ORIGINAL CARPENTERS SIGNED RECORD ALBUM – KAREN CARPENTER AUTOGRAPH & RICHARD

$

555

Offered for your consideration:  The Carpenters’ 1972 album “A Song For You” signed boldly on the front cover by both Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter. Signed Carpenters albums are scarce indeed, due largely to Karen’s tragic, untimely death in 1983 at the young age of 33.  The album is not the original 1972 issue, but a later pressing. The LP jacket is in beautiful condition with no notable flaws except for a small cut-out notch near the lower right corner. The vinyl is also in beautiful shape. The signatures have been done in two different marker pens, with Karen’s the stronger of the two – but both are strikingly legible. The photos tell the story.

I obtained this album in October 2016 at the Dallas estate sale of radio personality and executive Jo Interrante, who was a mogul at Dallas radio stations KVIL and KNUS-FM in the early 1970s. Her on-air name was “Darcy Kane” and she had a successful, decades-long career that took her from California to New York City and back to Dallas. Her estate sale consisted of over 900 LPs and CDs signed by the artists. In some cases, there were multiple signed items for a given artist or group. Working for various radio networks, Jo was able to meet with (and from what I gather, interview) dozens of artists. During her encounters with some of the top acts of the era, she would have them autograph their albums.

Just to give you an idea of Jo’s influence within the radio industry, and her access to these artists, here is her biography:

Jo Interrante began her radio career in 1969 at Dallas-Fort Worth's KVIL as a board operator and soon worked her way up to Music Director. Within three years she was also simultaneously working at KNUS-FM as a news anchor under the pseudonym “Darcy Kane”. By 1973 Jo was in San Francisco as a news person at KNBR and KNAI. She was then named News Director at KFRC, where she continued the phrase "News and Information," stressing the local community as a spotlight in their popular newscasts. In California, she served as President of the Northern California Radio Television News Directors Association, co-chaired the National RTNDA Minority Affairs Committee, was a member of California Chief Justice Rose Bird's Commission on Courtroom Procedures for Radio and TV press, and a member of Sigma Delta Chi and American Women in Radio and Television.

In 1979 she became a Founding Director of the RKO Radio Networks in New York City, serving as Vice President and Director of Programming. She guided news, sports, and features designed specifically for music radio and was part of the world's first satellite network. Jo returned to The San Francisco Bay in 1981, formed a broadcast production company whose shows were broadcast on hundreds of radio stations throughout the US. Over the next ten years, her company, IS INC, created long-form weekly programs in various formats for many clients including RKO Radio Networks, United Stations (Unistar), Westwood One, NBC, James Paul Brown Productions, Youngstaff Limited (in Japan), Premiere Radio Networks, and more. The shows highlighted current music artists themselves as the stars of the show, utilizing their own words from personal interviews. From Kim Carnes to Elton John, Thompson Twins to Queen, Debbie Gibson to Stephen Tyler, Lionel Richie to Stevie Wonder; she worked to share their insights and music with the world.

In 1992 Interrante returned to Dallas and worked with the KRLD 1080 News team until the station was sold. From 1995 until her retirement in 2011, she was the ABC Radio Networks Director of Communications and was a liaison between the Affiliate Relations team, Programming, News, Research, and Marketing.

In 2008 she was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and is a member of the Press Club of Dallas.

As you can see, Jo’s stature in the business allowed her direct access to countless artists throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s – and she took advantage of those opportunities to build a staggering collection of 900+ signed LPs. Her estate sale was as impressive a sale of music memorabilia as I’ve ever seen as it also featured thousands of promotional items including LPs, CDs and other pieces tied to various recording artists, radio stations and radio networks.

While I have no COA for this LP, I can tell you that its provenance is impeccable. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a signed LP by one of the most popular, enduring and endearing recording acts of the 1970s. If you've ever searched for a signed Carpenters album, you probably know that they're not offered for sale very often.

Please feel free to ask lots of questions – before you bid. I will answer all of them as long as it is at least a few hours before the end of the auction.  If you’d like additional photos or info, I’ll do my best to accommodate you.

PLEASE NOTE:  I DO NOT DO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.  IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. AND WIN A BID, I WILL ISSUE A CANCELLATION REQUEST AUTOMATICALLY.

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