Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #85 - February, 1986

Hello Friends,

We sincerely hope you all enjoyed a great Holiday season, and we wish to express our thanks for the lovely greeting cards that poured in from throughout the world.

Let me go back in time to last August to bring you up to date on Richard's activities. The entire month of August was Carpenter Month in Downey. City Hall representatives visited the Carpenter homes and chose over 100 items to put on display in two show cases, one in The Downey City Library and one in City Hall. Items included posters, albums, gold records, personal photographs, trophies, lovely sketches of the duo drawn by fans and a "Karen" and "Richard" doll which sat near a little drum and a beautiful black satin piano, all hand-made by a loving fan. During a festal ceremony honoring Richard on August 14, he was presented with a Key to the City, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, and a Proclamation from the City of Downey, all presented by Downey's Mayor Devilla.

On September 19, Richard participated in the AIDS Project Los Angeles, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The benefit was responsible for raising over $1 Million for AIDS research. Richard performed We've Only Just Begun with Diahann Carroll.

During the month of October, Richard took time out from recording his own LP to arrange vocals and sing background on two bands of the new Smokey Robinson LP. The album is engineered and co-produced by former Carpenters' "alum" Tony Peluso who will be featured on solo guitar on Richard's forthcoming LP. The two "Smokey" tunes on which Richard is featured are Sleepless Nights and Hangin' On By A Thread. While on the subject of the solo LP, we should mention that Richard is approximately 50 percent along with the project. Release date may be later than anticipated due to major renovation which is taking place at A & M Studios.

In answer to a request of the Homecoming committee of California State University at Long Beach, Richard performed the Carpenters Fantasia with the school's concert band and choir at half-time during the University's second annual homecoming game on October 19. The next evening Frank Pooler and his choir again joined Richard when he performed with the Garden Grove Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the Fantasia, Richard performed Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Warsaw Concerto, My Favorite Things, and Star Wars / Close Encounters. The orchestra is under the direction of Richard's long time chum, Edward Peterson. Monies raised from the concert will benefit the Garden Grove orchestra. The evening was entitled We've Only Just Begun and was dedicated to Karen's memory.

Finally, in November, Richard took a well deserved vacation. With wife, Mary and Mom and Dad, a flight was made to beautiful Hawaii. They joined former Carpenters' sound-man, Ken Black and his new bride, Cheri, in Oahu. All came home a shade or two tanner.

During the month of December, Richard and the University choir were brought together again for the Annual Winter Festival Concerts which benefit the Choral Scholarship Fund at the University of California at Long Beach. In addition to the choir, Richard's selections also featured members of the school's instrumental program and a rhythm section replete with Bob Messenger on bass and "sax". Richard performed four instrumentals from the two Carpenters Christmas LP's and asked friend and vocalist Pam Miller to join him in performing An Old Fashioned Christmas and It's Christmas Time. Sleep Well Little Children. Richard also sang his new arrangement of A Cradle In Bethlehem and dueted with Pam on Christ is Born.

Richard and John Bettis performed in A Salute To The American Songwriter. The program was held at the Beverly Theater on December 10 and was sponsored by the National Academy of Songwriters of which both Richard and John are members. In addition to the Carpenter/Bettis duo, the program featured many other songwriters including Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Stephen Bishop, Eric Carmen, etc.

On December 19 Richard was again asked to judge two tapings of Puttin' On The Hits. To the best of our knowledge, the programs will be aired in February and March, Check your local listings for the exact date.

Richard is one of many celebrities who will be participating in the upcoming Hands Across America. For Those of you not aware of this monumental project, it is to be a chain of people holding hands on a predestined route stretching from Los Angeles to New York. Monies raised from this project will be used to combat domestic hunger and homelessness. You will all be hearing a lot more regarding this project in the upcoming weeks. Hands Across America will take place on May 25. A place in the chain will cost each person from $10.00 to $35.00 (depending on whether one wants a T-shirt or a commemorative pin). We urge all of those who are able to participate in this most worthwhile event.

Richard will again be guest artist with the United States Air Force Band at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. Mom, Dad and Mary will accompany him to the performance which will take place on February 16.

Richard and engineer Roger Young have just completed remastering of Horizon for CD release. Carpenters albums already available on CD are The Singles 1969-1973, Voice of the Heart, Christmas Portrait and Yesterday Once More. Others will follow.

We have received numerous inquiries as to the possibility of a second video release. As of this writing, there are no plans in the offing for such a video.

Fans requesting new items will be happy to learn we are now taking orders for sweatshirts. The shirts, which will sport the Carpenters logo, will come in adult sizes only small medium, large and extra-large. Choice of colors are red shirt with white embroidery, white with red embroidery, or navy blue with white embroidery. The price is $XX.XX each for U.S, Canada and Mexico and $XX.XX each for all other countries. When ordering please state size and color.

We are sorry we have already sold out of some of the items pictured in our new brochure items no longer available are T-shirts. Poster D, and photos C 23 and C 25. In limited supply are photos C 7, C 16, C 21, and CE26. Two new photos not pictured in the brochure are one of the Carpenters Star on Hollywood Boulevard and one of Mom and Dad Carpenter taken on their Golden Wedding Anniversary. Price is $X.XX each. We also have some new large posters from the Yesterday Once More album. A background of blue surrounds the Karen and Richard postcard picture, with the lovely Carpenters logo at the top. Price is $X.XX for U.S., Canada and Mexico and $X.XX for all other countries.

We have also unearthed another treasure in our store room - a lovely poster of the duo taken in 1973. There is a rosy tone to the poster. Karen wears a maroon and white print dress and has her elbows resting on Richard's left shoulder. Richard wears a pink shirt topped with a maroon and white sweater vest. The poster is signed by both Karen and Richard. The price is the same as all other posters.

There has been some confusion concerning the payment of annual membership fees. Charter members who joined before 1977 are not required to pay annually. At the time of their initial payment they were given a lifetime membership, if the back of your membership card is blank, or has only the date you joined, that indicates you are a Charter member. If the back of your card is printed it will state the length of your membership from the date you joined to the expiration date. Please check the back your card for the expiration date. Annual fees are $X.XX. Overseas members, please send an International Money Order for $X.XX in US dollars.

Many thanks to loving members for remembering Karen with floral gifts and contribution to her Memorial Foundation. Will rap again, EV.



Carpenters Fan Club Newsletter #86 - July, 1986

Hello Friends,

It's time once more to bring you up-to-date on Richard's activities. During the month of March, Richard performed a medley of Carpenters tunes on the National Easter Seal Telethon. This was televised from the Aquar Theater in Hollywood Pat Boone and Donna Mills co-hosted. On March 10th Richard was guest speaker for the National Academy of Songwriter's Workshop. He opened the evening with a brief history of the Carpenters, answered a number of questions on songwriting techniques and on the recording business.

Richard was invited to be Honorary Judge at the 14th annual Vintage Fres Concours d'Elegance. The event took place on May 4th and all proceeds went to benefit the Children's Home Society and Kiwanis International. Richard entered three automobiles in two classics. (He did not judge them however.) In the Chrysler 300 Class his 1957 300C convertible won First Place and his 1955 C300 won Second. In the Special Interest Class 1946-1959 his 1959 Desota Adventurer took First Place.

Since the remodeling of A&M Recording Studios is nearing completion, Richard has been able to book some studio time and continue with his album. Roger and he mixed five of the songs that had been previously completed and from July 8th through July 10th rhythm tracks were recorded for an additional five songs, (Four of which are Richard's.) Due to the remodeling taking longer then expected, the release date of the album wilt be postponed until early 1987.

In answer to all your questions concerning the TV movie, Richard met with scriptwriter Barry Morrow on June 19th. The meeting covered more "fine tuning" on the second draft of the script. Barry is again at work on the project and we will keep you informed.

The CD of Made In America was released on June 30th. This brings the total number of Carpenters albums available in this format to nine. They are as follows: Close To You, A Song For You, Now And Then, Singles 1969-1973, Horizon, Christmas Portrait, Made In America, Voice of the Heart, Yesterday Once More.

The remaining four: Ticket To Ride, Carpenters, A Kind of Hush, and Passage will be released within the next two months.

The month of August will find Richard and Mary traveling to Dearborn, Michigan to attend the First Annual Motor Muster. This affair is being presented in conjection with the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village and will take place on August 9th and 10th. Richard was asked by the museum staff to become a member of a committee of automobile aficionados who will aid in the organization of this event. From Dearborn, they will fly to Orlando, Florida where Richard will again be performing at EPCOT Center on August 15th, 16th and 17th, this time with the Florida Symphony Orchestra.

An updated keepsake brochure is now at the printers. The new sweat shirts will be pictured as well as the 1973 poster, a bumper sticker a stationery pad with logo and five new photographs. We discovered a carton of Carpenters book covers in our "infamous" storage room. We are enclosing one complimentary book cover with each poster order.

Richard is delighted with the numerous complimentary letters concerning the Yesterday Once More video. There is much interest in the taping of each song so Richard kindly wrote a synopsis for your benefit:

We've Only Just Begun - From the Carpenters' second appearance with Bob Hope. This Hope Special guest shot, fall of 1973, coincided with the release of the Carpenters' first domestic "Greatest Hits" album "The Singles".

Those Good Old Dreams - This "promo clip" was one of three selections videotaped in 1981 from that year's Carpenters' release, Made In America The remaining two were Touch Me When We've Dancing and Beechwood 4-5789 All three were taped on the "Chaplin Stage" at A&M Records.

Superstar - This is an A&M "Promo Film" shot in early 1971 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. The Carpenters were appearing at the "Sands" at the time but the Desert Inn was selected for the film due to it's larger stage.

Rainy Days and Mondays - This was filmed the same day and in the same location as Superstar.

All you Get From Love is a Love Song - This song was the debut single from the Carpenters' 1977 album Passage. This A&M "promo film" was shot early that year in A&M Studio's D where, starting in 1974, Karen and Richard did most of their recordings.

Top of the World - This performance is form the The Carpenters very first television special for ABC, 1976. The special featured John Denver and Victor Borge as guest. It was produced by Rich Eustis and Al Rogers and was directed by Bill Davis.

Ticket to Ride - The earliest clip in the compilation,. From a syndicated pop music show called Something Else. It was shot on location in Squaw Valley, California on Karen's birthday, March 2nd, in 1970.

Only Yesterday - an A&M "promo film" from 1975. Filmed in Studio D and on location at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, California.

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - The second single culled from 1977's Passage. It was taped at Vidtronics in Hollywood, California, using the newly introduced "Magicam" format.

Beechwood 4-5789 - The fourth single from Made In America. Shot in 1981 on the Chaplin Stage.

Touch Me When We're Dancing - The debut single from Made In America this turned out to be the Carpenters' last top 20 single. Taped in 1981 at the Chaplin Stage.

Hurting Each Other - The debut single form the Carpenters' 1972 album release A Song For You. Filmed in Studio B at A&M Recording Studios in early 1972.

Please Mr. Postman - Another A&M "promo film". Shot in late 1974 at Disney World, Florida.

There's A Kind Of Hush - This clip was shot in April of 1976 in Osaka, Japan, while the Carpenters were on a month-long tour of that country.

Close to You - From the Carpenters' NBC summer series Make Your Own Kind of Music, 1971. The stills were added during post production of this compilation.

We've received many letters concerning the purchase of Carpenters albums and cassettes. The following is a list of those albums and cassettes available for purchase. The catalog number will help you in ordering from you local record store if they do not have what you are looking for in stock

Album, Catalog Number
Yesterday Once More, #6601
An Old Fashioned Christmas, #3270
Voice of the Heart, #4954
Made In America, #3732
Christmas Portrait, #3210
Passage, #3199
A Kind of Hush, #3197
Horizon, #4530
The Singles, 1969-1973, #3601
Now & Then, #3519
A Song For You, #3511
Carpenters, #3502
Close To You, #3184
Ticket To Ride, #4205

Until next time. EV.