Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #73 - January, 1982

Greetings friends:

We hope the Holiday Season was a joyful time for everyone, and that all your New Year's resolutions are being adhered to!
Richard and Dad once again express their warm appreciation for those of you who never forget their birthdays, and the whole family thank you for the beautiful Christmas cards and gifts. The Carpenter homestead, looking resplendent in its Christmas attire, attracted tourists and groups of carolers which added to the traditional family get-together atmosphere.

As promised in the previous newsletter, here are a few more details of the promotional tour. The first leg of the trip to Paris, France from New York took only 3 hours 18 minutes on the incredible Concorde, always a particular thrill for Richard.

Their first full day in Paris was spent rehearsing for their participation in a live TV program Palmares which aired that evening, and featured their debut single from the Made In America album Touch Me When We Are Dancing.

The duo's second day in Paris coincided with Richard's birthday which he, Karen and friends spent sightseeing, covering such famous land-marks as the Eiffel Tower, Lourdes etc. A lavish birthday dinner party was planned at the world famous Tour D'Argent Restaurant which has a spectacular view overlooking the Notre Dame cathedral. The party was set in high gear with the gift of a magnum of Lafite Rothchild wine!

Next day was a busy working day rehearsing for a TV show Julio Iglesias Numero Un. Julio is a very prominent international artist. He accompanied Richard and Karen singing one of their earlier hits Sing, Top Of The World was also included in the show which was video taped and aired in December.

The party thoroughly enjoyed the Moulin Rouge show, and of course the romantic trip on the riverboat down the river Seine. The boat is constructed of glass paneling exterior to afford visitors a wide range viewing section while enjoying dinner aboard. The weather in Paris was chilly and crisp in contrast to the cold damp atmosphere they encountered the following day upon arrival in Amsterdam, Holland.

The first morning there involved many press interviews and radio station visits. Richard and Karen participated in two TV shows Top Pop and Mies where Touch Me received more exposure. The rehearsals were held twenty five miles away in Hilversum, and broadcast live with an audience the same evening.

More interviews ensued next day, plus a brief tour of the city by limousine which was spoiled by rain. Time did not permit other entertainment in Holland, other than dining. They enjoyed each country's traditional food and customs.

From Holland the party flew to London, England for another week of countless interviews which commenced in their hotel suite. Our duo were featured in an on-air chat with John Dunn of BBC Radio 2, and later with Tony Blackburn of BBC Radio London, followed by more press interviews. The second day was a similar routine at Capital Radio in an on-air interview with Michael Aspel, followed by the taping of a special with Tim Blackmore at the radio station.

The twosome were happy to find sufficient time to entertain their Uncle Richard and Aunt Mary (Dad's brother and wife) to lunch at their hotel suite one day. As their relatives live in London they don't have the opportunity to see them too often, so it was a special day for them.

A most unfortunate situation occurred when Richard became violently sick the day they left the hotel for a guest appearance on BBC TV Multi-Colored Swap Shop live show. He made every effort to appear, but by the time he reached the studio he was too groggy to participate, so Karen held the fort admirably on her own.

Hundreds of fans had the opportunity to see their idols in the flesh when they spent an afternoon at the prestigious Harrods department store signing autographs. Richard was still feeling under the weather by the evening, so he could not join the party to see their friend Petula Clark who was playing the lead role in the stage production of The Sound of Music.

Richard enjoyed his last day in London when he rented a 1962 XJS Jaguar and drove with Karen to the country home in Bertfordshire of their friend Peter Knight and his family for a dinner party. An impromptu "mini" concert developed when everyone sang a song of their choice, and all enjoyed a happy intimate evening. Needless to say Richard was in his glory driving that latest Jaguar!

Little time was available for sightseeing, but as they had toured London many times previously it was just as well, however, they braved the cold and paid a visit to the old Museum of Natural History.

Germany was the next stop-over. More interviews, and rehearsals for a 90 minute TV show Showexpress (formerly Star Parade) which incorporated music and entertainment news. Appearing on the show also were guests James Last and Julio Iglesias. Top Of The World and Beechwood were the tracks Richard and Karen performed on Showexpress. As the studios were 45 minutes away from their hotel, quite a lot of time was spent traveling from Bremen to Hamburg. No time was allotted for sightseeing here, but they had seen many landmarks on previous tours of Germany.

The party returned to Paris for their connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During their last few hours in Paris they dined at their favorite restaurant Lasserre's, and enjoyed a show at the famous Crazy Horse Saloon.

En-route to Rio (the last stage of the tour), the plane touched down in Dakar, Africa for refueling. It was sizzling hot there!

The first day after they arrived in Rio was a national Brazilian Holiday, so the party discovered some interesting places and were very impressed by the statue of Christ in the city of Corcovado, and the Sugarloaf Mountain. The warmer climate was an added pleasure!

One of their first projects was a guest appearance on the major Globo T.V. Generation 1980's show, where Touch Me was promoted again.

The second day involved photo sessions at Casa Sendai for Manchete (Brazil's Life Journal), followed by lunch, then more radio interviews etc.

The following day Richard and Karen went to Sugarloaf Mountain for location filming of TV 'a Fantastico production. On Thursday they flew to San Paulo for a hectic session visiting 5 radio stations, leading record stores and a press conference. An elegant dinner party was hosted by one of Brazil's leading concert promoters.

On Friday the duo returned to Rio for lunch, then a final round of interviews. Later Karen returned to the hotel while Richard went to the studio to put together a medley comprising Close To You, We've Only Just Begun and Back In My Life.

The last day in Rio was spent video taping the medley for later airing on the Show de Mes and Geracao 80 TV programs.

So ended a successful promotional tour. Richard and Karen were very impressed and gratified by the warmth of their numerous loyal supporters who gathered to met them at the airport in each country they visited.

They are now busy researching material for their next album to be recorded shortly, and are formulating a schedule for later this year.

With reference to the sets of Made In America pictures I mentioned in newsletter 71, regretfully these were erroneously omitted from the new keepsakes list, but these are indeed available in color and black and white.

Here's hoping l982 will be your best year ever! Until next time, God Bless. Rosina.


Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #74 - April, 1982

Hello Friends!

The month of March has been a hectic round of parties with about six birthdays in the Carpenter family!

Karen and Mom express their warm appreciation as always for the many lovely cards and gifts. Since their birthdays are only two days apart, they usually have a combined celebration and this year was no exception. A family dinner party was held at their favorite seafood restaurant in Beverly Hills.

It was not until after the last newsletter was published that Richard decided to release Beechwood 4-5789 on Karen's birthday, so we hope you're catching it on your airwaves, and expect to see some chart action soon.

I was so involved with the details of the promotional tour in the last newsletter, that I neglected to pass on the good news that Tony and Chris Peluso became the proud parents of an 81b.l4oz. son Andrew Anthony, November 10th. (All are doing well!) Let's hope he will follow in his Dad's footsteps with his musical abilities.

There isn't much to report this time, except Richard and Karen are laying tracks in readiness for the next album, and have completed a few songs. They hope for completion later this year.

We have received a variety of questions Richard has answered below:

Q. Has a concert tour been formulated yet?
A. Currently in the planning stages.
Q. To what does Richard accredit the disappointing chart listings for the Carpenters best ever album Made In America?
A. There were no "Top 5" singles, and less than satisfactory promotion.
Q. Will the "Carpettes" be used on the next Carpenters album?
A. "It's a possibility".
Q. Will Karen ever release her solo album?
A. Probably not.
Q. Why doesn't Richard use the harmonica as he did on two earlier LP's?
A. He hasn't found or written a song he feels calls for harmonica.
Q. What happened to the ABC Special which was due last Christmas?
A. Richard and Karen are still committed for one, but management is waiting for the exact right time for airing.
Q. Will there be a Made In America music book available to members?
A. No - (according to the publishers).
Q. How old was Richard when he first fully arranged and orchestrated a song? Does he remember which song?
A. He was 22. The songs: Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing & Someday.
Q. Will the Carpenters consider recording on Videocassette?
A. Yes.
Q. Have K&R been to the Top Of The World in the Baltimore Trade Center?
A. Not yet.
We will be happy to answer more practical questions in the next newsletter in the meantime we all wish you a happy summer, and congratulate all graduates and wish you well in your chosen field.

All the Best! Rosina.



Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #75 - June, 1982
 
Hello Friends!

As this letter reaches you, many of you will have embarked upon your long summer vacation, and we're glad to hear you are making good use of your Made In America sun visors. We in southern California haven't had a chance to wear ours yet, as we've been socked in by heavy low clouds for several weeks now, but our turn will come!

As a result of additional time being spent on their forthcoming album, Richard and Karen will not be touring this summer. A fall tour however remains a possibility. Richard and John Bettis are also spending more time composing, having completed four songs as of this writing.

I hope some of you southern Californians caught and enjoyed the recent Special on KNOB/FM entitled These Are The Carpenters. The program featured two one hour segments embracing the musical history of the Carpenters, and an interview with Richard. It was super hearing all those nostalgic earlier Carpenters hits grace the airwaves once again. The Special is going in a national syndication in the near future, so keep an ear (or two) open to your local A/C (Adult Contemporary) stations for possible airing.

We understand many members have been unable to secure a copy of the single Those Good Old Dreams, so arrangements have been made for a limited supply, available to USA members only to obtain same from the fanclub for $X.XX each including shipping and handling.

Thank you for your interest in sending in questions for the newsletter which will be answered now.

Q. With all the wonderful and exciting moments Richard and Karen have experienced in the past 11 years of their career, has either of them kept a diary?
A. Unfortunately not, and they both deeply regret it.
Q. Where did Karen acquire that beautiful sweater she wore for the pose on the inner sleeve of the Made In America album? A. From Alpha Cubic Boutique in Beverly Hills.
Q. Which Carpenters album was the most expensive to produce?
A. Made In America, followed by Christmas Portrait.
Q. Do Richard & Karen plan any Pay Television performances?
A. Not at present time. They do however feel it is an important medium, and will be involved in projects in the future.
Q. Who is Richard's current favorite pianist, and Karen's current favorite drummer?
A. Favorite pianist Oscar Peterson. Favorite drummer Steve Gadd, a well known American session drummer.
Q. If fan club response was great enough, could a song from an earlier Carpenters LP be released as a single for the first time?
A. Possibly, if coupled with same response from myriad radio stations.
Q. What song did K & R perform on the All American College show in 1969?
A. Ticket To Ride.
Q. On what tracks did Karen play drums on the Offering album?
A. All tracks.
Q. Why are there two different covers for the Song For You LP?
A. Actually there are three different covers.
The original release, using high grade stock with a flap featuring the original silhouette embossed. It also had a photograph of the Song For You heart and Carpenters logo taken at an angle, producing a shadow.
After the initial shipment or two, an executive at A & M felt the cover needed revamping to give it more "zing", and this resulted in the use of a bolder logo, bigger heart and wider border, and minus the flap. The decision to change the cover was unknown to Richard who, when seeing the new cover promptly "went through the roof". To Richard, the #2 cover looked like a mutant of the original. A discussion concerning the revised cover ensued, which produced cover #3.
The third cover was a return in most respects to cover #1. Richard had expected it to be exactly the same as the original cover, but when he received a copy of the newest one, the stock was not the same and no sign of the flap, so he decided to drop the matter.
Q. Were any Carpenters albums ever released on the old 4-track cartridges?
A. Not to our knowledge.
Q. Why doesn't Richard sing any more like he did on the earlier recordings?
A. Richard sings lead only when he absolutely feels a song lends itself to his sound, which usually isn't the case. (He is Karen's biggest Fan!). On the forthcoming album however, there will be at least two "cuts" that feature Richard's lead.
Q. As Richard and Karen performed at the White House during President Nixon's term of office, have they met him again during his residency in southern California?
A. No, they have not met him since, but they were very surprised to receive a copy each in the mail of his Memoirs with an accompanying hand written message "To The Carpenters. With appreciation for their superb performance at the White House on May 1, 1973. From Richard Nixon". Dated June 18, 1978.
We'll be happy to answer more questions next time, and thank you for your interest.

Richard and Karen's Uncle Richard and Aunt Mary who live in London, England have a very special date to look forward to, they celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary August 15th. We all extend our warmest congratulations to them on such a rare occasion!

I would like to conclude this newsletter by sharing with you a favorite philosophy of our duo, written by Edwin Markham. It's entitled Destiny:

There is a destiny which makes us brothers
None goes on his way alone
All that we send into the lives of others
Comes back into our own.
This may be particularly meaningful to our graduates.

Have a wonderful summer, and drive safely.

P.S. The Fan Club office will be closed for staff vacation during the month of September.

Until next time. God Bless. Rosina.


Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #76 - October, 1982
 
Greetings Friends!

I trust you have all enjoyed a super summer and are now braced for the Festive Season! We have received many inquiries relating to the article in People magazine about Tom and Karen's separation, so to set the record straight I now confirm the statement, and as a mark of respect for Karen there will be no further comments on this subject.

Our duo have decided to re-release Christmas Portrait and possibly Merry Christmas Darling this Christmas, but apart from that there is nothing new to report on the Carpenters music scene at this time so we'll have another question and answer session which appears to be very popular.

Q. What career would Richard and Karen have chosen if they hadn't entered the field of music?
A. They had decided on music early on and hadn't thought of any alternatives.
Q. Was the introductory verse of Another Song from the Close To You LP inspired from a recital of the Messiah?
A. Yes, the Recitativo Accompagnato from Section #14 of Messiah.
Q. Which cover of the first Carpenters LP do Richard and Karen prefer Offering or Ticket To Ride?
A. Ticket To Ride by far.
Q. In the Yesterday Once More (Reprise) there seems to be an "unmusical sound" during the fourth repeat segment "When I Was Young", can Richard explain this?
A. The track was the original recording using bass, piano and drums with Joe Osborn playing his fretted Fender Jazz bass. Joe had just purchased a fretless bass and wanted to incorporate it in one of the tunes. It was subsequently overdubbed, using different "fills" on the Yesterday Once More (Reprise) and everyone was happy with the result. The "unmusical sound" you hear resulted when, during the mastering process they "phased" the Reprise to achieve a more reflective sound. The fretless bass surged in volume as a result of the phasing, and none of the engineers could give an explanation. The deadline for delivery of the master tape had approached, and the group had to leave on a concert tour so the decision was made to let it go. Nevertheless it has bothered Richard ever since the album was released.
Q. What was Richard's favorite book while in Elementary School? and Karen's?
A. Richard's favorite was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. Karen loved Heidi.
Q. Why are the names of various music and publishing companies always listed on all recordings?
A. To ensure the appropriate companies are credited for the royalties entitled to them.
Q. Everyone knows K & R admired the Beatles, but what is their favorite Beatle single?
A. It's impossible to name one, but many of their favorites include From Me To You, Please, Please Me, Yesterday, She Loves You, Strawberry Fields Forever.
Q. Is it true that when the late John Wayne judged the 1969 All American College Show in which the Carpenters performed, he was so taken taken with Karen's voice he wanted her to be his leading lady in his movie True Grit?
A. He was taken with her personality and felt she had the right looks for the part, however, the film studio wanted a "name" actress.
Q. Have the Carpenters hobbies changed since newsletter #1?
A. They remain much the same, except Richard is more into video and bowling. He still loves playing and collecting records, specially old 78's, and of course his car collection. Karen still loves needlepoint, cooking, bowling etc.
Q. Does Richard belong to any car clubs?
A. He has belonged to several; at the present time the Edsel Club.
Q. Does Richard own a Stutz, Clene't, Rolls Royce or Lamborghini?
A. No.
Q. Will any of the songs Karen recorded on her solo album ever be included on a future Carpenters album?
A. No.
Q. Are K & R aware of the "Foster-Parent" commercial that features Bless The Beasts And The Children in the background?
A. Yes.
Q. Apart from the chocolate and soft drink commercial the Carpenters have done in Japan, have they done commercials in any other foreign country?
A. No.
Q. If one was to write the lyrics for a song they wanted the Carpenters (or any other artist) to look over, what legal procedure should they follow prior to sending the material in?
A. After copies of the original lyrics are made, the original should be sealed in an envelope addressed to yourself (by registered mail) and leave same sealed when it is returned to you. After the registered envelope reaches you with the date stamped on it, you can then mail copies to your chosen artists you wish to evaluate your material. Otherwise you could have your material copyrighted.
Q. Who were the composers honored in the Music, Music Music Carpenters Special featuring the following songs: Without A Song, When I Fall In Love, Ain't Misbehavin' and You're Just In Love?
A. Without A Song - Vincent Youmans. When I Fall In Love - Victor Young. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller. You're Just In Love - Irving Berlin.
Q. What are Richard and Karen's views on the current music trend in America?
A. They are not overly enthused, but currently enjoy such recordings as Eye In The Sky by Alan Parsons Project. Ten Out Of Ten by 10cc and Donald Fagen's Nightfly.
Thank you for your participation in helping to keep alive the interest in the past and present music of the Carpenters.

Everyone in the Carpenters "circle" wish you and your familes a very Happy Christmas, Good Health, Good Fortune and Prosperity in 1983. All the Best. Rosina.