This next installment of my Revisited / Fresh Look series where I chronologically examine each album by Carpenters and the impact on my life is unique and different. A few years ago, author Randy L. Schmidt invited me to be a part of his excellent book Carpenters: An Illustrated Discography to discuss this very album. So now, A Kind of Hush holds an even more distinct place in my collection and makes this Revisited / Fresh Look unlike the ones before or after. What an honor and a treat to have a lengthy round table discussion with some fine gentlemen: Michael Lansing, roadie for the Carpenters during their 1976 world tour, and Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director for the Houston Grand Opera. I was clearly out of my league, but what a great night of conversation it was! My only wish would be to have the whole hour and a half recorded so I could remember it all.
At the time it was first released in 1976, A Kind of Hush would also mark a season where I saw the duo in concert for the first time and then again for a few years in a row. It would be during this season when I'd finally get to meet my musical idols face to face. For all this and so many more reasons, the often underrated A Kind of Hush stirs up the memories. Let's pick up where we left off after Horizon.
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"Do not dwell on the former things."
The above words come from the Bible's Old Testament in the book of the prophet Isaiah. By me quoting them, you'd think I was raised in a Christian home, but I was not. Still, this is solid advice! It's hard to look backwards. Doing so came at a higher cost than I wanted in order to review Horizon and my life around that time. Lots of painful reflection and taking a hard look at myself. Certainly necessary at times for growth, and I guess I needed to go through it. I'm happy go forward.
Back then, thankfully, in contrast to the incredible Horizon, the release of the Hush album ushered in a bit of a breather for me, a relatively happy but rather short season of my life.
As for the Carpenters, they were looking ahead as well. The damage was done with the Neil Sedaka incident (see the Horizon review for the details), but they also were moving on. Karen and Richard weren't sure how to recover from it all, but one thing was very certain as they took stock of their career: new management was a necessity- and that would be one of many big changes to come.
With new manager Jerry Weintraub in Lake Tahoe
on June 10th of 1976.
An interesting read...
On January 31, Billboard magazine had quietly leaked the news of new management for the duo, accurately speculating that industry superstar Jerry Weintraub was now manning the helm. Under the leadership of his company, Management III, a little known country boy named John Denver became a major star, and the careers of superstars Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and many others were reinvigorated or positively impacted by his promotional gifts. The announcement came later on February 14.
Change was on the menu for me as well. In the Fall of 1975, I began my final year of high school before I was sent off into the real world. No one in my family had ever gone to college at that point in time, and I had no idea of what to do with my life. My dreams of becoming a Disney Imagineer were crushed after going backstage with one at the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland. Where was I headed?
I was the only one of my circle of friends to be moving on in the Spring. The bulk of them were a year younger than I or were older and had already graduated, so the end of the school year meant saying goodbye in an even more painful way than normal. Effectively, I'd be moving on alone. I tried to ignore the inevitable. As always and sometimes even to this day, the music world was my go-to escape.
January 31, 1976 during the broadcast of the American Music Awards.
After a relatively quiet Fall, Richard and Karen resumed life in the spotlight, appearing on the American Music Awards early in the year at the end of January. I watched with eager anticipation for my favorite artists to arrive on the show. By this point, I was part of the official fan club, so I tuned into every television appearance. It was unexpected to see such a highly glammed up Karen grace the screen, but it was always great to see that smile. A wisely timed new single would come less than two weeks after the show. Given the subject matter, the release of the record on February 12 was a perfect marketing decision.
The US version of the new single.With an arrival for Valentine's Day, Karen and Richard's sweet remake of Herman Hermits' much loved There's A Kind of Hush All Over the World, was shipped to radio stations, where it received a fairly positive response. I knew the original recording very well as it was burned into my memory after all those years listening to the radio with my family in the 60s. As with many other recordings before, Richard's treatment of it made it seem like a brand new song.
Upbeat, charming, and playfully romantic, it was an intentional move away from the beautifully performed but desperate and hopeless subject of Solitaire. Karen's beautifully rich lower register notes gave way to a more youthful, girlish sounding voice. Richard's arrangement was also playful and original, with more nuance and depth than you'd imagine at first listen. Presenting the duo with a brand new sound, it was designed to make the public look at them afresh. When I first heard it on Los Angeles' KHJ hit radio, even my untrained ear knew Karen's vocal was faster, higher, and lighter than normal and sped up by the way it was mixed. Still, the lilting melody line, spirited arrangement, and especially the assortment of wonderfully stacked background vocals toward the end of the record made it an instant winner for me.
The very classy Billboard ad for the first single.
Listening to Top 40 Radio was a constant for me, but I didn't discover Billboard magazine until 1977 thanks to Tower Records on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Since then, the charts past and present have been of great interest particularly regarding the Carpenters. Looking at previous rankings reveals much of interest, particularly of the years where the duo's popularity began to fade. Critics often blame this disc as the beginning of their chart success slide downward, but the truth is definitely more nuanced.
When There's a Kind of Hush made its debut, the Billboard charts reflected many other popular artists mining gold from the same vein of yesteryear's chart hits. Linda Ronstadt built her sales career on songs like the rock-tinged reworking of her current hit, the Miracles' much loved smash Tracks of My Tears. Other popular oldies remade were more in the mainstream pop spectrum. A smartly done Sam Cooke hit from 1961, Cupid was imagined by Tony Orlando & Dawn, while newly rediscovered singer Frankie Avalon's version of Venus kept the oldie trend going. Although I was rather ambivalent about their earlier family records, I absolutely loved Donny and Marie Osmond's newest release. Their cover of the 1963 hit Deep Purple by siblings Nino Tempo & April Stevens was as good as anything the Osmonds had recorded. This was due in no small part to producer Mike Curb, the one time boyfriend of Karen.
Alongside this current slew of oldies was the brand new and very bouncy Lonely Night (Angel Face), another Neil Sedaka composition sung by the very hot Captain & Tennille. It was quite a year for these three. The duo's next hit single would be an even better recording- a remake of Shop Around, a song which suited them perfectly. Angel Face was already in the Top Ten when Hush debuted at number 75, while Neil's newly revised Breaking Up is Hard to Do (with strings arranged by Richard) was just starting its descent from it.
Certainly in the midst of all the oldies on the charts, Karen
and Richard were on trend with their new single, but they should have
been leading the pack instead of following it. In contrast to this sunny
pop sound from years past, the future of Top 40 radio and the
corresponding sales charts were represented by Donna Summer's iconic breakthrough Love to Love You Baby and the disco wave that would soon be hitting hard.
Karen and Richard were always a hit in Japan,
decade after decade.
The new Carpenters single started off well, solidly debuting at #76 the week of February 28. However, the chart run ended much differently. Week eight, Karen and Richard had to settle for #12 as the record's peak position, the lowest peak for a lead single since (They Long to Be ) Close to You. Making things worse, it was the same week that Lonely Night (Angel Face) was certified as the third gold single for Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. It had to be a bitter pill for Karen and Richard to swallow even if they handled any mention of the other duo graciously.
The marketing folks at A&M Records had quite the juggling act when both Carpenters and Captain & Tennille were recording. The release of each act's singles and albums had to be carefully timed as they were often deemed too similar to the buying public. Truth be known, it was probably easier for the promotion team to market fresh sounds from a new act that was actually a married couple than a well established brother and sister duo who'd spent six solid years dominating the airwaves. "The next big thing" always sells, so you can't really blame A&M for focusing on a lucrative new artist. But this is exactly where a great manager - or label head- should come in strongly. After all, the Carpenters were still the company's top selling artist. Unfortunately from the management side, neither Sherwin Bash or Jerry Weintraub considered the duo's legacy as something to be considered. Bash kept the duo on the road for much too long, while the more experienced Weintraub would saddle them with several ill-conceived television shows with mostly second tier guest stars. Neither seemed to think long term, and in hindsight, both managers damaged their career. But back to the music...
A popular song all over the world.
Above is the single from Croatia.
The Hush single certainly has its detractors and defenders, whether comparing it to what was happening elsewhere on the music scene or measuring it against the Carpenters' own track record. To this day, even die hard fans of the duo remain split on the single.
Yes, Hush was another oldie. Yes, it may pale in comparison to the harder edged Please Mr. Postman, and yes, it may have been a lower charting record than they hoped for, but There's A Kind of Hush (All Over the World) has an undeniable "It Factor" for me. I wore out that little 45 RPM single!
In a prematurely shortened career's worth of serious, sometimes dark and moody songs, Hush is a piece of brightly flavored, irresistible ear candy for the more melancholy soul. Richard may wish he never recorded it, but I fully disagree with him. I loved the record from the very first listen, and to this day, it remains one of my most played of all the duo's hits. Really.
Spain's version of the single
with a bit of Horizon's photo shoot.
In the final months of my senior year of high school, my young parents (36 and 34!) announced we were relocating from Westminster to Huntington Beach, California. Although just a few miles away, the disruption was not something I was looking forward to. It meant a long drive to school back in Garden Grove and increasing distance from my friends. It was just one more move in a very long line of going from one house to another. After a total of 21 times of moving within Orange County by the time I entered high school, the vagabond life was not something I wanted. This time, however, I had a car, so I had freedom.
Surprisingly, in the midst of it, I discovered an unexpected blessing. I truly enjoyed living close to the beach and being in our townhome on the canals of Huntington Harbor. Driving so far away felt a bit like a respite from the busier part of town we were from. There were new friends to be made and a new season of life coming. My immediate future post high school might be uncertain, but it was definitely time to move on. Not from my music, however.
Billboard ad on June 5.
Announcing I Need to Be in Love.
"So rarely said. So magnificently sung."
Perhaps with the best tag line ever created for the duo.
When I first heard I Need to Be in Love on the radio, something felt very different than anything else they'd recorded. It just seemed so personal a song. Almost spiritual like a prayer.
The arrangement was delicate, the production soft and gentle, making the recording seem as if the listener was intruding on a very private time of reflection. Even if a bit more fragile than usual, Karen sounded absolutely perfect- as she always did. Where she once would tear through the song like she did with Superstar or Rainy Days and Mondays, here there was little that showed off her depth, range, or power. Was Karen just showing her versatility and storytelling gift? Or did this song mean something special, and therefore, she gave it a very heartfelt and vulnerable reading? The song was another Richard Carpenter/ John Bettis composition, so certainly lyricist John had his finger on the pulse of how his friends were navigating life.
Billboard's review of a future- way future- Carpenters classic.
The first Carpenters single since their massive popularity
to have a generic A&M Records sleeve.
In spite of the tenderness of the music in the stanzas, I did expect the chorus to have a stronger backbeat, a few well placed Tony Peluso guitar flourishes, and all those powerful overdubbed vocals. Instead everything was subdued and as middle of the road as the Carpenters were often accused of being- complete with background singers later revealed to be labeled "the MOR Chorale". Talk about handing your enemies the ammunition! Any shred of rock credibility and respect built from Horizon instantly disappeared. But I had to admit, it was one beautiful record.
As an interesting sidebar- The
Talent Forum, an industry event, was held at the Beverly Hilton on June
2, just days after the release of the single. Both Jerry Weintraub and Terry Ellis were speakers. I can only
imagine the private conversation they may have had.
Of course, the Japanese single was better!
The
debut of the song at #55 was encouraging, but just as quickly as it was
on the charts, it began to fall off, peaking at just #25 eight weeks
later. Within a couple of weeks, I Need to Be in Love disappeared from the Top 40. Radio programmers deemed it was much too soft for current tastes, where songs like Elton John's duet with Kiki Dee, Don't Go Breaking My Heart and the Bee Gees' You Should Be Dancing ruled the airwaves. Ironically, George Benson's jazzy version of the duo's earlier This Masquerade was still climbing the charts, with his career making Breezin' album hitting Number One.
Nice ad!
With a little cleanup.
By now I knew the pattern. Since there was a second new single, an album had to be on the way, and it was. Two weeks after the industry announcement of I Need to Be in Love, the album A Kind of Hush was released on June 19 via a splashy full page advertisement in Billboard. With their career back in full swing, a week later, Karen and Richard set dates for United Kingdom tour in the Fall.
Concurrently, graduation came and went, and my life continued on as if it was just another summer. One evening while at the relatively new Westminster Mall, my friend and I walked into The Wherehouse store as I always did. (Musicland was the other music store in the mall. Licorice Pizza was a few blocks away.) My searching eye caught the new Carpenters album unceremoniously sitting under the display table at the entrance. What a contrast to the very prominent placement of Horizon upon its release! I grabbed an LP and headed to the register. My friend knew what was coming and said something along the lines of, "I know you want to go home to hear it, so let's leave." Pretty considerate and 100% accurate, especially for a Rock and Roll fan who didn't share but only tolerated my love for the duo's music.
Odd promotional tool for the album: a mobile.
Thanks to GBD2LV for the photos.
I quickly returned home and tossed the new album on my turntable.
As with a good amount of the second half of their career recordings, I'm going to stop here at this point and admit my thoughts on this album have ebbed and flowed differently over the years. Even as I write this, I have such mixed feelings.
There are so many personal moments I associate with this album, it can be hard to be objective: A Kind of Hush was the first Carpenters album I gave my wife while we were dating, the first time my father ever listened to one of the duo's albums with me, and the first one I purchased on 8-track so I could hear my favorite artists while driving.
As
I mentioned earlier, it was during the release of this album that I first saw Karen and
Richard in concert and met them both back stage afterwards. (Something I'll talk about in depth with the next album review.) Again, so many personal pieces of my history are tied to this album. These are great and happy memories, making a listen to this disc one that always makes me smile.
More objectively, upon in depth examination over the years, I've come to conclude the duo's seventh studio album is truly a collection of "almosts" compared to the body of work they created earlier in their career. Of course, I loved it at first listen! It was a new album and anything that Karen sang and Richard put together was great in my book. Even though much younger back then, I knew the collection to be a very different, and in many ways lesser, one than the magnificent album they had released a year earlier. (My comments to Karen when I met her backstage at the Riviera in Las Vegas a month later sadly and unintentionally revealed what I knew to be true. I wish I could take them back.)
As you'll discover by reading ahead, even my review of the album is full of contradictions.
Perhaps my favorite photo shoot.
The opening cut of the disc is where the "almost" comparisons begin. Industry
protocol requires one of the album's the strongest cuts to be
placed as the opening song on either side of an LP. Just from that perspective, Hush clearly communicates that things are not the same as they used to be. The first single is not in the same league as We've Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, Superstar, A Song for You or Yesterday Once More. Admittedly, hearing There's a Kind of Hush at the normal speed was very nice. Karen sounds much more natural, and in this way, the single opens the album of the same name in a very appropriate way. The lighthearted and rather relaxed flavor of the record fits the album's song selection to come- easy, very breezy, and unlike only a couple of selections on the disc, requires little of the listener other than to sing along and enjoy it.
As much as I love it, Hush is an "almost as good as the earlier "Please Mr. Postman, and almost as compelling as the live version that was to come. Granted, they are two different animals. Postman still had that radio friendly Top Ten focused accessibility that Karen and Richard needed at this point in their career. On the previous record, her lead vocals are edgier, the back beat stronger, and the overall arrangement more guitar driven. With all that being said, in proving that pure sentimentality and life association can overrule real objectivity, Hush usually beats Postman in this listener's view. Strings, harp, and softer guitar solos make Hush even less punchy than Postman, but this 1976 hit never ceases to put a smile on my face and warm my heart.
Sheet music for "You".
Must have been on tap for single release.
I was absolutely sure that You, the next song on the album, would be a single. It is the missed opportunity on this collection and another "almost" as in almost a single. Composer Randy Edelman, known for Piano Picker and the husband of famous singer songwriter Jackie DeShannon who also contributed this album, wrote a terrific song that should have been a good sized hit for the duo in the U.S.A. as well as in stronghold overseas markets like the U.K. and Japan.
You is a hit single- in the Philippines! The flip is another popular song there, I Have You.
You is retro Carpenters in a very good way. It's got all the piece parts of their earlier hits: a warm and inviting lead vocal where Karen shines using her beloved basement voice, a sentimental but solid set of lyrics just meant for radio, and all those luscious, soaring, backing vocals.
The record sounds like one in your memory, one you've always heard but never did until now. Perhaps working most strongly in its favor as a single, You includes another great guitar solo by Mr. Peluso that keeps the record firmly in the realm of pop radio. Unfortunately, this obvious choice for the third single was passed up in favor of one much less marketable. At least in the U.S.A.
You was ultimately shipped as a single in the Philippines. Proving the duo never really goes out of style for long, it was further popularized by someone very important 32 years later.
Singing for a President? Check. Singing with a President? Extraordinary!
February 14, 2008 from Filipino news agency GMA
(https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/80601/arroyo-sings-with-richard-carpenter-claire-de-la-fuente-on-v-day/story/)
Here's an explanation of the images above: "President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took time to sing with legendary 70’s singer Richard Carpenter and Claire de la Fuente in Malacañang on Valentine's Day. Richard, one half of the melodic pop duo, The Carpenters, made a courtesy call to President Arroyo on Thursday to promote an album. The President, wearing an orange V-neck dress, was accompanied by De la Fuente, a.k.a. "Karen Carpenter of the Philippines," in singing her favorite Carpenters song "I Have You."
As with other recordings from Karen and Richard, redemption and recognition often came many, many, years later.
Recording A Kind of Hush (not Horizon according to author Chris May).
From Sheena at the A&M Corner boards.
There's something about Carpenters songs that have names as titles. I think they must be cursed, and Sandy, the next cut on the album, is no exception. (That said, the excellent oldie Johnny Angel temporarily breaks the spell.) As much as I'm not a fan of Eve on the Offering / Ticket to Ride album, it is a fair assessment to say at least it has some bite. On the career establishing Close to You album, Mr. Guder has that great flute piece and some absolutely terrific background vocals, but it still doesn't hold up well overall. Now & Then's instrumental Heather is beautiful, but the very geriatric focused tune doesn't fit on such an upbeat collection. And please don't get me started on the Tan album's dreadful Druscilla Penny.
With Sandy Holland- the inspiration.
Sandy is a Richard Carpenter / John Bettis tune that just feels out of place on the follow up album to the ambitious Horizon. Pleasant pop but pure filler. An ode to their hairdresser that seems to be marking time. It's a nice sentiment, but is it the basis for a song by one of Pop's biggest acts of all time?
Certainly, there are positive elements on Sandy- the vocals are the standout and Tom Scott's flute solo is nice- but this recording screams MOR, further cementing that Karen and Richard had lost touch with their radio listening, record buying, audience. It's another "almost", as in almost elevator music. An instrumental version of the song was very much at home on Richard's 1997 solo album, Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor. Once again, I will disagree with Richard here. Unquestionably, Sandy is the low point on an already out of the mainstream disc.
Who in there right mind would tell Richard and Karen to wear this
for the cover shot of People magazine?!?
Image problems were constantly an issue for the duo, and the one-two punch of Sandy followed by the next selection, Goofus, meant this album would find itself diving off the sales charts before it ever really got going. Was it that the lightweight Goofus was the third and final promotional single for the album? Perhaps this was unfair. Maybe not. Regardless, album and single sales numbers were a strong clue from buyers that something needed to change next time out.
I love the pics from this Ed Caraeff photo session!
Regarding image, I find the range of photos used for A Kind of Hush and the album's design and art direction to be among my favorites. Karen and Richard look fresh, contemporary, upbeat and happy.
For once, the duo looks as young as they really were. Given the depth and maturity of their musical output, it was easy to forget that in 1976 when this album was first released, Karen was a mere 26 years old and Richard not yet 30. Think about this: They were seven studio albums into making timeless music that the world loved, but they were still young adults. Truly gifted beyond their years.
Photographer Ed Caraeff captured them very relaxed and at peace- a nice image to put in front of their audience after a tumultuous prior year of bad health and poor publicity.
The record labels are just a beautiful piece of work!
Album related scans from the excellent
VinyalAlbumCovers.com
While the album "window pane" concept may feel a bit dated now, it was it rather unique at the time. Had the fan club sold the actual etched window, I would have jumped at the chance.
A VERY large slice of the Carpenters wallpaper used inside the sleeve.
One of my favorite design elements!
Click on it for the largest size.
Lastly, if A&M Records Art Director Roland Young was responsible for the custom vinyl labels and the Carpenters "wallpaper" (inside the sleeve), all I can say is "Thank you!" This very classy work still impresses me almost five decades later. If only the music were as strong as the visual package that contained it.
To this day, seeing that logo gets me.
Goofus baffles me. Taken as a one off novelty song, this remake of a Les Paul & Mary Ford number (which was in itself a remake of a 1930s song), is a lot of fun. Old friend and Richard Carpenter Trio alum Wes Jacobs shows up to play "Rock Tuba". (Too bad it is Cubby O' Brien and not Karen on the drums or it would be a mini-reunion!) The very talented Bob Messenger, who always shines on record, gives the old tune a sassy and playful sax solo as well its era consistent cheek pop.
The Album sticker, perhaps showing the label had no idea what the 3rd single should be!
Does that mean Goofus belongs here? No, not at all. Who could take the duo seriously after hearing this on the radio? It may come from the same general era as I Can't Dream, Can't I? from their previous album, but it is also the exact opposite in style, elegance, and ultimately, importance. And it is certainly not the record to beat out You for the final single from the album. I wish it had been saved for a rarities disc or perhaps used as a previously unreleased "B" side. I won't hold it against them as every artist is entitled to a few mistakes and miscalculations. It is almost but not quite Karen and Richard's Muskrat Love, the very cutesy and popular but what-were-they-thinking, career killing song by the Captain & Tennille.
Was Jerry too busy with John Denver and starting the Windsong record label to pay attention to Karen and Richard?
There seemed to be no plan in place for a single beyond I Need to Be in Love. I don't know who is ultimately to blame. When Fan Club members are
asked what should be the next release from the album- and they were- that signals a BIG problem. Again, was no one paying attention to their career? Was manager Jerry Weintraub too busy with John Denver? With
the end result of it being one of their lowest ranking singles to date, Goofus, was an embarrassment on the sales lists and a major misstep in their career. Their image would never fully recover while Karen was alive. Clearly, Goofus was not lucky for them.
Several weeks after its release, I had enrolled in the local community college,
becoming friends with the newspaper's editor. I bravely wrote a review
of Hush, (including some encouraging words about Goofus: "Every Carpenters album has a surprise." This should tell you how bad it was because I still remember it!), attempting to get it more publicity even if the album was old news by that point. I
was clearly a fan and a nerd, 100% out of touch with what was playing
in the cars and on the turntables of my peers. Thankfully, my review was
never published.
Above two images by Steve Schapiro
This one was used for People magazine.
To finish looking at the first side of the album, I guess that leaves Can't Smile Without You, written by the members of English pop group Butterscotch. Chris Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow put together a song that a few folks found worth recording at the same time or so, each believing Can't Smile had hit potential- but only one would eventually have success with it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be Karen and Richard.
Whether it is the original arrangement or the recut/remix worked by Richard in 1977 to be released as the B side to Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft,
I've never really been taken with the song. (As I die-hard collector, I'm thrilled to have both versions.) Sure, you can sing along to
it. Yes, it is pleasant- even pretty, and yes, Karen sings it
as sweetly as can be, but there's nothing substantial to ground it and build upon. After all these
years, I do not favor one version over the other. As recorded, it's just not that
interesting of a choice.
The irony is not lost in realizing renowned Rock and Roll Derek & the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon, a gifted but troubled soul sentenced to a life time in prison for murder, plays on Can't Smile and almost the whole album, but the end result is the absolute softest of all Carpenters studio collections. (Sandy as well as the aforementioned Goofus were performed by Cubby O'Brien). It gets even more perplexing.
In contrast to his work with his band, many other rock acts (Alice Cooper to Steely Dan to Frank Zappa and more), and on the previous Horizon, Mr. Gordon's contribution on this tune is barely noticeable.
In thinking this through, all this brings up what should be the more obvious question, "Why is Karen not playing drums?" A Kind of Hush would be the first album where she is not behind a drum kit at all, nor would she do so in the studio ever again sans the partial secondary credit given on Made in America's beautiful When It's Gone (It's Just Gone). For better or worse, Karen was now just the "girl singer". Even if she was the world's best female vocalist, her drumming talent was an essential part of her gifts. From this point forward, it was reserved for the television specials or showcased as a one off occurrence when playing live in concert. That's a shame.
In each of their prior albums, Richard's arrangements gave the duo's songs memorable hooks and creative flourishes that only he could have envisioned. These timeless, trademark touches identified the Carpenters sound beyond Karen's iconic voice, and combined with it, the duo created recording magic. On Can't Smile Without You as with the two selections before it, there's a definitive lack of innovation, creative spark, or perhaps just ambition and energy to make this song all it should have been. The duo's second attempt at strengthening the record only make it different but not better.
After others had tried, Arista artist Barry Manilow eventually found the magic in Can't Smile Without You. His is the memorable and definitive version. Redefining the song with his trademark big ending, a simple but powerful change in a key lyric, and borrowing Richard's clever whistle but using it as an introductory hook, Barry took it all the way to Number Three in 1978 during the peak of Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gees resurgence. That in itself was quite an accomplishment.
A look at the photo shoot
.
The last three tracks of the album's first side are so soft, so airbrushed, so lackluster, that I will often skip them when
I am running short on time but want a "Best of Hush album" fix or when
making my own Carpenters compilation.
Sounds magnificent on my turntable-
and it looks great too!
Honestly, A Kind of Hush is a listening experience I call a "headphones album". The disc sounds absolutely terrific when you pop on a set enabling you to hear all those pristine vocals by Karen (but you barely ever hear Richard! It's almost "All Karen, all the time").
The strength of Richard's subtle production elements become all the more pronounced and impactful. As always, the work of the studio musicians throughout is just superb.
Long time connoisseurs of Karen and Richard's work looked forward to another dish of musical baklava- luscious layers of delicate dough worked to perfection, studded with subtle distinct flavors, and drizzled with the best of honey. Instead on Hush, the end result is a plate full of beignets- warm, irresistibly delicious, with well constructed elements but drenched in much too much powered sugar. You have to dig for the best parts. They are definitely there, but you still can only eat a little at a time.
The problem is the inherent contraction. The source material screams the album is really a "play in the car and sing along while going for a leisurely drive" type collection. It's difficult to have it both ways, leading to an ambivalent assessment of the duo's efforts here by fans and critics alike. In the excellent Carpenters: The Musical Legacy book, Richard himself slams his work, calling it a "nothing album" and "not one of my favorites".
The back of the album jacket.
There are very classy design elements here.
The photos and art direction are just lovely.
In absolute contrast to the last three cuts on Side One of Hush, I almost never skip the
first three on the disc's second half. They are, in fact, some of my favorite
recordings by Karen and Richard in their entire catalog. They're that strong, I would argue that if the sides would have been reversed, the album would have been much better received!
Richard might have had to change the album title (Made in America would have worked since it was the country's bicentennial year), and perhaps there would be the task of replacing the incredible artwork, but the disc may have been taken more seriously by fans, critics, and radio programmers.
The
connecting threads between these three superb songs are Richard's
incredible keyboard work and Karen's unpretentious but compelling vocals. They are at the top of
their craft in these recordings even if they are not as beloved as ones
from the hit-producing years.
The promotional video has some great moments.
I Need to Be in Love was the first song on the album to truly demand my attention. I'd listened to it so many times by this point in time that I thought I knew it. The extended opening was not what I'd heard on the radio, and this reframed my entire listening experience.
As a producer, Richard always strove to give album buyers something beyond what was expected. I've always deeply appreciated his love for the art of the LP. I'm convinced his view of the project as a collection to be considered as a whole is one reason their recorded output feels so seamless disc by disc. Yet each one is different than the one before or after and stands on its own as a work of art.
As might be expected, I Need to Be in Love is the album's heartbeat. Fans would assume lots of layered vocal work by Karen and Richard, but here, they are both well hidden in the background. Nonetheless, though rightly criticized by many as an inferior production choice compared to what should have been, the adult contemporary choir may be responsible for giving the record its spiritual sounding flavor... and it may have killed its chance for success at Pop radio. Regardless, the OK Chorale is mixed down in later versions, most notably for the single release in Japan decades later.
That said, the whole recording is one elegant outing! Richard's very understated piano intro is followed by a beautiful line by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's principal flute David Shostac. When you add in tasteful pieces by Gayle Levant on harp, that distinct "Carpenters" oboe by Earl Dumler, and the very lightest of touches by Tony Peluso on guitar, you know this is going to be one classy and timeless song. It's clearly not rock- but it wasn't meant to be. (Check out Carpenters historian and author Chris May's interview with Levant and Dumler here).
The lead vocal is no less special. Ever the consummate stylist, Karen expertly straddles the line between despair and acceptance as she caresses the lyrics, taking her artistry to the next level. It's emotionally just one step away from the total surrender of Goodbye to Love but every bit as powerful.
Long known to be a very special recording to Karen, she had this to say about it two years later in a 1978 interview:
"In
my opinion that's one of the most beautiful things we ever cut and one
of the most beautiful things Richard and John have ever written.
That's a really important song, even today. It's my favorite. A really special part of the show."
Reader's Digest compilation Liner Notes.
Thanks to GaryAlan at the A&M Corner boards.
Image from the hour long Japanese special on one song: I Need to Be in Love.
A full decade later after her passing, the song would become a major hit in Japan, forcing a reassessment of it. Karen's evaluation of the tune would prove to be right. Other than tribute acts, few artists choose to try their hand at this song. Like many others in their repetroire, this song belongs to Karen Carpenter alone- and it always will.
After the rather breathtaking and heartbreaking intimacy of I Need to Be in Love, the unembellished and quite elegant One More Time slides in. At first listen, it seemed like the lesser of the two cuts. Decades later, I'd argue the song is its equal, just different.
Songwriter Lewis Anderson, an opening act for the Carpenters in 1975, performed this song in his set. Richard took notice of it and crafted a version designed to showcase Karen's strengths. He might take heat for missing what was there on a few songs he arranged, only to have them later be made famous by another artist, but on One More Time Richard nails it. Perfectly.
After hearing the duo's version, Seals & Crofts covered it on the Takin' It Easy album. Many of the Carpenters band members were involved: Gary Sims, Doug Strawn, and Tony Peluso. The newer 1978 version is a much busier and far less effective production.
Beautifully picturesque, here is late night music at its finest. Proving that sometimes less is more, Richard's restraint and good taste once again demonstrate that all he and Karen really needed to make great music were the two of them at the piano.
This often overlooked recording is one of Karen's finest performances. She fully immerses
herself into the story here and almost gets lost. The words aren't forced, as if she's talking to herself, deep in reflection while looking at old beloved photographs. Karen's
pronunciation on certain words bring out her interpretive skill, inducing the "chill factor" as only she could do. When she murmurs the words "Baton Rouge", you can almost see the fireflies buzzing around the Spanish Moss drenched oaks through the window.
There's a few moments that bring even more of the "chill factor" later on when the strings come in and Joe Osborn's bass hits the right notes at just the right time. One More Time is the ideal saloon song, much like Ordinary Fool which was recorded for this album but not included. When Karen delivers her last silky note and Richard and Earl Dumler join forces to bring the song to its conclusion, I'm always left wanting to hear it again.
Husband and wife artists and songwriters Jackie DeShannon and Randy Edelman in November of 1976. The year was good for them- they married, had two songs on this album
as well as Barry Manilow's hit Weekend in New England.
The trio of these stellar songs concludes with Boat to Sail, my favorite song on the album.
After the two most heavy and dramatic selections on the collection, this playful upbeat tune is a refreshing and much needed break. Put A Little Love in Your Heart lyricist and What the World Needs Now singer Jackie DeShannon included it as part of her New Arrangement LP- with none other than Brian Wilson guesting on the background vocals. She later had it submitted to Richard for consideration. He may not have given the end result much thought or even respect in the years since recording it, but Richard did give it one perfectly brilliant arrangement!
"I'm a California label from the top of my head." With a line like this, I knew I was about to hear something very contemporary. Richard's breezy piano work is effortless as if he's having the time of his life. The sensual guitars and an inspired use of percussion combine with layers of background vocals to create a piece unlike anything they'd recorded to this point.
His genius is evident, but it's Karen's voice I first fell in love with, and on this number she is front and center in the spotlight. Her vocal performance is unexpectedly flirty, confident, a bit sultry, and certainly inviting. Throw in those stacked vocals, and I'm taken in by it all. Honestly, it's a record I just can't resist.
Boat to Sail was
one of music's very first forays into a new genre by a sales giant. The identifiable approach would later be
dubbed "Yacht Rock", a style that exemplified the relaxed California
lifestyle and sound. Many pop and rock artists took turns at the genre, but it
my mind, the flavor is most famously first heard in the 1980 tune Sailing by Christopher Cross. I only wish their later Sailing on the Tide was this good.
In sheer coincidence, my move to Huntington Beach brought me two new neighbors, twin girls my age who loved to sail and took me along for several afternoons. Totally carefree, cruising the waters under the iconic California sky. Add one more great memory to those already connected to this album.
Boat to Sail is my very favorite Carpenters song. No qualifications.
This choice may seem like blasphemy not only to die-hard fans but even to more casual listeners. When you dig into their musical legacy, songs like Superstar, We've Only Just Begun, and Goodbye to Love would seem to be the obvious contenders for recordings that best represent Karen and Richard's artistry. Yesterday Once More would be a sentimental shoe-in, and Only Yesterday an oft mentioned display of the best of their talents. But the impact of music and the love of particular songs, albums, and artists is very personal. It's all colored by the life of the listener.
In
more recent years, my eldest son and I discuss music almost weekly,
comparing not only what we're listening to and sharing music and chart
trivia but also making recommendations. (He's a hardcore Prince fan.) I
was again explaining my well known love for Karen's singing, and he said, "Some
voices just resonate with us and connect deeply. We may never totally
understand why."
The last song to be composed by Richard and John Bettis is one that's grown in stature with me as the decades have flown by. Karen duets with herself giving it the feel of a lullaby, so I Have You
would easily fit on an album marketed to little kids, but it is far from childish. There are moments of that rich basement voice that bring an honest to goodness mature self-assessment to "I was born to belong to the lines of a song and make them my home."
It is the pure untouched beauty of that voice that sells the story she's sharing. As with the rest of the album's lesser known songs, I Have You's
tenderness and soft touch make it quite unfriendly to Top 40 radio, and
it causes many folks to overlook the song's depth. It's there waiting
to be discovered.
On this disc, Karen never pushes her voice. She never shows off, she just sings. It is the best part of this album from start to finish.
When I first turned over that album cover in the record store, I was very excited to read the last song title, "Breaking Up is Hard to Do",
I could hear it in my head. On the popular, must-read discussion boards of the A&M Corner, we participants play a game that became its own long lasting thread, "Nonexistant Carpenter Songs That You Can Just Here". Knowing the Neil Sedaka classic as I did and loving his newer torch song take on it, I could hear Karen absolutely kill Richard's ballad arrangement. It was not to be.
At the time, I wasn't aware the Carpenters and Sedaka had sung this on tour in Las Vegas when the opening act joined the headliners for this very song. (Check it out.) It was so well received that perhaps Richard thought it would be fun to include a version on the new album... as well as to patch things up with his former nemesis.
Playful and fun, the duo's upbeat version is very well constructed. Richard gives this remake a slightly slower tempo than the 1962 original, and the swirling strings, snappy saxophone work - and all those sparkling vocal stacks, a trademark of this album- give it as different a feel as could be expected. Karen sings in an appropriately higher register and a much stronger than on other selections here, but still, the end result is somewhat unsatisfying and disappointing compared to what could have been.
Perhaps an uptempo version was recorded as a courtesy as to avoid upstaging Sedaka and his popular ballad version. No singer could ever compare to Karen, so why invite more trouble? All recording his tune really accomplished was filling Neil's wallet with additional cash. Given the heartache Sedaka caused the duo, this was a very generous and gracious move on Richard's part.
The press promotional kit.
Thanks to my friend for this!
As designed, Breaking Up was almost a perfect choice. Making it the closing ballad would have brought balance to the album and shown this collection to be worthy of a deeper look. They could have recorded The Hungry Years, still giving Sedaka the songwriting royalties. What a song it'd make for Karen to interpret!
Instead of a ballad take on the classic record, listeners would get another tune with a gimmick- Richard playfully talks to the guys in the band while Karen continues to sing on. This would be the third time on the disc that Richard would use a musical touch that seems frivolous and even unnecessary. There's also the whistle on Can't Smile Without You and the cheek pop on Goofus. These are all fun to hear, but when added to an already bubblegum focused collection, these choices communicate the duo's work to be a pretty insubstantial effort this go around.
