New 45 - Kip Carmen Reissued on Continued Sound

Kip Carmen's Ultra Rare Music out now on Continued Sound

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I am the stepson of Kip Carmen (who is still alive and overjoyed to see this reissue come out), and I worked with Continued Sound on this release. I thought perhaps people on the forum would be interested in reading the liner notes I wrote for this release, which are included in the insert, so I am sharing them here:
 

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In the summer of 1973, when Long Island musician Kip Carmen stepped into Sound Exchange Studios on West 54th Street in NYC to record two original songs, “That’s Enough For Me” and “Loving in the Morning,” he was 25 years old and starting to come into his own as a bandleader and songwriter.

But Kip was no rookie. By the time he left the Army in 1970, where he led one of West Point’s first rock bands, Kip had already opened for Neil Diamond, Maxine Brown, and B.B. King. Up to this point Kip’s accomplishments were all self-made. But he would soon confront the reality that entering the music business required playing ball with an assortment of unsavory characters who were all too eager to shape young talent into a commodity and keep a hand in their pocket.

Kip’s first encounter with “the industry” came with the release of his debut single in 1972. Musicor Records picked up a song (“I’m Coming Home To You”) that Kip had self-produced with his trio at Soundview Studios in Long Island. By the time it came out, Kip was surprised to hear the recording sped up and layered thick with synthesizers The label also wouldn’t let Kip put his own name on the record – insisting that he use the pseudonym “Kip Carson,” a play on the “Adventures of Kit Carson” TV show from the 50s.

That experience, however, led Kip to form a new band and sign with a manager named Stan Klein, from Omni Talent Management. Omni went to work remaking Kip’s image, putting his Native American ancestry front and center. It was Klein’s idea to name the band “The New Frontier” and put Kip in a headband and extravagant fringe suit. “They dressed me up like a storefront Indian!” Kip likes to say.

A bit exploitative by today’s standards, but when it came to the music Omni mostly stayed out of the way. Bob Morgan was lined up to produce Kip’s next single, an industry veteran well-known for his work with artists like Bobby Vinton and Marcos Valle. The care and attention Morgan showed, despite Kip’s lack of fame, left a lasting impression. Morgan made Kip and his band feel like a big time act, and it shows on the tape.

A short-lived label called Queen Bee agreed to press 1,000 or so copies. Kip drove to the pressing plant in Nashville in September 1973 to pick up the 45s himself so he could give them away in Memphis, where The New Frontier’s electrifying live shows were starting to pop. The band appeared on an episode of George Klein’s “Talent Party” on WHBQ-TV, and Kip was soon packing clubs across the city. On more than one occasion, concertgoers walked up to Kip to let him know they “had the best sex of their life” after taking a date to one of his shows. That’s what we call a repeat customer.

Kip’s reputation as a live performer opened the door to an offer from Memphis guitar legend Steve Cropper before Kip ultimately signed with Hi Records in 1974. But that’s a story for another time.

The two songs on the record you’re holding represent a unique time in our culture. When a young artist without big label backing could walk into a top tier studio and record an authentic piece of self-expression that stands up with the best of the era. This was not uncommon in those days. Many of those records are lost to time. Fortunately, this one survived.

 

 

If I may, I think folks would also enjoy this new 8-minute mini doc featuring interview clips with Kip talking about this record, some related 45s, Kip’s time in Memphis, signing with Hi Records, etc: https://youtu.be/OwD6Apy-oMo

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Xentakis