (A&M) front the costs?

 

[1969]

There are others here who are better qualified to answer, but I think that's the whole point of getting a recording contract with a major label (in their case, A&M). That was Karen and Richard's ultimate goal when they were still students. Get a recording contract to have the use of a studio with all the equipment to make records.

 

[BenKlesc]

There are others here who are better qualified to answer, but I think that's the whole point of getting a recording contract with a major label (in their case, A&M). That was Karen and Richard's ultimate goal when they were still students. Get a recording contract to have the use of a studio with all the equipment to make records.

Might I also add... the best songwriters. Burt Bacharach writing for them. They must have had a very decent advance for new artists. I can think of other bands such as the Zombies over in Britain, who used the mellotron because they couldn't afford to hire orchestras for their music. Carpenters have always been way above most other bands from that era in terms of production and quality of their music. Whatever it was, I'm so glad they made it big.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

1969's right. The record label pays for the costs of producing and promoting records. That's why they exist. A&M also had studios so that made things even more streamlined in this case.

Ed

 

[Another Son]

Might I also add... the best songwriters. Burt Bacharach writing for them. They must have had a very decent advance for new artists. I can think of other bands such as the Zombies over in Britain, who used the mellotron because they couldn't afford to hire orchestras for their music. Carpenters have always been way above most other bands from that era in terms of production and quality of their music. Whatever it was, I'm so glad they made it big.

Good question about the budget, BenKlesc.

The Zombies! Now there’s a great band! Amazing vocals from Colin Blunstone! Imaginative writing from Rod Argent and Chris White!

With all respect, Burt Bacharach didn’t actually write for Carpenters. They / Herb Alpert chose an old, previously unsuccessful song in the case of ‘Close to You’ and they showcased old / recent hits in the case of ‘Bacharach / David Medley’ and the other Bacharach/ Hal David and Bacharach/ Mack David etc. songs they recorded.

I’m not sure in the case of Carpenters/ A&M but what was usually happening by the 70s was that the record company was initially covering the cost of studio, production, musicians, orchestras, promotion, etc. but then the actual artists had to pay them back from their profits, including costs of their concert tours. Therefore, ultimately, the artists usually footed the bill. At least, that’s my understanding…. but, as you’re suggesting, where would the money come from before Karen and Richard made huge profits? (I know you mentioned ‘advance’ - I missed that when I first read your post).

Their case might have been different. I don’t really know.

 

[Sing]

It's similar to how Elton John's self-titled 1970 album had orchestral arrangements. Sometimes a record company will advance real money into a project if they think there is hit potential there.

 

[ars nova]

from what i've read, carpenters brought tracks from joe osborne's recording studio, into the OFFERING sessions. works was done to the tracks, but they were legitimate, professional quality tracks.

i believe a&m advanced either 50k or 100k for the project; this would have been recouped through album sales. mr alpert has stated that somr staffers wanted him to " cut carpenters loose ". he believed in what he heared and recouped the original investment a bazillion times over.

 

[A&M Retro]

Ars Nova is correct. Richard has stated in previous interviews that the overall cost for 'Offering' was $50,000. He said that A&M gave he and Karen carte blanche and that Herb and Jerry let them do their thing with the orchestras, etc.

$50,000 wasn't cheap by 1969 standards.

 

[tomswift2002]

$50,000 in 1969 is equivalent to about $405,000 today.

Compare that to Karen’s solo album that cost $500,000 a decade later (A&M put up $100,000 in 1979, and Karen paid $400,000 herself). A&M’s $100,000 was about $409,000 in today’s money, and Karen’s $400,000 was about $1.7 million today. So Karen’s solo album cost about $2.1 million in today’s funds, or over 5x the cost of “Offering”.

 

[BenKlesc]

$50,000 in 1969 is equivalent to about $405,000 today.

Compare that to Karen’s solo album that cost $500,000 a decade later (A&M put up $100,000 in 1979, and Karen paid $400,000 herself). A&M’s $100,000 was about $409,000 in today’s money, and Karen’s $400,000 was about $1.7 million today. So Karen’s solo album cost about $2.1 million in today’s funds, or over 5x the cost of “Offering”.

That's incredible. With that being said... even for artists back then that is a huge budget for a debut album. Especially for a smaller label like A&M. Herb must have really believed in their talents. It sounds like he let them have the floor. You wouldn't even get close to that advance from a label today.

... All before synths and computers. Everything you heard had to be recorded live. I find that even more incredible.

To put that into perspective. The Beatles perhaps most famous album Pepper, that took 2 years to produce, cost $75,000 in 1967. This was an unheard duo at the time that was getting close to a Beatles budget to produce a debut album before they even had one radio hit.

 

[A&M Retro]

$50,000 in 1969 is equivalent to about $405,000 today.

Compare that to Karen’s solo album that cost $500,000 a decade later (A&M put up $100,000 in 1979, and Karen paid $400,000 herself). A&M’s $100,000 was about $409,000 in today’s money, and Karen’s $400,000 was about $1.7 million today. So Karen’s solo album cost about $2.1 million in today’s funds, or over 5x the cost of “Offering'.

And it was STILL shelved! Boggles the mind in every way.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Richard said that when they signed their A&M contract, Herb said "Let's hope we have some hits!"

Herb related how most people at A&M said they should "cut these kids loose" after their first album flopped, but Herb felt they deserved another shot. Then they started having big hits and as he put it, "Soon as they got a hit, everyone thought I was a genius."