26 replies to this topic

[Kacfan]

Hi Sakura, you are absolutely right.

In 1996, not long after Karen's solo album was finally released, Yuka Ogura author of the Mook) conducted an interview with Richard Carpenter discussing the unreleased carpenters recordings listed in the A&M recording studio library (you can find this list on google by typing in "Carpenters FAQ: buried treasure article"). Richard explained that most of these tracks don't have Karen's vocals on them, so they were instrumentals or had leads by Richard or a guest star of their TV shows. When discussing the unreleased tracks of the solo album, Richard says that there are 4 or 5 left which could possibly be released one day. And without mentioning the title of the song, Richard said the following:

"and there's one that's quite
Carpenter-esque that I already... that I would love to do the
arrangement on
it. All it is now is a track and a work lead, but it's really
Carpenter-esque. That may be one reason that it's not on the album, cause
it's too Carpenter-esque. I want to do the chart on it, if they'll let me,
and I think it would be kind of nice to... for Karen... Karen, you know,
would love to have me do the chart on it, and it is right out of our song
book, if you will, "

(Yuka really doesn't like if people abuse her transcribed interview. But I am taking the liberty to assume in that this one excerpt used in this context on a fan's only forum is ok)

I only realised the existence of Karen's something's missing this year, and immediately it became my favourite song sang by her ever. So this topic is very close to my heart, and though I normally only read, this time I felt the need to write. It seems clear to me that this is the song that Richard is refering to. So I am desparately hoping for its release one day, strings added by Richard.

Reading through the interview, Richard also made it sound like that the release of the following (All with Karen's work leads) are possible one day: All my life, won't you play a simple melody, try and win a friend, I believe in you, why don't they understand. And Karen sang on a few other tracks: All good things don't have to end, Magic the in Music, come and be kind, Peter Pan moon, better world, don't leave me. But it doesn't sound like Richard would ever release these ones - he thinks they are simply not up to their standard or are so incomplete that he can't finish them.

Hope this helps.

[Sakura]

I find it hard to fathom that the writer of a song didn't know the FAMOUS KAREN CARPENTER had recorded his song.
Wouldn't he have gotten some royalty $$ after the CD was released in 1996 ?

What are you talking about? Unreleased songs don't pay royality. You just heard without paying.

I wish Barry Manilow's "Something's Missing" will pay royality.


Didn't Russell Javors know that Karen recorded unreleased songs?

Sakura

[Sakura]

Hi Sakura, you are absolutely right.

In 1996, not long after Karen's solo album was finally released, Yuka Ogura author of the Mook) conducted an interview with Richard Carpenter discussing the unreleased carpenters recordings listed in the A&M recording studio library (you can find this list on google by typing in "Carpenters FAQ: buried treasure article"). Richard explained that most of these tracks don't have Karen's vocals on them, so they were instrumentals or had leads by Richard or a guest star of their TV shows. When discussing the unreleased tracks of the solo album, Richard says that there are 4 or 5 left which could possibly be released one day. And without mentioning the title of the song, Richard said the following:

"and there's one that's quite
Carpenter-esque that I already... that I would love to do the
arrangement on
it. All it is now is a track and a work lead, but it's really
Carpenter-esque. That may be one reason that it's not on the album, cause
it's too Carpenter-esque. I want to do the chart on it, if they'll let me,
and I think it would be kind of nice to... for Karen... Karen, you know,
would love to have me do the chart on it, and it is right out of our song
book, if you will, "

(Yuka really doesn't like if people abuse her transcribed interview. But I am taking the liberty to assume in that this one excerpt used in this context on a fan's only forum is ok)

I only realised the existence of Karen's something's missing this year, and immediately it became my favourite song sang by her ever. So this topic is very close to my heart, and though I normally only read, this time I felt the need to write. It seems clear to me that this is the song that Richard is refering to. So I am desparately hoping for its release one day, strings added by Richard.

Reading through the interview, Richard also made it sound like that the release of the following (All with Karen's work leads) are possible one day: All my life, won't you play a simple melody, try and win a friend, I believe in you, why don't they understand. And Karen sang on a few other tracks: All good things don't have to end, Magic the in Music, come and be kind, Peter Pan moon, better world, don't leave me. But it doesn't sound like Richard would ever release these ones - he thinks they are simply not up to their standard or are so incomplete that he can't finish them.

Hope this helps.

Hi Kacfan Welcome to the forum!! And Thank you very much for the information.
That's the interview. When you see the mook next time, look at Page 80. There is <Something's Missing> under the list of outtakes.

"and there's one that's quite
Carpenter-esque that I already... that I would love to do the
arrangement on
it. All it is now is a track and a work lead<Something's Missing>, but it's really
Carpenter-esque. That may be one reason that it's not on the album, cause
it's too Carpenter-esque. I want to do the chart on it, if they'll let me,
and I think it would be kind of nice to... for Karen... Karen, you know,
would love to have me do the chart on it, and it is right out of our song
book, if you will, "

"Why Don't They Understand" is a song that we have known since middle of '70s with "Sailing on the Tide". Complete vocal.

Sakura

[Kacfan]

Hi Sakura, has anyone heard "why don't they understand"?

[Sakura]

Hi Sakura, has anyone heard "why don't they understand"?

Sorry I made you confused. Only the title of the song. Tony Peluso talked about this song, how many take they tried.

Sakura

[Kacfan]

Sorry I made you confused. Only the title of the song. Tony Peluso talked about this song, how many take they tried.

Sakura

Oh, now I remember reading Tony Peluso saying that somewhere. But I didn't remember the name of the song. Thanks!

[Sakura]

Oh, now I remember reading Tony Peluso saying that somewhere. But I didn't remember the name of the song. Thanks!

You are welcome.

You may already have heard. Here are samples of this song by Geroge Hamilton whom Richard mentioned, and Petula Clark.
http://wm05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=17:1719729

[Kacfan]

I just realised that my comments about "won't you play a simple melody" having a karen work lead is wrong. I just went back to read the Yuka interview - this song only contains two lines, one line sang by Karen and Agnes, and the other sang by Richard and Herald. Richard sounded quite comfortable about releasing this one day in a boxset or if some other opportunity for its release presents itself. I am hoping that Richard will release this as well as Karen singing the schubert Ave Maria in his Christmas Album, whenever that comes out!

[Sakura]

I'd really love to listen to Schubert's "Ave Maria" and "....Simple Melody".

But in box set or anniversary edition, not in Richard's album.

Sakura

[JayLumbee]

What are you talking about? Unreleased songs don't pay royality. You just heard without paying.

I wish Barry Manilow's "Something's Missing" will pay royality.

Sakura

I said AFTER it's release in '96, when it was RELEASED. The writer is entitled to song credits/royalties, Miss Sakura.

[betossantana]

I said AFTER it's release in '96, when it was RELEASED. The writer is entitled to song credits/royalties, Miss Sakura.

I think Sakura was pointing out that it was just NOT released!

[acshore86]

Personally, I while I do find "Something's Missing" to be quiet sentimental, it is nothing that would have made the album take off more. I like it just as much as "If I Had You." But the initial problem with any record is that too often it is so non-dimensional because creativity seems to lack in the final project. Karen's record almost suffered from that in the sense of if she had yet another ballad on there, the public wouldn't have gotten an overall fullness or variety. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is a great example... Many of his unreleased tracks from those sessions are phenomenal but wouldn't work with the direction the album finally went in. When I spoke with Russell Javors back in June, 2006, he told me only one track was finished, the other two close to completion was a song he wrote called "Truly You," and "Don't Try to Win Me Back Again." It is for sure that "I Love Makin' Love to You" was completed; however, the finishing touches were not applied, such as the bounce= reverb, acoustics... I, myself, acquired a copy directly from the masters; which I was lucky enough to get. It is extremely tough to add things to a song when you haven't the original tracks to do it with; you just have to wing it digitally. That's essentially what Richard did on the tracks he issued from Karen's solo sessions before he release the album as it stood when she first approved it. Ramone and Carpenter were running on empty when they turned in the project to A&M, since they had spent so much time procrastinating and changing their minds on certain songs. When they forked over the master to the board of staff in New York, Karen had basically approved the tapes where they would be presentable. However, they did not all have the necessary amount of 'umph' that was intended, so the album was mixed even more and played at Quincy Jones's home, but wasn't even up to par because certain tracks still needed more work. When Richard issued the "Lovelines" compilation back in 1989, he included four songs from Karen's solo endeavor. Two were remixed. Once was "Lovelines" which had been the one in most dire need of touch-ups; next to, "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind." Richard then included an alternate lead vocal take of "If I Had You" and remixed the song to drop out at the end, with much more acoustics and plug-ins that had been intended. His remix of this song was completely unnecessary. His remixes of "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind" and "Still Crazy After All These Years" also helped give the songs more of a boost. It sucks because since Ramone and Karen ran overtime and out of funds, they were not able to put finishing touches to make the piece sound better. I do feel had they not lagged in time, it would have been released; despite Richard and his condescending opinions.

Edited by acshore86, 06 March 2008 - 11:49 PM.