Karen did not put the more "sexy" songs on her album. Although she was ready for a change in direction, I don't believe that she was quite ready to make THAT big a change to her image. So she left songs such as this one, "Midnight," Don't Try To Win Me Back," the songs with a lot of innuendo, off of her album.
@improvguru I really enjoy reading your comments, because they are entertaining (nothing more) Like I said before youdon't know a thing about the real Karen, & you know what I'm glad you don't. & we will continue to honor that.
@vmuto1 So what IS the reason why she left certain songs off her album then? Certainly you can answer that without violating any secrets. As I wrote, it's a theory, nothing more.
Randy has written about the real Karen, and for that I thank him.
@ThePearlofeire Because he conducted hundreds of interviews with Karen's high school friends from Downey, with her friends in the industry (Olivia Newton-John, Itchy Ramone, Dionne Warwick,....) and most importantly with her best friend Frenda Franklin and with Evelyn Wallace, the Carpenters long time secretary and a woman who loved Karen as if she were her own daughter. They were all pretty consistent: Richard was the favorite and Agnes never acknowledged Karen's greatness.
@improvguru It would have been useful to do some research with the help of psychiatrists and also the childhood years.Karens mother may have been depressed and often this is why mothers can,t connect with their children.
A different direction for Karen, YES, but a damm good album. I agree with Richard that this is way off her register, but where we agree to disagree is, it should have indeed been released. I really wish the world would have really been able to see the real Karen.
Well i beg to differ her unreleased songs were better than any track released in this whole decade undoubtedly no one can sing like karen especially her solo album was too awesome and someone commented about she could've sung phone book i mean very true!!!!!
you have to admit, though, that this song (and a lot of her solo work) was not karen's best work. i mean, what happened to the part of her voice that was warm, smooth, and rich? it's close to absent in her solo work. i mean, imo, any teeny bopper, like katy perry or miley cyrus, could sing this and it wouldn't make much difference.
This is still better than those Javors tunes that made the record. I've never been a fan of either one of those. The "toughness" she exudes here is more believable than it is on "Still In Love With You."
Many divided opinions on this track... and it's not surprising. Those of us who love Karen's singing tend to defend whatever she did, because her amazing talent spoiled us through the years. But just because someone can sing anything, doesn't mean they should do it. Musically speaking, this song isn't particularly good and its style didn't suit her. She gets a huge A for effort, but there are other solo cuts that turned out nicer (i.e. Paul Simon's "I do it for your love").
I love all her solo albums.... I just don't get it why some people would always try to compare Karen and Richard.. I think they are both great doing solo and they are really perfect together :)
You know, I really don't understand why so many people are against Karen's solo album. I think it's absolutely fabulous. Of course, that's one person's opinion. I think she did a terrific job.
Some singers sing every song in the same style and every 23rd song or so it works. I guess some people think Karen should have done the same thing. She used her 2.5 octave range to sing this song in the way that's right for this song, and nobody could have done it better. Just another example of why she's the greatest.
I couldn't agree more. Karen was the best singer to ever set foot on this planet. She could have sung... the phone book, and it would have sounded like we had all died and gone to Heaven.
I have to agree with most of the posters here, Karen's sound was in the lower ranges. And as she got older, her upper range became weaker. The solo album has two stellar tracks: "If we Try" and "Make Believe it's your First Time." Both ballads that suit her style of singing and her range.
Even the most perfect voice that ever lived can find the wrong song. It's a dorky song to begin with, and not right for her. I didn't think her solo was very good, but it doesn't hurt to try something new. I wish she would have done all the old standards instead. I would have loved to hear her version of Over The Rainbow.
Karen once also said, "the money is in the basement! " and I guess that was true, however, I do like the girlish sound of her higher ranges, it makes the songs sound so feminin and joyful and that is just great! I am glad the songs were released after all. Also I think Karen would have enjoyed it fully should it have been a great succes for her ánd Richard, cause we the true Carpenters-fans would have been grateful to both of them at that time.
I love Karen Carpenter, but Richard and A&M were right. This and other songs on the solo album were not right for her unique vocal qualities, the way they were produced. Many of them sound like Karen Carpenter trying to sound like Olivia N.J., and that is a great shame. Both singers were/are very good in their own rights. They should have matched these songs to Karen's vocal register, & not to try to fit her into Olivia's.
...this is Miss Karen becoming accustomed to the song. After a few work throughs she would have been totally convincing and her vocal would have been not simply great but awesome. Then a video payed by A$M like Olivia's 'Deeper Than The Night'. This song and vodeo are great.
Some glimmers of her brilliance but I find this song a little weak to be honest. It lacks coherence tending to dive off from tangent to tangent, with some ill-judged key changes from the songwriter.
This song is awesome, if only this could have been released and been a hit, I think that Karen would have had more confidence, and probably felt more in control and ate, and ultimately lived much longer, even if it had hurt the Carpenters image, I think that it would have been worth it to still have Karen with us, she had a perfect voice, it's not right that she is gone, but I can say this " gone but not forgotten " I suppose touching millions of lives is the best thing to achieve in a lifetime
Pretty funny comment about Karen inviting Gene Simmons over for cocktails....because that's exactly what happened in 1976 when Karen and Gene happened to be staying in the same hotel. It's in his book. He thought he might get lucky, and ended up having a memorable evening of intellectual conversation instead. Karen was amazed by his lifestyle, and was totally intrigued by him. How's that for a story?! He thought enough of Karen to mention the story in his biography. KAREN WAS COOL!!
This is clearly in line with what her friend Olivia Newton-John was doing at the time. Too bad Karen didn't have Olivia's producer, John Farrar! She would have made the transition like Olivia--AND she would have probably lived. I've always thought her anorexia was related to feeling like she was a has-been....
Karen! Hard-rockin' and "makin' love in the rain"! You're scarin' me girl, You're scarin' me!!!! Next thing you know she'll be inviting Gene Simmons of Kiss to her apartment for evening cocktails or something.
This is one of her solo album uncut and unreleased songs. See, when Richard went to rehab for a Quaalude addiction, Phil Ramone (Record Producer) told Karen she should do a solo album , she is a big girl now and she should make a change in her life. So she made a solo album of about 24 songs, some unreleased and took them to Richard and the other guys at A&M. They pretty much told her it sucked so she shelved it. Then in '96 Richard put it on the market saying "It was all of her songs"
But the buyout of A&M somehow made 8 songs that were never to be released, released. Another thing about this album, it is more adult oriented, like she talks more of sex (referred to "Making Love") a lot more disco and a higher vocal range. The thing that upsets me the most was the inscription of her album was something like "To my brother Richard, for always supporting me". He still doesn't like album, he may as well say "Karen I hated your album then, I hate it now and I always will hate it.
LOVE IT KAREN ROCKS
tysona23 6 months ago
Yeah get LITTLE GIRL BLUE book it is awesome! And yes Karen rocks in this song. I love her interpretation!
cd72 8 months ago
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Karen did not put the more "sexy" songs on her album. Although she was ready for a change in direction, I don't believe that she was quite ready to make THAT big a change to her image. So she left songs such as this one, "Midnight," Don't Try To Win Me Back," the songs with a lot of innuendo, off of her album.
improvguru 11 months ago
@improvguru I really enjoy reading your comments, because they are entertaining (nothing more) Like I said before youdon't know a thing about the real Karen, & you know what I'm glad you don't. & we will continue to honor that.
vmuto1 10 months ago
@vmuto1 So what IS the reason why she left certain songs off her album then? Certainly you can answer that without violating any secrets. As I wrote, it's a theory, nothing more.
Randy has written about the real Karen, and for that I thank him.
improvguru 10 months ago
@improvguru How would Randy actually know about exactly what went on in the private life of Karen and her family?
ThePearlofeire 3 weeks ago
@ThePearlofeire Because he conducted hundreds of interviews with Karen's high school friends from Downey, with her friends in the industry (Olivia Newton-John, Itchy Ramone, Dionne Warwick,....) and most importantly with her best friend Frenda Franklin and with Evelyn Wallace, the Carpenters long time secretary and a woman who loved Karen as if she were her own daughter. They were all pretty consistent: Richard was the favorite and Agnes never acknowledged Karen's greatness.
improvguru 3 weeks ago
@improvguru It would have been useful to do some research with the help of psychiatrists and also the childhood years.Karens mother may have been depressed and often this is why mothers can,t connect with their children.
ThePearlofeire 2 weeks ago
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A different direction for Karen, YES, but a damm good album. I agree with Richard that this is way off her register, but where we agree to disagree is, it should have indeed been released. I really wish the world would have really been able to see the real Karen.
vmuto1 11 months ago
Well i beg to differ her unreleased songs were better than any track released in this whole decade undoubtedly no one can sing like karen especially her solo album was too awesome and someone commented about she could've sung phone book i mean very true!!!!!
vishal8492 11 months ago
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you have to admit, though, that this song (and a lot of her solo work) was not karen's best work. i mean, what happened to the part of her voice that was warm, smooth, and rich? it's close to absent in her solo work. i mean, imo, any teeny bopper, like katy perry or miley cyrus, could sing this and it wouldn't make much difference.
No1KCfan6 1 year ago
Rockin!!!!!!!!!!
adric137 1 year ago 3
This is still better than those Javors tunes that made the record. I've never been a fan of either one of those. The "toughness" she exudes here is more believable than it is on "Still In Love With You."
Nostaljack 1 year ago
Many divided opinions on this track... and it's not surprising. Those of us who love Karen's singing tend to defend whatever she did, because her amazing talent spoiled us through the years. But just because someone can sing anything, doesn't mean they should do it. Musically speaking, this song isn't particularly good and its style didn't suit her. She gets a huge A for effort, but there are other solo cuts that turned out nicer (i.e. Paul Simon's "I do it for your love").
mcasidis 1 year ago
@mcasidis ,there is also an observation that she doesn,t sound well at all
ThePearlofeire 11 months ago
@mcasidis i agree with this. this is most certainly not her voice at its best.
No1KCfan6 10 months ago
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I love all her solo albums.... I just don't get it why some people would always try to compare Karen and Richard.. I think they are both great doing solo and they are really perfect together :)
mnlght0snt 1 year ago
She Rocks!!
adric137 1 year ago
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...Phil and the band got Karen to shed her skin and let loose. Love it. I'll bet her cover of "You're No Good" rocks too.
earcandy2008 1 year ago
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...Phil and the band got Karen to shed her skin and let loose. Love it. I'll bet her cover of "You're No Good" rocks too.
earcandy2008 1 year ago
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...Phil and the band got Karen to shed her skin and let loose. Love it. I'll bet her cover of "You're No Good" rocks too.
earcandy2008 1 year ago
...Phil and the band got Karen to shed her skin and let loose. Love it. I'll bet her cover of "You're No Good" rocks too.
earcandy2008 1 year ago
...Phil and the band got Karen to shed her skin and let loose. Love it.
earcandy2008 1 year ago
Actually Karen had a 4 octage range!!
cd72 2 years ago
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You know, I really don't understand why so many people are against Karen's solo album. I think it's absolutely fabulous. Of course, that's one person's opinion. I think she did a terrific job.
karencarpenterfan100 2 years ago 7
Some singers sing every song in the same style and every 23rd song or so it works. I guess some people think Karen should have done the same thing. She used her 2.5 octave range to sing this song in the way that's right for this song, and nobody could have done it better. Just another example of why she's the greatest.
MrShoeguy 2 years ago
I couldn't agree more. Karen was the best singer to ever set foot on this planet. She could have sung... the phone book, and it would have sounded like we had all died and gone to Heaven.
karencarpenterfan100 2 years ago 9
I have to agree with most of the posters here, Karen's sound was in the lower ranges. And as she got older, her upper range became weaker. The solo album has two stellar tracks: "If we Try" and "Make Believe it's your First Time." Both ballads that suit her style of singing and her range.
steveatl40 2 years ago
Im just alike her
nakluts 2 years ago
Even the most perfect voice that ever lived can find the wrong song. It's a dorky song to begin with, and not right for her. I didn't think her solo was very good, but it doesn't hurt to try something new. I wish she would have done all the old standards instead. I would have loved to hear her version of Over The Rainbow.
FindingKC 2 years ago
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Karen once also said, "the money is in the basement! " and I guess that was true, however, I do like the girlish sound of her higher ranges, it makes the songs sound so feminin and joyful and that is just great! I am glad the songs were released after all. Also I think Karen would have enjoyed it fully should it have been a great succes for her ánd Richard, cause we the true Carpenters-fans would have been grateful to both of them at that time.
:-)
Jenot59 2 years ago
I love Karen Carpenter, but Richard and A&M were right. This and other songs on the solo album were not right for her unique vocal qualities, the way they were produced. Many of them sound like Karen Carpenter trying to sound like Olivia N.J., and that is a great shame. Both singers were/are very good in their own rights. They should have matched these songs to Karen's vocal register, & not to try to fit her into Olivia's.
ADenny12 2 years ago
...this is Miss Karen becoming accustomed to the song. After a few work throughs she would have been totally convincing and her vocal would have been not simply great but awesome. Then a video payed by A$M like Olivia's 'Deeper Than The Night'. This song and vodeo are great.
earcandy2008 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
If we are to be honest we will admit that her solo project sucked and they were right to scrap it.
lefmeman 2 years ago
Damn, She could Rock!!
CapricornDavo 2 years ago 6
GREAT!
rouselonline 3 years ago
Oh yeah! She rocks!!! :-D
DaliJim 3 years ago 7
I am impressed with Karen's style in this tune! No matter what she sings,I think she's great!
Kateyhall 3 years ago 2
Some glimmers of her brilliance but I find this song a little weak to be honest. It lacks coherence tending to dive off from tangent to tangent, with some ill-judged key changes from the songwriter.
georgebur 3 years ago
I wish she had released this song, this song goes to show she could sing excellently in a higher octave, an amazing talent she was!
kboyzrock 3 years ago
she is so fucking good at singin anythin. talent...........
wilhub 3 years ago 20
This song is awesome, if only this could have been released and been a hit, I think that Karen would have had more confidence, and probably felt more in control and ate, and ultimately lived much longer, even if it had hurt the Carpenters image, I think that it would have been worth it to still have Karen with us, she had a perfect voice, it's not right that she is gone, but I can say this " gone but not forgotten " I suppose touching millions of lives is the best thing to achieve in a lifetime
VinylCountryMusic 4 years ago
Pretty funny comment about Karen inviting Gene Simmons over for cocktails....because that's exactly what happened in 1976 when Karen and Gene happened to be staying in the same hotel. It's in his book. He thought he might get lucky, and ended up having a memorable evening of intellectual conversation instead. Karen was amazed by his lifestyle, and was totally intrigued by him. How's that for a story?! He thought enough of Karen to mention the story in his biography. KAREN WAS COOL!!
NostalgiaBob 4 years ago
Did Karen play the drums at all at this time, or for any of the solo recordings? Maybe she was too sick then....
no1cfielder 4 years ago
she stopped by 1976
roscoegino 3 years ago
I heard there is an another song she did solo called, "Church Choir." Has anybody ever heard it?
sweetgirl4JC 4 years ago
This is clearly in line with what her friend Olivia Newton-John was doing at the time. Too bad Karen didn't have Olivia's producer, John Farrar! She would have made the transition like Olivia--AND she would have probably lived. I've always thought her anorexia was related to feeling like she was a has-been....
chuckmall 4 years ago 2
i love the fact that Karen was expressing a diffirent part of her talented nature through experimenting with diffirent sounds!!!
aldrinadams 4 years ago
karen had some big balls, i love it.
carpenterfreak2007 4 years ago
Karen! Hard-rockin' and "makin' love in the rain"! You're scarin' me girl, You're scarin' me!!!! Next thing you know she'll be inviting Gene Simmons of Kiss to her apartment for evening cocktails or something.
wildnites558 4 years ago
I was going to upload this and you beat me to it. :) Oh well. I like the video job!
LoveHowardBanister 4 years ago
Now that I've listened again, it is her. Just not the usual Carpenters style song.
RxTechRN2b 4 years ago
This is one of her solo album uncut and unreleased songs. See, when Richard went to rehab for a Quaalude addiction, Phil Ramone (Record Producer) told Karen she should do a solo album , she is a big girl now and she should make a change in her life. So she made a solo album of about 24 songs, some unreleased and took them to Richard and the other guys at A&M. They pretty much told her it sucked so she shelved it. Then in '96 Richard put it on the market saying "It was all of her songs"
karencarpenterfan1 2 years ago
But the buyout of A&M somehow made 8 songs that were never to be released, released. Another thing about this album, it is more adult oriented, like she talks more of sex (referred to "Making Love") a lot more disco and a higher vocal range. The thing that upsets me the most was the inscription of her album was something like "To my brother Richard, for always supporting me". He still doesn't like album, he may as well say "Karen I hated your album then, I hate it now and I always will hate it.
karencarpenterfan1 2 years ago
Is this Karen's voice? It just doesn't sound like her.
RxTechRN2b 4 years ago
It must not leave anyone impressed. Karen wanted this sound different from usual Carpenters' sound.
Fasouzafreitas 4 years ago