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Post by Rick Henry on Feb 4, 2005 23:04:11 GMT -5
After listening to "Please Mr. Postman" today I began to think about songs which were already a hit by another artist before C's recorded it (them). And which of these songs are basically nowadays recognized as a Carpenters song. Any Ideas here? Of course we know songs like "Superstar" and "Close To You" are covers but it's the Carpenters who made these songs famous. But there's others like "Please Mr. Postman", "There's A Kind Of Hush", "Jambalaya", "Baby It's You", "I Believe You", "Our Day Will Come", "Johnny Angel", "I'll Never Fall In Love again" and others. I would have to say "Jambalaya" on the worldwide sense is primarily known as a Carpenters song. Eventhough Hank Williams Sr. wrote the song and had a #1 with it decades before the Carpenters did it. for some reason the C's version is extremely popular around the world.
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Post by enigma on Feb 5, 2005 2:48:39 GMT -5
I would have to go with Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft I think its is better known as a Carpenters song than the previous group that had a hit with it called Klaatu.
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Post by Will on Feb 8, 2005 1:17:29 GMT -5
An interesting question, Rick. I'll have to research it.
But, it also made me think of all the songs that I don't really know the 'lineage' to.
Example: 'Please Mr. Postman' -- I always figured it started with the Beatles. But, as I understand it, the song was written and performed before they got a hold of it.
And another thing -- I was at an Arby's Fast Food place the other day and they were playing oldies. I had to stop and listen as they played several songs that the C's eventually covered on their own. It was fun to listen to the originals. Of course, the originals were good, but I prefer the C's versions. The C's seemed to stay quite true to what I think of as the originals.
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Post by smoothie2 on Feb 8, 2005 1:20:44 GMT -5
$% What a great answer Enigma...I really like that Occupants.....I surely didn't know anything about Klaatu, and never really thought about where that song came from originally...Perhaps Sweet Sweet Smile might be one...or Merry Christmas Darling...? (hey, I'd never make it to Jeopardy...!)
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Post by Moe on Feb 8, 2005 8:46:27 GMT -5
"Sing" started as a children's song on Sesame Street, if I remember correctly, and the Carpenters definitely turned it into their own classic.
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Post by Rick Henry on Feb 8, 2005 23:39:43 GMT -5
An interesting question, Rick. I'll have to research it. But, it also made me think of all the songs that I don't really know the 'lineage' to. Example: 'Please Mr. Postman' -- I always figured it started with the Beatles. But, as I understand it, the song was written and performed before they got a hold of it. And another thing -- I was at an Arby's Fast Food place the other day and they were playing oldies. I had to stop and listen as they played several songs that the C's eventually covered on their own. It was fun to listen to the originals. Of course, the originals were good, but I prefer the C's versions. The C's seemed to stay quite true to what I think of as the originals. Hi Will! Yes, "Please Mr. Postman" was a #1 hit in 1961 for the female Motown group the Marvelettes. They also had hits with "Twistin' Postman", "Don't Mess with Bill", "Too Many Fish In The Sea", and "Beechwood 4-5789". Wouldn't it be interesting to make a compilation disc of all the original recordings by the original artists of the songs in the "Now And Then" oldies medley. That would be a pretty good listen.
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Post by enigma on Feb 9, 2005 9:08:35 GMT -5
Wouldn't it be interesting to make a compilation disc of all the original recordings by the original artists of the songs in the "Now And Then" oldies medley. That would be a pretty good listen. Way ahead of you Rick I think I mentioned this in an earlier post but I did place all the songs in the oldies medley by the original artists in the same order as the Carpenters sang them and even led it off with Yesterday Once More like on the album. Yes it was quite interesting but the Carpenters put it together better it was more consistent in sound and style as expected. &^ *%
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Post by Sammy on Feb 9, 2005 16:59:40 GMT -5
Eventhough Hermans Hermits had a big hit with Theres A Kind Of Hush I still think of it as being a Carpenters song. They changed the sound and approach to the song. They made it their own.
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Feb 17, 2005 14:46:23 GMT -5
$% My favorite cover has to be "Breakin Up Is Hard To Do"....it just has such a crisp sound...the drums are crisp, the guitars are snappy, the pianos are just the right level, and are good and stacato sounding....the harmonies are tight, and blended perfectly - I think Neil Sedaka must be jealous that Karen and Richard did his song better than he did - and he put it out twice - the first time as a pop tune, and the second time as a ballad. Though I prefer to perform it as a ballad, I think Carpenters did a fantastic job covering this one as a pop tune- better, by far, than the original artist. ~Best to everyone Tim
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Post by JIM on Feb 18, 2005 2:54:35 GMT -5
!@ This is a tricky question when you are geared to the sound and style of Carpenters music. My pick would be Ticket To Ride the Rc flip effect. If fast try slow. Tim I love Breakin Up but I think Laughter In The Rain might have been a better Sedaka cover. My dream cover would be The Look Of Love.
JIM
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Post by karen69roland on Feb 18, 2005 3:28:58 GMT -5
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Post by JIM on Feb 18, 2005 3:43:58 GMT -5
!@ Hey fellow insomniac Roland! This is off topic but I would love to see Dionne and Richard team up for a recording project. I think it would be a match made in heaven.
JIM
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Post by Rick Henry on Feb 19, 2005 2:07:34 GMT -5
.My dream cover would be The Look Of Love. JIM "The Look Of Love" is a natural for Karen. Dusty Springfield sang it beautifully. Same with Lani Hall (Sergio Menndes and Brasil '66). But Karen she would have done more than just sing the song beautifully. She would have taken it out of this world.
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Post by Ming on Feb 19, 2005 3:35:54 GMT -5
I think Karen's recordings are better than anyone,they have made all cover songs their own. Yes, some originals are good,but Karen always made a nicer version.
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Post by Rick Henry on Feb 19, 2005 12:56:24 GMT -5
I think Karen's recordings are better than anyone,they have made all cover songs their own. Yes, some originals are good,but Karen always made a nicer version. I'm with you here Ming. I think all the songs the Carpenters remade are better than the originals. Even the Beatles songs they recorded are atleast as good as the Beatles. I know Enigma's going to get me for saying that. The C's "Ticket To Ride" is atleast as good as Beatles. But you can't really compare the Beatles' recording to the Carpenters' because they are two completely different songs. One a ballad, the other an upbeat pop tune.
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Post by enigma on Feb 19, 2005 15:31:57 GMT -5
I'm with you here Ming. I think all the songs the Carpenters remade are better than the originals. Even the Beatles songs they recorded are atleast as good as the Beatles. I know Enigma's going to get me for saying that. The C's "Ticket To Ride" is atleast as good as Beatles. But you can't really compare the Beatles' recording to the Carpenters' because they are two completely different songs. One a ballad, the other an upbeat pop tune. There is no doubt that the Carpenters made all the songs they did their own Richard said that he never wanted to remake a song and have it sound like the original and he was very successful in doing so. Ticket To Ride is a good example of this I do appreciate Richards attempt to make this song his own by slowing it down change the melody etc and its true I do not agree that its is as good as the original but it was a start one very simular example that I think is very well done and only slightly edged out by the Beatles was their Nowhere Man song I feel they really got it right on that one very simular approach to the Ticket To Ride song. I just do not feel Richard did a good job on that particular song (TTR) though I defend Karens vocal on the song I do not rank it as her best either a good but not great song. Now and then the Carpenters would redo a song and not get it right sorry Tim I have to put Breaking Up Is Hard To Do among those below par attempts at redoing a song. 90-95% of the time Richard and Karen were right on the money made remade songs their own and often surpassing the original.
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Post by JIM on Feb 19, 2005 15:38:42 GMT -5
%% Hey Rick. Man I don't know where I got the idea that Dionne sang the Look Of Love. I was in Borders yesterday and while I was looking over a Bacharach compolation, TLOL Dusty. Did Dionne cover it? I must agree that both Beatles and Carps Ticket are both equally great in different ways but personally the cover by the Carpenters is so full of expression and meaning. Karen voice conveys so much emotion that the lyrics are totally transformed into a story of loss and when I hear the same lyrics sung by the Beatles, I hear She don't care and so what, by. Its still a great pop arrangement.
JIM
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Post by Rick Henry on Feb 20, 2005 1:37:09 GMT -5
one very simular example that I think is very well done and only slightly edged out by the Beatles was their Nowhere Man song I feel they really got it right on that one very simular approach to the Ticket To Ride song. I just do not feel Richard did a good job on that particular song (TTR) though I defend Karens vocal on the song I do not rank it as her best either a good but not great song. Now and then the Carpenters would redo a song and not get it right sorry Tim I have to put Breaking Up Is Hard To Do among those below par attempts at redoing a song. 90-95% of the time Richard and Karen were right on the money made remade songs their own and often surpassing the original. Thank you Enigma for mentioning "Nowhere Man". Karen's vocal on this track is outstanding. she sang with depth and maturity. Yet was only 17 years old at the time. Also to Enigma,. I agree and disagree with you on "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". for a Carpenters song I agree it's one of their weaker tunes. It's fun and all - but not really a strong Carpenters song. Though you put it next to Neil Sedaka's original recording from 1961 and I have to go with the Carpenters by far. Neil voice just does not do it for me. Even on Neil ballad recording of the song I still prefer the Carpenters.
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