Joe Osborne's Session from Hell

[ullalume]

Happy New Year all.

Here I am with a decade under my belt of AM Corner membership. Crazy fast and keep up the good work, guys.

Anyway, with response to the Q&A from Joe, I just wondered what everyone's thoughts were on this miserable session from '81/'82.

Personally my gut instinct was some upset. I'd hate to think the duo's final hours recording together were a laboured and unhappy time, since I immediately assumed the session to be April '82.

Then I thought maybe it was from the March/April '81 sessions (not vocals) and wondered if this hated track of Karen's was Rainbow Connection (the song that Richard said would prompt her to "come down and get" him.) But then they both loved MIA and in all photos from those sessions they look really happy.

So maybe it is from '82. But what song could it be. We know Now and You're Enough were done then, but I recall there were 3 or 4 others tracked. . . .anyone know what they were. . .I've lost that buried treasure interview with RC from '96. Surely she couldn't hate those first 2 I mentioned.

At first I thought this particular session was coloured by Joe being hung-over and sobering up - always guaranteed to give you a crappy POV. But then he mentioned they weren't having fun in THEIR LAST SESSIONS, plural. It gives the idea that however many days they were booked into the studio during that fortnight in April of '82, they were not in a good place. . .very sad.

I can understand RC's negative vibes. Touchy at the best of times, and upset at KC at her lowest weight yet, but Karen I would have thought would have been gagging to get back in the studio. . .she certainly was 8 months later, to the point that RC refused to go back in until she gained/or at least maintained, her weight. Maybe she really was at her nadir in April emotionally and by November she'd come through it. Maybe the therapy did work?

A big post I know, but with this light shone on perhaps their final sessions together I'm dying to know what you all think.

Get back guys.

Neil

 

[mr J.]

The session that Joe Osborn is talking about would have to be the final April 1982 session-K&R did no recording in 1981.All 25 "Made In America" tracks were cut in 1980.

There were several (more than "a few") tracks cut during the 1982 session-and I have recently confirmed that three or four of those unreleased tracks are complete.Richard doesn't like them & will never release them.Some of the partially-completed tracks feature Richard's lead vocals.

The 1982 session might have been done on short notice.I think Karen flew back to L.A. from her NY therapy unexpectedly-and she was only staying a few weeks.Maybe K&R decided to squeeze as much recording as possible into three weeks time.

The unfortunate thing about the 1982 session is that K&R recorded enough material for almost a whole album,and yet only two tracks have ever been released.("Now" and "Your Enough").Karen's vocals on those two tracks are exquisite-makes you wonder how good those other tracks sound.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

It's more concerning to me that when Joe was asked, What were the sessions like in April 82, that he responded with "I don’t remember specific dates about much of anything"

I'm not sure what he means by this, it sounds like he can't guarantee when things actually happened. Then he mentioned he was drunk during the time of the sessions from hell so it leads me to believe he can't be sure when this took place let alone what the tracks were. This is a shame as it would have been new information we didn't know about before his Q/A.

The sessions from hell, does not suprise me at all, there was ALOT of tension going on between the duo, so many variable, Karen's illness, Karen's solo project, MIA, Richard not understanding why she's not getting better, the public never knew what was really going on. The tension was even evident in 81 on the GMA interview with Joan Lunden.

If what Mr J above says is true, there must be more tracks Richard has but sounds like would never be released. It sounds like the Christmas album later this year may be the last we get from Richard. I hope at least 1 Karen song appears on it.

 

[ullalume]

"The session that Joe Osborn is talking about would have to be the final April 1982 session-K&R did no recording in 1981.All 25 "Made In America" tracks were cut in 1980."

Understood, Mr. J, but I know they added strings etc in March of '81, and thought maybe Joe was re-recording bass parts or something.

Neil

 

[Dave]

Hmmmmm..., to me, not like Joe to really criticize anything he'd ever played on, let alone anything by his beloved Carpenters (and on his last sessions with them, yet)...

Just wondering what to really gain here, given what I've read above, & don't feel much like repeating...


-- Dave

 

[aaflyer98]

I suppose there was tension between K&R at this time. Richard's concern for Karen's health. Karen's feelings toward Richard about the solo album, and remarks he may or may not have said about the album to her. Im sure the dynamics had changed and it was not a happy time.

 

[Harry]

I don't get the controversy here. So there was some friction in a recording session. It surely wasn't the first time it ever happened, and I'm sure it goes on all the time. The recording studio is a workplace, and we've all dealt with friction in our own workplaces. It's normal.

Harry

 

[Dave]

"Recording sessions are rough! Yeh, some good times, some bad times, some good sessions, some not so good sessions! Just think: One note change can change the whole mood of the session, not to mention our own moods & frame of minds & our bosses, the record company owners & the people we're pluggin' in & workin' for...!"

-- Evad Reniw

(Yes, I agree...)

But, on a more serious note, Joe to me doesn't seem to be the kind of man who would really criticize any kind of recording session experience good or bad, let alone it ever be of his nature to be in any kind of a "condition", either; at least not anything I would expect to be made any sort of public...


-- Dave

 

[Harry]

To be fair, Joe was asked about stories from those days, and one tends to remember things that go awry. Think back to 30 years ago at your work. Do you recall the good-average days where nothing remarkable happened? Probably not. But you DO remember the day you got fired/demoted or had a blow-up with a co-worker or boss.

I don't see his actions as telling tales out of school, and am thankful that he saw fit to share that information with us. None of his revelations were specific, only that some of these sessions didn't go as smoothly as most. There is no secret to the fact that Karen or Richard could get testy. We all have those days.

Harry