Pianos and keyboards
- Thread starter Harry
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FreddieB
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If you went into a piano store in the 70's-90's you would most likely see Richard hanging on the wall in a Baldwin or Wurlitzer poster. In fact, I had a few catalogues from both makers that featured Richard in them. Wurlitzer has been owned by Baldwin for many years, so these two are really the same company. Richard also was a spokesperson for Wurlitzer acoustic pianos. If one watches Carpenters interviews from the early years a Wurlitzer grand can be seen in their house.
Last time I checked Baldwin was bought out by Gibson guitar. They came out with a really cool small upright 'Les Paul' piano. I wonder if Richard has one of those. Baldwin also made a limited 'Gold Top' grand (sparkled gold coloured like Tony's Fender) complete with gold plated minor keys. I wonder if Richard owns any of the collectable Baldwin models. I am a tried and true Gibson guitar man, but the Baldwin buy out gives me a headache. Gibson is my favourite maker of guitars, but they have always had quality control issues. The Acrosonic is one of my favourite pianos of all time, warm with a certain kind of 'come hither' tubbiness about it...a small jazzy piano basically. You can sing with this one without having the piano soundboard up in your face. I wish we had room in our small house for one.
I could listen to Richard play keyboards all day long. He has a special touch that I have never heard any other come close to or duplicate. I was surprised to read he uses the damper pedal in the evening. LOL... most piano teachers would crack you one for that. Mine threatened to remove it from my piano and burn it in the backyard..lol.. Back in the day piano teachers used to whack you one if they got annoyed with you.
Freddie
Last time I checked Baldwin was bought out by Gibson guitar. They came out with a really cool small upright 'Les Paul' piano. I wonder if Richard has one of those. Baldwin also made a limited 'Gold Top' grand (sparkled gold coloured like Tony's Fender) complete with gold plated minor keys. I wonder if Richard owns any of the collectable Baldwin models. I am a tried and true Gibson guitar man, but the Baldwin buy out gives me a headache. Gibson is my favourite maker of guitars, but they have always had quality control issues. The Acrosonic is one of my favourite pianos of all time, warm with a certain kind of 'come hither' tubbiness about it...a small jazzy piano basically. You can sing with this one without having the piano soundboard up in your face. I wish we had room in our small house for one.
I could listen to Richard play keyboards all day long. He has a special touch that I have never heard any other come close to or duplicate. I was surprised to read he uses the damper pedal in the evening. LOL... most piano teachers would crack you one for that. Mine threatened to remove it from my piano and burn it in the backyard..lol.. Back in the day piano teachers used to whack you one if they got annoyed with you.
Freddie
Rolling Stone, February 12, 1976, according to the top of the ad.
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
Ludwig drums, Baldwin pianos........they were desperate for an endorsement from K&R
newvillefan
I Know My First Name Is Stephen
Which is all the more amazing considering the music press in the main labelled them as naff and square!
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
Fascinating technicals !
I certainly wish I had paid closer attention to the piano Richard Carpenter was playing,
when he came to Orlando's Epcot in 1985.
I really was quite in awe of his prowess on that instrument. Wonderful event, gracious man.
In fact, his playing ( at that 1985 concert) differed from his technique utilized on the later self titled album-
Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor.
I certainly wish I had paid closer attention to the piano Richard Carpenter was playing,
when he came to Orlando's Epcot in 1985.
I really was quite in awe of his prowess on that instrument. Wonderful event, gracious man.
In fact, his playing ( at that 1985 concert) differed from his technique utilized on the later self titled album-
Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor.
Here was Richard's quote from the official website. I also in recent years have watched him play live on the Steinway, as he also uses that most routinely at home (Steinway model 'D' 9-foot):
“Most recordings, except the ‘A Song For You’ album, were done with Steinway A (one of four), which was an A&M Studios piano; I think it was terrific. My only complaint was that it was 'well-worn' and creaked, like in ‘Merry Christmas Darling’, which starts with just Karen and piano. When the pedal was pushed the assembly which goes up into the piano (lyre) creaked. Steinway model 'B', 7 footer.”
He goes on to say the following:
“I now have a couple of Baldwins and a couple of Steinways (big house, you understand!) In concert I play a Baldwin concert grand, as I am a Baldwin Artist; they send one to each performance. In addition, I'd play a Wurlitzer electric piano. And starting around 1975 or ’76 we added a Rhodes electric piano, so that made three different keyboard sounds."
I'm also fairly certain that he played the Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor album from '97 on the "D" at Capitol, Studio A...
“Most recordings, except the ‘A Song For You’ album, were done with Steinway A (one of four), which was an A&M Studios piano; I think it was terrific. My only complaint was that it was 'well-worn' and creaked, like in ‘Merry Christmas Darling’, which starts with just Karen and piano. When the pedal was pushed the assembly which goes up into the piano (lyre) creaked. Steinway model 'B', 7 footer.”
He goes on to say the following:
“I now have a couple of Baldwins and a couple of Steinways (big house, you understand!) In concert I play a Baldwin concert grand, as I am a Baldwin Artist; they send one to each performance. In addition, I'd play a Wurlitzer electric piano. And starting around 1975 or ’76 we added a Rhodes electric piano, so that made three different keyboard sounds."
I'm also fairly certain that he played the Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor album from '97 on the "D" at Capitol, Studio A...
GaryAlan
Well-Known Member
Chris May, thanks for the elaboration in regards to the type of pianos utilized by Richard Carpenter.
Can someone with more technical musical expertise than I , clue me in on that bit in the
"Touch Me When We're Dancing" Video where Richard turns and switches keyboards.
That is, did he actually play differing keyboards as depicted in the video, in the actual recording of that song?
Apologies if my question seems naive. Well,I know it is.
Can someone with more technical musical expertise than I , clue me in on that bit in the
"Touch Me When We're Dancing" Video where Richard turns and switches keyboards.
That is, did he actually play differing keyboards as depicted in the video, in the actual recording of that song?
Apologies if my question seems naive. Well,I know it is.
The actual recording uses a Rhodes electric throughout all the verses (this is the "twinklie" stuff you hear, for lack of a better description), and piano in the choruses.
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
Just goes to prove they were more than superstars.......they were true musicians.
We had one in the family but I had to sell it a few years back--I've moved a couple of times, and will likely move again in the next year or two, and it was getting difficult to be hauling that around and trying to make room for it.
A classmate of mine has a Baldwin grand, but I've never had the chance to go over to her place to try it out. Never had the chance to play on one.
Just for sheer example's sake, I played the intro to Carps' Ticket To Ride on a Yamaha 7' concert grand. These are generally a brighter piano, although EQing, recording technique and such can certainly alter that somewhat. Emulating Richard's interpretation and touch, you can hear that to an average listener, they probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference (i.e. Baldwin vs. Steinway vs. Yamaha etc).
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
That is one thing about "Ticket To Ride" that has always amazed me, why after going in to the studio to re-record this song, why wasn't the piano intro recorded in stereo? Richard being the perfectionist must have understood have out of sync that intro sounded
Remember this was when they were still recording on 16-track, 2 inch tape. All of the piano tracks were cut on one track (mono/panned) until around '74 when they went to 24-track, 2 inch tape.
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
Wouldn't have taken much effort to record that intro in stereo as was done for "A Song For You", just creates a better listen on headphones.
Which version of A Song For You are you referring to? The original piano track from '72 was cut single track mono and panned slightly.
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
Listening to the original piano on "A Song For You" from the 1972 recording sessions, is a different piano mix from the remix that appeared on "Gold" Disc 2. If that kind of piano stereo effect could be achieved for "A Song For You" from the "Gold" Disc 2 compilation album, why could the same stereo effect not have happened on the same compilation for "Ticket To Ride"?
This is what I'm saying. The difference you are hearing has nothing to do with the mix. The piano you hear on Gold was a completely different piano take altogether - recorded in stereo, giving it that more open, and vibrant performance (due also to a change in dynamics). The only way Richard could achieve that would be to go back and re-cut the Ticket piano track altogether. Is that what you mean? There are several piano tracks that he chose not to do that with from the original. Close To You is another prime example. I'm sure it's because he's more than satisfied with the original performance, even with the piano tracks originally recorded in mono.
Chris Mills
That was funny....like the dark vomited up
"Close To You" is another example where a stereo piano remix would have given the listener a more balanced sound for the intro......I find it really unbalancing to hear the piano coming out of just one channel. Listen to the piano intro on "Eventide" or "Aurora".........it's ear candy!
arthowson
Well-Known Member
Just ordered this Rolling Stone from Ebay. I want to have the print enlarged and framed. Perfect pic of Rich and his contribution the the Carpenters legacy. I love that he got his "do" every now and again. Karen must have been happy to see him acknowledged in this way. No KC without an RC.
???
Harry
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