Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes

Subject: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 03:06 AM

I have been a long time fan of Mary Chapin Carpenter.
I was looking on Wikipedia to see if there were any rare recordings that were made (before) her debut 1987 studio release album, "Hometown Girl."

It said that she was signed to Columbia in 1987 after a demo tape was sent in.
There was no mention of what songs were on the "demo tape" though.

I don't know if the demo tape might have included some songs
that were put on the "Home Town Girl" album or if they were all songs never actually released on an album?

I would be curious if anyone knows of rare recordings that were a
home-made type tape sold at coffeehouses before Mary Chapin Carpenter
got signed to Columbia Records
I know back in the early and mid -1980's, a lot of artist's starting out would often sell self made tapes at coffeehouses. Not too many went on to become famous or have the tremendous talent of MCC.


Thank you,
Lin

Subject: RE: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: cnd
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 09:44 AM

The best place to look for the demo tape would be Columbia--most US-based companies were surprisingly good about keeping stuff like that around. Sadly, that's a lot easier said than done.

I did find the following: "[Carpenter] wound up in Washington, D.C., strumming an acoustic guitar and singing her songs at local coffeehouses. Local guitarist John Jennings invited her to record those songs in his basement studio, a tape she later sold at local shows.... Colubmbia signed Carpenter and released the home-made tape as the album Hometown Girl in 1987."

The Encyclopedia of Country Music, p. 80

Subject: RE: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 10:51 AM

Can't remember the name or location right now,
but the Music industry was devastated by a serious USA storage fire
which wiped out decades of archived master tapes, multi-tracks, demos, etc
from an enormous range of artists..

Details are still slowly leaking out, after a huge cover up and denial..

Best to be aware of this before hopes are raised...

Subject: RE: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: GUEST,Jerome Clark
Date: 27 Mar 20 - 11:01 PM

I am told that "Don't Let Me Come Home a Stranger" -- which I wrote with my friend Robin Williams in the 1970s-- was on the B side of her first Columbia single. She reportedly admired the songs I wrote then and subsequently with Robin & Linda Williams, Never heard "Stranger," though. Other performers, among them Mary Black, Damien O'Kane, George Hamilton IV, and the Albion Band, covered it, but Carpenter's alleged version remains unheard by me.

Subject: RE: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: Hagman
Date: 28 Mar 20 - 07:14 PM

Why not ask her?

Contact

Subject: RE: Mary Chapin Carpenter rare early tapes
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 28 Mar 20 - 08:01 PM

neither very early nor rare (now that it is on youtube)
the 1993 CBS RV special WOMEN OF COUNTRY hosted by Carpenter.....

however, I find few people aware of it.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGE1Czte3Y

Thomas.