One More Time

[tcjr]

I read a post recently about compiling a CD of standards. So I began to do so, but the CD took on a different theme. This is the track listing that eventually developed for what I call "One More Time". Enjoy!

1. I Can Dream Can't I
2. When I Fall In Love
3. Maybe It's You
4. You
5. Baby It's You
6. You're Just In Love
7. The Uninvited Guest
8. I Won't Last A Day Without You
9. Reason To Believe
10. Karen & Ella Medley
11. Tryin' To Get the Feeling Again
12. One More Time
13. Make Believe it's Your First Time (Karen Solo version)
14. I Just Fall in Love Again
15. Still Crazy After All These Years

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Hi Tom, Welcome to the forum.

Looks like a great compilation. I always liked When I Fall in Love and Make Believe from Karen's solo album is the best version, nice collection of tracks.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I ran across some information today in Billboard that Seals and Crofts recorded the Carpenters version of "One More Time" back in May 1978 on their Takin' It Easy Album. I searched this forum to find that someone had mentioned this back in 2008 but I'm not sure who anyway forum member goodjeans had made a comment too here.

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/threads/why-dont-we-hear.8529/page-3#post-79232

NedNickerson posted the song on you tube and if you expand the Show More button it says this:

Seals and Crofts recorded the song in 1978 for the album, "Takin' It Easy," which was their ninth studio album. It was their last album to contain any charting singles.
Interesting note: The choral vocals at the beginning of the song include vocal performances by Carpenter band members Gary Sims, Doug Strawn, and Tony Peluso.

I just listened to this for the first time and I was really taken back because the only version I know is Karen and Richard's and the Carpenters version is so quiet and melodic that it was sorta refreshing to hear it sung by Seals and Crofts with a much "stronger" sound.

The 40 second intro contains backing vocals by Gary, Doug and Tony (all Carpenters band members) and those 40 seconds are really a must have listen....I literally got goosebumps and thought I was listening to a Richard Carpenter track for a second.

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Very Beach Boys-esque, the beginning. Thanks for posting!

 

[Rumbahbah]

Interesting. Nowhere near as effective as the Carpenters' version (where less is most certainly more, so this more bombastic style loses what I think the song is all about), but still intriguing to hear another take on it.

Just relistened to the Carpenters' 'One More Time' after playing the Seals and Croft and I have to say - WHAT a song! It seems to have gone under the radar for many years but is now at long last getting its dues. Easily the best song on A Kind of Hush and probably one of Karen's best ever vocals.

 

[GaryAlan]

'One More Time' , quite an effective reading by Karen Carpenter.
Where is a 'live' performance of that song? Why wasn't it performed live?
I rather wish that its sparse arrangement style had been utilized on 'I Need To Be In Love',
given Karen's superb December 1978 'live' performance of the song.
( with a more sparse arrangement sans Chorale.)

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I think this is a perfect example where less is more. When you hear other versions like the one above....you begin to realize how brilliant Richard was as an arranger in putting together a song with just piano, bass and drums. The quietness of Karen's vocal makes it very affective.

Keyboards: Richard
Lead Vocal: Karen
Drums: Jim Gordon
Bass: Joe Osborn

So the band members Gary, Doug and Tony were not under any contract with Carpenters to not contribute towards any other artist? Do you think Gary, Doug or Tony had to ask Richard if it would be ok to guest their vocals with another artist? I wonder what Richard thinks of the Seals and Crofts version?

 

[Jeff]

Same with 76's HUSH outtake Ordinary Fool.

 

[byline]

The Seals & Crofts opening vocal harmonies give me a Singers Unlimited vibe. Wonderful! Still, having said that, I prefer the Carpenters' quieter version. As Chris noted, it really captures the emotional essence of the song. For me, "One More Time" is the only noteworthy song on A Kind of Hush. It saves what is an otherwise insignificant album.

 

[newvillefan]

Seals and Crofts recorded the song in 1978 for the album, "Takin' It Easy," which was their ninth studio album. It was their last album to contain any charting singles.
Interesting note: The choral vocals at the beginning of the song include vocal performances by Carpenter band members Gary Sims, Doug Strawn, and Tony Peluso.

The 40 second intro contains backing vocals by Gary, Doug and Tony (all Carpenters band members) and those 40 seconds are really a must have listen....I literally got goosebumps and thought I was listening to a Richard Carpenter track for a second.

I must say, while the lead on this version is quite 'nasal' sounding, the backing vocal intro is amazing! It sounds like a sister song to 'When Time Was All We Had'. Thanks for sharing

 

[kprather]

While I still like the Carpenters version better (in fact, One More Time is probably in my top three favorite Carpenters songs), I love hearing a different take on the song. I definitely get this.

 

[CraigGA]

As much as I like Seals and Crofts I could not finish listening to it. I could not believe the manner on which he stepped on every note and made it void of text painting. I wonder why Seals and Crofts spent money and time even recording that song. That performance definitely sounded like it just filled space as many MOR acts were accused of doing on the albums at the time. I did however, like the vocal harmonization (even though I feel they were not song specific) and it would have been great to have heard all those parts in Karen's voice as an alternative version. The Version Karen sang and Richard arranged is perfection amplified and my favorite on the Hush album and it gives the song creation and value!

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

The Seals & Crofts opening vocal harmonies give me a Singers Unlimited vibe...

MAJOR cool points for knowing the Singers Unlimited...

Ed

 

[byline]

MAJOR cool points for knowing the Singers Unlimited...

Thanks, Ed! I was introduced to Singers Unlimited via an unlikely route: through drum corps and winter guard. Back in the early '80s, Blue Devils played a goosebumps-inducing field arrangement of "One More Time, Chuck Corea" ... and then their winter guard performed to the recording. That was followed by St. Joseph's Grenadiers doing a show quite similar to that of Blue Devils (because they both had the same guard instructor). That was the first time I heard the Singers Unlimited performance of that song, and so of course I had to race out and buy the album. One of my all-time favorite choral performances. As I listened to them, I always lamented the fact that as their romantic sound took off commercially, Karen and Richard were not able to continue reveling in the jazz-influenced style that they themselves did so well.

 

[BarryT60]

I liked it. I liked some of his choices.... Certainly, LOVE Karen's vocal much better - and the whole thing rekindles a whole new appreciate of the song, but I actually enjoyed listening to the S & C version.

 

[byline]

Speaking of "One More Time" ... this focus is on a different song, the aforementioned "One More Time, Chuck Corea"! Just to give folks an idea of what I'm talking about, this is a YouTube link to the 1982 St. Joseph's Grenadier's winter guard performance. It's interesting; they start out with the opening uptempo section of the song, then segue into other jazz tunes before returning to the Singers Unlimited vocals. You'll see why I love color guard (and marched guard in drum corps for three years, then taught it for 14 years). I love the visual integration of equipment and body work with the music! And can't you hear Richard and Karen doing something like this?

 

[NowhereMan]

I found this very well-done karaoke version of "One More Time" on YouTube awhile back. It's nice to hear how this song may have sounded had Richard done the karaoke remix himself.

 

[kprather]

I found this very well-done karaoke version of "One More Time" on YouTube awhile back. It's nice to hear how this song may have sounded had Richard done the karaoke remix himself.

Marvelous find! This person is very talented. There is also a karaoke of "Maybe It's You" and "Sometimes" on the page. This person even took care when choosing the patches to make the instruments sound identical to the recording.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I found this very well-done karaoke version of "One More Time" on YouTube awhile back. It's nice to hear how this song may have sounded had Richard done the karaoke remix himself.

This one sounds exactly like the Carpenters track minus Karen's lead. Did they just remove Karen using some kind of software? Is it possible? I don't think you can rid the lead vocal completely using audacity so must be some other software?

 

[kprather]

This one sounds exactly like the Carpenters track minus Karen's lead. Did they just remove Karen using some kind of software? Is it possible? I don't think you can rid the lead vocal completely using audacity so must be some other software?

If you listen super closely, you'll hear ever so slight differences, which indicate that this was an original work by the YT member.