Little Girl Blue (58 page)

1980

03/13
20/20

04/14
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights

05/16
The Carpenters: Music, Music, Music

1981

07/11
America's Top Ten

08/10
Good Morning America

10/02
The Merv Griffin Show

1983

01/11
Entertainment Tonight

T
HE PRIMARY
interviews on which this work is based were conducted by the author between the years 2001 and 2009. Other important interviews were made available by journalists Jon Burlingame (Richard Carpenter) and John Tobler (Herb Alpert, Sherwin Bash, and John Bettis). Numerous interviews with Karen Carpenter and others were culled from diverse publications, as well as television and radio archives, and are identified in the following pages of sources. As a rule, quotations presented in
past
tense are from existing interviews and other secondary sources. Those quotes offered in
present
tense originate from the author's personal interviews, consultations, or correspondence with the following individuals:

John “Softly” Adrian, Mitchell Anderson, Carolyn Arzac, Tom Bähler, Lou Beach, Max Bennett, Ken Bertwell, Dick Biondi, Hal Blaine, Frank Bonito, David Brenner, Denny Brooks, Bill Catalde, Frankie Chavez, Cynthia Cherbak, Petula Clark, Marion Connellan, Carole Curb, Mike Curb, C.J. Cuticello, Debbie Cuticello, Liberty DeVitto, Digby Diehl, Gioia Diliberto, Veta Dixon, Irv Edwards, Florine Elie, Terry Ellis, Allyn Ferguson, Frenda Franklin, Wanda Freeman, Dan Friberg, Maria Luisa Galeazzi, Dave Gelly, Cynthia Gibb, Victor Guder, Walt Harrah, Bill Hosley, Bob James, Jerry Jaskulski, Russell Javors, Leslie Johnston, Mickey Jones, Arthur Johns, Pete Jolly, Michael Lansing, Gayle Levant, Art LeVasseur, Charlene McAlister,
Tex McAlister, Brooke Megdal, Ollie Mitchell, Barry Morrow, Claude Mougin, Rob Mounsey, Maxine Mundt, Nancy Naglin, Olivia Newton-John, Roger Nichols, Cherry Boone O'Neill, Glen Pace, John Pisano, David Pomerantz, Frank Pooler, Karen “Itchie” Ramone, Phil Ramone, David Robson, Evie Sands, Bonnie Schiffman, Brad Schreiber, Randy Sparks, Stephanie Spruill, Linda Stewart, John Tobler, Pat Tomlin, Charlie Tuna, Teresa Vaiuso, Evelyn Wallace, Dionne Warwick, Paul Williams

The first draft just
RC to Burlingame, 1988.

You don't know the first
Morrow, September 30, 1987.

What would possess
Carpenter, 1988.

genetic, the same way
Littwin, 1988.

Have you told her
Morrow and Cherbak, December 24, 1987.

If there's an arch-villain
Miller, 1989.

Mom was known for
Dosti, 1971.

I did everything
KC to Moore, 1981.

I was a tremendous
Oppenheimer, 1972.

It was slightly embarrassing
Gautschy, 1971.

She can take care
Oppenheimer, 1972.

Head down the Santa Ana
Charlesworth, 1973.

He'd been playing the drums
Hardwick, 1973.

I used to march
Hardwick, 1973.

I finally had to
Hardwick, 1973.

All I ever heard
KC to Tuna, 1976.

We met in theory class
Cameron, 2009.

I can't really remember
Coleman, 1975.

It's kind of corny
Coleman, November 8, 1975.

He heard this voice
Coleman, November 8, 1975.

I remember when
Coleman, November 8, 1975.

The musical surprise
Feather, 1966.

It was really great playing
Cameron, 2009.

She didn't strike me
McGreevy, February 5, 1983.

They had very strict regiments
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

We got all the way
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

He used to perform
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

I was heavier
Hardwick, 1973.

All the guys
Hardwick, 1973.

People hear what we accomplished
“John Bettis Interview 2007,” 2007.

You had to wait
Thegze, 1972.

The customers sat
Tatham, 1976: 12.

At first, the audience
Tatham, 1976: 12.

Since Richard did all
KC to Radio Clyde, 1978.

Wow, we couldn't believe
Diehl, 1971.

What good is biology
KC to Biondi, 1970.

I had it for about
Lees, 1972.

I put on the tape
Alpert to Tobler, 1994.

encouraging them to reach
Pfenninger, 2001.

It doesn't matter
Alpert to Tobler, 1994.

couldn't keep enough albums
Goldsmith, 1970.

Offering
tends toward
Nolan, 1975.

fresh and original concepts Billboard
, 1970.

The first album did
Alpert to Tobler, 1994.

Thank God it didn't fit
KC to Roberts.

It was about borrowing money
KC to Biondi, 1970.

[Richard] called me, and
Cameron, 2009.

The five-member group is
Hilburn, 1970.

Everything seems to be going
Kraus, 1970.

Looking back, it's a bit
Tobler, 1998: 26.

Every direction we could have
KC to Nite, 1977.

The vocal harmonies, the construction
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

I'd never seen anything
Nolan, 1974.

suburban dream home Forbes
, 1973.

They all have names
MacDougall, 1971.

We can live
Small, 1972.

library full of bank books
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

It took some doing
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

I've seen enough groupies
Gautschy, 1972.

We got along fine
Haber, 1974.

Karen Carpenter has one of
Erlich, 1971.

Each number is introduced
Miller, 1971.

like dressing Karen Carpenter
Heckman, 1971.

violently mishandled
KC to Goldman, 1978.

There are only three kits
Henshaw, 1974.

There is no balance
Bangs, 1971.

Hire a drummer
Bresette, 1971.

Richard and I tried desperately
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

A lot of people think
Kraus, 1970.

I said to Richard
Coleman, November 8, 1975.

In the middle of
KC to Douglas, 1971.

Petrified
KC to Tuna, 1976.

I didn't know
KC to Moore, 1981.

I understood her reluctance
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

Richard didn't have
Pogoda, 1994.

When I got the record
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

That was the first ballad
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

When I got in
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

Far and away
Holden, 1972.

Nothing. That's why
Legge, 1974.

The man who produced
Daugherty, 1994.

Karen is in some ways
Nolan, 1974.

a very strong attempt
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

Being the only girl
MacDougall, 1971.

They are quite gracious
Nolan, 1974.

About 10,000 pounds
Associated Press, 1972.

I want to talk
Nixon, 1974.

We were afraid
KC to Blackburn, 1974.

Well, are you going to
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

The Carpenters have gone awry
Bangs, 1973.

We were told
Coleman, November 8, 1975.

Real nice American kids
Pleasants, 1972.

Karen may eat
Rosenfeld, 1973.

They were not rock
Hoerburger, 2008.

I would say
Bangs, 1971.

It's not enough
Alpert to Tobler, 1994.

A number of people
Tobler, 1974.

the worst case of
Smucker, 1975.

When ‘We've Only Just Begun'
Hoerburger, 1996.

Contrary to what they write
Haber, 1974.

At one point
KC to Aspel, 1981.

It's no good when Haber, 1974.

Whereas Richard may not
Van Valkenburg, 1973.

I'm sure in her own
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

Their inability to develop
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

Cooking is an art
A&M Press Release, 1971.

The expectation was that
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

If we don't see
KC to Aspel, 1981.

There were lots of suggestions
Southall, 2004.

I remember once
Short, 1977.

Maybe it would have been
Short, 1976.

It's been a hell
Short, 1976.

We might as well
Nolan, 1974.

We've made it a rule
Short, 1976.

Richard can have his girl
Haber, 1974.

All of a sudden
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

A&M took a little
Bettis to Tobler, 1993.

I don't think he
Bash to Tobler, 1990.

Karen was on an edge
Southall, 2004.

Not much showmanship Variety
, 1974.