Post by cam83 on Aug 13, 2005 22:08:13 GMT -5
Chapter Forty-Eight
Karen had just completed her successful book tour. Her biography ONLY YESTERDAY was # 1 on the Best Seller Chart and she was pleased. She had been on many talk shows and such. She was very glad though that her tour was over.
Now, she was back at A&M Studios with Richard starting to record their 25th CARPENTERS album. This was another album of original songs and 5 of the compositions were written by Karen and Richard and John Bettis. Karen had improved in her songwriting, and the long nights alone in hotel rooms in the last several months gave her the time to spend at perfecting her songwriting ability. One of the songs was titled SOMEWHERE IN TIME YOU'RE MINE. This album also showcased the way that they had changed and it showed their wide range musical talent. They were not afraid of taking risks anymore. The album which took them 6 weeks to complete was titled US and was being packaged in the factories and by June1st, was already being shipped to stores.
The debut single US hit # 12 on the charts titled US and on the A.C. chart it stalled at # 2. The album US reached gold status 4 weeks later. In July 15th, their next single was released SOMEWHERE IN TIME YOU'RE MINE and this hit the Top 10 Charts and hit # 1 for 5 weeks going gold. Another # 1 A.C. hit for 9 weeks. On the strength of this single, the album reached the platinum mark by August.
Karen started plans on producing her own solo album. She enjoyed it. She had learned a lot by watching other producers. She asked her friend Bonnie Raitt to guest on one of the songs titled I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT and Bonnie played an excellent guitar. It was neat because since Bonnie was an alto, her voice was in the range of Karen's. Both women were fans of each other. In 1991, both women were competing with each other on the charts and Karen and her won 3 Grammys a piece. They had always said jokingly that they should get together and jam, and finally Karen took Bonnie at her word.
She asked her old friend and former duet partner Peter Cetera for a new composition which was a rocker of a song. Called ANYBODY CAN WANT ME(ALL NIGHT LONG). He took one listen to the song and said he was in. Media hype was gearing for a huge blockbuster of an album for November 1995. It was to be one of her biggest sellers of all time. Karen just concentrated at the demanding task of producing and recording. Richard guested on her song LOOK AT THE TWO OF US, and he was very impressed with how able and natural producing actually suited her.
"Remember Richard? I wanted to fly and try my own thing, and now look at me! I can do whatever I want to do. Haven't we come a long way since 1969?" she asked with awe in her voice.
"Sure thing. Who would have known. We are both successful at our careers and as the Carpenters, although you are very very on top of your craft as a solo singer…I'm sure Barbra wishes she were in your shoes. You have showed her who the best female singer is, haven't you?" said Richard with admiration in his voice.
"Oh Richard. The only reason I have topped her is she is so busy making movies and directing. If only I could get a chance to do that someday…" said Karen as she trailed off her sentence.
Finally the album was completed in late September and titled ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. The album cover showed a picture of Karen looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a stylish outfit, a long, flowery dress that was very seductive and on her face seemed to be a look of regret, as if remembering all those years ago. Her hair was cut very short, very pixie-like. The reviews were unbelievable. They were fawning over her it surprised even her. Rolling Stone magazine said, "This is Karen Carpenter's finest Solo Album and she just keeps getting better and better. All the songs showcase her silky vocals and they wrap around each song, joining vocals and arrangements together. She lets loose on this album. The standout tracks are LOOK AT THE TWO OF US, in which her brother and producer of the Carpenters duo success, Richard Carpenter guests and their voices have just aged with time, but for the better…their vocals are so refined. They have aged like fine wine, and the wait was worth the effort of this soon to be timeless song. Astonishingly, Karen produced this marvelous album, and this was her first time to undertake such a project. This is definitely one woman who is not just a singer, but a multi-faceted musical personality, something akin to Barbra Streisand her contemporary, even though Karen has sold multi millions more and shattered most of Barbra's achievements. Karen sings, produces, plays drums, arranges all of the songs, composed several of the songs and blows away any sign of retirement. This is one woman who will be around for a long time. She also asks former duet partner Peter Cetera to guest on ANYBODY CAN WANT ME( ALL NIGHT LONG ), and they easily manage to rekindle the sensuality of their former collaboration, 1983's MAKING LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON which managed to snag Grammys for the both of them. No doubt, this time around, this song will be a smash hit single and bring them back into the Grammy spotlight. Bonnie Raitt also guested on this project and the fun that both women had shines through on the track I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT. Karen's voice becomes a wild woman and her voice blends ever so nicely with Bonnie's. Karen even played drums on this selection and for those who forget, Karen happens to be one of the most popular female drummer around who can drum!!! This album will definitely soar in the millions of copies and it is easy to see why this 70's songbird has outshone many, if not all of her contemporaries. She brings such joy, fun, love, and laughter into our hearts and minds. Musically she has the voice of an angel. SHE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN…OVER 26 YEARS AGO…AND WILL CONTINUE ON WITH A SONG TO SING."
The debut single was the duet between Karen and Bonnie Raitt, I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT and this song soared into the Top 20 and peaked at # 2 on the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks, selling over 2.5 million copies. It also was another solid A.C. hit staying at # 1 for 14 weeks. The next single was the Peter Cetera duet ANYBODY CAN WANT ME (ALL NIGHT LONG ) and this single debuted at # 4 and stayed there for 4 weeks, selling a million copies. On the Adult Contemporary Chart, this song was # 1 for 10 weeks. He promised that next time he would ask her to guest on one of his sessions. She agreed readily…and happily. This song, they knew would be nominated for another Grammy at the upcoming Grammy Awards and they were quite flattered. She would win a new legion of fans with Peter and Bonnie helping her. Another artist she had wanted on this album was her good friend Dionne Warwick, and she hoped that Burt Bacharach would have a song tucked away for them. She kept pestering him in a joking way, and judging from the twinkle in his eyes, she was almost sure he had several hidden away. Anything that Karen touched, even he knew, turned to gold and platinum.
The album, upon released was shipped triple platinum, and promptly debuted at # 1 on the Top 200 Album Chart. By Christmas time, the album would be in the multi platinum range at 6 million mark and worldwide at 11 million. In Japan and England, another huge triumph at # 1. By early spring of 1995, the album would, in the United States would pass the 8 million mark and usher Karen into the very Top of Music Hall History league of artists. The next single with Richard guesting LOOK AT THE TWO OF US raced to the # 8 position and enjoyed a 5week period there in the Top 10. They also performed this on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, which was their first time on this type of show. They received an excellent crowd response, and Karen even guested on one of the skits, which poked fun at her old Karen Carpenter of the 70's image, but she didn't mind. The guest host, none other than Bette Midler, and they re-enacted their 1974 Grammy appearance with one another. The audience just laughed. While there, Lorne Michaels, the person in charge, asked Karen to stop by sometime and guest host. Karen was delighted to be asked. She knew she had a lot to offer in terms of comedic talent, which she possessed. Many people had told her, that she should get into comedy. Maybe now was the time to try.
Karen had just completed her successful book tour. Her biography ONLY YESTERDAY was # 1 on the Best Seller Chart and she was pleased. She had been on many talk shows and such. She was very glad though that her tour was over.
Now, she was back at A&M Studios with Richard starting to record their 25th CARPENTERS album. This was another album of original songs and 5 of the compositions were written by Karen and Richard and John Bettis. Karen had improved in her songwriting, and the long nights alone in hotel rooms in the last several months gave her the time to spend at perfecting her songwriting ability. One of the songs was titled SOMEWHERE IN TIME YOU'RE MINE. This album also showcased the way that they had changed and it showed their wide range musical talent. They were not afraid of taking risks anymore. The album which took them 6 weeks to complete was titled US and was being packaged in the factories and by June1st, was already being shipped to stores.
The debut single US hit # 12 on the charts titled US and on the A.C. chart it stalled at # 2. The album US reached gold status 4 weeks later. In July 15th, their next single was released SOMEWHERE IN TIME YOU'RE MINE and this hit the Top 10 Charts and hit # 1 for 5 weeks going gold. Another # 1 A.C. hit for 9 weeks. On the strength of this single, the album reached the platinum mark by August.
Karen started plans on producing her own solo album. She enjoyed it. She had learned a lot by watching other producers. She asked her friend Bonnie Raitt to guest on one of the songs titled I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT and Bonnie played an excellent guitar. It was neat because since Bonnie was an alto, her voice was in the range of Karen's. Both women were fans of each other. In 1991, both women were competing with each other on the charts and Karen and her won 3 Grammys a piece. They had always said jokingly that they should get together and jam, and finally Karen took Bonnie at her word.
She asked her old friend and former duet partner Peter Cetera for a new composition which was a rocker of a song. Called ANYBODY CAN WANT ME(ALL NIGHT LONG). He took one listen to the song and said he was in. Media hype was gearing for a huge blockbuster of an album for November 1995. It was to be one of her biggest sellers of all time. Karen just concentrated at the demanding task of producing and recording. Richard guested on her song LOOK AT THE TWO OF US, and he was very impressed with how able and natural producing actually suited her.
"Remember Richard? I wanted to fly and try my own thing, and now look at me! I can do whatever I want to do. Haven't we come a long way since 1969?" she asked with awe in her voice.
"Sure thing. Who would have known. We are both successful at our careers and as the Carpenters, although you are very very on top of your craft as a solo singer…I'm sure Barbra wishes she were in your shoes. You have showed her who the best female singer is, haven't you?" said Richard with admiration in his voice.
"Oh Richard. The only reason I have topped her is she is so busy making movies and directing. If only I could get a chance to do that someday…" said Karen as she trailed off her sentence.
Finally the album was completed in late September and titled ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. The album cover showed a picture of Karen looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a stylish outfit, a long, flowery dress that was very seductive and on her face seemed to be a look of regret, as if remembering all those years ago. Her hair was cut very short, very pixie-like. The reviews were unbelievable. They were fawning over her it surprised even her. Rolling Stone magazine said, "This is Karen Carpenter's finest Solo Album and she just keeps getting better and better. All the songs showcase her silky vocals and they wrap around each song, joining vocals and arrangements together. She lets loose on this album. The standout tracks are LOOK AT THE TWO OF US, in which her brother and producer of the Carpenters duo success, Richard Carpenter guests and their voices have just aged with time, but for the better…their vocals are so refined. They have aged like fine wine, and the wait was worth the effort of this soon to be timeless song. Astonishingly, Karen produced this marvelous album, and this was her first time to undertake such a project. This is definitely one woman who is not just a singer, but a multi-faceted musical personality, something akin to Barbra Streisand her contemporary, even though Karen has sold multi millions more and shattered most of Barbra's achievements. Karen sings, produces, plays drums, arranges all of the songs, composed several of the songs and blows away any sign of retirement. This is one woman who will be around for a long time. She also asks former duet partner Peter Cetera to guest on ANYBODY CAN WANT ME( ALL NIGHT LONG ), and they easily manage to rekindle the sensuality of their former collaboration, 1983's MAKING LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON which managed to snag Grammys for the both of them. No doubt, this time around, this song will be a smash hit single and bring them back into the Grammy spotlight. Bonnie Raitt also guested on this project and the fun that both women had shines through on the track I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT. Karen's voice becomes a wild woman and her voice blends ever so nicely with Bonnie's. Karen even played drums on this selection and for those who forget, Karen happens to be one of the most popular female drummer around who can drum!!! This album will definitely soar in the millions of copies and it is easy to see why this 70's songbird has outshone many, if not all of her contemporaries. She brings such joy, fun, love, and laughter into our hearts and minds. Musically she has the voice of an angel. SHE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN…OVER 26 YEARS AGO…AND WILL CONTINUE ON WITH A SONG TO SING."
The debut single was the duet between Karen and Bonnie Raitt, I'M A WILD WOMAN-WATCH OUT and this song soared into the Top 20 and peaked at # 2 on the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks, selling over 2.5 million copies. It also was another solid A.C. hit staying at # 1 for 14 weeks. The next single was the Peter Cetera duet ANYBODY CAN WANT ME (ALL NIGHT LONG ) and this single debuted at # 4 and stayed there for 4 weeks, selling a million copies. On the Adult Contemporary Chart, this song was # 1 for 10 weeks. He promised that next time he would ask her to guest on one of his sessions. She agreed readily…and happily. This song, they knew would be nominated for another Grammy at the upcoming Grammy Awards and they were quite flattered. She would win a new legion of fans with Peter and Bonnie helping her. Another artist she had wanted on this album was her good friend Dionne Warwick, and she hoped that Burt Bacharach would have a song tucked away for them. She kept pestering him in a joking way, and judging from the twinkle in his eyes, she was almost sure he had several hidden away. Anything that Karen touched, even he knew, turned to gold and platinum.
The album, upon released was shipped triple platinum, and promptly debuted at # 1 on the Top 200 Album Chart. By Christmas time, the album would be in the multi platinum range at 6 million mark and worldwide at 11 million. In Japan and England, another huge triumph at # 1. By early spring of 1995, the album would, in the United States would pass the 8 million mark and usher Karen into the very Top of Music Hall History league of artists. The next single with Richard guesting LOOK AT THE TWO OF US raced to the # 8 position and enjoyed a 5week period there in the Top 10. They also performed this on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, which was their first time on this type of show. They received an excellent crowd response, and Karen even guested on one of the skits, which poked fun at her old Karen Carpenter of the 70's image, but she didn't mind. The guest host, none other than Bette Midler, and they re-enacted their 1974 Grammy appearance with one another. The audience just laughed. While there, Lorne Michaels, the person in charge, asked Karen to stop by sometime and guest host. Karen was delighted to be asked. She knew she had a lot to offer in terms of comedic talent, which she possessed. Many people had told her, that she should get into comedy. Maybe now was the time to try.
