Your favorite OUTTAKE from Karen's Solo sessions?

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All good points. There are two sides to every story, but all indications lead to the fact that Richard was threatened (big time) by the whole IDEA of a solo album. He's openly admitted the idea of Karen going Top 5 with a solo hit would 'make me feel badly'. Knowing what we know now, the album was doomed BEFORE that L.A. playback session. They reacted out of fear and uncertainty, and Herb and Jerry supported Richard and 'Carpenters' as a unit. It would rock the A&M boat too severely to have a 'new' Karen out there.

There's no way they could sit there hating every moment of the album. That's insane. It's not a perfect album, but it's damned good. It was far more contemporary and hip than any of the stuff Richard produced a year later for MIA.
 
Well said, everyone. I don't believe that the main reasons it was not supported was because they were trying to save her from disappointment or that they were worried about sales. It was that they couldn't accept her in a different role and image, apart from the Carpenters.
 
I wonder if this topic will be discussed in the upcoming interview with Richard tomorrow? Karen was still in poor condition during the solo sessions and even if her project was accepted I wonder if she could have sustained the press and travel to promote the album. What's interesting is that although she wasn't well when MMM aired months later she still looked somewhat ok and even later still when her wedding came about she looks I think even better, the photos and video we have of her wedding and news press video she looks pretty good, so that tells you when she felt happy she started looking better. (she could change within months it seemed) If her album had got the green light...she might have started getting healthier and her marriage may not have occured so soon...and we may have had her longer than Feb 83.

All speculation but still it makes you wonder had things gone differently regarding her solo album's release.
 
If memory serves correctly, and I'll have to double-check dates in the "A&M 25th Anniversary Book" , there was some kind of financial
hardship at the record company during this period 1979-80, where Alpert and Moss had to get Credit from a Financial Institution.
Unfortunately, that may have played into the decision to not release the solo album, as well.
 
Here is a (supposed) direct quote from Herb Alpert in regards to 1979: "At that particular time in history for A&M, we were sinking."
 
Something's Missing. I love this song so much I recently went to an online LP store and bought a brand new copy of the vinyl album Keeping Time (Keeping Time remains unreleased on CD) by the composer, Paul Jabara (co-written with Jay Asher).

Love this song to death and I feel that with some post production work, it can be released.
Couple of years ago I was happy to find a 45 of Marcia Hines' hit version of this song, although I'm more partial to Karen's more intimate yet funky version. Just can't help it

Some post production would be nice indeed I think; luscious string section, sultry saxophone, maybe some backing vocals here and there, perhaps even add a soft flute or two... think I can almost hear it :phones:
 
If they album had been released I think Karen might be alive today. Even if it didn't do as well as she'd hoped, it was her artistic statement to the world and announcing herself as a growing, independent artist. Besides, millions loved her and I'm sure they would have loved the album. Had it been released she wouldn't have met that a*shole Burris, been focusing on promoting the album and building up her self-esteem. A breath of fresh air and new found confidence that she made something on her own just may have helped her beat her illness.

Richard and the gang know it's all true and have to live with it.
 
I prefer many of the tunes on her solo LP to those on MIA.
That being said, I prefer Richard's remixes to those of Phil Ramone.
Richard brought Karen's vocals to the front of the mix, I thought.
If he could arrange/produce/finish Something's Missing, I believe the outcome would be awesome.
I have really been a student of Richard's arrangements for as long as I can remember.
 
"Something's Missing" for me. Her voice is lower than some other tracks which sounds great. And what is it about KC singing about being awake in the wee small hours that is so damn affecting, whether it be 4am, or 5.52am.

Personally, I feel KC should have taken '79 as a year of therapy. . .as Richard suggested. I like the album, and am sure its production was a therapy in itself, but I often think if she'd done what she did in '82 3 years earlier, then maybe she would have caught herself in time.

Just to play devil's advocate for Richard, and though I do think he should have supported her in its release, let's reverse the roles a moment.

Let's say Karen had checked into an anorectic facility in '79 and was at her lowest ebb (as was Richard). How would we view Richard if he had come to see her 2 weeks into the program(as Karen did) and told her he was going to work on a new album without her (not likely, I realize). Probably not too favourably. So perhaps he felt she wasn't supporting him, so a year later he wasn't overly keen to support her. Don't get me wrong. . . if we have to take "sides" I'm with Karen all the way, but it's not quite as black and white as some people see it.

Off topic now, but personally I see both Karen and Richard as the victims. . .the more I learn, the more I think the 2 of them turned to each other to seek shelter from the Mother. Yes the solo sessions may have put a temporary strain on their relationship, but these 2 were basically 2 hearts beating as one. . .best pals and VERY complex people. I think deep down only Karen understood him, and Richard understood her . . . .for better or for worse.
 
oh, and check out the above remix of "It's Really You". LOVE this remix.

I didn't really like that version, however, what it does show is how much more mileage there is in Karen's recordings.

I'm sure Richard has his reasons for just re-re-re-releasing 'Close To You' etc as part of an anniversary boxed-set of CDs, but so much more is possible.

As I said earlier in the thread, I really love "Something's Missing" from the solo sessions. How that was never seen as a potential massive hit I'll just never know.
 
"Something's Missing" for me. Her voice is lower than some other tracks which sounds great. And what is it about KC singing about being awake in the wee small hours that is so damn affecting, whether it be 4am, or 5.52am.

Personally, I feel KC should have taken '79 as a year of therapy. . .as Richard suggested. I like the album, and am sure its production was a therapy in itself, but I often think if she'd done what she did in '82 3 years earlier, then maybe she would have caught herself in time.

Just to play devil's advocate for Richard, and though I do think he should have supported her in its release, let's reverse the roles a moment.

Let's say Karen had checked into an anorectic facility in '79 and was at her lowest ebb (as was Richard). How would we view Richard if he had come to see her 2 weeks into the program(as Karen did) and told her he was going to work on a new album without her (not likely, I realize). Probably not too favourably. So perhaps he felt she wasn't supporting him, so a year later he wasn't overly keen to support her. Don't get me wrong. . . if we have to take "sides" I'm with Karen all the way, but it's not quite as black and white as some people see it.

Off topic now, but personally I see both Karen and Richard as the victims. . .the more I learn, the more I think the 2 of them turned to each other to seek shelter from the Mother. Yes the solo sessions may have put a temporary strain on their relationship, but these 2 were basically 2 hearts beating as one. . .best pals and VERY complex people. I think deep down only Karen understood him, and Richard understood her . . . .for better or for worse.
Your reversal of roles scenario is interesting. I'd guess deep down, though, Richard probably knew he would recover from his addiction but wasn't so sure Karen would survive hers. If that's true, regardless of the pain, I would think he'd bless that and wonder if it would give her the confidence and support she needed.
 
"Your reversal of roles scenario is interesting. I'd guess deep down, though, Richard probably knew he would recover from his addiction but wasn't so sure Karen would survive hers. If that's true, regardless of the pain, I would think he'd bless that and wonder if it would give her the confidence and support she needed."

I agree, Mstaft (sorry I don't your name). I was just introducing that little element of a grey area, you know.
 
Sorry to bring this old thread back, but I have to…being a lover of Karen's solo album and all. :angel:

I have all of the unreleased tracks grouped with the released album on my iPod so that when I listen, I hear it all. There are several of the unreleased tracks that I adore, so I get to hear it as an entire work. I have to say my least fav is "Jimmy Mack"…sorry Karen. As for my favs they are (in no certain order):

"It's Really You, It's Really Me" (I would've considered this as the first dance my husband and I danced to at our wedding had I had the track then. We're blessed; have a very sweet, romantic story of true love).
"Don't Try To Win Me Back Again" (the bass groove in this song is awesome :guitar: and I also love the background vocals. Karen sang on top of the microphone this is no secret. On a song like this where she let's loose, it's quite impressive. :D)

"Keep My Love Light Burnin'" (I like dancing to it)

"Something's Missing" (Heartbreakingly autobiographical :sad:)

"Love Makin' Love To You" (I live Stephen feel like this could've been a hit single. I LOVE this song…background vocals are awesome. And if this was one of the songs she came back to Cali and played for everyone, I would've paid a mint to be a fly on the wall to see the look on Agnes' face…:biglaugh:That was bad and I can't help it. :evil:).


I do love this album and the main reason I was compelled to respond is because last night, I took upon the chore of a deep vacuuming and mopping project of our entire downstairs which can take quite a long time with all tile and hardwood. I cued this album up, put my earbuds in (with unreleased tracks included mind you) and by the time it reached "Love Makin' Love To You", I was dancing around oblivious to the world around me. Little did I know, my almost five year old was dancing (behind me) :laugh: and my husband was standing there like :help:. It was hilarious. :nyah:
 
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