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Post by Rick Henry on Oct 24, 2004 12:16:43 GMT -5
Good research, Rick. "Rumours" was in the "ubiquitous" category in that practically every vehicle had that 8-track sticking out of the radio. And *everyone* had the vinyl album. If you look at the KQV charts for 1970, if they'd released another single the timing would've coincided with the release of "Merry Christmas Darling". Now, Elton John had "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" in the stores in the fall of '73. "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" had been a chartbuster earlier that summer and had already fallen off the Top 40. So, they released the title track, and shortly thereafter released "Step Into Christmas" as a single. A&M should've released another single after "Just Begun" to boost album sales for Christmas. We're still left hanging here as to why A&M didn't market "Close To You" that way. But then again... It's been expressed by others that A&M was *embarrassed* by the success of the Carpenters, so perhaps less than full effort was put into marketing them. Until we hear it from someone who was on the inside, all we can do is speculate as to the reasoning behind a marketing decision. Maybe research into what other A&M artists were selling at that time may give an answer. More on this later... You have some valid points here. But at the same point "Close To You" the album remained on the Billboard album charts just short of an amazing two years. It was hugely successful, that it just did not need a third single to promote it. "Close to You" continued on it's own momentum and also sold extremely well even after the release of the album "Carpenters" (the tan album). At that point (1971) any Carpenters album most likely would have sold well whether any singles were released from it or not. |
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Post by smoothie2 on Oct 24, 2004 15:37:31 GMT -5
okey dokey Rick...  :)thanks for the info.!!looks like I did it! Glory Be! |
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Post by smoothie2 on Oct 24, 2004 15:51:57 GMT -5
;Dlooks like I did it ! glory be!
now if only to have a quick fix to computer problems....gotta git the computer man...gotta wait til next wk....
whoa nellie....
now back to the C's...I think it is quite a wonder that Close to You WAS Such a Hit...the song..It just comes down to true talent and the smarts to put it all together and then...KAREN!
I think maybe folks were ready for a change even young folks who had been in the drug and hippie scene...and the wild psychos
music and radical times.
There was so much going on in the whole world during those days. Too much reality of blood splashing the tv.
Too much wild.
Older folks still enjoyed Sinatra and Dean Martin and Doris Day.
Then, The Carps. after long efforts came along.
They were "the real deal".
They had those nice qualities the older folks liked and yet great flexibility with their music. Soft and upbeat sounds.
The C's also enjoyed the older music of Ella Fitzgerald and Perry Como.
People young and old found a real attraction ...and a girl who played drums!? and what a Voice!
I LOVE ELTON 2!
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Post by Rob813 on Oct 24, 2004 17:15:48 GMT -5
Good points Smoothie. The Carpenters definitely came along at a time when there was a lot of turmoil going on, especially Vietnam and all the protesting against the war. There was also a lot of drugs and free love at the time. The Carpenters were the antithesis of all of this. They represented purity and optimism - qualities that people were attracted to, if not welling to verbalize these thoughts. That's probably why there were so many "closet" Carpenter fans back then. If you wanted to appear cool, you dissed the Carpenters. If you wanted to be comforted and reasured, you listened and listened and listened some more to their music. It was actually an amazing dichotomy that transpired for a number of years. Then disco happened and the culture swollowed it up hook, line and sinker! Disco definitely negatively impacted the popularity of the Carpenters. If it didn't have a disco beat, it just wasn's popular. This phenomenom went on until the late 70's. The early 80's were a perfect time for Karen and Richard to reemerge as a major musical force in the culture. If Karen had lived, I believe they would have achieved new and higher levels of fame than before.
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Post by smoothie2 on Oct 24, 2004 19:52:18 GMT -5
:-/yes, I agree, Richard and Karen did acheive so very much and very quickly, and could have done more.
Karen branched out on her own with her solo. and R. and K. both acheived some music definitely their own kind of disco.
To me, though, I just love their classic sounds, but I also loved seeing their tv specials and how well they performed with other singers.
Success comes and goes quickly in show biz because times change and therefore what's popular changes. That doesn't mean new heights could not have been reached by the C's.
^^
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Post by smoothie2 on Oct 24, 2004 23:17:59 GMT -5
;D Superb info. Dave, yes, that does sum it up ...just plain good...great music...The Carps....there are many styles of music that go by many different labels these days, and much of it still good....to hear Karen's voice though truly is a treat like no other....
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Post by Rick Henry on Oct 25, 2004 0:52:23 GMT -5
I am one who does feel that the Carpenters would have made a resurgence in the 80's. But I think it would have been with a slightly edgier sound. I feel this because:
1) As the 80's rolled around Karen really wanted to break out of that soft pop adult contemproary mold and experiment with something more in tune with the times.
2) Listen to what Richard eventually produced with his own solo album "Time" from 1987. Songs like "Say Yeah" are indicative of what he would have recorded with Karen.
3) If they wanted to stay on the charts they simply were going to have to progress with what was going on at that time. More songs like "Touch Me When Were Dancing" or "Those Good Old Dreams" just would not have kept the Carpenters afloat in the 80's.
4) Yes, Karen would have done ballads in the 80's, but they would have been power ballads like "Trying To Get The Feeling Again", She probably would have also done a few movie themes.
Oops I really went off on a tangent there.
Anyway back to "Close To You", it really was a trendsetting album in it's day. It was a new sound which paved the way for many artists of the 70's.
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Post by enigma on Oct 25, 2004 8:09:34 GMT -5
I see statements like surprised that Close To You stayed on the charts as long as it did or it was a trendsetting record in its day and can't help but to wonder why the surprise and is this not a trend setting album today? Simpley put this is a great effort as I said I own a great deal of music and would put this record up against almost anything in my collection. It was a quality timeless great album top to bottom. I is no surprise that the album and title track had the sucess they did this is quality music past present and future. I do not think all carpenters records can make this claim but this one certainly can. I do have an inherent bias here and can't really judge the record as a non fan but it is one of the best records I have in my collection from a personal and musical standpoint.  As far as the Carpenters in the 80's there is no doubt Karen could handle any type of music thrown her way (dance, rock, pop) and Richards solo work did show signs of musical evolution but his solo work did not exactly burn up the charts he simply did not have the desire to completely put his ego on the shelf and do a truely modern record and that hurt him. If Karen were alive his resistance to change would hurt her too. I feel as the 80's approached Karen would have to look for outside producers who were not out of touch with the music scene at the time to properly reinvent herself if she did that she would be sucessful in the 80's and beyond had she lived. Just some thoughts on the "tangent" |
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Post by Rob813 on Oct 27, 2004 20:44:01 GMT -5
Once again, excellent comments from the most devoted Carpenter fans on the planet. Now, for my two cents: I think Close To You the single and the album were revolutionary for their time. Dominated by hard rock in the late 60's and early 70's Carpenters dared to be soft! And guess what, America, and then the world, was ready for the Carpenter invasion of the music scene. Vietnam and oppostion to the war, drugs and the like saturated the culture back then. We needed to feel comforted, reassured and yes loved at the time. Karen and Richard were the balm that helped to heal us.
Close To You, the album was a HUGE hit because all the songs were so melodic. Richard's arrangements and Karen's heaven sent voice were the key to this phenomenom. I, too being a "dyed in the wool fan" believe that Close To You has held up 100% throughout the years.
As far as Karen and Richard needing to change with the times, I believe that this was true. Of course, we'll never know because it all came to such an abrupt end. Karen and Richard knew that they needed to update their image and their music. They were both talented and smart enough to know that an overhaul was needed. MIA was a start. What followed had to be much more drastic for them to keep up with the times. Of course, I believe they could and would do whatever was necessary to make that happen.
One last observation: each and every Carpenter album reflected K and R's growth as people and artists; that's what makes their albums so fantastic!
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Peteruk
CERTIFIED GOLD MEMBER
Posts: 148
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Post by Peteruk on Oct 28, 2004 18:22:10 GMT -5
Definitely more Singles should have been released from CTY Album ....certainly Richard & A&M considered : Reason To Believe & Love Is Surrender as potential third singles .... At this point A&M were the main selector for Carpenters Singles ....whereas later Richard & Karen selected most of the Singles ....with great results until Goofus ...  and a few late choices ....  A&M missed out / overlooked follow up Singles from Offering / Ticket To Ride .....if CTY had been released over last 10 years ....many more singles 5/6 ? ....would have been released ....  Peter |
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Post by Rob813 on Oct 28, 2004 20:40:06 GMT -5
I agree with you Peter about there being many more singles from Close To You, but like you said the studio was pretty much calling the shots back then. Anyway, I know it's a mute point by now. Check out my new posting for the next album, "Carpenters" and let us know your opinions of this one!
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Mariah Andrews
CERTIFIED GOLD MEMBER
I'm 29/Transsexual M2F/Lesbian from Southern NV. Now a first-time author on the market!
Posts: 113
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Post by Mariah Andrews on Nov 2, 2004 15:49:30 GMT -5
This was the first album I bought of the Carpenters, in May of 1993. I got hooked on "Begun" when I heard it on this old nostalgic radio station (570 KLAC) and at the time my uncle forced me to listen to this station full of music that was eons before my time (at the time, Guns and Roses was my favorite band and I used to strain myself singing like Axl all the time). I didn't dig most of the songs on that station, but they played some Carpenters music and to me, that was the only salvageable music that I dug. So I went to Blockbuster Music and bought myself the "Close To You" tape, which my dad later stole from me. Also, my uncle Frank had died that year, and he left behind a few Carpenters albums. I began to research the Carpenters music and became an instant fan.
This is still my no. 1 favorite Carpenters album, and to me, it's like a "Meet The Carpenters" album, if you want to compare them to the Beatles. It is the album that made Karen and Richard household names.
My favorite three tracks are: "We've Only Just Begun", "Kept On Loving You" and "Baby It's You".
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