Karen Carpenter was no angel. She may have had a heavenly voice, but like the rest of us, she also had times of being insensitive and self-focused. Karen was never the diva, but she was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted even if she may have had difficulty getting it.
Top: The originally planned solo album cover.
Directly above: The eventual release cover in 1996.
Picture this: It's the end of January 1979. While Richard sequestered in Kansas only two weeks into a six week program to treat his drug addiction, Karen drops a bombshell: She's doing a solo project, and she wants his blessing. Not exactly the best time to share the news with her desperate and broken brother. At a minimum by any account, doing what she did when she did it was a major relational faux pas.
Imagine being Richard Carpenter at his lowest, hearing your business and creative partner- your sister- essentially say she wanted a break from your collaboration to do her own thing. Think of the deep wound, the confusion, the anger, and even the sense of betrayal. You chose those songs. You crafted that killer arrangement of the forgotten Bacharach tune that jump started your career together. You produced those great albums and that string of successful singles year after year that made her incredible voice a beloved worldwide presence.
Karen's take on the discussion was simple but direct. In her journal she wrote one phrase about the January 24th meeting with her brother:
"Confrontation about album."
What defines a legacy? Today, Carpenters fans acknowledge (and most music critics finally but hesitantly accept) the duo's lasting impact on popular music. Enthusiasts of the siblings are solidly unified on a handful of core aspects - Karen's uniquely incredible voice, Richard's pure musical genius, and the astounding quality of their earliest hit albums and long list of chart topping gold singles. Yet, when it comes to discussing Karen's solo album, it is clearly a house divided.
It is over 50 years since signing a contract to A&M Records and the duo's eventual musical debut with the single release of Ticket to Ride in 1969. Look backward but fast forward a decade. Karen and Richard are now best-selling international superstars, albeit in a bit of a slump creatively. Sales are not good, and radio play is significantly decreased. In their own minds, the brother and sister are still young adults with much of life ahead and lots to accomplish in their musical career. They are not about to give up. It just wasn't in either of them to do so.
Karen makes a bold decision to record without Richard, and initially the A&M executives back her.
For all of the Carpenters success and enduring legacy, the events surrounding the shelving of Karen's solo album at the conclusion of its recording has to be the most contentious aspect of their career. For over 40 years as of this article's publication date, hardcore fans have been absolutely, resolutely, surprisingly divided, and very, very vocal when it comes to the quality of and issues surrounding Karen's solo project. Just ask any of them about it- but expect an earful.
The ongoing debate reflects Karen's sheer star power and the lasting impact her never again to be duplicated voice had on contemporary popular music.
Sent by a new friend.
I intentionally chose to publish this piece on this day, certainly a date in their career that brought deep grief to every hardcore fan of Karen. Her tragic death on this day years ago broke many hearts, but it also solidified the duo's place in music history. With each new project Richard curates, the siblings continue to gain new fans year after year as her voice and those iconic recordings are discovered. Such is my hope for this piece.
As I continue on with this Carpenters Revisited / Fresh Look series, this is one of my most heavily researched and biggest deep dives of all, but it is not meant to be a treatise. Instead, this was a labor of love in the truest sense. As I dug in, it also became a labor to satisfy my own curiosity. Unfortunately, now I'm more inquisitive than ever about the solo album and what truly transpired with every person involved. What role did they play? How did this impact the songs? What was the creative process? The questions are endless. But maybe the aspect I'm most curious about is what each of the siblings really felt about the whole issue and how it affected their relationship.
If it seems out of place in their album timeline for me to review it, remember it makes perfect sense to consider Karen's solo creation as an important piece in the chronology of their lives and career. It also has its place as part of my story, my history, my growth as a man. We were all in a period of transition and in reinventing ourselves. Each of us had to move on from our past in order to go forward with hope for our future.
Although the full solo project wasn't released to the public until 1996, just about everything surrounding it had a major impact on the duo's music and the choices that came afterward. Again, I'm promising no answers here, but I am asking many more questions.
Wouldn't we all love to know what she was thinking.
Rehabilitation was hard enough, but Karen's decision to record without him hit Richard even harder. How could it not? After hearing her words and all that pain comes the inevitable questions: How could she do this to me now? What will happen to my career if she succeeds? What are her intentions? Will the duo survive? Is she leaving me behind? Then other questions crowd the mind- Where is A&M in this? What is Herb thinking? Do they think the duo is over? Do they still believe in me? Do they even care? Is this the thanks you get? You were the one who brought millions of dollars into A&M bank accounts by how you showcased that beloved voice. If you are Richard, you know all too well that Karen is the star of the duo in the public's mind. It's her voice that sells those albums. Deep down, you know your contribution in creating it all, but you also know you have no real say so in her decision to record without you.
What would happen to the duo?
With all the questions going on in the minds of Richard, his family, and of course, the A&M executives, Karen's motives would finally be made very clear in 1996 when the it was released posthumously. The album's liner notes: "Dedicated to my brother Richard with all my heart."
Outside the public eye, each sibling doing what was right in their own eyes.
This television show was the worst of the lot.
While there was no doubt Karen showed great insensitivity bringing up her solo album while Richard was in treatment, he also returned the favor a couple of years later. How did he do that? By asking Karen to rerecord her solo selection Make Believe Its Your First Time for the duo's comeback album. Imagine being Karen Carpenter, having given it your all to recharge the duo's career. You even invested $400K of your own money to make it happen, knowing it would help both of you. Then you realize Richard- your brother- had directly, indirectly, or even via silence, contributed to your beloved project being shelved. Think of the deep wound, the confusion, the anger, even the sense of betrayal. You were the voice that made the music famous. You were the one the fans loved. You were the one who could present a new image and sound, and by doing so, give some new chart life to the duo. Although it was quite brave a move, the Passage album had proven Richard's more adventurous production choices were not enough to respark the public interest or that of radio programmers. Now, you took a shot at it to save what you both worked so hard for. This is the thanks you get?
The decision to shelve her album hit Karen hard. How could it not? After all that pain comes the inevitable questions: Don't they trust me? Don't they respect what I've brought to the label? Am I just the girl singer and nothing more to them? Can't the A&M executives see I'm not a 19 year old girl anymore? Why can't Richard see me as an adult who needs to stretch and grow? I stood by him through each project, so why couldn't he have supported me now? What do I do now? Is it just back to business as usual? What will happen to our career?
Major recording artists were the only ones to get the well respected and very successful Phil Ramone to produce their album or work on their pet projects. At the time, he was best known for his producing work with Paul Simon and Billy Joel, but Phil's success was legendary.
At the time of his death, the long list of artists Phil worked with reads like a Who's Who of the recording industry: Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach, Chicago, Kenny Loggins, and more. All these superstars signed on and to great result. Karen Carpenter had the star power to nab him and did. Yet her's was the only album Phil ever produced that was rejected, never seeing the light of day at the time of completion.
Just a few months after Karen's passion project was unceremoniously dumped, Richard wants to recut Make Believe It's Your First Time during the duo's latest recording sessions and give it the Carpenters treatment. Ouch. This relational faux pas had to bring up a lot of intense feelings in both of them. Was Richard just wanting a great song? Was this his well intentioned concession to her? Was it a competition with Phil to prove he still had the musical chops? Was it just something else entirely? Fans will probably never know. Even if they knew the answers, Karen and Richard were fiercely protective of each other and their immediate family.
Deconstructing what once worked
for a chance to rebuild?
Relationally, it was very bad timing for words about working alone to come from Karen's mouth, but if we singularly examine only their career and not their lives beginning in 1979, it was the exact right time for this strategic and bold decision. The duo's success was lagging at best. In the States, their season of popularity was definitely over.
Make no mistake. The solo album was no vanity project. The survival of their career was at stake.
From Billboard on December 9, 1978.
The celebration didn't last for long.
The previous year, the first single from the duo's planned pop album, I Believe You, was dead on arrival. It charted lower than any other of their singles to date. That includes their debut Ticket to Ride as well as the more recent and deadly misfire, Goofus, in 1976. That is just how poorly regarded they were as current pop artists in their home country.
Musically, the duo proved they were extremely talented and could do justice to a variety of styles but this did not translate to radio play or healthy record sales. Creatively, they were stuck. Image wise, they were yesterday's news. Anything with Carpenters on the label would not get played on Top 40 radio. Period.
The Hush collection was beautiful, but its gentleness rocked the public to sleep, relegating their work to Easy Listening formats. Conversely, the daring Passage didn't exactly set the industry ablaze. Stalling mid-chart, the ambitious but strange Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft was popular in different parts of the world as a one-off. It was clear radio was effectively done with the duo. The next album, the very beautiful Christmas Portrait (link here) was incredible but would be reserved for seasonal airplay. It barely dented on the Top 200 even if it went Gold. The failure of the new pop single was the final nail in the coffin.
What was selling was not what the duo was delivering. Not on vinyl and certainly not on radio or television. To repeat, the duo's public image did not help matters. Carpenters as an act were not quite as cold as the Kansas winter surrounding Richard during rehab, and their longevity was certainly on life support.
The fact was, like it or not, Karen's career instincts were spot-on.
These years were over.
In the music business, image is everything.
If there ever was the need for a Karen Carpenter solo album to salvage the duo's career, it was best expressed by singers Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.
In an interview with Billboard's Ed Harrison (September 8, 1979), Steve details the music industry prejudice. Since the duo couldn't get any airplay under their real names for their latest single Hallelujah, they retitled the record as being recorded by "Parker & Penny". (This wouldn't be the first time Billboard would report on struggles of Middle-of-the-Road artists like the Carpenters. The issue with the review of Please Mr. Postman - Nov. 23, 1974- has a headlining article with the title "MOR Artists Ailing But Not Deceased, Execs Say".)
Steve continues on, lumping the Carpenters in a list with older MOR artists: "The problem we face as recording artists, people like Perry Como, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., the Carpenters and others like ourselves, is that broadcasters have labeled all of us MOR artists... A good many Top 40 stations won't play our records. As soon as they come in, they (program directors) throw them in the can. They assume it's not their kind of material."
While Steve's grouping was made up of all very talented people, they were a generation older than Karen and Richard. These singers from another era and style are quite respected today, but I can just imagine when it was written, the siblings and the A&M executives sadly- well maybe not all of them - agreed Steve's comments rang of truth. Even if no one would outright admit it.
Chris Wright and Terry Ellis of the Chrysalis group.
When Billboard has a special "First Ten Years" tribute to you,
you've made it in the music industry.
December 9, 1978
For a couple of years, Karen and Richard had tried to tell the public quite bluntly they were no longer innocent, dewy-eyed teens.
In an interview with People Weekly published in the August 2, 1976 issue, Karen sums it all up: "The problem is we were growing professionally during the years most people were concentrating on being a person. That, has to change.” Going directly against the grain of the unblemished image that A&M marketing folks tried to protect did not increase album sales for A Kind of Hush or their next two albums, but the truth was finally made public.
The Christening of the Wright's baby.
Both siblings were ambitious and competitive, each very aware of what was happening in the world around them and in their chosen field. There was a wide chasm between I Believe You; the beautiful but overlooked as a single I Just Fall in Love Again, and Exile's very popular Kiss You All Over. For all Richard's efforts at finding (or recognizing) the next hit for the duo, success eluded them. Outside influence was needed, it would come from two of Karen's romances.
Photo shown in the same tribute issue.
Although dating was difficult as they seemed to be perpetually on the road or in the studio recording, Karen and Richard made some time for love. With wit, charm, and good humor, Karen had no problem finding eligible and high profile men to date. In her life, this would be a pro and later, a con. Nevertheless, Karen dated men in the music industry that knew their stuff; men of influence and success.
Karen and Terry in Mexico.
Some say he was the one that got away.
Richard may have been the creative force behind much of their music, but both siblings were intensely involved in their success. By this point in their career, Karen had amassed a great amount of business savvy, particularly after being in close personal relationships with powerfully accomplished music executives Mike Curb and Terry Ellis. It'd be foolish to think the couples did not discuss her career, the duo's image, and particularly Karen's long term aspirations and potential.
With Mike Curb back in 1974 or so.
Sometimes to win, something must first die. (As I'm writing this article's opening segment it is during Easter weekend, so the thought of the death of Jesus and His resurrection that came afterwards is on my mind. But think about it. His physical death was in fact a crucial part of the plan for his ultimate conquest over eternal death. He wasn't a victim but instead the victor. Something died -in this case someone- so something greater could be accomplished.) At this point in time, the duo's new manager Jerry Weintraub had not delivered a winning strategy. To be fair, the replacement for Sherwin Bash did get them off their grueling concert schedule, but at best Jerry had a fuzzy game plan for restoring their chart success. Someone had to accept the hard facts and take drastic measures. Instinctively, Karen knew she and Richard needed a fresh beginning. She knew she had to "kill off" the duo in order to revive it later. It's always painful to look forward and know the past has to be left behind in order to bring new life and vitality. But sometimes it just has to be done regardless of the cost.
Musicians strive for ongoing creative freedom and for popularity, but at its core, even the artist sensitive A&M Records had transformed into more of a music business out of necessity. With the hard sales numbers in hand and the state of radio firmly in mind, Karen knew something had to change. Fiercely determined to save she and Richard's career, Karen pulled out the most powerful weapon in her arsenal: Her world famous, beloved, multi-textured voice- a clear gift from God- with instant recognition from the very first note sung. Rich, warm, intimate, smooth, and at times quite sensuous.
Sex was selling, and with Karen also wanting to be seen differently in all spheres of her life, she was certain she'd have to play that card. In fact, she chose to play up that very aspect for her album. With song lyrics ranging from romantic to more than a bit sexual, Karen covered the various layers of adult relationships mostly focusing on their more carnal expression.
What's up, babe?
On a personal level, Karen and Richard were lost.
As hinted at earlier, they'd spent so many years touring and focusing on their career that neither of them were healthy or whole. The pursuit of perfection (in a quite imperfect world) was killing both of them and not so slowly. With concern for each other, words were spoken and tensions were high. The truth was, each had made bad choices they thought would free them or give a sense of control. Instead, Karen and Richard were now dealing with life threatening addictions.
Their dreams of a successful career were certainly realized, but at what expense? The things that truly mattered to Karen and Richard at the end were out of reach. Neither of the siblings were married, but they hoped one day this would happen, bringing some emotional balance and happiness to their stressful, pressure filled life. In desperation, with Richard now in treatment, things were at a boiling point. Little would Karen know she was near the end of her rope as well.
When my young wife left me for a woman, on Valentine's Day no less, the collateral damage was devastating and long lasting. The truth was I also needed an overhaul. Was my faith not working? Where was God? I knew He hadn't promised me an easy life in exchange for following Him, but this was ridiculous. How would I, how could I, bounce back from this devastating betrayal? I had to dig deep to figure out what to do. I could turn back and try to figure it all out myself or press on in my newfound faith and believe He still had a good plan for me. Could I trust Him? Better yet, could I trust anyone again?
With Karen perhaps beginning to consider some hard truths about own health and how she handled the stresses of fame, it was infinitely easier for her to concentrate on their career. Now after getting Richard's reluctant blessing to record her solo album, came a big question. What direction should she take?
In the medical world, when heroic measures are performed in a crisis, people will later debate what was chosen and evaluate its success. But for the sake of the injured, someone must take the lead, make the hard decisions, and take ownership. Things are no different in the music business or any other. Karen stepped up. It was her voice after all, and it belonged to no one else. As it turned out, her choices would be dissected and the end product's success debated for decades.
Some armchair quarterbacks looking at the past say Karen should have gone the route of recording the Great American Songbook. Certainly, she was born for the genre, but at not even 30 years old, there would be much more time for that in the future. Besides, that was "Richard territory". Karen had already proven she could conquer the era by recording the incredible "I Can Dream, Can't I?" for Horizon. Radio and music fans viewed Karen as past her prime and saw her as if she wasn't from their generation. The Carpenters image reinforced that for many reasons including who appeared on their mostly cringeworthy television specials.
When the duo's musical output was considered by the current trend makers, the result was just as bad. Their records were considered old, sappy, and tired. They were out of touch. The duo's music was even seen as depressing, and that might be a hard one to argue with. At a time when it appeared everyone just wanted to party, they certainly didn't want to do it to the music of the duo. Every one of these image perceptions needed to change if Karen was ever going to revitalize the Carpenters career.
Karen loved The Bee Gees but went a different direction for her solo debut.
With Olivia and the Bee Gees at Dodger Stadium in September 1979.
I do agree an album of standards would have suited Karen very well. Eventually, but not in 1979. Right move, but as in life, the right timing is important. Like most of you reading this, I have a very long list of those classic songs I wish she had recorded: I Wish You Love. Our Love is Here to Stay. Moonglow. It Had to Be You. Unforgettable. Too Young. Stardust. Night and Day and a hundred others. Oh, what a great series of albums it could have been, and it should have been... later.
Instead of digging into that bygone era, at this point in their career, I'd often thought Karen would have created an amazing album under the gentle tutelage of Barry Gibb. Yet in research for this article, I firmly changed my mind. I still believe that pairing would be great, but again, not for that specific season in their career. In 1979, the timing was off for Barry as the producer of her initial solo project. The choice would have been one hundred percent wrong.
This is where Karen's choice of her brand new sound- maybe even her gut instinct- was absolutely correct.
Brilliant artist and Carpenters fan Chris Tassin's work-
based on my faulty recollection of seeing the solo album jacket
in the office of an A&M executive in 1989.
The artist and another creation.
In a strategic move that went directly against the current onslaught of Bee Gees sounding productions, Karen deliberately chose to align herself with a very different sound instead of co-creating one of Barry Gibb's ubiquitous Miami flavored confections. This unexpected choice would put her at the front of a very popular sound that was about to make a huge splash on the charts. Forward thinking? Definitely. Just what could have been the thought process to bring her (and A&M) to the conclusion that this was a wiser move than tagging along with everyone else on the Bee Gees disco train?
Did Karen not want to be just one of many singers in Barry's growing portfolio? Was it just not a good match? Was her voice much too rich and deep compared to artists like Samantha Sang, Frankie Valli, Andy Gibb, and even the much loved Olivia Newton-John who had frothier, lighter, less substantial voices? Had the idea been suggested to A&M executives and discarded? Was Barry Gibb just too busy?
I'm thinking Karen and the label executives made a deliberate choice based upon something very different.
Olivia Newton-John had just performed "Rest Your Love on Me" with Andy Gibb in January of the new year for a UNICEF benefit. Maybe Karen didn't want to appear as copying her friend. Then again, perhaps Karen was following the industry very closely and speculated changes developing.
Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1978
The 1978 Billboard charts were showing hit after hit after (yet another) hit with that infamous Gibb Brother sound. Did Karen and her label sense public backlash would soon occur due to an oversaturated market? As a gifted songwriter and producer, Barry was very versatile, so there's no doubt there would be exceptions to his sound dying off completely.
If I'm counting correctly, nine out of Top 20 end of year records were associated with the Barry Gibb. Even the Rolling Stones hit "Miss You" had lead man Mick Jagger using his falsetto in a Bee Gees style. Disco was not dead yet. Donna Summer sat at #7 with four mega hits, tied with Debby Boone.
Setting aside a Gibb sound or collaboration, Karen went a different route, one that took vision to travel. Maybe- and know that I'm surely speculating here- something that was released in mid-September of 1978 caught her ear as well as another album that came out just a month later.
"Ease on Down the Road" indeed!
True to who he was but still bringing a new sound.
Whether Karen or Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss had heard them or not, these two albums above played an important role in the sound Karen chose for her disc. The A&M bosses at least knew of these discs, that is certain. It is a big part of their job to watch and see what is hot. Old friend and former A&M artist Quincy Jones' production on The Wiz, and especially Michael Jackson's cuts, had a strong danceable vibe with cool punchy rhythms.
The other album, Billy Joel's great 52nd Street, had some songs that were also differently flavored under that much grittier Rock and Roll exterior. Thanks to the brilliant work by producer Phil Ramone (who was sometimes referred to as the "East Coast Quincy Jones"), his new album stretched Billy's sound but didn't take it too far away from what made him successful.
Was one of Karen's new songs playing in the background?
With Karen's decision to record settled, Jerry Weintraub made the next move and contacted the A&M founders. Knowing all too well the duo needed a boost and the record company needed the cash, the label executives had warmed to the idea of a Karen Carpenter solo disc and gave their blessing to the project. You can bet their discussion of the whole issue included an in-depth analysis of who should the producer for A&M's most beloved and profitable female vocalist. This final decision was made with Karen's influence and approval. In the end, Herb Alpert sought out producer extraordinaire Phil Ramone to man the helm. This was a very promising beginning.
Ramone had his marching orders: Bring the hits by making the public see Karen in a new and attractive light. Whatever the two of them did, they knew it had to be different than what the duo had done in the past.
There was a career to save, an image to rebrand, a label that needed income, and a very profitable partnership to rebuild.
Hawaii is always a good thing.
How was I going to rebuild? I knew the same thing Karen did: I could not live life the old way anymore. Nor did I really want to! That peace and joy and hope (no depression!) since I decided to follow the ways of Jesus was not something I was willing to toss aside because life hadn't turned out the way I had planned. I'd already watched old friends desert me because of my newfound faith. The price I paid was already high. This time, however, with new ones standing by me, friends and family jumped in to help and encouraged me to stay the course. Why? They knew I had my whole life ahead of me. And they knew God was not finished with me.
with a note from Karen...right before she went into the studio with Phil Ramone (below).
Who knew what was to come? My favorite verse came to light in a new way: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has prepared for those who love Him." These words from Paul's letter to the young church in Greece gave me hope. I needed it.
My sister and I ventured off for some time together in Hawaii. In the 70's and early 80's, when living in California, the flights are plentiful and very cheap. Our trip was a great time to rest, regroup, and have some much needed fun. It was also around this time that a new reality hit me. Practically, some changes needed to be made, but I could make the most of this time and not toss it away on endless worry.
Singers Michael W. Smith, Carman, and Gary Chapman.
One of these three guys ended up beinga very good friend during this transitional season in my life.
(This photo is from Billboard in 1996.)
Change meant a brand new church closer to home, meeting some new people, and a new job. I continued to press on with my faith. Taking my love of travel much more seriously, I decided to build a career in the industry. I was hired by a firm I really loved with an owner I truly respected. Under his great leadership, I learned so much than I ever expected.
became one of my favorite late night radio tunes.
With more freedom and now with instant access to some big industry discounts, I eventually realized my life long dream to visit Japan. Two glorious weeks of exploring the Land of the Rising Sun on my own and a stop in Hawaii on the way home for good measure. Just perfect.
Next, it was a trip to Germany and Austria during the winter. Then it was a weekend trip to New York, where I ran into the great Johnny Mathis in my hotel lobby bar. (What a nice guy! We had a very pleasant but brief talk.) Somewhere in all this was a cruise to Mexico where I watched fireworks over Acapulco Bay. I was soon addicted to discovering the world, meeting new people and seeing new places. These experiences helped me view my life and my future as one with fresh possibilities. My wonderful experience in the travel industry served me well in the early 21st Century when I eventually changed careers and became a private tour guide. God truly wastes nothing in our lives.
All said, change was on my horizon.
Just as Carpenters records signaled a change from Rock and Roll in the early 70s, radio was transforming once more. On June 6, 1978 a hot new release signaled the coming shift. New Wave, punk, and other sounds would be breaking into the charts. Several months later, Karen and Phil took the changing musical landscape and its new sounds all under consideration as they prepared for her solo project.
One of the few color shots of Karen and Phil in the studio.
A great album begins with a clear direction for the artist. The process continues with song selection as the next step- a very important one. In working on a previous review of Karen's solo album, I remembered an undercover Ramone and crew discreetly placing an ad in the Billboard marketplace. Something along the lines of wanting material for a pop singer but nothing too mellow or similar to what she'd recorded in the past. I couldn't find it, but I know it existed. I didn't find the ad, but I found a mention of it. Ramone revealed the experience in an interview to Billboard's Paul Grein in April of 1980:
"They're not necessarily songs that the Carpenters would have chosen." he says. Ramone notes that when he began working with Carpenter, the first non -writer he's produced, he put out a call for middle -tempo material, "where she could be languid but not quite as languid. "It' was amazing," he says. "The songs I got back were exactly what she had done before, even though I called writers who aren't in the MOR field. Once you've been in a mold for a long time, people tend to classify you and don't ever think you can change."
Ramone knew what he and Karen were up against. He also mentions the two had chosen to cover a Paul Simon song, record a brand new one written by Chicago's lead vocalist Peter Cetera, and include two others by a songwriter mostly unknown to the public but well known in the music industry.
As animated and expressive as ever.
True to form, Karen threw her heart and soul into making her album. She and Phil began auditioning songs while driving to the studio. They'd discuss style, lyrics, and the overall feel and concept. As with any musical project, the songs are the foundation of all that is to come.
Floating around the internet is Karen test driving another song written by Juice Newton, entitled Something From The Inside. I've heard it is from Itchie Ramone's tape of songs Karen and Phil listened to as they drove to the recording studio. I wonder how many more there were.
Temporarily leaving her brother and John Bettis behind.
Looking at what was recorded, it is glaringly obvious there is not a single Richard Carpenter / John Bettis tune on Karen's solo album. Of course that decision was quite intentional, but as Ramone mentioned, it didn't mean the composers chosen wouldn't give her good material to work with.
The lineup of solid songwriters included one man who'd almost single handedly change the landscape for several years. Karen had already sung one of his songs, one that a big hit for his newly popular band. In only few more months, his comfortable anonymity as a group member would disappear forever when he paired up with the superstar producer and one of the most beloved artists of all time. The songwriter's name: Rod Temperton.
The hit songwriter.
Heatwave was a very hot Funk / R&B / Pop group from the U.K. One of their big hits was Boogie Nights, which Karen and Richard sang on the ill-conceived 1977 television special Space Encounters. The group was also well known for the beautiful Always and Forever, a classic love song written by Temperton. The man was more than capable of crafting music that represented the entire spectrum of very singable, well structured songs. Interestingly, in his earlier years, Rod was a drummer before he latched on to keyboards. This may explain part of the unique sense of rhythm in his songwriting. Whether Rod's songs were dance driven or lushly designed ballads, the man could deliver a hit that would match the artist.
From Karen to Michael...
As told in Randy L. Schmidt's book Little Girl Blue, Ramone asked the British songwriter to hunker down at his New York home while Karen was also living there. Phil's hope was that inspired collaboration would come easily under the relaxed atmosphere with the three principal creatives all under the same roof. It was quite the plan, and over the course of brainstorming together or later with Rod working alone, this teamwork resulted in five songs that were offered to Karen. Two were rejected. Three were accepted and recorded, and one still remains in the vaults among the many which have been leaked to the internet.
Karen could have rejected the additional Temperton songs or chosen different ones by different writers altogether. Instead she embraced them, believing they had hit potential and creative value. Maybe the shrewd businesswoman in her realized Michael would make a very big splash with Rod's songs and his new sound would be well received. Maybe hers would be hits as well. Regardless, these decisions were Karen's creative choices- not Ramone's, not the label's, no one else's but hers- and they were very good ones indeed.
Of the songs Karen recorded for her album and chose for release, one was much closer in musical style to Heatwave's first hit and even its later one, The Groove Line, than it was to their best known ballad. The other was a well-crafted breezy, sensual jazz tune, something more akin to what would find its home on Rod's work with a renowned jazz artist a year so later.
A story you wouldn't expect about a man you'd misjudge.
Surprisingly, there is only one single place where Rod spoke publicly about working with Karen. In the book The Invisible Man by author Jed Pitman, we find this quote:
"Karen was an amazing talent, I mean, she had a really beautiful tone to her voice. What happened was the producer, Phil Ramone, who produced the third Heatwave album and me became friends and he had a chance to produce a solo project for her. So he asked me to come and do some vocal arrangements and write a couple of things for it. So I was involved in it that way and that was back in New York. And she was really amazing to work with. It was only about a year after that she died. It was terribly sad, you know, very sad. While I was working with her she was certainly a very thin lady and it was hard. Some of the album was hard to do. But, she was a sweetheart. It was really such a shame."
Initial Heatwave producer Barry Blue elaborates, "I remember talking to Rod at the time and he was disappointed that the songs he did for Karen didn't come out as well as he would have liked because of her illness. She died not long after he had finished working with her."
Shortly before his own death in 2016, Rod sold his music rights to the publishing arm of Chrysalis - the well known label started by Terry Ellis and Chris Wright. The artist roster was made up of artists like Jethro Tull, Blondie, David Bowie, and Spandau Ballet.
Jerry Moss, Quincy, and Herb.
Quincy was once an A&M artist.
By now, it is common knowledge among fans of Karen's solo album that she was originally offered both Rock with You and Off the Wall. Once she rejected them, these very same songs were given to Quincy Jones for Michael Jackson to record. They were the biggest hits from his first and best solo album. With just a few changes to each and some genius from all involved, the rest is history.
Michael Jackson by artist Andy Warhol.
There were some important parallels between Karen's life and career and that of Michael's. Each one rose to fame via a "family musical act", each youngest sibling was considered the real star of the group by the public, and both had a domineering parent, albeit Michael's father was also his manager.
The most significant counterpart was that Karen and Michael needed to reinvent themselves in the public eye to keep moving professionally. They also needed to gain some independence from the constraints they felt, real or imagined in their personal life. They needed to evolve as humans and artists, but the demands on each were high in order to keep their respective acts successful.
Producing for Michael's first "adult" album, Quincy, in the same mode as Phil in working with Karen, brought in very danceable sounds, but he knew the disco style itself had to evolve. It was a very smart move. In Steve Knopper's book The Genius of Michael Jackson, Quincy says: "I admired disco, don't get me wrong. I just thought it had gone far enough. We needed to go someplace else."
At some point in these sessions, before June of 1979 when his work was completed, Schmidt reveals Karen visited Michael Jackson and his famous producer in the studio. Upon hearing the end result of the soon to be international superstar recording Temperton's songs, Karen went back to the prolific songwriter and asked for a couple of new ones for her project. Rod happily obliged and returned with two great ones that made the album's final lineup: The very sultry and seductive Lovelines and the intimate smooth jazz number If We Try.
John Farrar's November 1, 1980 Billboard ad...
...and a fairly decent review of his album a couple of weeks later.
To only mention Temperton as writer would do a great disservice to the other very gifted men and women who contributed to Karen's solo album. Their names should be familiar to anyone following Pop music during the 1970s: Peter Cetera, John Farrar, Steve Dorff, and yes, Paul Simon. All were known to be fans of Karen's voice, but not all would be able to give her the quality of material she deserved.
Just prior to working with Karen, Phil would be recording with the very hot group Heatwave-
including member Rod Temperton.
From the February 17, 1979 issue of Cashbox.
With no time to waste, studio sessions began May 2, 1979. Phil's own A&R Recording would be their studio home.
In a decision that had to worry or at least shock those back at A&M, Phil did not hire polished studio musicians for Karen's album. Instead, he brought on the members of Billy Joel's band, a rougher, freer, group of performers that gave the piano player's records a fresh energetic feel.
Creating a different "New York" sound for her album, Karen prepared to take risks and experiment with a variety of styles and sounds. Along the way, Karen seemed to have a great time doing something new and on her own.
Ramone says, "We recorded at A&R in New York, and during the sessions I saw Karen blossom. It was wonderful to see her relax and let loose, joking with the crew and the guys in the band. You could see the sparkle in her eyes, and you can hear her smile on the record."
Karen's album could not sound like a Carpenters disc. Not in the least bit. It needed to prove she could do more than people expected from her and show she was not stuck in the past. After all, this was a Karen Carpenter disc, and she wanted it to reflect all the current sounds that she loved. This included those multi-format radio smashes by Donna Summer, who she mentioned liking to Ramone. Stubborn enough to eschew Richard's plea of "Don't do disco", Karen did it anyway. Was it sheer defiance, wanting a hit, loving the sound, showing her versatility, or merely creative license? I'd venture it was some of all those.
Disco was in the early stages of transforming to "Dance". This newer sound would be different than what came before it, due in part to a unique take on the sound of the drums which would set it apart from the initial incarnation of this type of music. Surprisingly, Karen would end up recording a very old school sounding disco song filled with sweeping strings and compelling crescendos, but it would be the sole selection on the album with that exact vibe.
A smile among the more serious shots.
Radio play and sales were clearly changing, and almost a year after the Cars roared into the ears of the public, the genre took its hold. The Billboard issue for the week Karen and Phil began studio work shows Blondie's punk meets dance hit Heart of Glass at the top of the Hot 100 chart. On the LP side, the Doobie Brothers reigned with Dire Straits and Supertramp bringing about a new wave (pardon the pun) up against the disco stream. But a much larger storm was about to hit and upset the musical landscape.
"Disco sucks!" aka Disco Demolition Night hit big in Mid-July of the same year. Who would have guessed Major League Baseball would play a part in changing the future musical landscape? Protesting disco and its lifestyle in a unique way, White Sox promoter Mike Veeck and disc jockey Steve Dahl partnered to bring in the more than willing crowds to watch an explosion of disco records take place on the field. At least 50,000 people showed up to cheer the proceedings. The media took notice, the movement spread, and radio stations literally changed their tune.
By Fall of 1980, even Disco Queen Donna Summer
mostly abandoned the genre for a punk rock sound.
During the same time as the event, Donna Summer had two more great records in the Top 10 on Billboard- "Bad Girls" at Number One and "Hot Stuff" (with its rock guitar) just two notches lower. The very new and groundbreaking "My Sharona" by The Knack was just beginning its climb, and it instantly garnered much deserved attention.
Living in Orange County then, I can tell you the exact moment I heard The Knack record for the first time. I driving to a miniature golf course near Disneyland. As always, the radio was on, but I was not prepared for what I was about to hear.
The sound was so fresh and unique that it caught me totally off guard. I'd never heard anything like it! I was hooked, but after that moment, it seemed as if Top 40 radio like industry leader 93 KHJ was playing this Knack song every 15 minutes. I loved it, but My Sharona wore out its welcome quickly. However, other artists took notice, using it as a launching pad to try a brand new sound. With fresh artillery, the Rock vs. Disco battle continued.
And so did the recording work for Karen's solo disc.
With more than a little help from Chris Tassin,
even I can create a better album cover than A&M did
when they finally released it.
What was it like for Karen to be in the studio without Richard next to her? These sessions would be the first (and unfortunately only) time this would ever occur.
By all accounts from several sources, Karen loved her work with Phil. She definitely loved singing with the core of Billy Joel's band, and the time together was as playful as it was productive. That didn't mean it was without pressure. Karen, Phil, and the folks involved in the project knew a lot was at risk.
We have to guess all the aspects that made the experience enjoyable for Karen, but certainly the sheer newness of it all made it an emotional rollercoaster ride. It's akin to young adults moving away from home to go off to college and explore the world. Karen always had Richard with her. This was her season in a new state, a new environment, and with new people in the studio to work with.
In the studio during recording sessions.
Two years later after her solo project was shelved, Billboard journalist and big fan Paul Grein asked Karen about her solo album while she and Richard were interviewed to promote the duo's Made in America comeback disc. This was her quick and politically savvy response as reported in the June 21, 1981 issue:
"It was fun cutting the album and seeing I could do all that- sing a different type of tune and work with different people....It was good to know I had the ability to do things that are a little bit different."
Rumor has it Karen was scheduled to be on the cover of Rolling Stone with a quite extensive article about her album and a look at her past and future. Since the solo album wasn't released by A&M Records when originally planned, the magazine cancelled its publication. The article certainly would have been fascinating if not controversial to read her more extensive thoughts on the overarching issue of working without Richard and why she did it.
Karen's band / Billy Joel's band.
The back album cover of Billy Joel's Glass Houses.
Would her band and producer Phil Ramone share Karen's assessment of their time working together? Karen was world famous- but how would she be treated by other musicians on the less casual, less easily impressed East Coast?
Here's what they each had to say about her:
The main with the mane.
Rob Mounsey:
From a YouTube interview with Rick Henry in December 2021:
"Phil was producing Karen's solo album which was pretty controversial...We all really loved Karen. She was a wonderful person, a great, great, musician, a nice person. Sweet, funny.... I was thrilled when she recorded a song of mine 'Guess I Just Lost My Head'."
Interestingly, Rob did the musical arrangement for Madonna's great and very Carpenteresque "Crazy For You" (her second Number One record written by Richard's collaborator John Bettis and Jon Lind). Mounsey also produced Michael Frank's great Passion Fruit album. Franks was the artist who popularized B'wana He No Home, a song that eventually became the standout Carpenters recording on Passage.
With Ramone and David Brown.
Brown still performs today.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything about guitarist David Brown's work on Karen's solo album. His stellar playing on Still in Love with You and Still Crazy After All These Years really enhance the flavor of these two very different records. David was with Billy Joel's band from 1979 - 1989.
Louis Johnson (of A&M act the Brothers Johnson):
"I had romantic feelings toward Karen. The same as I did for Bjork. When I met Bjork, the same thing happened, we just hugged for a long time. They both have an inner beauty which makes you fall in love with them automatically... you can’t help it....same with Stevie Nicks. But, I was always respectful and only spent time with them as friends and musicians. I listened to what they had to say. I was sensitive to their feelings."
Because they were also on the label, Johnson's group would later find themselves on the A&M soundstage when the Carpenters were doing a Japanese telecast promoting Made in America. Wouldn't you loved to have caught a private conversation between Louis and Karen?
"Still in Love With You" and "All Because of You".
Russell Javors:
Speaking to Rick Henry (2020)- "(Referencing while he was working on Billy Joel's album Glass Houses.) When we got the call to play with Karen, I was thrilled. She was an icon. She has a beautiful voice and she turned out to be an equally nice person...We had a lot of fun together and it was a real good experience...I was at the playback when they played it for A&R, and it didn't go as we all hoped it would. Very strange. I know she was behind the record. I know Phil was behind the record. I couldn't understand why it wasn't given its chance, and she had such a loyal fan base, I think it would have made some noise...The whole thing was so strange."
Now here's an interesting piece of info from Lords of 52nd Street site: "After the Turnstiles tour in 1977, Russell signed a publishing deal with 20th Century Music and his friend and advisor, Charlie Brucia, raised money for a recording project. Russell, Lib, Doug, Howie and even Billy recorded with Russell during the same period Billy was recording The Stranger album. One of the songs from these sessions “All Because of You” would later appear on Karen Carpenter’s solo album, along with another one of Russell’s songs." But neither of these were specifically written for Karen.
Steve Gadd- KC's favorite drummer- known for his work with Steely Dan.
Also played on the first two singles from Barbra Streisand's Guilty album,
Woman in Love and the title tune.
What would a Karen Carpenter album be without her on the drums? Since the focus was on Karen revamping her image, top session drummers were called in to give the album its groove. Three of the industry's very best, actually.
Steve Gadd, long known to be Karen's favorite studio session player, reprises his role on the original by playing on her breathtaking version of Still Crazy After All These Years. Does his new book A Life in Time mention her? (It's just too expensive for me to purchase and find out.) This wasn't specifically about Karen, but here's a telling quote found on his website: ""I've liked everyone I've worked with and I look forward to playing with guys that I've worked with before and meeting new people. If they are serious about music and serious about playing, everything else takes care of itself."
This man is behind the beat on SO many songs I love!
The next drummer on the solo album credits is John "JR" Robinson. Often referred to as "The Most Recorded Drummer in Music History", His own website reveals "John JR Robinson's illustrious career was built by working with some of the greatest minds and artists in music history including; the quintessential producer Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, Lady Gaga, Peter Frampton, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Daft Punk, Madonna, Lionel Richie, The Pointer Sisters, Stevie Nicks, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, David Foster, Steve Winwood, John Fogerty, David Lee Roth, Herbie Hancock, Toby Keith, Clint Black, Eric Clapton, Brothers Johnson, Marvin Hamlisch and Barbra Streisand, plus a dictionary-sized list of other legendary musicians and music leaders, all of whom specifically requested JR to add his ‘signature groove’ to their genius."
Among his many claims to fame and the one that directly ties to this article, he's the man who brought the instantly recognizable drum intro to the Off the Wall single. John was added to Michael Jackson's project in December of 1978, just months before Karen would go into the studio. Quincy Jones liked his opening so much that it remained on the record, and he asked John to stay on for the rest of the album.
As for the Carpenter/Ramone project, his beat is found on two of the most favorably mentioned cuts: Lovelines and If We Try. In a 2015 interview, when asked about Karen, he says: "Oh, what a sweetheart! A short-lived woman. She was, unfortunately, struggling with her weight, and she was very skinny. I got to work with Phil Ramone who produced her – God bless him, he’s passed – who brought in me and Louis Johnson, and we did the whole record that was issued as “Karen Carpenter,” a solo record, and as THE CARPENTERS’ – it was doubly released. She wanted it to be danceable, and she was very open to suggestions, so I taught her how to clap, and we got to clap together and had such a really good time."
KC with Liberty DeVitto in the studio.
Liberty DeVitto:
"This project was unique for me because I fell in love with the singer. Think about being in love with a voice and then meeting that voice and the person carrying that voice is equally as beautiful."
Karen turns the tables on this practical joke.
Above is a photo of Karen and Liberty with the infamous penis cake. (Bet you'd never expect to read those words in an article about Karen Carpenter!) Word has it this was brought in as a joke to lovingly shock Karen. Her supposed response reveals Karen was all the wiser about her virginal image: "Gee, I've never seen one of those before!"
All this makes we wonder if there was ever an interview where Karen talked about the individual musicians on her project. I'm absolutely sure she'd have a colorful story or two, especially when it came to Billy's wild and crazy drummer.
Karen in the booth with mixing engineer Jim Boyer.
And again later with Karen "Itchie" Ramone below.
Each of the musicians mentioned made a significant contribution to Karen's album. When you add to those guest contributors like the great Michael Brecker on saxophone, keyboardist wizard Greg Phillinganes, and Bob James who also played keyboards and provided many of the incredible arrangements and orchestrations, it is easy to see Ramone chose world class artists to work alongside this extraordinary female vocalist.
Ramone in later years.
From Ramone's perspective, what was Karen like on the project? ''I didn't feel like her mentor...There wasn't one part of this album that she wasn't involved in, when she didn't have the reins." There you have it, straight from Ramone's mouth to Billboard's reporter and Carpenters fan Paul Grein. Later on, Phil would comment, "(Karen was) Less controlled, less self-conscience, more emotional. More scared because 'What would Richard say? What would the label say?' " He'd share these thoughts years later in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. In his book Making Records, Ramone continues- "..As much as she was enjoying what we were doing, she was under a lot of pressure. It was as if she sensed the inevitable hassles she'd face for taking this leap of faith."
In 2005, during an interview with USA Today, Ramone was once again asked about his favorite memory of working with Karen. His response said it all: "I think the best part of the relationship was her incredible drive and passion for music. Her perfectionism was also unique to work with. I think she had one of the most wonderful voices to hear across a microphone."
Karen had the reins. She wasn't this puppet on a string without control, influence or decision making ability. She approved using Ramone. She approved using Billy Joel's band for her album. She chose the songs. This was her album, and Karen was the driving force.
Rare color version of the photo used in People magazine after Karen's passing.
Speaking once more of Billy Joel, in an obvious show of respect for Karen's talent, rumor says the very disappointed pianist wondered why he wasn't asked to play on her album. Imagine how the feel of the album would have changed. It could have made the collection grittier or perhaps feel more like a live in studio album. That may be the exact reason Billy was not asked to join in.
Karen's primary sound engineer Glenn Berger writes in a 2014 article in Sound on Sound, "If anyone embodied the contradictions of the pain and glory of fame, fortune, art and the music biz, it was Karen Carpenter. Though she was blessed with an uncanny voice, and the ability to make millions of fans buy her middle-of-the-road records, she lived a life of profound hidden agony. Wealthy and adored beyond all measure, she was actually lonely and empty. She suffered from anorexia nervosa, a terrible eating disorder. I engineered some of Karen's first, and only, solo album. It was easy to see just how lost she was. Up until that point, she had made her records in the protective company of her brother, Richard. But he too was struggling, trying to recover from a Quaalude habit. Karen came to New York, looking for guidance, and ended up in the hands of Ramone."
Berger has more to tell. As she was recording the songs, not everyone was as kind or as complimentary toward Karen and her new endeavor. On this end of the spectrum there was this disappointing, sad, and ultimately thoughtless encounter with Paul Simon. As retold by Glenn in his 2016 book Never Say No To A Rock Star:
Glenn Berger's book is exactly what you'd expect. Good and bad.
Never Say No to a Rock Star is filled with stories of ego, greed, and debauchery.
"Karen, at this point, was extremely anorexic. she must have weighed about 90 pounds... Her Mickey Mouse tee-shirt hung limply on her skeletal frame...She may have been so frail as to be on the verge of falling to bits, but when she went out to the studio to sing, her voice had the clarion ring of pure crystal. Her vocal quality was supernatural, uncanny, numinous...
We cut a bunch of tracks. Karen seemed increasingly emotionally and physically fragile with every passing day. Her vocal chops were amazing, but her body was becoming ethereal. She was literally disappearing.
One day, Simon was passing through the studio and popped in for a visit. I'm not sure how well he knew Karen. I'm guessing they didn't have the closest of relationships. He asked to listen to some of the tracks we were cutting. I played him some songs.
Ramone stood anxiously behind Karen, who sat at the producer's desk, while Paul listened...When they were done, Simon turned to Karen. He paused. Then, in a voice that combined derision, snobbishness, concern and alarm, he said, "Karen. What are you doing? This stuff is awful!"
Ramone blanched. Karen stopped breathing. Remember, this was her first foray into the studio, alone, without her brother, working with a whole new production team, in a city far from home, and clearly in profound psychological and physical distress, suffering as she was with acute anorexia.
The air was sucked out of the room. Simon didn't pick up on the vibe. He just plowed on. "Karen, this isn't want your fans want from you! They want Karen Carpenter to be Karen Carpenter. They want what they have always gotten from you. This is all wrong."
With every word Ramone was shrinking smaller and smaller, until one could barely see him behind the producer's desk, having been reduced to the size of a hedgehog. I sat behind the controls, trying to keep my jaw attached to my head, astounded to what I was hearing.
Paul may have been technically, musically, and from a marketing perspective, right. But from a human perspective, he was all wrong. His insensitivity was stunning. He seemed to have a complete lack of care or understanding of the emotional toll that should a declaration could take. Couldn't he see Karen's condition? He was a smart guy- wasn't he capable coming up with a more tactful, humane way of protecting her, if that was, in fact, his intention?"
A very fragile Karen in the studio.
Karen's producer and some talented but guy.
Where was Phil Ramone in responding to this barrage by Paul Simon? Was he in shock and couldn't speak? After all, what was happening in the studio was also a reflection on Ramone's work. Did Phil just not know what to say? I know this same type of exchange has happened to me several times. When someone is so brutal, so ugly, so unaware of the damage of their words, I was left speechless when I really wanted to speak up and defend myself or someone else by addressing their thoughtlessness. I do believe Phil cared deeply for Karen, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt here. Perhaps he was just too angry at the cheap swipe at Karen and didn't want to make things worse than they were by dragging it on.
A note to Paul Simon and many others like him: Regardless of your sense of self-importance, your opinion is not always wanted, helpful, or even needed in every situation.
As brutal as Paul's words were, no one would have more of an impact with their words than Karen's brother. What did Richard have to say about Karen's solo album? The public wouldn't know until much, much later. In the meantime, he was busy getting healthy, resting, and recharging his creative batteries.
Karen kept working.
In New York, an even more independent woman emerged.
When the activity in the studio was over, the final result of all this time working together was the band's personal and professional affirmation of Karen. This was an ego boost she sorely needed in the midst of a difficult season. Karen found she could truly partner with those outside her normal circle in Los Angeles and be seen as a creative equal. This certainly brought its own sense of deep satisfaction and even a better sense of self-worth. The New York musicians saw her talent in action. Her producer knew it. And of course, long before the critics did, the fans knew. They always did.
Miss Piggy and the superstar.
November 15, 1979.
With friend John Denver meeting Muppets creator Jim Henson.
Little did she know one day the Henson company
would one day take over the A&M Records location.
Now that recording the album was completed, it was time to tackle the other major problem Karen faced. It was one that not even the experts in the business had been able to overcome...if they were even trying.
Cute- but that was part of the image problem.
Karen knew in her soul that transformation had to move beyond just style and sound. The music was certainly the most important part of this project, but the optics also had to change. The harsh truth was, the Carpenters image was a stumbling block for people to get past in order to the hear their art. Image issues had always plagued the duo, even if some of it was their own fault when they picked fights with the Rock and Roll establishment.
With Carole King in the mid-70s.
The era of bunny sweaters had to go!
As the up-front lead singer, Karen was the main target. Sadly, she was constantly scrutinized, criticized, and mocked for her appearance by those reviewing their concerts. The album covers and promotional materials were no help. Up until the Horizon album, the label did not know how to visually represent them. Sometimes, their look wasn't even a priority. After the less than sharp presentation for 1976's A Kind of Hush, the label mostly gave up and the duo mostly gave in.
Thankfully, there were no photos of the duo on Passage and only a painting of them on Christmas Portrait. In one sense, the slate was cleansed by those two years of no pictures, but there were those awful television specials to counteract. This was not a big problem because people tuning in might not buy an album anyway. Those who didn't watch the shows weren't aware how poorly the duo was represented on the small screen. At this point, teens and adults listening to the radio didn't care as they'd already dropped the Carpenters off their radar. But this radio listening group was Karen's target audience. How could she get to them?
Nice casual shot with a now familiar shirt.
It would be more than inappropriate as a brother -sister act to have an image that projected an even the slightest air of suggestion. But this time on her own solo project, Karen's image could match the more earthy and varied flavors of her singing and the song selection.
Visually, it would be easier to do something well for just her, but a bad reputation and the history of A&M Record's artistic misrepresentation had to be conquered. A new, very strong, very confident image of Karen needed to rise to the surface to effectively wipe out the wrongs of the past. A solo album would give her a chance to retool how people saw her. With an updated look to match a new sound, maybe the public would give her another chance. Looking to the future, a successful solo disc would encourage music fans and radio programmers to take another listen to whatever project was next for the duo as well.
Like what any teen or young adult would do at 29 years old, Karen compared herself and drew inspiration from other people, specifically her trusted circle of associates. That's just human nature.
It's no surprise she would chat with her closest famous friend in the business, Olivia Newton-John, about her solo album plans. Certainly, they would discuss Olivia's success at creating a new and very well received image and sound and then Karen's desire to follow a similar trajectory. Personally as well as professionally.
Claude shooting Olivia for Totally Hot.
After Olivia Newton-John’s startling “Sandy 2” transformation in Grease, when it came time to choose the perfect photographer for her next project, French artist Claude Mougin came to the forefront once more.
Give me whatcha got, ready or not.
Because he began his career with fashion photography in Paris, Claude was accustomed to giving his high profile clients a polished and very glamorous look. Olivia continued with the bad girl look and struck gold. Her good friend took notice.
The end result. Gorgeous, fresh and modern.
Karen was no longer an innocent, unaffected by personal choices and love’s relational highs and lows. Or those highs and lows in the often brutal recording industry. She wanted and needed to be seen as an adult, a grown woman who was making her own choices. A bit more world wise and certainly not anyone’s pawn.
With her at the helm of her own project for the very first time, Karen would be in charge of how she wanted to be presented, and it wouldn't be like a Hallmark card. She was not only a complex human being, she was a smart, hard-working business woman and an artist who enjoyed her fame. Karen learned the hard way how tough the music business really was, but she also knew the sales numbers and what she and Richard had contributed to the label. Ultimately, she wanted to get back to the top of the charts.
Musically and visually, Karen knew it would take pushing boundaries and destroying preconceived ideas to help regain her standing. She had her new sound. Now, it was just as important she had a new look to match.
Smokey Robinson's 1979 album also benefitted from Claude Mougin's art.
Claude Mougin was one very busy man in the music industry. His lens caught everyone from Diana Ross to Crystal Gayle, from Rod Stewart to Tina Turner and Shaun Cassidy. All to great success.
Claude previously shot Olivia for the cover of her Greatest Hits album.
Successfully photographing a Totally Hot image for Olivia earlier in 1978, and Karen was rightly confident Mougin would do the same for her. Could they capture lightning in a bottle?
The photographer in 2015.
While Olivia's new look perfectly matched her latest album's music- Rock and Roll tough with some country edge and a little more frisky- the same just wouldn't be right for Karen. Olivia already had a new persona thanks to a big hit film, but this more sensual approach was new ground for Karen. Her revisioning had to be equally unexpected, yet it had to be uniquely her own.
My favorite photo of the Claude Mougin sessions.
We all know the color version exists somewhere in the files.
Mougin accepted the assignment and photographed Karen on January 30, 1980. (There's some debate here, but this is the dating of the above photo according to the liner notes for the Carpenters boxed set From the Top.) With a full team of makeup artists, hairstylists, and fashion professionals behind her, Karen remained nervous about her ability to pull off this sexier image. Itchie Ramone accompanied her, and she took a secret step to ensure her famous friend was in the right mood to make the best of this opportunity. Ramone spiked Karen's tea with a little "something extra", all without the singer's knowledge.
Karen with friend Karen "Itchie" Ramone, known professionally as Karen Kamon.
Confidence is, after all, the most important aspect of presenting appeal, but regardless of her good intentions and the beautiful end result, I find it absolutely abhorrent that Itchie would add a narcotic to Karen's tea. When a friend is fighting for her voice, her independence, and making her own decisions, to manipulate the situation is just one more instance where other people thought they knew best and stole those decisions from her.
It's really unfortunate that Karen could only find that confidence in front of a microphone and not within herself as she rested in who she was truly created to be. Who knows what transformational power that could have had? It may have forever changed the singer we all loved.
Was Claude successful in meeting the challenge of making the public see Karen to be as beautiful as her voice? He absolutely nailed it. Sultry and quite sophisticated, the end result matched the feel of the album, giving Karen a brand new contemporary image. The innocent little girl of the 70's was left behind for one of a confident, secure, playful, adult woman- an image that would encourage a second look at someone the public they thought they knew.
Six months later, Karen would get a little taste of what could be ahead. Watching the public embrace Michael's hits from Off The Wall, she must have been encouraged for her own album's reception. Once his album was released in August of '79, the first single Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough was only the beginning. The song was a massive hit (and my personal favorite of all his recordings). The next single would have a different impact on Karen.
Groundbreaking and trendsetting.
Can you picture how she felt when Karen heard the song she rejected, Rock with You, and saw it become a multi-format smash, a beloved record to this very day? Perhaps she thought to herself something akin to what she told Barry Manilow after listening to his version of Can't Smile Without You: "I wish it were mine." Maybe she was just thrilled she followed through with Temperton to have his songs on her upcoming album.
A rare photo.
With the recording finally completed and the cover design ready, it was time for the last step in the process: the very critical playback of the album for the executives in charge.
This appeared on the web. Fully colorized in violet tones.
The industry had already been primed for its release. The album had a catalogue number (SP 4804). Initial pressings of the cardboard jackets were printed and by all accounts, it was a go. Karen Carpenter would be released to the public in March of 1980.
In the Cashbox December 29, 2979 issue.
All set for release March of 1980.
Although the New York A&M executives approved the project, those in Los Angeles did not. Viewed as without a hit on it, the album was cancelled. There was just too much at risk to the Carpenters reputation and future sales if it flopped. The album was shelved- but not without some pleading and negotiating.
Quincy Jones offered to remix the project and according to those in the know, he did just that. (Those mixes have never been acknowledged or leaked.) To meet them half way, Karen offered to go in the studio and record more songs. Nothing changed the minds of the top of A&M's food chain. The solo project would stay in the vaults for years.
Karen told reporters that she decided to shelve the project and focus on the duo. Those from the inside with access to the fuller story leaked out more details about what actually happened behind closed doors. Then the debating began. Fans chose sides and even made accusations, acting as if it were Karen vs. Richard.
Can you imagine the amount of tension during the playback on the West Coast? The subsequent cancellation of the project only added to a very difficult season in the lives of the siblings. But did it change Karen's relationship with her beloved mentor and friend Herb Alpert?
and a host of other thoughts and emotions guided the ill-fated decision to shelve the album.
Cash cows. They make the music industry go round. For years by this point, Karen was A&M's prized stock animal with her voice selling music all over the world for a decade. Yet as an individual and not a commodity, Karen was crumbling, falling deeper and deeper into the grip of her mental illness. As a longtime fan, it hurts me to call it that, but that is the truth. Forgive my French, but as I very crudely say all too often as I paraphrase Jesus in John Chapter 8- "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!" Was Karen's fragile emotional state even privately considered? Yes or no, Herb Alpert clearly cared for Karen on a personal level and gets emotional when discussing her.
Shouldn't the execs at A&M and Richard and Herb in particular seen this emotional and physical decline as well? They could have allowed her this personal indulgence, and the end result - good or bad- could have boosted Karen's confidence instead of crushing her soul. Even if sales were disappointing, it was her shot at saving the duo's lagging career, a shot at some independence, more creative freedom and a vote of confidence in her abilities as an artist and as a businesswoman. Label heads Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss gave these to the duo in 1969 without any sales history on which to base their decision. This time, Karen had years of success behind her and the gold albums on the wall to prove it. But there was little support for the project to be released.
As a financial decision, did the executives owe it to Karen to release the album even if they felt it was without a single hit? Even if paying a debt of gratitude, should it have been released? Estimates say half a million dollars was spent on her solo project- $400K of it was Karen's hard earned money with A&M's own investment of $100K. All this was a mere pittance compared to how much she and Richard made for the label in the prior decade and those afterward. This had to be a point of discussion with or without her in the room. After all, the music business is just that; it is more than an opportunity to create and share your art with the masses.
Iconic photograph in the largest size I've ever seen.
A zoomed in close up shot.
All said, the facts remained: Karen needed the freedom to create, to change, to grow, to make her own adult choices and live with the results. With regard to the cancellation of her album's debut, she may have been outnumbered in the final decision, but Karen was also firmly to blame. First, whether their "no hit" assessment was true or not, the creative choices and direction she took were hers. More importantly in the meeting to decide its fate, Karen backed down instead of forcefully negotiating or even demanding her album's release. Self-advocacy is an important life skill. Had she done so, it could have saved more than just the album.
All in studio photos taken by Bonnie Schiffman.
After many years of being coerced, pleaded with, begged, and perhaps even challenged, Richard Carpenter relented.
In October of 1996, after more than 15 years since it was intended to initially happen, A&M Records finally released Karen Carpenter.
Compare the look of the cover for the 1996 release (above top)
to what was once planned seen above. Mock up of the original cover.
By the time of its eventual release, six of the album's cuts had already been harvested for other Carpenters projects. Would there be enough interest from fans for the other five? A&M didn't do much promotion for the album, but I will admit they did a bit more than I originally had thought.
The clearest and largest size I've ever seen.
Disrespectfully, the solo album was treated like a budget line release. Certainly the cover illustration was horribly tinkered with, giving it a dated and lackluster appearance. There was little advertising to speak of, and no support, aside from an ad in Billboard magazine showing Karen lounging on an overstuffed chair. Whether or not it was A&M Records intention to bury the album and make it fade into history, fans still took notice. With no push, no endorsement, and most importantly with a release date well over a decade after it was originally meant to happen, the album never even made a dent in the Billboard charts. It was almost as if its failure was planned.
"I think she felt she could do this album and that it would get released. But for all practical purposes, the label and everybody who designs people's careers probably thought, "Well, this could be a mishap."- producer Phil Ramone to Entertainment Tonight back in 1989 talking about Karen's solo album while promoting Lovelines.
Music industry folks and critics either ignored it entirely or took one last jab. True to their nature, the recording industry in Japan treated the album with respect.
Had I not had an "inside" friend or two, I would not have known of the album's release. A lovely wife, four great kids, and a move to Denver from California had all transpired from the days back when I didn't know the path that lay ahead. But it also took me far away from industry news. (The full story of how I met my wife- 100% a "God thing"- is something I'll share when I review Made in America.) My life had been like one of those corporate team building exercises where each willing participant performs a "trust fall" into the waiting arms of their coworkers. Mine had been into the arms of my Savior, and he had not let me down. A perfect life? No. But a very good one filled with its own share of highs and lows.
With even the slightest bit of color, the results are beautiful!
No longer in the Golden State since 1989, Carpenters news was rare, aside from the telephone calls that took place with a good friend or two and sometimes with former A&M promotion man Jon Konjoyan. He had been very generous by sending me plenty of new releases over the years, and we would discuss which songs could be hits and should be released as singles. Among others, Jon introduced me to a talented British band named Breathe, who I still listen to today. But not once did me send me anything unreleased from my favorite duo... nor did I ask.
Classy ad used to promote If I Had You and the album Lovelines in 1989.
From the Gavin Report, a San Francisco Bay Area industry magazine.
As I mentioned earlier, by this time, prime selections from Karen's aborted album had arrived on the terrific Lovelines collection of 1989 and from the 1991 boxed set From the Top, so hearing her solo selections was not an entirely new experience. I had expected there would be nothing new on the album that was really good, thinking Richard had skimmed the cream of the crop for Carpenters projects.
I still count my tour of A&M Records as one of my favorite experiences!
Seeing the album cover was not an entirely new experience either. At the invitation of Jon, I was given a tour of the A&M lot in the Fall of 1989. What a thrill for a lifelong music fan! (The tour was followed by lunch with Billboard journal and fan Paul Grein, a man whose column I read every week I could find an issue. A very, very nice man as well!
A very rare find if you can.
The pièce de résistance was still to come. Being invited into the A&M office of an employee and Carpenters mega fan that Jon worked with, he proudly revealed a very rare mock up of Karen's album. I had read the covers produced were destroyed once the release was cancelled, but somehow, he was able to grab one just before it happened.
I just couldn't help but stare at what I saw. Karen was so pretty and looked so different than ever before that I was shocked. The sweet girl next door had transformed into someone else. Someone glamorous, contemporary, and very appealing.
Chris Tassin's artwork based on my faulty memory.
How I wished my eyes were a camera! I tried very hard to memorize every detail, every color, every design detail. As the years went by, I tried to retell the story of my visit on the great and informative A&M Corner discussion boards. Let's just say after seeing images posted on the internet, my recollection of what the cover looked like was not totally correct at all, but Chris Tassin sure made it look great!
Above- inside of "Carpenters Collected" from the Netherlands.
Eventually, photographs from Karen's sessions with Claude Mougin would also be leaked. One was even used for a Carpenters hits album released two years after her passing.
Little did I know that just over a year later, there would be even more surprises to come for me about this unreleased album. The contents.
This cassette appeared in my mailbox in August 1990-
in a manila envelope with an unmarked return address.
Truth be told, I had heard it earlier. Industry insiders who were fans of the duo passed round copies of the album from person to person. One day, an envelope with no return address appeared in my mail. Yes, it was a cassette of the recordings. Rough and unfinished, I could still tell where it was headed.
When I was speaking to a well informed friend about it, he mentioned A&M was going to release the album with its original as approved by Karen line up. But there would be one additional selection. My choice was Last One Singin' the Blues, stating she sounded stunning doing this type of song. I'd soon come to find out I'd hit the jackpot.
Her voice- and her album- is the stuff of legends!
Just what exactly was contained inside this almost mythical, once considered long lost album?
One thing is certain as you take in each track: Describing or promoting Karen's solo as a "disco album" is neither accurate or honest.
The opening Lovelines lets us know from the start what exactly Karen has on her mind. Teasing listeners with a little introductory percussion, the music kicks in sounding very different than anything the duo ever put to vinyl. At last, the consummate female vocalist of pop music coos:
Darling, you've got me falling
'Cause you're the only one whoever does it right
Every night I'm dreaming, about the feeling
You know I can't explain what's going down
My head keeps spinning round
You’re on my lovelines
And that's all right with me
Just give good times
The way that love should be
Baby, you're the warm glow
That helps me through the day
And, darling, I know
I'll always feel this way
'Cause lovelines never fade
Lovelines don’t fade, my love
Baby, come on and take me
Into that wonderland where only lovers go
Heaven knows I need you, I want to feel you
I got that strange sensation deep inside
That only you can satisfy
You’re on my lovelines
And that's all right with me
Just give good times
The way that love should be
Baby, you're the warm glow
That helps me through the day
And, darling, I know
I'll always feel this way
'Cause lovelines never fade
It's difficult for any listener to deny the sexual content of the song. Old virginal image totally shattered and a new one instantly established. Did Ms. Carpenter really pull off something so sexual? Yes. Yes, she did.
I actually prefer Richard's remix of this song to the original, but even with the first mix meant for release, Karen sounds absolutely terrific and convincing, relaxed and confident. Rod Tempterton's jazz inflected vocal arrangements and unmistakable rhythm stylings are similar to those on Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album- and I love it.
On this song, I can even hear an imaginary duet between the two. After Karen opens with the first stanza, Michael comes in:
Girl, close your eyes
Let that rhythm get into you
Don't try to fight it
There ain't nothing that you can do
Relax your mind
Lay back and groove with mine
A remixer's duet of the two songs may never happen, but it certainly could have worked.
Going back to Karen's album, the opening number is one where the music supports the overall vision for the project. It's energetic with a very modern compelling sound. The bass, the drums, the feel. It's all there and right on target. Greg Phillinganes' unexpected synthesizer solo is a nice surprise, giving the number a gutsy R&B vibe atop layers of hooks waiting to be discovered. These instrumental and vocal hooks are very different than what listeners would find on any album by the by the brother and sister duo.
However, Karen's voice remains the ultimate musical hook.
For those fans of the duo who can't bear the thought of Karen without Richard and the for critics who just hated their sound, the criticism of Karen’s solo album ran the gamut of possibilities. The most common negative response was that Karen wasn’t believable singing the more sensual songs. I find this laughable. Just consider a few: “Let Me Be the One”, "Touch Me When We're Dancing", “This Masquerade”, “Boat to Sail”, “A Song for You”, and yes, “I Believe You” (with its own set of very seductive sexual lyrics). Karen’s performances could ooze layer upon layer of intimately luxurious tones.
Lovelines just works from any angle. It is the perfect opening song for this collection and one of the album's best.
First time I saw this, I didn't realize it was my favorite vocalist.
The second track is shocking in its stark almost folk record tone. All Because of You is Karen's bold "this is not a disco album" statement. At first, I wasn't fond of it at all, but as the years have gone on, I've grown to appreciate its simple intimacy. This number was a risk worth taking. Karen demands you hear her in a new way, and love it, hate it, or merely tolerate it, the listener can't help but do so. That was the very purpose of her adventure without Richard. Goal accomplished.
All glammed up. Again by Chris Tassin.
Speaking of Richard, he has gone on record being very impressed by the next song in the lineup, If I Had You, considering it one of the best. He remixed it and released it as part of the Carpenters Lovelines album in 1989 to moderate success as a single. The most obvious difference in the remix is the ending of the song where he brings Karen's vocals to a sharp ending versus the original mixes fade out. Either way, it remains a very strong selection and a clear choice for a single release. It's a pure pop confection without a hint of saccharine that feels just as fresh today.
With the stacked vocals, many folks including her brother think that Ramone and Karen copied the Carpenters sound and Richard's vocal arranging style. I may be in the minority here, but I just do not hear that. It's Karen's voice- the voice we love- but what's here doesn't have that choral feel at all. Instead, it's more jazz based, more free-flowing. Whatever your take on what was created, one thing is very certain. The public loved the sound of her voice even if they were tired of the Carpenters signature string and oboe laden style.
The man with the signature voice wrote specifically for Karen.
After one danceable number, one folk song, and one straight up pop tune, Karen follows it up with a song that was should have been a full on duet. Making Love in the Afternoon with its writer Peter Cetera of the group Chicago on background vocals is a very catchy, singable, contagious piece of ear candy. Like many of her musical peers, Peter loved Karen's voice. He took it one step further and offered to write for her project. I'm glad that Ramone and Karen liked what he created.
2024 bad KC knockoff from Brass Music Cafe.
The next year, Cetera would release a solo album that was buried by his label, but the following year, he'd have some pretty solid Top 40 hits with his band, including the David Foster produced Hard to Say I'm Sorry, which hit the top of the charts. Peter's vocals were so iconic and instantly recognizable that folks wondered what Chicago would do without him should he ever leave. Of course, he did, and he strung up more than a few gold records as a solo act including his unexpected duet with Amy Grant on Next Time I Fall.
Once more, Karen is ahead of her time.
The guitar focused song plays nicely against the disc's previous tracks. Karen's confident and relaxed, and it shows in how she approaches the lyrics. The song styling sets the stage for a sound that's worthy of radio play and a single release. Besides, big bonus points here for the nice Beatles reference. It's a sweet gesture pointing back to a group Karen loved. With Richard at the production helm, she never was paired with an outside vocalist for a duet. I do wish she's gone the whole way here. Still, it's a joy to listen to Karen harmonize with a man who isn't Richard. This isn't a slam on him at all. I love Salted Caramel gelato, but sometimes a bowl of Peppermint ice cream is a refreshing change of pace.
Thanks to the friend who sent it.
I had wondered why Karen did not ask Paul McCartney to duet. Even though they had met earlier, perhaps it was intimidation that held her back. Sir Paul did say Karen had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive". She'd also been called "one of the greatest voices of our lifetime" by Elton John, among others. Clearly, the Brits had good taste in vocalists!
Who is that? She did not look like this for the duo.
From first listen, I've really liked If We Try, but I long thought of this Temperton song as the runner up to If I Had You. Now, I much prefer it. The late night smooth jazz vibe makes it one of the strongest cuts on the album, and the sheer sound of Karen's voice here might just be my favorite on the disc. There's an intoxicating blend of those soulful deep notes that made her famous (but without the force lesser vocalists employ to make an impact) and the newer softer, lighter way she often sang later in her career. It's all so smooth, so creamy, so inviting.
The lyrics of this song feel like a natural fit. There's nothing contrived, no attitude, no posturing. You can hear Karen sing these words and really mean it. How did Rod approach his songwriting for Karen? Did they collaborate? He says,
"The way I like to write is to be able to direct my attention directly
to the artist and say now 'What do they like and what do they need?' and let's try to get together from that."
Rod Temperton to BBC's Robbie Vincent, October 17, 1981
The music is equally well executed. Those horns in the instrumental break lead into a quite sophisticated finale. It is pure listening pleasure from the first note. In fact, this song is my usual go to "Karen song" when I create a playlist that includes greats like Al Jarreau, Patti Austin, David Sanborn, George Benson and a host of others. Karen fits in perfectly, making me wish all the more she'd recorded a whole album in this vein.
How did Phil get that remarkable vocal sound out of Karen when there was so much pressure regarding the project? Two years before the publication of his book, in a January 2014 article for Sound on Sound, engineer Glenn Berger was asked the question about how Phil did this for every artist. His answer: "The key to getting a great vocal sound is about what happens between the producer and the artist. It is all about relationship." It's clear Karen trusted Phil and that a real friendship developed between them. The end result paid off in the studio.
I really like this quote by artist Dave Grusin about Phil: I’ve never found anybody in this business with better ears. He was also the very definition of mentor in terms of his vision and kindness. He always had a way of making us feel like everything was going to be OK." Kindness, yes. In a harsh world where winning at all costs has become the norm and few people actually wait to hear each other out, kindness and good listening skills pay off. In this creative partnership between she, Phil, and everyone in the studio, Karen felt seen, heard, and cared for, and she affirmed his gentleness toward her in an interview after the album's cancellation.
This is a good time to touch on one of the other major aspects of the album's creation.
Ramone's roots in jazz would come into play on Karen's album.
The juxtaposition of the Joel's band and Ramone drawing from his earlier background as an engineer on jazz recordings (most notably on The Girl from Ipanema with Stan Getz featuring Astrud Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim) laid the foundation for something unique. When all this is paired with Karen's silky smooth vocals, it was magic. Phil's genius in pulling different elements together gives the album a very distinctive feel.
When the songs fall on the smoother jazz or pop end of the spectrum, the more the album succeeds. The very few times the selections have a more edgy feel, they're not nearly as successful. Regardless of the setting, this world class singer brings it home many more times than not. Karen is that good, that unique, that versatile, that compelling.
Remember When Lovin' Took All Night ends the first half of the album. It's one of the weaker cuts. Honestly, I used to hate it. These lyrics are not subtle in the least, and it's not a good feel for Karen. She was much too classy for brash talk. Now, I've somewhat changed my mind on the song. I tolerate it. I appreciate the vocal work, reminding myself I've often said I'd listen to her sing the phone book.
There is one standout moment: When Karen sings "We'll take all night again tonight" and holds that very high note for quite awhile, I realized she was more powerful in her upper register than expected. I prefer the lower range of her contralto, but this works for what it is.
Olivia's producer John Farrar co-wrote it, but it feels like a mismatch, and he should have given Karen something much stronger. (I'd just love a Karen vocal on top of Olivia's Make A Move on Me track. Can't you hear it?) Musically, there's times Remember When reminds me of Mason Williams' popular Classical Gas. I often skip this dance driven number when playing the duo's Lovelines album as it adds nothing to it. Nor does it add much to the solo album. This and the next one are the songs I'd replace if it was my choice for the line-up.
Side Two begins with Still in Love with You, the album's rock / new wave cut. Ramone made his intentions clear when they began the project: "We're going to go a totally different direction with Karen, more into rock and funky stuff". Yep, sounds like the Cars. No, it's not totally convincing for Karen to sing in this style, but it is catchy. Might be the worst song on the album, but much like All Because of You, it makes you think twice about what she could do with that voice.
In reality, her mind was changing her body.
The next tune proves Richard was dead wrong in his objection to little sister doing a disco number. My Body Keeps Changing My Mind is old school Studio 54 magic in the best of ways. Even though she loved disco, Karen was not Donna Summer, so she played it all so differently, letting her cozy warmth stand elegantly against the coolness of the horns and the string swirling arrangement. Through it all, there's this sense of freedom and utter abandonment in her voice. That's part of the appeal of the genre. It can have its darker hedonistic side too, but not on this cut. If Barbra Streisand could get away with the frothy light disco of The Main Event/Fight, why couldn't Karen experiment with something for pure fun? Was she held to a different standard than her contemporaries? Definitely. It doesn't take too much imagination to picture My Body with an extended remix, giving Karen a very popular club record. Loved it at first listen, and I love it just as much today.
The photo flipped just for fun.
Three quarters of the way through the solo album, Carpenters purists have to rejoice by the inclusion of "Make Believe It's Your First Time"- and for good reason. The production is light handed, keeping the focus on the vocalist and the relationship. There's nothing in the arrangement that distracts from its powerful simplicity. This is more like the Karen fans are used to hearing.
From Wings of Pegasus- the best in depth analysis of Karen's voice.
In Making Records, Ramone says, "A vocalist is far more exposed when singing a ballad than when they're singing an up-tempo tune, because its easier to hide a crack in the voice behind the brashness of a busier arrangement.'' Karen could take the scrutiny of her voice because it was a world class instrument, and no one sounded like her. Put it under a microscope as several YouTubers have done with all the modern computer technology available, and you'll marvel at Karen's incredible range, depth, and consistency. No Auto-Tune was ever needed.
One of my favorite shots of all... in an extra large size.
Unexpectedly after the previous cuts, only a simple piano plays on this number and there's no additional vocals behind the lead. Karen's singing so intimately and yet so spontaneously, she sounds as if you're laying next to her. As always, she's clean and precise in her delivery. The inherent contradiction of perfection and natural ease in how she sang is Karen's calling card, making her like no other vocalist.
The solo version of “Make Believe Its Your First Time” is as much a revelation about the complexity of human relationships as Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me". It would have made an incredibly strong follow-up single. On the other hand, Richard’s production of the Karen's number misses the mark entirely. Frankly, it’s just overproduced.
What a boost these photos must have been to her self-perception.
Back to a playful mood. Guess I Just Lost My Head is a wonderfully sweet confection with stacked vocals that are a joy to hear! There's an ease in her voice that's pure and alluring. She never had to strive or work at it. Karen just lets those lower notes flow out of her as the song begins. When she moves into the chorus, the shift to a frothier tone is pure pop perfection. It's just so much fun! Matching the flirtatious feel of the lyrics, Karen sounds as if there's isn't a care in the world. She's not naive in any sense, but she's happy to be alive and ready to fall in love... or at least be swept off her feet into the bedroom.
A talented man who, like the rest of us, has his shortcomings.
There's bravery and then there's flat out making a statement. For Karen to cover Paul Simon's recent song Still Crazy After All These Years just a couple of years after he made it famous is gutsy. Ironically, for as harsh and insensitive as he was when he met Karen in the studio, this idea of his resulted in one of the best cuts on the album. Perhaps even the very best one. It was the song I looked forward to the most since I first heard of Karen's project. Sincere in its delivery with a sleek polish to set it apart, Karen's heavenly stacked vocals in the bridge, and a jazz flavored instrumentation featuring a smoking guitar to end bring it to a finale.
The end result is very clear, giving her some much deserved revenge:
Karen's version makes Paul's original sound like a demo.
In an imaginary world, there's a very happy ending.
After what I just wrote, you'd think that the previous song would be the one I play over and over. Close but no. It's actually the unfinished bonus track, Last One Singin' the Blues that's my favorite of all of them. Here, Karen's had it and is about to kiss off her deceitful lover. (How I wish she's done that in real life.) This is a live in studio cut. No enhancements, no stacked vocals, no embellishments. Nothing. Just Karen and the band, and she sounds absolutely fantastic. (Go ahead, stop and listen to it once more. Just focus on that "curl" in her voice on the word "play", and then tell me I'm wrong.)
This is the main point of the album: The microphone loved the sound of Karen's sumptuous voice and so did the music buying public. It deserved to be heard in previously unexplored settings if they were to give the duo a second look. The uncomfortable truth is Richard was in a creative rut. He was beginning to repeat himself or even just dusting up others' arrangements. The man was exhausted from the pressure and trying every trick he knew to revitalize their career, but Karen was also ready to try something new to bring it about.
How individuals feel about Karen's album may have to do with what else they were listening to at the time it was released or perhaps when they first connected with the Carpenters. The Karen you hear on the Offering album is not the one you hear on A Song for You and certainly not the one heard on her solo disc. Neither are the background vocals. These styles are just not the same. Listeners probably won’t like album if they much prefer Karen's younger huskier voice or Richard's style of arrangements. But many do and would have.
Whether it's earlier in her career or later, Karen's appeal comes from her ability to be transparent and effectively communicate the universal aspects of being human. Regardless of how we identify, we believe we see ourselves in her. We cheer her triumphs and mourn alongside her when things are not going well. The storyteller in her is so strong, every word she sings sounds autobiographical, even if it isn't.
This is one more reason the solo album might be dismissed: Karen is singing about the more carnal side of relationships. It's an area of her life largely untold in song prior to this point in time, so the album may be harder to relate to on a personal level.
There's no doubt Karen pushed the envelope with her creative choices, but when a musician or singer feels pigeon-holed and wants freedom to really stretch or reinvent themselves, they may overreact, sometimes to success, sometimes to excess. The duo certainly did this as well. Both the incredible 1972 single Goodbye to Love and the rather avant garde album Passage in 1977 raised more than a few eyebrows from fans and critics alike.
From that view, Karen Carpenter the album was just another career move in the same direction. The lyrical content on Karen's solo project is very unexpected, so it seems shocking and out of character. It could even be seen as a one-off by hard core fans who can't imagine Karen being anything but the girl next door or Rich's kid sister. Musically, given the era in which it was recorded and how the songs were presented, there are elements that timestamp the three dance-oriented cuts and the rock number.
Phil Ramone understood this. As told to the LA Times staff writer Jerry Crowe on the eve of its release : “Timing is important on a record release. I blame myself for some of the songs sounding a bit dated now, but it was recorded at the time of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and all those other disco hits. When it didn’t come out, I thought, ‘Oh, damn. This won’t have a long shelf life.’ ” (Thanks to Nemily on the A&M Corner Discussion Boards for this quote.)
The types of songs, the songwriters they used, and the arrangements are also varied throughout the duo's career. Burt Bacharach takes a different approach to a song than a Paul Williams, a Leon Russell or even the duo of Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. Additionally these writers also compose for artists in a totally different genre than those selected for Karen's solo album.
Lastly, there are the musicians found on each disc, equally contributing to distinctive sounds. Those young energetic players on Offering are not the studios wizards The Wrecking Crew that you'll find on Close to You, those used on Passage or Billy Joel's garage band for this project. The guest musicians come from the jazz and rhythm and blues world, not a background you'd find on most Carpenters albums.
It's only natural that our preferences for a particular type of music affect how we feel about an artist we love, especially when they stray significantly from what we expect. As for me, I love Karen's voice- period. She doesn't have to fit into any one mold for me to want to hear her. Therefore, it was thrilling to listen to my favorite artist stretch into new territory. Your mileage may vary.
The airbrushed photoshopped version.
The real untouched photo is yet to come.
"When Karen and I first sat down to talk about the project,
I had no idea the record we were about to make would stir up controversy
and lie in the vault for sixteen years."
Phil Ramone in his book Making Records
What if Karen Carpenter had been released to the public as originally scheduled for it to be?
Certainly a different side of Karen.
To look at her odds for success in 1980, it is helpful to look at what was selling toward the end of 1979. Just observing the Fall hits, there's some great diversity but there's also a thread of consistency. Karen was not alone in moving beyond what was expected of her. Artists from one genre were busy exploring and succeeding in new ones:
- Electric Light Orchestra changes it up with the disco flavors of Don't Bring Me Down
- Funky R&B artists the Commodores go full on Adult Contemporary with Lionel Ritchie on the lead with Still
- The Latin and Ballad sounds of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass veer to the dance floor with Rise as the A&M goes solo once more
- There's No More Tears for Barbra Streisand as she teams with Donna Summer for a hard core disco song for the ages
The end of year album charts include best sellers like Spirits Having Flown (Bee Gees), Christopher Cross, Bad Girls (Donna Summer), The Wall (Pink Floyd), Get the Knack, 52nd Street (Billy Joel), Candy-O (The Cars), and Off The Wall (Michael Jackson).
With the last three, the connection is there, setting up for a successful Karen Carpenter solo disc. By March of 1980, when the album was due for release, the charts reflected it was more of the same sounds: On the Radio (Donna Summer), Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen), Desire (Andy Gibb), Do That To Me One More Time (the new image breakout hit for The Captain & Tennille), and Too Hot (a mid-tempo smooth jazz hit by Kool & the Gang).
The charts would indicate it really was all systems go for Karen's solo project. Yet when you look at one more aspect of the upcoming charts, it's an even more powerful story that the timing was, in fact, perfect.
Rod Temperton in the studio.
You just cannot ignore the man's impact during the next several years. He knew the way he wanted his tunes sung and how they should sound. It frustrated some artists, but Rod was right about his rhythms and complex, jazz flavored vocal arrangements, They produced hits. Yes, he gave Jackson the title cut plus Rock With You and Burn This Disco Out for the Off The Wall album, but what was next for Rod? Which artist would he work with and in what timeframe?
Next up was George Benson's wonderful Give Me The Night album released in August 1980. The collection includes the iconic title song written by Temperton as well as others by him: The opening classic track Love X Love, instrumental Off Broadway, much loved "Star of a Story (X), and the smoldering "Turn Out the Lamplight". Again Rod did all the vocal arrangements on the album as well as laying out the feel for the record. The Benson disc hit #3 on the charts and won three Grammys a few months later.
The sound Rod created was hot! But there was still more to come.
Temperton songs gave them their biggest album to date.
The Brothers Johnson enjoyed the next collaboration with the hot duo of producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton. By now, Rod was a one man hit factory contributing seven songs for the duo's album which was released in April of 1980. All three singles released from it were Temperton songs. The first one, Stomp!, was a Number 1 R&B hit and a Top Ten smash on the pop charts.
What would Rod do next?
My favorite Quincy produced songs are here.
Quincy's own album, The Dude, showcased his strengths as a producer once more, and brought new talent with him for the ride. Variety was the spice of life here. Two of the four Temperton songs were major hits, bringing beloved vocalist James Ingram to the forefront of the music scene. (Check out my article on Ingram here. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the songs I mention in that post are written by Temperton as well.) Just Once was the bigger of the two, hitting number 17. But the next one, One Hundred Ways (a personal favorite and one of "our songs") scored slightly higher and later took home the 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
The match of songs and sound kept Rod Temperton music hot.
Baby Come to Me put her on the pop charts.
The great Patti Austin was next up to bat. With Quincy again at the helm, the album Every Home Should Have One featured four songs by Rod Temperton. This September 1981 album included the Number 1 smash, Baby Come to Me with James Ingram.
So catchy a record
and the whole album is noteworthy,
but my favorite on this disc is not a Temperton song.
The hits just continued, most notably with Donna Summer's snappy Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger), landing her yet another Top Ten hit on the Pop charts in 1982.
Thriller photo shoot outtake.
Of course just a year later, he's all over Michael Jackson's astounding Thriller album, where the very hot Rod Temperton contributed the iconic title cut as well as Baby Be Mine and The Lady in My Life. Rod's influence would continue on with his songs recorded by Michael MacDonald ("Sweet Freedom"), Manhattan Transfer ("Spice of Life"), Anita Baker ("Mystery"), and Aretha Franklin ("Livin' in the Streets").
Carrying the Carpenters future career at this point.
Back to Karen and her solo project now. Where would her album have fit in on this timeline? A&M Records would have released her album in the early Spring (according to the schedule in March) right before George Benson released his Grammy winning album later in August. Karen would have been the second artist after Michael Jackson to have that brand new sound and the very first female vocalist to adapt it.
Karen would also be the artist to cross those color lines in the mega-successful Quincy/Temperton catalogue, taking what some critics incorrectly called her "white bread" sound into a new arena.
With this move, Karen wouldn't be following the leader as if she'd gone the successful Barry Gibb route. Instead, she'd be at the forefront of a hot new sound- a fusion of Pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary, styles with her distinctive world class voice at the center of it all.
Naturally, we fans assume If I Had You would be the single because it was Richard's favorite from her album, and it was used to promote the duo's 1989 album. But the single could have been the song Lovelines as it does lead off the album. It is a Temperton tune, and Rod was very hot at this time.
"I'm more than who you think I am."
Karen was an absolute visionary in working with Phil Ramone ("The East Coast Quincy Jones") and in choosing Rod Temperton's songs! Think about Phil Ramone's comments which I quoted earlier:
''I didn't feel like her mentor...There wasn't one part of this album that she wasn't involved in, when she didn't have the reins."
We can debate all we want about the quality and style of the songs on Karen's solo disc and whether or not there was a hit on the album or if she sounds convincing singing more sexual lyrics, but we cannot deny that the chart facts of these other songs. That sound alone was popular enough to give a solid push for getting Karen's singles played on the air.
Former A&M promotions man Jon Konjoyan (left) with Billboard writer Paul Grein
and a famous songwriter you might be familiar with.
A reviewer like Paul Grein would have pointed out the similarities to help people give it a chance. Karen's stunning visual transformation would have surprised and delighted fans and made others take a look.
Even if her songs were viewed as mediocre at best, many, many hit records by other artists are made out of them- and Karen's solo release would have given the Carpenters a fresh start in a new decade.
Here's proof of truly awful but trendy records that were successful:
Good Night Tonight- Paul McCartney/ Wings.
Blondes Have More Fun album with the smash Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? by Rod Stewart.
Enough is Enough is Enough is Enough is Enough!
Alright already.
Who can ever forget the miserable Victim of Love by Elton John?
The suits at A&M Records should not have worried one single iota about Karen's legacy and the duo's success moving forward had they released it. If history and sales charts have proven anything, musical artists were forgiven for their supposed misstep into disco: Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Queen, Aretha Franklin, and even Sir Paul McCartney, and many more.
Richard and Karen together certainly made each other great, but in the later years, it was clear her voice remained a national treasure of sorts. Even in the years when their singles flopped, new album sales slowed, and Richard's arrangements became less popular than before, Karen remained iconic in the public's mind- and rightfully so. With the incredible popularity of Chris May and Michael Cidoni Lennox's book Carpenters: The Musical Legacy and Randy L. Schmidt's documentary Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection, it is clear that the public remains fascinated with the premier vocalist of 70's popular music.
A new Karen, warts and all.
The album isn't without its flaws, but it is totally Karen's. Would she have gained or lost fans? Hard to say, perhaps a bit of both as some dropped off when Richard added Tony Peluso's stunning rock guitar to Goodbye to Love or when the MOR choir was prominent on I Need to Be in Love and some fans thought the duo had lost it. Perhaps Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft was just too far out, too desperate for a hit and folks tuned out for good.
Karen with Joe Esposito.
Once rumored to be her new manager.
Karen knew the risks with doing something risky and trendy. She was well aware their career was on the line, stalled at best, and she chose the braver option rather than resting on the past and being happy collecting her royalty checks. In fact, I bet Karen was looking at many aspects of her life and rethinking it all.
"These are the '80s and times change,
and people have a right to change along with them.
Not that we have to throw away everything from the past,
just that we have to learn to look at old things in a new way."
So declared Olivia Newton-John when discussing her own Physical a couple of year later. She's certainly correct about the fickleness of fans and the need to constantly reinvent yourself. Particularly so in the shallow entertainment industry.
A new duo but now a solo artist himself.
Perspectives change over time. Our thoughts and feelings about people we encounter or events in our lives transform. We can choose to be better or be bitter about our disappointments and the choices we make of those made by others that cause pain.
This happened to Richard Carpenter. Let's look at what he had to say when it comes to his perspective on Karen's solo venture, how he first handled their discussion about it, and the songs she recorded.
As told to biographer Ray Coleman (in 1994):
"Phil's idea of maturity was to have her singing explicit lyrics. Paul Williams wrote fine lyrics for Rainy Days and Mondays and We've Only Just Begun without any gratuitous reference to sex. Ramone had her singing My Body Keeps Changing My Mind. Is that supposed to be mature?"
"Karen would mention every now and again that it would be nice to receive some accolades as a solo singer," he said in an A&M office in Hollywood. "Of course, that made me feel badly, because we were a duo. Lord knows, she was the star of the duo, but that's not quite the same.... I probably said something like, 'You're just abandoning ship, just taking off and doing what you want to do.' I was feeling sorry for myself...It was a combination of feeling I was being abandoned--which was anything but the case looking back on it--and thinking this was a perfect time for her to get some treatment for her disorder. So I was not happy, and I told her as much...I'm human and it did cross my mind that something could come out of this and just explode at which time I would be going through a number of emotions. I'd be happy for Karen because I always felt that she should have been in the Top 5. On the other hand, being sensitive and feeling I'd done a good job for the Carpenters I would have been a little bit upset."
Lastly, Richard makes his feelings clear in the liner notes of his sister's solo recording upon its release (1996)- "As time passes and events unfold, one's perspective on certain matters can change, as has mine regarding this album. Karen was with us precious little time. She was a great artist. This album represents a certain period and change of approach in her career. As such, it deserves to be heard, in its entirety, as originally delivered...plus one bonus track."
What would the famous producer tell the press and write in his later memoir?
Phil with his wife Karen Ichiuji ("Itchie") in 1985.
Phil Ramone upon the album being shelved to Paul Grein (1980):
"Naturally I'm disappointed, but if the album had come out with her tied up in the studio and unable to play clubs and concerts, that would have defeated it...She had to deal with the possibility of one career hurting the other; this LP was stylistically different from a regular Carpenters album. My fear, as I told her, is that I don't want people to think we made a stiff album and nobody wants to put it out...Maybe this was the stimuli the Carpenters needed to go into the studio and work real hard to make a new album."
Not allowed to stretch and grow and change?
Trapped by her own success?
Unable to fight for what she wanted?
An outtake from the Hush album.
In his Making Records book (2007), Phil recalls: "When Karen and I first sat down to talk about the project, I had no idea the record we were about to make would stir up controversy and lie in the vault for sixteen years."
Phil on Karen's album when it was finally released (1996):
“I hope her fans will excuse some of it, but I don’t apologize for any of it. I know how she felt about it, and I know how I feel. I still feel good about it. Some of the songs on there are definitely mature works--and worthy of Karen Carpenter.”
One day we'll see more photos.
From Rick- an Ordinary Fool
The Karen Carpenter album has achieved cult level status. Forty plus years after its original intended release, people all over the world are still talking about it as well as talking about the girl next door with the golden voice and the brother who put it to great use.
May 2024 issue- Still talking about the album.
Fan made vinyl even!
Karen Carpenter on a label for vinyl release- a fan made fantasy.
To sum up the sheer talent of his sister, Richard said it best in 2021 to "The Times" to reporter Will Hodgkinson while promoting his new solo album Richard Carpenter’s Piano Songbook: ‘Karen could have done so much more’
I love the solo disc for what it is- fresh, innovative, upbeat, and ultimately, a risk worth taking- but one where her voice shines in all genres.
People are allowed to reinvent themselves.
Although I prefer Richard's remixes, even listening to the original songs as approved by Karen, I find the album pretty darned good. In fact, the solo project ranks up there with my favorite discs by the duo. It sits confidently alongside Horizon and Close to You as among my favorites. I'll even go a step further without apology. It's not perfect- no Carpenters disc is either- but Karen's solo album is one of my very favorite albums by any artist ever.
Quincy Jones and Karen "Itchy" Ramone front and center.
Unexpectedly, Phil passed away in 2013. Beyond his last conversation with Karen a few days before she died, we don't know how much he spoke of the project again. Itchy shares a telling quote in honoring her late husband. Billboard's reporter begins:
"Ramone’s wife Karen, accompanied by her three sons, Matthew, Simon and BJ, closed the evening by thanking everyone who had come and reminded Ramone’s friends, family and artists, she said, “It was always about the song — never about him.” (Billboard's May 13, 2013 issue reporting on the May 11 industry tribute to the recently passed Ramone.)
Writer Patrick Kiger shares his insight after Phil's passing: "But if we didn't associate Ramone with such classic albums as Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years or Billy Joel's The Stranger, it's because he wasn't a control-board Svengali like Phil Spector, who reshaped artists to fit his own distinctive aural style. Instead, Ramone was more of a subtle influence, a coach who helped keep stars focused on connecting with their fans rather than pursuing technical perfection."
For many fans of Karen and her marvelous voice, her solo album was just one more connection point. An imperfect triumph of a humble but gifted individual we loved.
If her album hadn't been cancelled, things may have ended differently. If successful or even just well received by critics, A&M could have had many more decades of great music from this once in a lifetime artist. Mega hits are important, but successful catalogue albums and steady sales by respected artists also help build a firm foundation on which a label can prosper.
In the fantasy ending to Karen's story, she was finally in control, making her own choices, and surpassing the limitations imposed on her by others. The end result was all she wanted in real life- renewed health, happy marriage and lots of kids- and many more music projects, both solo endeavors and back as part of the Carpenters with Richard, the one she never forgot about or dismissed.
Above and below, a larger and then smaller representation of the full photograph
used for the inside of the Yesterday Once More album.
Usually after doing these Revisited/Fresh Look reviews, I'm so tired of the particular album. I don't listen to it for a long while. With Karen Carpenter, the process actually increased my desire to hear it. I play the album's last two cuts as often as I do any other Carpenters record.
Her voice continues to inspire.
There's a lot of story left to be told as I look at the Carpenters career one album at a time. Their music is the soundtrack to my life- and there's lots of stories left to tell about me as well. Karen threw herself back into work with Richard. A classy television special and the album Made in America was the result. For the next chapter in my story, the era of Made in America plays a special part. In the next Revisited / Fresh Look, I'll tell of meeting my wife. Was it coincidence or divine intervention? You'll have to read it to decide for yourself.
Look closely.
In reality, Karen looks tired and worn.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
A nice surprise! Just when you think you've seen all of them...
The dying of self for the pursuit of Him who made me. I couldn't shake this off, so I couldn't give up. I moved forward with my life. In that there were big challenges. Even though one by one my friends turned away from me, I pressed into my relationship with Jesus and was working through all my forgiveness issues. The above verses from the book of Matthew both challenged me and comforted me at the very same time. I had to be willing to die to all I knew to follow Him. That meant forgiving and moving on.
Karen and Richard pressed on in their career. Hopefully, there was an equally large measure of forgiveness in their relationship for the big and small offenses that divided them. Life's just too damn short to constantly look backward.
--------------------------------
This is part of a continuing series on the albums of Karen and Richard Carpenter. There are so many stand alone posts highlighting different aspects of their career, recordings, rare photographs, and life that I've lost count.
Below is the list of my "Revisited /Fresh Look" reviews and then my initial ones a decade earlier. Each have different photos and clippings.
My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:
My Initial Reviews of the albums:
