Lovelines | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 31, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1978–1980 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 46:24 | |||
Label | A&M [1] | |||
Producer | Phil Ramone, Richard Carpenter [2] | |||
Carpenters chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [1] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
Lovelines is the posthumous thirteenth studio album by the American music duo Carpenters, the third Carpenters album released after the death of Karen Carpenter. It was released in 1989 and is a compilation album assembled by Richard Carpenter from unreleased Carpenters tracks along with selected solo tracks by Karen from her then-unreleased solo album. [6]
The songs on Lovelines were primarily gleaned from Carpenters television specials. "When I Fall in Love" was originally recorded in 1978 for their TV special, Space Encounters . However, they chose "Little Girl Blue" for that special instead, and later used "When I Fall in Love" in their Music, Music, Music! TV special in 1980. Other outtakes included "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night" and "The Uninvited Guest" from Made in America , the studio album released in 1981 and the last completed during Karen's lifetime.
Between 1989 and 2019, Lovelines was also the last Carpenters album to be issued in the vinyl LP format; in 2019 Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was released on LP.
Rolling Stone wrote that Karen's solo tracks were "liberating. Ramone recorded her in leaner, decidedly unsaccharine settings and, in effect, got rid of her music's otherwise characteristic bad aftertaste. As Karen's cozy contralto pulses through the come-hither "Lovelines," the hearth-warm "If We Try" (both written by Rod Temperton, whose credits also include "Rock With You" and "Thriller") and the saltier "If I Had You," her vocals come damn close to soulful. Listening to them, it becomes apparent why singers like Chrissie Hynde, Madonna and Gloria Estefan have "come out of the closet" and admitted they were Karen fans...voices like Karen Carpenter's never really go out of style; Lovelines reveals just a few of the avenues that would have been open to her. But sadly, the Seventies never really ended for Karen Carpenter; she died before she could shed the goody-two-shoes image that shrouded her immense talent. As such, Lovelines becomes her essential epitaph. [5]
In their review of the album, Billboard stated that "one listen and it's clear that no one - the closest is Gloria Estefan - has filled the void left after Karen's death in 1983. There's a good reason why some of the syrupy material was never released, but other tracks, like first single "If I Had You," the classic "When I Fall In Love," and "Where Do I Go From Here," instantly recall why the duo was one of the most successful of the '70s." [7]
Allmusic noted that "When I Fall in Love" brings a tear to the eye as it captures that indefinable and completely unique quality that Karen brought to each song she sang. While the material in this compilation is not sensational or ground-breaking, it is definitely a sentimental selection of tunes that go easy on the ear." [8]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lovelines" | Rod Temperton | 4:28 |
2. | "Where Do I Go from Here?" | Parker McGee | 4:24 |
3. | "The Uninvited Guest" |
| 4:24 |
4. | "If We Try" | Temperton | 3:42 |
5. | "When I Fall in Love" | 3:08 | |
6. | "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night" |
| 4:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night" |
| 3:47 |
8. | "You're the One" | Steve Ferguson | 4:13 |
9. | "Honolulu City Lights" | Keola Beamer | 3:19 |
10. | "Slow Dance" |
| 3:35 |
11. | "If I Had You" |
| 3:57 |
12. | "Little Girl Blue" | 3:24 |
"Honolulu City Lights"
"Honolulu City Lights"
"If I Had You" (issued as a Karen Carpenter solo)
"When I Fall in Love"
Four selections from Carpenters: The 12 Compact Disc Collection
Chart (1990) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 73 |
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer who formed half of the highly successful duo Carpenters with her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praised by her peers for her vocal skills. Carpenter's work continues to attract praise, including appearing on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title comes from the lyrics of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Close to You is the second studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on August 19, 1970. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 175 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list. The album contains the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". The success of the title track earned Carpenters an international reputation. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, entering the top 50 of the official chart for 76 weeks during the first half of the 1970s.
Jan Johnston is an English professional singer & songwriter, best known for collaborating with some of the world's top trance music DJs and producers.
A Song for You is the fourth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters, released on June 22, 1972. According to Richard Carpenter, A Song for You was intended to be a concept album with the title tune opening and closing the set and the bookended selections comprising the 'song'. "A Song for You" was written by songwriter Leon Russell.
"Here We Are" is a song by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released in 1989 in the United States and in 1990 to the rest of the world as the third single of her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). It was released with the B-side song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", that was included on the European version, later to appear on the Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album. A Portuguese version of the song, "Toda Pra Você," is included on the compilation Exitos De Gloria Estefan as well as the Brazilian edition of the Cuts Both Ways album. As a duet for her special television concert All The Way Concert, Celine Dion performed this song, while Estefan sang Dion's song, "Because You Loved Me". A new Spanish version called "Tu y yo" was released in July 2019 on Estefan's official YouTube channel, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the song. This version was also included on her 2020 album Brazil305. The intro sequence mirrors the song "Under Wraps #2" by Jethro Tull.
"Cuts Both Ways" is a song by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan, released in 1990 worldwide as the fifth and final single from her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). It had moderate success in the US, becoming a number one hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, while reaching #44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #48 on the US Cash Box Top 100 The single, even with its success, was not included on the US release of the Gloria Estefan Greatest Hits album, but was included in The Essential Gloria Estefan and iTunes Originals: Gloria Estefan. A rerecorded version was also included on Estefan's 2020 album, Brazil305.
Horizon is the sixth studio album by the American musical duo the Carpenters. It was recorded at A&M Studios. The Carpenters spent many hours experimenting with different sounds, techniques and effects.
A Kind of Hush is the seventh studio album by the American music duo Carpenters. It was released on June 11, 1976.
Voice of the Heart is the eleventh studio album by American music duo Carpenters. It was released in 1983 after Karen's death and contains the two songs from her final recording sessions, "Now" and "You're Enough", as well as previously unreleased tracks from sessions of their previous albums A Kind of Hush, Passage and Made in America. At least one song, "In Love Alone", was intended to be on this album, but Karen did not get the opportunity to hear the track or record a vocal for it before her death; it would be released in 1987 on Richard's solo album Time with Dionne Warwick on lead vocals.
Love Songs contains the Carpenters' love ballads, from their first big hit, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" to their later songs, like "Make Believe It's Your First Time" and "Where Do I Go from Here?". It remained on the Billboard charts for over six months and was certified Gold.
Interpretations is a compilation album by The Carpenters, released in 1994 in Canada/UK & February 1995 in the US in both cassette tape and CD formats. Three of the songs on the album were previously unreleased; "Without a Song", "From This Moment On" and "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again". The album was released in order to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the duo's debut album Offering. A VHS of the same name was released several months later, featuring footage from the duo's TV performances. It was later issued on DVD.
Time is the first solo album by American musician Richard Carpenter. Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and Scott Grimes sang on the album, on the songs "In Love Alone", "Something in Your Eyes", and "That's What I Believe", respectively. The song "When Time Was All We Had" is dedicated to Richard's sister, Karen. It was later included on the 3-CD compilation The Ultimate Collection.
Karen Carpenter is the only solo album by singer/drummer Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters, recorded between 1979 and 1980 and released by A&M Records in 1996.
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The Ultimate Collection is a 3-CD set by The Carpenters released in 2006. It contains many of their popular songs, like "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "Top of the World", and their album cuts, like "Desperado" and "Jambalaya ". All of the songs are taken directly from the original album. In the case of "Yesterday Once More", it fades into a motorcycle engine, which subsequently fades into the oldies medley on the Now & Then album.
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter. They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.
"If I Had You" is a song recorded by singer Karen Carpenter during her solo sessions in New York with producer Phil Ramone for her subsequently shelved debut solo album. In 1989, "If I Had You" was released as a Karen Carpenter solo single, along with "The Uninvited Guest", also credited as a Karen Carpenter solo, as its B-side. The single was the first single from the Carpenters' album Lovelines. As of 2019, this is also the last Carpenters single released to American radio. The single version has also appeared on numerous Carpenters compilations since its release. The single reached number 18 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
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Carpenters is the third studio album by American music duo the Carpenters. Released on May 14, 1971, it was their most successful studio album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart and number 12 in the UK, as well as being certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA. The album contained the hit songs "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar".