Carpenters Horizon (1. Karen Carpenter(Morning opens quietly, a shadow vision over me)Link to purchase “Horizon” (click here)Written by Rick Henry“Horizon” is the album that most Carpenters fans claim to be their favorite amongst all Carpenters releases. Released on June 6, 1. Carpenters album to date. The album is a technical triumph. It was recorded at A& M Records mainly in Studio D using state- of- the- art, 2. Dolby, and recorded at 3.
The Carpenters took the patience to spend a good amount of time and many long hours experimenting with different sounds, techniques and effects. One of the most astonishing techniques used on the album is the multitude of separate mikings. Every single instrument and voice has its own microphone. This helped to create a broad, full sound. The drums were recorded on four separate tracks: one for the kick, one for the snare and one each for the left and right tom- toms. On the song “Only Yesterday” a tape delay is used on the saxophone. This effect accents the instrument and lifts it above the canvas, giving it an extra dimension.“Horizon” was the Carpenters’ sixth studio album. After five consecutive albums peaking inside the US top 5, “Horizon” broke this run by reaching US # 1. The album has been certified PLATINUM by the RIAA for selling over a million copies and most likely will soon be certified DOUBLE PLATINUM. Although “Horizon” peaked outside the Top Ten in the US, they were bigger than ever around the world. Richard Carpenter stated his goal was to produce an album in which every song could be a single. With “Horizon” he achieved this goal, as each song on this album could have easily been a hit in 1. Jerry Moss (the “M” in A& M Records) sent Richard a letter congratulating him on his production of “Horizon.” This was a big deal to both Karen and Richard as Moss rarely showed much appreciation for Carpenters. During the recording of “Horizon,” Moss visited Carpenters in the studio and recognized what a thrill it was to have a voice like Karen Carpenter’s recording for A& M. In the Ray Coleman book, The Carpenters: The Untold Story, it is stated that some felt “Horizon” showed a growth of experimental, ground- breaking qualities comparable to the Beatles’ “Sgt. Peppers.” Coleman also stated that “Horizon” is a classy work which has stood the test of time. AURORA(Richard Carpenter and John Bettis)“Horizon” opens and closes with a pair of distant, yet warmly familiar, bookend songs: “Aurora” and “Eventide.” Each song is identical in its somber mood with a chilling sense of sunrise and sunset. Written by Richard Carpenter and lyricist John Bettis, the song was a huge hit worldwide. Believing the song would not be a hit Carpenter and Bettis lost a one- thousand dollar bet to their recording engineer, Roger Young. Since the melody was upbeat, Richard asked Bettis to make sure the lyric was not completely sad, so the outlook of the song changes midstream. It goes from dark and deep to bright and propulsive. Bettis described “Only Yesterday” as, “a manipulated, positive song.” The song is an impressive “wall of sound” with each instrument clearly recognizable. It has the feel of the 6. With all this outstanding technology it’s Karen’s voice that remains the focal point. She opens with a haunting Low E Flat and moves gracefully through the range of the song and her voice with ease. The opening kick drum and snare (which is now considered a classic song opening by Carpenters fans) was performed by Jim Gordon and really gets the song moving. HAPPY DAYS Situation Comedy FIRST TELECAST: January 15, 1974 LAST TELECAST: July 12, 1984 MUSIC: 'Rock Around the Clock' (original recording by Bill Haley & His.Tony Peluso adds several different intricate guitar chords and riffs throughout the song. It’s a very eclectically- electric song.“Only Yesterday” was released in the US on March 1. Carpenters’ last Top 1. US. The song did extremely well throughout the world, reaching US #4, UK #7, Canada #2, Germany #4. Ireland #5, New Zealand #1. Japan #1. 2. The song was also certified Gold in Japan and won the prestigious Japanese GRAND PRIX award in 1. DESPERADO(Don Henley and Glen Frey)This song received a good amount of attention from the critics stating this was a logical choice for release as a single. The intensely, emotional song received rave reviews. It was an instant favorite amongst fans and critics alike. Karen wrung out every bit of her soul as she brought this song alive. She sang it like she really meant it. Tommy Morgan’s harmonica accents the overall aura of the song; his haunting performance establishes the song’s melancholy mood.“Desperado” was originally recorded by the Eagles in 1. Desperado.” Several others have recorded this song including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond. A& M Records decided against releasing Carpenters’ version as a single, due to the fact that it had been receiving radio airplay for both Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. Many fans consider this to be a “missed opportunity.”PLEASE MR. Postman” was never meant to be anything more than a feel- good pop song, and what a great pop song it was. Carpenters recorded and released this song in late 1. Horizon” was released). For its inclusion on “Horizon,” Richard Carpenter remixed the song and gave it a glossier sheen than what was on the single. While recording the song some of the engineers and musicians thought Karen and Richard were “nuts” to even consider it, but the duo got the last laugh when it became a worldwide #1 smash.“Please Mr. Postman” was the album’s biggest hit single and also Carpenters’ biggest hit worldwide. It reached # 1 in the US, Australia, Canada and South Africa, as well as reaching # 2 in the UK and Canada. It also reached #4 New Zealand, #5 Switzerland, #1. Germany, #1. 1 Japan and #2. Netherlands. This driving, rhythm- based tune features Karen on drums and a great Tony Peluso guitar solo. The music video for the song was filmed at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Karen and Richard are treated like VIP’s in the theme park, as they are escorted by Disney dignitaries such as Goofy, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. The video perfectly captures the feel- good feel of the song. Richard Carpenter has always loved this song (most predominantly the Beatles’ recording) and had wanted to record the song for quite some time.“Please Mr. Postman” is one of a handful of songs to be a US #1 hit more than once. It reached #1 first in 1. Motown vocal group the Marvelettes. The song also gained further acclaim when the Beatles included it on their 1. With the Beatles.”I CAN DREAM, CAN’T I?(Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain)In the liner notes for the album “Horizon,” this song contains its own separate personnel credits. The credits are as follows: Arranged by Billy May and Richard Carpenter. Orchestrated by Billy May. Bass: Joe Mondragon. This page contains updates on what the cast members of Happy Days did after the series ended and recent pictures where available. HORIZON (Morning opens quietly, a shadow vision over me) Link to purchase “Horizon” (click here) Written by Rick Henry “Horizon” is the album that most. Drums: Alvin Stoller. Keyboards: Pete Jolly. Vibes: Frank Flynn. Guitar: Bob Bain. Background Vocals: Jackie Ward, Mitch Gordon, John Bahler and Gene Merlino. Considered by many to be a highlight of the album, “I Can Dream Can’t I?” is an atmospheric interpretation of the 1. Andrews Sisters hit. To maintain an authentic quality, Karen and Richard hired veteran, Billy May, to orchestrate the song. May has worked with legends, such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. The song features the Billy May Orchestra, which adds to the authenticity of the overall sound. One gets the mental image of Karen dressed in a formal gown, her hair perfectly coifed as she fronts a fabulous 4. I Can Dream Can’t I?” was written and published in 1. Right This Way,” which was a commercial flop. Later in the year, Tommy Dorsey recorded the song and had a hit with it. It wasn’t until 1. Andrews Sisters hit #1 with the song. Although Carpenters never released it as a single, their rendition has received a fair amount of radio airplay on nostalgic radio stations as well as jazz, easy listening, adult contemporary and standards radio. John Bahler is in the chorus of background singers. Bahler and his brother Tom (whom Karen dated) hired Karen and Richard in early 1. Ford Motor Company and most prominently the new car, the Maverick. Alvin Stoller plays drums on this track; he is best known for his work in the 1. Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Benny Goodman. Pete Jolly is a jazz keyboardist whose composition “Little Bird” was nominated for a 1. Grammy Award. Jolly has also done extensive work recording television theme songs such as “I Spy,” “Love Boat,” “MASH,” “Get Smart,” “Mannix,” “Dallas” and many others. A bit on the songwriters: Sammy Fain was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1. Academy Awards for “Secret Love” from Calamity Jane (1. Love Is a Many- Splendored Thing” from the movie of the same name (1. Irving Kahal’s most notable tune is “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” which he wrote with Pierre Norman. The song was made popular by Maurice Chavalier in the movie “The Big Pond” (1. Frank Sinatra also recorded the song. SOLITAIRE(Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody)Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody wrote “Solitaire” which was the third single from “Horizon.” The exuberance of the strings, Richard’s subtle keyboard and Karen’s deep, full- bodied voice give this song that chill factor that Richard looked for in a song. Many Carpenters fans consider this to be one of Karen’s most intense and finest readings. Some even go so far as to say this is Karen’s very best vocal performance. Richard Carpenter has commented that Karen never liked the song. Fans have speculated as to the reason why Karen never cared for this spectacular song; some theorize it could be due to the fallout between Carpenters and Neil Sedaka. The sublime vocal arrangement was composed by Richard Carpenter, and in his words, he says, “the song was difficult to sing, and Karen nailed it perfectly.” Richard calls this one of Karen’s greatest performances. Although “Solitaire” was not a huge hit as were “Please Mr. Postman” or “Only Yesterday,” it still performed well on singles charts around the world and received a huge amount of airplay. The song’s chart stats are as follows: #1. US, #1. 2 Canada, #3. UK, #6 New Zealand, #6. Australia and #4.
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