tony peluso

OK, this is a silly thing to write about, because the audience of 12 that I have for this blog has pretty much all heard the story. But I was listening to a song this morning, and ...

Let me get the first thing out of the way: I don't get the Carpenters. When I think of songs like "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Sing," "Close to You," "Top of the World," and "We've Only Just Begun" ... well, thinking of them makes me wanna puke, but that's better than actually listening to them. What a pile of insipid tripe! I have friends, smart friends with good taste in music ... you know who you are, you're nodding your heads in disapproval as you read this ... who seem to have a fondness for the crap that was the Carpenters, a fondness apparently lacking in irony. I don't share that fondness; like I say, I don't get the Carpenters. Explain to me the excellence of this:

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad

Now, one thing about Karen Carpenter, she played the drums, and that ain't as easy as it sounds. Of course, it was Hal Blaine playing on the records ... you probably don't know his name, but you know his drums, if you've ever heard a Phil Spector production, or a Carpenters record for that matter. Or the Beach Boys (Hal sat in for Dennis Wilson just like he did for Karen Carpenter). Or "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis. Or Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. When you hear "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes: that's Hal Blaine. I'll make it easy on you: go to Hal's website with your sound card on and listen to the virtual jukebox, and you'll hear Hal Blaine, and you'll recognize every song, and maybe you'll remember his name in the future.

But the thing here is, that's Hal on the drums for those Carpenters records, not Karen.

The Carpenters made a bunch of crap records, Richard took too many meds, Karen didn't eat, end of story. But one time in all those years, they actually made a good record. The lyric was surprisingly different from the "sing good stuff not bad" pablum the group usually offered. The sound was different enough to inspire hate mail from their fan base, which should be proof enough that this was a better song than their other garbage. It's to Richard and Karen's credit that they knew a good thing when they (finally) heard it ... Richard liked this guitar player named Tony Peluso, he asked Tony to play a solo on a Carpenters' song, the rest is history. Tony joined the touring band, played with the Carpenters for many years, went on to a career producing music from bands like Cafe Tacuba ... and left the world a present, "Goodbye to Love."

Context is everything. Listen to early Elvis today, or "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard, and you can still hear the excellence and wonder, but our context is different, we don't really hear the revolution anymore. Little Richard makes sense to us now, so his Tutti Frutti tidal wave is decontextualized. But when it came out, in the context of the pop music of the day, well, that was something. Punk rock emerged from the boredom of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Rap music startled an audience tired of the same old same old.

Well, imagine a world where the Carpenters not only existed, but were immensely popular. A world where "sing, sing a song" actually mattered to people. And then imagine having "Goodbye to Love" dropped into the middle of that world. The lyrics were bad enough:

Loneliness and empty days will be my only friend
From this day love is forgotten
I'll go on as best I can

But then Tony Peluso steps in, with a short solo in mid-song, and then a longer blast to close out the record. And if it wasn't for those two solos, I wouldn't even know who Tony Peluso was, but off he goes, with Hal Blaine pounding beneath him ... and the only crime is that there wasn't a place for Tony on the recent Rolling Stone list of the 100 best guitarists of all time.

And I don't care if the above pisses off you Carpenter fans, or if I sound like a snob, but fuckin' A as they used to say, that solo at the end of "Goodbye to Love" is an inspiration, it suggests that anything is possible, it's the most truly uplifting thing that ever appeared on a Carpenters record, it's the artistic truth in opposition to the sap that was the Carpenters. I think I better play the song one more time ...

Comments

[Henrietta R. Hippo]

Say what you want. The Carpenters were musical geniuses and Karen had the voice of an angel. OK, maybe YOU don't like them, but need I remind you that they have sold 120 million records worldwide and are revered by many acts today. Even Alice Cooper, of all people! I've always said that people who dislike those Carpenters records dislike music PERIOD. Tell me ONE good thing about today's "music" (and I use that term loosely). Go back and listen to another Carpenters album, maybe then you'll truly realize what we've lost-and can never get back. Celine Dion has NOTHING on her.

[Henrietta R. Hippo]

I also don't know how you can listen to Springsteen! The guy is absolutely tone-deaf and CANNOT keep his voice on key. He's good a writer, I'll admit, but he's got no place behind the microphone. Whoever told him he could sing should have a hearing test.

[fish]

My mum liked The Carpenters and, when I heard Tony's solo aged 9 or so, I knew that I had to learn to play the guitar, a decision that totally changed my life. I can't honestly say that about many other songs.

[Sean]

Heh, I was going to comment with this on the "Best Guitar Solos in Crappy Songs" post, but this is even better, since you mentioned it.

I went and saw Cafe Tacuba in Fresno a couple of weeks ago, and got their new 3-CD live-set they did in front of 170,000 (yes, that's the right amount of zeros) people in Mexico City. And who produced this? Tony Peluso. OK, so there wasn't really any point to this story, but now that I'm here, I'll give you my .02 on the Carpetners.

Like any other pop act, if you can take them for what they are (shallow, catchy, and, overall, boring), they are good at it. If you are looking for those things, the Carpenters rule. If not, puking is probably a good alternative.

Oh, and ...

"Celine Dion has NOTHING on her."

That doesn't really put Karen in exclusive company.

Sean

[Steven Rubio]

I love shallow and catchy. It's the boring part that gets me.

[Jamie]

I absolutely love Tony Pelusos solo it brings the record to life .. I actually bought the record when it came out and learned how to play it almost note for note. There are some clever harmony arrangements on Carpenters records but mostly I find the stuff quite bland. TPs solo is a welcome breath of fresh air .. pretty brave of Richard to let him feature to that extent on what became a single release.

dunno whether you're aware - but Guitarist mag in the UK ran a 100 greatest solos - and guess what came in at number 1?

[Gazza]

Like the post above, this track was also my inspiration to learn to play the guitar.

Its stange how this one track and excellent solo stood out above all the other great stuff around at that time, although, again like the post above Karen Carpenter did have the voice of an angel which more than made up for some of the more mushier songs, What am I saying !!!, I love the carpenters !!.

Anyway, like I say, Karen had a unique voice rivalled only by Eva Cassidy (in my opinion).

It's a great shame that both of them are no longer with us.

[David Randall]

The guitar solo in "Goodbye To Love" is a landmark in orchestration.I was always told that a good solo should be able to be sung, hummed, or whistled. This meets all the criteria. I can hear it in my head any time I choose. Well done Tony!!

[Cynthia Michaud]

Tony Peluso is my best friend. He loved Karen Carpenter - her voice and her person. So you can be a fan of both with his blessing. He is immensely proud of his work with Tacuba. It's great that you all appreciate him so much. Check out Antonio Carmona and Natalia LaFourcade.

[Brian Richardson]

I was in the music dept at Long Beach State when Karen and Richard Carpenter were students there. Richard was a borderline genius, and the duo's vocal blend concepts were a combination of Les Paul/Mary Ford harmonic stacking along with the concepts taught by Frank Pooler, the Choir guru at Long Beach State in that era. I totally agree that Tony Peluso's solo was a seminal piece of work that helped elevate 'Goodbye To Love' above the mundane. That said, savvy musicians admire the Carpenters recordings for other reasons: the arrangements are actually pretty hip; the studio musicians (listen to the wind playing, french horns, et al) are among the best on the planet, and Hal Blaine skillfully demonstrated how a creative drummer could propel a saccharine sweet pop song without getting in the way....listen to the melodic tuning of his toms on 'Soltaire,' or 'Goodbye To Love,' as prime examples of a master at work.

[Steve Richards]

Tony Peluso learned to play guitar by listening to Nokie Edwards, the lead guitarist of The Ventures. The Ventures have sold 150 million albums worldwide and though they are now in their early 70's, they still tour and are incredible. Mel Taylor, their drummer passed away 10 years ago but his son Leon learned from his dad and has been playing with The Ventures for almost a dozen years. Many of the worlds top musicians/guitarists from John Lennon to David Gilmour credit Nokie Edwards for their inspiration. The riff at the end of The Carpenters song Mr. Postman is played by Tony Peluso and is definitely a Nokie Edwards riff.

[Yutaka Uno]

Until today, I didn't know who played that fabulous solo on Jambalaya. (I heared the song for the first time over 30 years ago.) I just knew that there were very few solos that good out there. It's a pleasure and a surprise to know Tony Peluso had an impact on other people as well. Even though I didn't know his name, he's been a major influence for me. After playing for 30 years, it's still my dream to play the guitar like him.

By the way, I don't think the Carpenters' music is crap. On the contrary, it's one of the best. Today's music is ..... not music. It's CRAP, period.

[Steven]

I find it interesting that so many Carpenters fans find it necessary to dismiss contemporary music ... have fun with the dinosaurs, folks!

[Lucinda Filpi]

I knew Tony's mom most all of my childhood. She gave me singing lessons on Saturday afternoons after she taught catechism class, when I was about twelve or so. I never remember meeting Tony, although I had seen him from a distance on occasion at church. I am actually a big Carpenters fan now in my middle age. I wish I could meet him, mostly to tell him that his mother was one of the most kind and patient people I have ever known! I was such a brat at times, I don't know how she could stand me! I still feel bad about it, but I did really love her! She was my sponsor at my confirmation too. When I was about fifteen. I quit having lessons from her and we drifted apart. I never saw her again. Now, I wonder what Tony is doing. I see him on my Carpenters video. If anyone has any info let me know. Lucinda

[Lucinda Filpi]

No matter how silly or sappy Carpenters songs may sound, Karen has a beautiful voice, there's no getting away from that! She is the reason they were so famous! It's too bad she's not with us now! There is so much she could have done with that voice. She didn't need her brother or anyone! She would have been successful singing for any band! Besides, I think her wholsomeness is refreshing!

[Dave Hepplewhite]

Hey, this post has been going some years now - I found it fascinating reading. What it does show is the narrow-mindedness of some so-called music lovers. The thread starts of with it's author having a dig at a few lines from a classic Carpenters track:

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad

and posing the question, "Explain to me the excellence of this"

Well, it's neither clever, nor revealling to pull a few lines at random from the song of an artist/band you don't care for and rubbish them.

For example,

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahhhh.....

Any better?

Lyrics don't need to have some deep phylisophical meaning to make them 'good' - just in the same way that musical compositions do not need to be written in weird keys with strange time signatures to make them interesting.

Appreciating music is all about enjoying it as a whole, the lyrics, the voice(s), the melody, the harmonies, the story, the era it was written in, the message the context in which it was written......

I grew up with 60s and 70s british rock music and have played in hard rock bands for 4 decades, but when someone asks me what my musical tastes are I can say, hand on heart, that I enjoy everything from Mantovani to Megadeth and everything in between. Neither am I ashamed to admit that a few Carpenters albums take pride of place in my music collection!

[john van asch]

hello,my name is john,39 young :)

well,I like the guitar solo in Goodbye to love,best solo ever,how did you do it?:)
I wished that I had some of that solo on paper,because I my self also like to play that solo
on my FENDER TELECASTER PINK PAISLEY '86 but it sounds like a harp,can somebody help me with playing that solo !!,its for private only.. tony well done..

[Jimmy Iovine]

Though Hal Blaine was the Carpenters primary studio drummer, Karen actually played the drums on numerous album tracks. She was also the drummer on some of their most successful hits such as "Yesterday Once More", "Please Mister Postman", "Ticket To Ride", and "Sing". Buddy Rich recognized Karen as one of his favorite drummers, and Hal Blaine himself praised Karen for her technique and overall ability as a drummer.

Richard realized that Karen was a petite woman and could not lay into the drums as well as a career session drummer. So he took A&M's advice in the early days of their career and used Hal on most of their recordings, but not due to the lack of talent on Karen's part. Tony Peluso was talented enough to play with any band, he chose to perform and record with the Carpenters, and was proud of it!

Did you go into therapy once you found out that "Goodbye To Love" was conceived, written, and performed by the Carpenters?

[Steven]

Hi Jimmy ... if it's really you, and there's no reason to think otherwise, let me say before we get into a further discussion of the Carpenters that I've been an admirer of your work since at least Born to Run, which, if you looked around here, you would know is the highest praise possible, Bruce being my favorite artist. I don't doubt the stories you tell, and I'm not going to pretend I know more about producing great records than you do.

But let me ask you something. You worked on Easter, a terrific album. Now, I love Patti Smith and I think she's a great vocalist ... my wife thought so back in the Horses days, when everyone else was talking about the blend of poetry and rock and roll, my wife said "she sings good, ya know." But I think it's safe to say that Karen Carpenter had a "better" voice than Patti Smith. My point is, so what. Easter is a better album than anything the Carpenters ever did. Patti's work is lyrically complex, befitting her status as a poet, and while at times her lyrics are also kinda stupid, they are stupid because they try for too much. The lyrics in Carpenters songs are simple ... I suspect that's part of their appeal ... but I can imagine hearing a Carpenters record in a mall and not even knowing it's there. Can you imagine the same thing happening for "Space Monkey?" No, because Patti Smith's work demands your attention ... it refuses to blend in.

And that's why Tony Peluso's solos in "Goodbye to Love" are so heartstopping. It's as if John the Baptist suddenly showed up in Target and grabbed shoppers by the throat, saying "there's something going on here!"

[Michelle]

I came across this post while researching Tony Peluso re his work with Cafe Tacuba (a hugely important band). He and Santaolalla have done exquisite work on the band's new album, Sino.

Besides all that, I just wanted to chime in on the "Sing a Song" thread. The song was important in my life. It was the first song I ever sang in public: I learned it in kindergarten. Maybe that doesn't say much for the complexities of the song - but on the contrary, I think it deserves some credit for its simplicity. As a 5-year-old on stage, I remember feeling really proud that I was up there singing something that sounded nice, was being played on the radio and that I could remember all the words too. I still sing it to my children - who fortunately are young enough still to not find it treachly. There are few songs out there that are sweet and appealing to children yet not musically mind-numbing.

[Geoff Waddington]

I'm with the author. The only thing I really remember about the Carpenters is Tony Peluso's solo on the way out of 'Goodbye to love'. A nice piece of playing - liked, incidentally, by the two guys left in the original Status Quo. Very seventies tone, but the phrasing was way ahead of that decade.

[John Gebhart]

My family and I are blessed to have Tony Peluso as a friend. His remarkable musical talent is surpassed only by the immensity of his heart. And I'm sure I won't live long enough to meet anyone with a more hyperactive sense of humor (I write with a huge grin).

His solo on Goodbye to Love is remarkable for any number of reasons. A distorted '58 335 on a Carpenters record? No way! It took amazing insight to even try it and it was executed with a master's touch. Perhaps the overarching thing that made it work, no matter how hard he pushed the envelope that day, and he did push, was that Tony didn't play the instrument, he played the song.

[Geoff Waddington]

Those are wise words

[Eli G Oliveira]

Hi.
I would like to know where is Tony Peluso. Where does he live now a days. Does he still play?
Thanks.
Eli.