Karen Carpenter (album)

Karen Carpenter
Cover to Karen Carpenter's solo album
Studio album by Karen Carpenter
Released	October 8, 1996
Recorded	May 2, 1979 - January 1980
Genre	Pop
Label	A&M
Producer	Phil Ramone

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Entertainment Weekly	C+

Karen Carpenter is the only eponymous solo project by singer/drummer Karen Carpenter, released on CD by A&M Records in 1996.

The album was recorded in New York with producer Phil Ramone in 1979 and 1980, during the time that her brother Richard was being treated for an addiction to Quaaludes. Some of the songs from the album were later featured on The Carpenters' 1989 compilation Lovelines and later releases. In the liner notes, Karen dedicated the project to her brother "To Richard, with all my heart." The liner notes (including comments from Richard Carpenter and producer Phil Ramone) include Richard's explanation for shelving the album in 1981, and his later decision to release it as Karen approved it. Karen was backed by various New York and Los Angeles studio musicians, including Steve Gadd, Greg Phillinganes, Louis Johnson and members of Billy Joel's band.

A&M executives in New York approved of the material, but the executives in Los Angeles, including Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, responded negatively. Ramone recalls that Karen broke down in tears. Devastated, she accepted A&M's urging not to release the album. Richard dismisses the reports that he put the stake through it and their mother Agnes disapproved as "all poppycock" and says that the decision was up to Karen, who respected the opinions of her elders and she finally decided that it wasn't being released. Several musicians that worked on Karen's album have since then spoke out confirming that Karen Carpenter very much wanted her album to be released and that it was not her idea or decision to shelve it.

An episode of E! True Hollywood Story claims that Herb Alpert called the album "unreleaseable". Quincy Jones championed releasing the album to Derek Green, an A&M Records vice-president, but Alpert, Green and Moss insisted the album had to be cancelled. The production of the album cost $400,000 of Karen's own money and $100,000 fronted by A&M Records. The $100,000 fronted by A&M was offset against Carpenters' future album royalties.