1981 Carpenters – Made In America
Made In America is the tenth studio album by the American popular music duo Carpenters, released in June 1981. The final album by the duo to be released during Karen Carpenter’s lifetime, it reached number 52 in the US and number 12 in the UK.
In 1985, Richard said “that was Karen’s favorite album and is mine, out of all our projects”.
Karen played drums in the studio for the first time since Horizon on the song “When It’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)”, albeit in unison with veteran Nashville session drummer Larrie Londin, and she also played percussion on “Those Good Old Dreams” in tandem with Paulinho da Costa.
Tracks
1 Those Good Old Dreams (Richard Carpenter; John Bettis) 04:15
2 Strength Of A Woman (Juanita Curiel; Phyllis Brown) 04:00
3 (Want You) Back In My Life Again (Chris Christian; Kerry Chater) 03:41
4 When You’ve Got What It Takes (Bill Lane; Roger Nichols) 03:44
5 Somebody’s Been Lyin’ (Burt Bacharach; Carole Bayer Sager) 04:26
6 I Believe You (Dick Addrisi; Don Addrisi) 03:55
7 Touch Me When We’re Dancing (JL Wallace; Ken Bell; Terry Skinner) 03:23
8 When It’s Gone (It’s Just Gone) (Randy Handley) 05:03
9 Beechwood 4-5789 (George Gordy; Marvin Gaye; William Stevenson) 03:09
10 Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song) (Richard Carpenter; John Bettis) 05:02
Biography
Musicians
1 Those Good Old Dreams
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Pedal Steel Guitar | Jay Dee Maness |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Karen Carpenter |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
2 Strength Of A Woman
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Larrie Londin |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Oboe | Earl Dumler |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Background Vocals | Carolyn Dennis |
| Background Vocals | Stephanie Spruill |
| Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
3 (Want You) Back In My Life Again
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Programming | Daryl Dragon |
| Programming | Ian Underwood |
| Sax | Tom Scott |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
4 When You’ve Got What It Takes
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Oboe | Earl Dumler |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
5 Somebody’s Been Lyin’
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Oboe | Earl Dumler |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Peter Limonick |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
6 I Believe You
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Larrie Londin |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Percussion | Jerry Steinholtz |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
7 Touch Me When We’re Dancing
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Larrie Londin |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tim May |
| Acoustic Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Oboe | Earl Dumler |
| Sax | Tom Scott |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Background Vocals | Carolyn Dennis |
| Background Vocals | Stephanie Spruill |
| Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
8 When It’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Larrie Londin |
| Drums | Karen Carpenter |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Guitar | Tony Peluso |
| Acoustic Guitar | Dennis Budimir |
| Acoustic Guitar | Fred Tackett |
| Pedal Steel Guitar | Jay Dee Maness |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Oboe | Earl Dumler |
| Percussion | Karen Carpenter |
| Percussion | Bob Conti |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
9 Beechwood 4-5789
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Sax | Tom Scott |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Background Vocals | Richard Carpenter |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
10 Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)
| Bass | Joe Osborn |
| Drums | Ron Tutt |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Keyboards | Richard Carpenter |
| Harp | Gayle Levant |
| Percussion | Peter Limonick |
| Vocals | Karen Carpenter |
Other Musicians
Choir – The O.K. Chorale (Track 10)
Liner Notes
Arranged By – Richard Carpenter (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Arranged By – Paul Riser (Track 6)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Richard Carpenter (Track 6)
Concertmaster – James Getzoff (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Concertmaster – Gerald Vinci (Tracks 5, 10)
Conductor (Choir) – Frank Pooler (Track 10)
Directed By – Ron Hicklin (Track 10)
Engineer – Roger Young (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Mixed By – Roger Young
Mixed By (Assistant) – Stewart Whitmore
Orchestrated By – Richard Carpenter (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Orchestrated By – Peter Knight (Tracks 5, 10)
Recorded By (Additional) – David Iveland
Art Direction – Chuck Beeson, Jeffrey Ayeroff
Design – Lynn Robb
Illustration – David Willardson
Photography – John Engstead
Mastered At A&M Studios
Mixed At A&M Studios
Mixed At Sound Labs, Hollywood
Recorded At A&M Studios
Phonographic Copyright A&M Records Inc
Copyright A&M Records Inc
Choir – The O.K. Chorale (Track 10)