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Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #51 - January, 1977

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Richard, Karen, Mom & Dad Carpenter, Fan Club Staff & EV sincerely wish for each of you a happy and most successful 1977.

1976 was an eventful year for Karen & Richard . Their TV special received excellent reviews and high ratings. (Nielson was # 6 nationwide for that week). They are hopeful of presenting another in 1977 but plans and schedules for this new year have not been completed. They will appear at HARRAHS club at Lake Tahoe February 19th through ??.

Silver, gold and platinum records were delivered to their Downey home January 5th; nine for each of them. Denmark sent platinum ones for Now And Then and The Singles. The United Kingdom was presenter of the remaining seven, sending a silver for Please Mr. Postman, gold for Horizon and A Kind of Hush; and platinum for The Singles, Horizon and Now And Then. The A & M Hamlet label of the United Kingdom earned them a platinum record for their Ticket To Ride album. We have also been notified that the Ticket To Ride album hit gold in Holland.

Their European tour was a great success. There was a sellout of all concert hall tickets long before they were due to arrive in Europe. They presented 2 shows an evening and on one occasion, a third performance was given. It was Karen's idea to give a third show a benefit for needy children, and price admission tickets "a toy for a tot". This not only benefited needy tots, but also several thousand fans who had been unable to secure concert tickets because of the speedy sellout. One of their concerts was taped by England A & M and a Live in England album was on the English market several days after Karen & Richard arrived home. Unfortunately, it will not be released in the U.S. Any information concerning availability must be secured from A & M in England. Karen's terrific drum solo which she now performs in concerts, and Richard's beautiful rendition of the Warsaw Concerto have both been captured on this English album. There is also a song by Karen, never before done by her on a record - Richard's beautiful arrangement of From This Moment On. Karen & Richard enjoyed the tour which went very smoothly and for a change was free of electrical problems in spite of the difference in electrical systems. My apologies to all for the lateness the newsletter. Extra Christmas chores deterred me from regular work and it was impossible to get a letter written. The newsletter will be sent alternate months beginning January and ending November each year.

After many disappointing delays, Karen has finally moved into her condominium. I've had no opportunity to see it yet, but have been told it's a beauty. Workers still go in and out making adjustments, adding final touches here and there and making last minute installations. Karen tries to work around them, placing beautiful gifts she's received and items she purchased on shelves or in drawers. Friends stop by to greet her and take the grand tour. Deliveries by various delivery men are numerous. The first ring of the doorbell each day ushers in instant bedlam, but Karen loves every minute of this new kind of excitement and even took time to bake some Christmas cookies in her new kitchen.

The beautiful Christmas cards you so thoughtfully sent were draped on Christmas ribbon and strung wall to wall, row upon row n the fan club office. When finally removed, they will be placed in their books of memories for future enjoyment. Many thanks from Carpenters and staff for your thoughtfulness and for your years of loyalty and support.

For auto buffs interested in Richard's collection, here are a few more to add to the list published in newsletter # 50.

1956 Chrysler 300 B, white
1957 Chrysler 300 C, white
1959 Chrysler 300 E, white
1962 Chrysler 300 H, blue
1964 Chrysler 300 K, white
1965 Chrysler 300 L, dark green
1963 T-Bird, red
1959 DeSoto Sportsman Fireflite, 2 door tan
1959 DeSoto Sportsman Fireflite,4 door blue
1977 Corvette, yellow

Cars which were repainted by prior owners will be restored to their original color. The Corvair, blue when Richard purchased it, has now been restored to its original white.

By popular request, more questions and answers.

Q. Will a single be released with Richard as soloist?
A. No plans for one in the near future.
Q. Who designs Karen's lovely new stage outfits?
A. Designers at Workroom 27 in L.A.
Q. Where does Richard keep all of his cars?
A. He has rented a storage garage near home but plans to build one of his own.
Q. Does he actually drive each one or are they just an investment?
A. They are an investment, but after complete restoration, he will drive each of them from time to time.
Q. Have either of them ever attended a high school reunion?
A. No. There's only been one of Richard's class and he was on tour at the time. Karen's class hasn't had one.
Q. What do they enjoy doing on a date?
A. They enjoy movies, a good stage play or concerts by their favorite artists.
Q. Has Richard ever tried to grow a mustache?
A. No.
Q. Do they watch All My Children, the TV "soap"?
A. Neither are into "soaps" but Karen enjoys The Family. They both enjoy most of the sitcoms.
Q. Have either of them ever visited schools to discuss music with the students?
A. While vacationing in Connecticut a couple years ago, they stopped by Nathan Hale Elementary school which they both had attended, to visit former teachers; but no arrangement had been made for any discussions with the students. When Richard was attending Long Beach State College, he spent a couple hours with a class of kindergarten students in one of the elementary schools, playing piano for them. A few days later, Richard received, from the teacher, pictures drawn by the students expressing their feeling concerning his music. All pictures expressed love and appreciation of his renditions in one way or another. One youngster, when questioned by the teacher concerning details of his picture, explained it was a piano with bubbles foaming out. When she asked him if he didn't mean 'floating', he said "No, I mean foaming, because music was so light". He also served on a panel for an extension course at U.C.L.A. The course, "This Business of Music" was sponsored by BILLBOARD. Other panelists serving with Richard were Frank Zappa, composer and guitarist; John Kay, lead singer of Steppenwolf; Jackie DeShannon, singer and composer; and Quincy Jones, composer, arranger and producer. (Karen was there as part of the audience.)
Q. What is the last line from Boat To Sail?
A. The last 4 lines when printed as a lyric, read:
All those letters mailed, from a
Boat to sail, away ah
We are riding in a boat to sail
We are riding in a boat to sail.
(Karen fades out singing "DeShannon is back", but this was not written as part of the song.)
Q. Who does the bass vocal in Boat To Sail?
A. Richard.
Q. Has Herb Alpert performed on any other Carpenters record other than Offering?
A. No.
Q. Did they ever record Cinderella Rockafella?
A. No. They only did this song in concerts.
Q. Have either of them ever contributed in any way to another artist's records?
A. No.
Q. Have they ever recorded any of their songs in French or Spanish?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever record the song You and Me Against the World?
A. No.
Q. What kind of piano does Richard play when recording and on tour?
A. Wurlitzer for electric and Baldwin for grand.

Karen & Richard left today for a week's vacation in Hawaii. They've been there several times to do concerts but could never stay long enough to enjoy the beauty of the islands. We all hope they enjoy their stay there, don't we?

NOTE: The live album they recorded in England is entitled Live at the Palladium.

Rap in March, EV.

Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #52 - March, 1977

Hi Fans,

Karen and Mom Carpenter send much thanks for your thoughtfulness in remembering their birthdays. The lovely cards arriving from fans throughout the world are being secured in their "Books of Memories". We never refer to these books as scrapbooks because the material contained in them is NOT scrap. From the day of their birth, Mom Carpenter has been very diligent in saving clippings concerning them, printed programs from various performances in which K & R participated, school awards and certificates, and of course, family snapshots and photos. For the past 7 years your contributions of letters, greeting cards, stories, plays, poems, artwork, telegrams, snapshots, etc. have increased the Memories collection from a few books to well over a hundred. Visitors in the Carpenter home are delighted to be shown the collection and are amazed at the lovely numerous items that have been preserved for them. Thank you for helping to make this remarkable "Memories" library possible.

ATTENTION COLIECTORS: We have some brand new colored photos of K & R taken from their TV Special. They are 8" X 10" and will enhance any wall in any home. Price is the same as the earlier ones ($X.XX each for U.S. members and $X.XX each for foreign). There's beautiful shot of Karen in the lovely chiffon and sparkly dress she wore, another of Richard in blue sweater at the Wurlitzer piano, and a third of the two of them together standing. These are available only through the Fan Club and will be a collector's item.

Now with new questions:

Q. What kind of car does Karen own?
A. Unlike her brother, she owns only one. It is a Mercedes Benz 350 SL. (1972)
Q. Has Richard added any cars to his collection since the last newsletter?
A. Yes, five more. (1) 1963 Chrysler - 300J (2) 1955 Chrysler - C300 (3) 1977 Pontiac Transam Firebird (4) 1959 Dodge - Custom Royal (5) 1958 Chrysler - 300D. He also has a '76 Ferrari on order.
Q. What has been their most memorable occasion?
A. There have been a number of memorable occasions, but the one that means the most to them is the day that their single Close To You became number one on all charts.
Q. If they were not entertainers, what career would they have chosen?
A. Both would have chosen some segment of the entertainment field.
Q. Who plays castanets and vibes on their albums?
A. Karen & Richard.
Q. Did Karen or Richard ever participate in sports when they attended high school?
A. No. They were members of the marching band whose members were excused from gymnasium classes. Karen played glockenspiel, then snare drum. Because of Richard's superb piano ability, he was given classical piano assignments and was left at the piano to practice while the band members were practicing marching.
Q. How old was Karen when she began playing drums?
A. Sixteen.
Q. Do they object to pictures being taken while they are performing?
A. Absolutely NOT.
Q. When sales are counted for possible gold and/platinum records, are the sales of 8 track tapes and cassettes counted too?
A. Yes, they are counted.
Q. What does A. & M. stand for?
A. The last names of the owners of the recording studio. A is Alpert (Herb) and M Moss (Jerry).
Q. Does Karen read music?
A. Yes.
Q. What is the name of K & R's Publishing company?
A. They have two. One is Ars Nova and the other is Hammer and Nails.
Q. Have either of them ever had a complexion problem?
A. No. Their skin has always been soft and clear; possibly due to the fact that neither of them were great "sweets eaters" during their adolescent years.
Q. What is the longest Karen's hair has ever been?
A. About three inches below her shoulders.
Q. How many members are there in the fan club?
A. About 10,000. We wish to keep it small so it can be handled on a personal bases. Large fan clubs become very impersonal and many are computerized.
Q. What are the ages of Mush and Lady?
A. To new members - Mush and Lady are Karen's dogs, Lady, her Belgian Shepherd is 12 years old and Mush, her Samoed will be 6 years old in October.
Q. From overseas - What is a sitcom -- a condominium -- Bleachers?
A. Sitcom and condominium are new U.S.A. words. Bleachers has been used for quite some time. Sitcom is a Situation Comedy on T.V. A condominium is a flat or apartment which has been purchased by the tenant. Karen purchased two (side by side) in a very elegant building and tore down the wall between them to make one huge luxurious suite. Bleachers are wooden stands that serve as seats for spectators.
Q. That are the white spots that appear on their house on the Now And Then album cover?
A. They are white rocks that have been worked into the design of the exterior.

NOTE: just received more information concerning the Spanish version of Sing. It is called CANTA and is on the flip side of Jambalaya.

The days they spent in Canada taping the Dorothy Hamill Special were cold. Weather below zero. From Canada, they flew to Lake Tahoe where they appeared at Harrah's Club for four days. The day they were to return home, Mother Nature detained them for hours by sending a blizzard that grounded all planes in Tahoe. It took some time for roads to be cleared and a 1imo took them to Reno where weather conditions were a bit better and they were able to leave. Mr. Harrah generously furnished one of his private planes for the flight home. Karen's birthday was a quiet one, spent with family and to close friends. A birthday dinner was enjoyed at home and all viewed the Dorothy Hamill show. Richard has been spending most of his time researching songs for another album and arranging those he finds suitable. It will be awhile before another album is released as their performance schedule will interrupt the work that Richard must complete before actual recording starts. Karen has been busy arranging her new home to her satisfaction and enjoys shopping for the household items she needs. Her favorite room is her huge bright kitchen where she loves trying out recipes from the wealth of cook books she has accumulated. Like her mom, she is an excellent cook.

NOTE: The 76 Ferrari mentioned on page 1 has arrived, bringing the number of cars in his collection to 45. This Ferrari is a beautiful silver-gray with black interior.

There's been a number of requests for a thumbnail bio of Mom and Dad Carpenter so if a goes well, I will try to honor this request in the next issue. They are so busy helping Richard in the refurbishing of his cars, it is very difficult to get them to sit still long enough for an interview. I'll see what I can do between now and May 1st.

Rap then, EV

Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #53 - May, 1977

Hi Fans!

This is EV apologizing for the lateness of this letter. Twice in April I was called back to Wisconsin because of the illness and then the death of a very dear aunt. Congratulations from Carpenters and staff to those of you who will be graduating next month. We all wish you much success in whatever you choose to do, whether it is to continue your education or start a career.

You are all probably aware by now of Karen & Richard's latest single All You Get From Love Is A Love Song which was released May 2, 1977. They chose for the flip side, the beautiful love ballad written by John Bettis and arranged by Richard I Have You taken from their last album A Kind Of Hush. In keeping with the current mode, the new single has a swinging upbeat style guaranteed to get you dancing and tapping your toes! We have high hopes for it's success on the charts in the very near future.

Karen and Mom wish to convey once again their very grateful thanks for the lovely cards they received from you all for their recent birthdays. A dinner party at home with close friends of the family was the highlight of both birthdays. Richard recently entered eight cars from his collection in the Long Beach Concours D'Elegance car show which was an elegant spectacle. It was held in the Shipside parking lot of the beautiful Queen Mary which served as an elegant background for picture taking. Though he received no awards, he enjoyed the novelty of participation in his first competition. He also enjoyed conversing with other car enthusiasts. Spectators derived much pleasure from viewing the cars while listening to Carpenters music which was played on the public address system. Richard's entries were: 1929 Desoto Deluxe coupe in Vintage vehicle Class. 1954 Corvette Roadster, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible & 1958 Chrysler 300.D Convertible entered the "Nifty Fifties" class. 1965 Plymouth Convertible in "Modern Motorcars". 1965 Corvette Convertible and 1969 Jaguar XKE Coupe entered the "Contemporary" Division.

The latest additions to his collection (which now numbers 50) are a 1960 Pontiac Bonneville, 1961 Lincoln Continental, 1970 Plymouth Hemicuda, 1977 Chevrolet Caprice and 1957 Plymouth Golden Fury. Mom and Dad were delighted to receive a 1930 model A Ford Roadster as a gift from Karen and Richard to mark the occasion of their 42nd Wedding Anniversary, April 9th. Numerous friends helped them celebrate by attending a lovely party in their home, hosted by Karen and Richard. Buffet tables were set up in the huge music room where guests dined and were treated to beautiful piano renditions by Richard.

In response to numerous requests, we now have a supply of new T-shirts featuring the new logo/silhouette available as follows: Children's size 16 only, white shirt/red logo. White shirt/green logo. Adult sizes, small, medium, large. ex-large. White shirt/red trim neck and sleeves with matching logo. White shirt/navy blue trim neck, sleeves with matching logo. Also, all sizes (adult) except ex-large white shirt/no trim, but a beautiful color green logo Prices as follows: U.S.A. children's shirts XX.XX. U.S.A. Adult's shirts XX.XX. Overseas children's shirts XX.XX. Overseas adult's shirts XX.XX. These are a superior quality 100% cotton, pre-shrunk and very attractive.

It is with much regret that in order for Karen and Richard to complete their new album, they have been compelled to cancel all tours for the month of June. They apologize to all disappointed fans.

I apologize for omitting in an earlier newsletter the lovely gift the Dutch Carpenters Fan club presented to Karen and Richard while touring Holland last November. It was a magnificent delft porcelain plate depicting one of Holland's famous windmills, and set on to a wooden plaque which is appropriately engraved in remembrance of their visit. A very charming gesture which is cherished with happy memories.

The following additions to the schedule are now at hand-

June 30 through July 13, MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.
August 2 through 15, Harrah's Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

A tour of Japan is scheduled for September 14 through October 6, but no list of cities is available at this time.

Memorial Day weekend promises to be a very memorable fun time for Karen and Richard. They have been invited to Las Vegas to be a part of a Celebrity baseball team who has challenged The Press. Other celebrities who will participate include Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Roy Clark, Rich Little, Alice Cooper, Ann Margaret, Connie Stevens, Ronnie Shore, Bruce Jenner will be there and may participate if his broken leg completely heals. Others who have been invited are Lee and Farah Faucett Majors, Wayne Newton, Jerry Lewis, Henry Winkler (The Fonz), Cindy Williams, Tom Jones, Don Ho, Ethel Kennedy, Bernadette Peters, Steve Martin, Robert Goulet, Don Henley (of The Eagles), Johnny Carson and Chip Carter (that's right-the President's son.) The game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 29th at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in aid of Nevada Mentally Handicapped Special Olympics. Celebrity appetites shall be satisfied at a 6:00 p.m. dinner at the Golden Nugget Casino, the Club that is sponsoring the game.

Wedding bells will soon ring for group member Doug Strawn. He will marry Nancy Christensen May 21 at the First Christian Church of Anaheim, Calif.

Plans for another t.v. Special later this year are in the preliminary stage as this goes to press, but I will keep you in touch with further developments in a future newsletter.

Due to the large influx of questions pertaining to mom and Dad Carpenter their bio will be postponed to a later newsletter. Thank you for sending in very interesting and intelligent questions. They will help me in conducting a more interesting interview. Please let me know what you would like to know about them, and I will try to honor all reasonable requests.

Q. Did Richard ever own a 1969 Roadrunner?
A. The 1969 Roadrunner was purchased as a family car, but became Karen's when she attended the University of California at Long Beach. This was her first car.
Q. How old was Richard when he got his first car and what kind was it?
A. Richard's very first car was a 1957 Plymouth 4 door hard top Savoy, purchased for him when he was 15 in New Haven (1962.) It was left behind when the family moved to California in 1963.
Q. Are there any plans for an Australian tour?
A. Not at this time.
Q. Have any of their singles or albums sold over 2 million in the U.S.A.?
A. Singles - No. Albums - Yes. Close To You, Carpenters, and The Singles- 1969-1973 sold over 2 million copies each in the U.S.A.
Q. What is Richard's favorite Spike Jones song?
A. Holiday For Strings.
Q. Does Gayle Levant play the harp on all their albums?
A. Yes, except for 2 tracks, Heather and Sandy, Dorothy Renser was the harpist on these.
Q. What does Karen do for voice warm-up's?
A. Nothing.
Q. Approximately how many records does Richard own?
A. 3,000.
Q. Are any members of the road family into the current C.B. craze?
A. Yes - Doug Strawn and Danny Woodhams.

We wish you all a Happy and Safe Summer.

Rap later. EV.