This song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett which is about a woman who falls for a rock star, has a romantic night with him, but then, in a sad delusion, awaits his return, believing him when he said he loved her. Only the incomparable Karen Carpenter could do this song justice. She had THE most perfect voice. Full stop. Unequaled and never to be heard again. Her brother, Richard, arranged all of their songs and created the "wall of sound" heard on most of their songs - and adopted by the music industry still heard in many songs today. He also sang backup harmonies - and played piano and keyboards. He was (and is) an absolute musical genius. His little sister, Karen, was also an extremely gifted drummer. She preferred to be behind the drums and played the drums on all of their earlier songs. But, her voice was so incredible, they had to bring her out front despite her terrible shyness. There was no autotune or any manipulation - that voice was all Karen. She was an extraordinary woman who left us way too soon. She was the voice of many generations. Karen died of heart failure due to Anorexia Nervosa at the tender age of 32 back in February 1983. So loved and missed to this day. Pure talent.
Yes, her name was Karen, and she was one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. As a teen and into my early twenties, I listened to her for hours on end, and I'm not ashamed to say that I wept on the day she died.
i fell in love with the carpenters when i was 12 yrs old i'm 58 now, no one has ever come close to karen's voice and the beautiful arrangements that richard did
According to Carpenters lore, the version you hear on the recording is the first time Karen ever sang the song. Richard had transcribed the lyrics for her with some small changes, and she was going to lay down a "working vocal" so they could tweak the arrangement. Richard tried several other takes, but none equaled the first dry run. This legendary performance was literally Karen warming up.
That is right, Almost always Karen nailed the songs she was singing on the first take. One of the most phenomenal singers that ever lived!! Karen!!! Deeply Loved and Missed forever!!!!
karen was only 21 year old here! and sang and recorded the song on 1 take! reading the lyrics off a napkin! the carpenters were THEE biggest u.s. hitmakers of the 70's and her voice then and now was and is still regarded as one of the greatest female voices if not thee greatest female voice of the 20th century.. surely, the most pure, richest, intimate, haunting, movingly beautiful female voice of love and romance songs ever!... the ultimate singer who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU!....
@@SPohl-zy4rz mine as well, always has been since i was little and now decades later and always will be..not just her and her brother's hits, but nearly every single song they ever recorded on all of their albums..
"Her voice is so good". That's the understatement of the year. Carpenters came out well before "Autotune", so what you're hearing is nothing but her pure, raw talent!! In the dictionary under "Voice of an angel", you'll see Karen Carpenter.
The Carpenters had multiple hits that are a must hear! " Rainy Days and Mondays", "We've only just begun", "Close to you", "Yesterday Once More".... to name a few. And yes, they were also huge with Christmas music. Thank you for this😊
Omg she was one of a kind. Her voice just reaches thru your soul. This song is so powerful, awesome choice to review 👏👏 such a tragic loss too. This song is about an obsessed fan and she’s in love.
The song is a cover. It's a groupie's song. which the original title conveys. The original rock song is fairly lame, and Karen, or someone else, recognized she could transform it into magic.
@@sheilaswegler4859 Mostly due to her brother's spectacular arrangement, he did all the arrangements of their tunes. Her voice, which is one in a million, coupled with his arrangements put them in an eternally classic category
I was just saying today - seriously - that I think Karen Carpenter was the best vocalist I've ever heard. She has a very welcoming, warm tone to her voice, but it's not overdone. It's subtle and smooth and sincere. But there's also this underlying sadness that permeates everything she sings, this feeling like she is fine with the world as it is, but she still longs for the world the way it could have been. It's a very nostalgic, heartbroken but again extremely subtle tone that just makes her music timeless. My favorite song from her is still one of her simplest tunes: "Close To You". She sings this almost nursery rhyme of a song flawlessly, and yet there's this strong undercurrent of regret and longing that just lifts the song way higher than it has any right to be. It still bothers me that she never realized how beautiful and talented she was and ended up dying by starving herself to death to live up to some impossible image no one wanted from her. I still hold Karen Carpenter very close to my heart, and I always will.
I use the word "transcendental" a lot in my comments when describing Karen's voice. There's a soothing empathy to the way she sings that really touches people. It just seems to vibrate in beauty.
It does my heart good to see younger people listening to KC and appreciating her unsurpassed talent. I've loved her since I was kid in the 70s and The Carpenters always remind of my childhood, but she really is timelsss. It's like what Herb Alpert said, when first hearing her voice, that as soon as she starts to sing her presence is there - like it envelopes you. Losing her to anorexia was such a shock, because until then no one had really heard of it or knew it existed. At least we still have her gift. Great reaction.
I grew up in the early 70s, we kind of Made fun of the Carpenters then, After all we were “too hip”. Looking back she was the best of her generation, and certainly no one today can touch that beautiful voice.
She had perfect pitch, she never made a mistake. In the studio the first take was good, she always wanted to do it over again. I am glad young people are finding out who she was. She will always live if people rember. They had a good Christmas album.
Yes, you're right. She was so sensitive that she had perfect rhythm and pitch. People don't often mention how difficult it must have been to FEEL like that all the time. Miss Carpenter was one of the unlucky sensitive ones.
Another awesome reaction video. There will never be another voice like Karen's. The music i grew up with. Superstar is my very favorite Carpenters song.
Sister Karen has an amazing and hauntingly beautiful voice and was a great drummer, too (may she rest in peace), and brother Richard is an amazing piano player, arranger and producer. You might also like the Carpenters' hits "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Close to You," "Top of the World" and "Yesterday Once More."
Now that is a voice, clear, ennunicating the whole word, holding a note correctly, beautiful arrangement, real music. Beats along with the heart, no screaming wabbles, it tells a story, draws the listener in. Nothing like this today in any female singer.
Karen is the voice, and Richard is the music! He's classically trained, and arranged all the notes, and instruments! Amazing! This was one duo, that ruled the world, in their day!
Yes you are correct the Carpenters did some Christmas songs. Her voice is like no other on the planet so that must be where you've heard it. Many have tried to imitate her but always falls short so yes her voice is the one you remember.
Love how music didn't have to blow your mind with some crazy arrangement and breakdowns and shouting to be good, it could be understated and still become a hit or even a classic like this song, it just had to touch your soul a certain way, and Karen's voice does just that, one of my absolute favorite vocalists.
Richard carpenter actually has very amazing arrangements. It is subtle, but I as a pianist am very sensitive to the chords and I can tell you it plays a huge part. Karen carpenter's own ventures without Richard flopped big time
@@albertweedsteinthethuggeni7797 you didn't have to shade Karen to praise her brother lol, i get what you're saying tho, a musician's ear is usually better at appreciating the complexities of Richard's arrangements. Obviously i wasn't downplaying how brilliant he is, the genius of his pop music is that you might think of it as simple, but it's certainly not simplistic.
Greatest female singer ever to live. No one will ever compete with her. I was in my early 20’s when she passed away from an eating disorder. To this day I still know ALL the words to every song she ever sang....Judy D.
That one is in the top 4, if not my #1 all time favorite Christmas song. I dearly love the songs/albums by Carpenters (Karen & Richard; sister & brother) so much so that I don't give a flying fig how much my sister's husband makes fun of me for it!
a tiny short snippet of the song was in "tommy boy"... and of course their christmas album is a all time classic.. their rendering of classics and their original hit "merry christmas darling"..
Listen to the revamped version Richard created with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He continues to be an amazing arranger and brought Karen to the world. He is to be thanked.
This song was a work lead first take SHE nailed it as she always did we really do need karen carpenter more than ever LOVE YOU KAREN 💔💕 give a listen to the carpenters where do I go from here
Karen and her brother Richard, (he was on keyboards and Karen sometimes played the drums), were so huge back in the day! They were everywhere, all the time! You couldn't turn on the radio without hearing them. They were that good! That's why Karen's sudden death at an early age came as such a shock to their fans! If I remember correctly, I believe she actually passed away due to an eating disorder. So glad that you are discovering them and will be doing more reactions. Good job!
When most celebrities pass away my reaction is "How sad". When I heard Karen died, it was like somebody punched me in the stomach. I realized that what the world had lost, it would never have again.
Karen, no limit to her vocal (and drums) talent, strength, clarity and range!!! Their music varied but often, rather melancholic... This song was recorded by several w/ different titles. Richard heard Bette Midler perform it...tweaked and Karen recorded in one take... Trumpet and clarinet, certainly could be.. I always thought flugelhorn and maybe oboe... Great, classic song, thank you!!! I hope you do continue listening to the Carpenters!!! 👍👌🤙
No one can sing like her. Beyond legendary. Probably the greatest female singer of the 20th century. Paul McCartney and Elton John have said the same. Thanks for reacting to Carpenters.
Richard, her brother was behind the piano. He was the arranger, composer. He had a way doing these wonderful arrangements that really accentuated Karen's voice. They did a song in 1975 called "Only Yesterday". Recommend it.
Just 21 years old here, she was the most fluid & flawless vocalists of all time. Listen to her 2nd stanza 2:45-2:57, noting how she sings softly & strongly, adding various colors to her tone. She sang thru complete the line in one breath! Everything we hear was laid down on first take by the incomparable Karen Carpenter.
She was a Superstar. One of the biggest of the 1970s...of all time. You Millennials need to go back in time and see what was. Look how nice she was dressed. This was class. And it was the Official Video...first Official TV Video, anyway.
Superstar was an original song in the Broadway musical 'Hair'. Karen's version is absolutely the best rendition out there. Pure perfection. Another incredible version of it was done by Luther Vandross, another incredible singer taken from us way too early.
She's only only 21 here... Absolutely astounding. Her voice is like warm honey.. Definitely check out some of their other songs they were absolute mega stars in the 60s and 70s.. She passed away in 1983, at the age of only 32. :( :( Complications from anorexia. Which at the time was not really a very well known or understood illness.
Richard, her brother, is the one that drove everything from behind the scenes. Arrangement of the Instruments & vocals. I believe they were the first to use 8 track recording of vocals used in their harmonises. Being the younger sibling, she just did whatever he said. Basically, stand there and sing this Sis. So cool aye. He was quite protective of her.
Karen's voice was from another world... And her brother Richard an exquisite arranger... Karen had no lucky with her romantic life, her marriage was a failure and a great pain for her, and this song reflects exactly this... Try incredible songs like Goodbye To Love, Solitaire, This Masquerade, We´ve Only Just Begun, Maybe It's You... So many great songs...
I was lucky enough to see them in concert such a long long time ago...sigh. It was released as a single on August 12, 1971, and reached number 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening and number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
As a aspiring singer who's yet to make a mark in professional recording you search for any kind of work that inspires you creatively it goes without saying that Karen Carpenter is no doubt one of the best voices ever put on recorded tape period! A voice like that only comes once in a lifetime!
It has the best "hook" of any songs I've ever heard. Arrangements by Richard Carpenter made this song so iconic. Best singer of her era, maybe including now if music fans start listening to their songs. And there are many great songs.
And this is a woman who considered herself "a drummer who also sang" versus being "a singer who also played drums"...amazing natural vocal qualities/styling...and a 3 octave voice! We lost her decades too soon :-( Her brother Richard was also extremely talented - he never really got the recognition he should have...
Karen had such a clear, ethereal, haunting voice. They called her One-Take Karen, she nailed it first time, every time. She said she was a drummer first, she was expert at it. She way preferred being behind the drums to being in front of the band. Her brother Richard played the keyboard/piano and arranged and produced their music.
Karens voice is hauntingly beautiful and gorgeous. Richards arrangements were always stellar. Karen has something that most singers do not have…her gorgeous and rich voice stirs an emotional connection like no other. You can actually cry listening to her. To me her voice is the best I ever heard ever heard. Luther Vandross also covered this song. ❤❤
Her brother, Richard, arranged for them, played piano, and sang background vocals. Karen was also a very good drummer. Buddy Rich called her his favorite and she won best rock drummer in 1975, among other accolades. John Lennon once told her that hers was his favorite voice. He saw her having lunch in a cafe in New York and approached her.
Love that younger generations are hearing what we grew up to and appreciate her. Awesome drummer. Her brother Richard just as talented on the piano. No one comes close. You should review “we’ve only just begun” .
Dereck, great reaction!! The lyrics may come across as a "one night stand" on the surface. But what the song convey's is something much more emotional (and less physical). Many young people in the 70's had only the radio to hear new music. What she's singing is, she fell in love with a song and the artist's "sad guitar". It made her feel a strong connection to the "superstar" singing it on the radio. The chorus, "Don't you remember you told me you love me baby?" is her recalling the line from his song. But in reality, she's in her room, lonely and thinking about his song she can't wait to hear again.
Superstar is about a groupie who, “Long ago”, went to a concert, fell in love with a rock star “before the 2nd show”, had a one night stand and now listens to him on the radio, waiting for him to come back. When the Carpenter’s decided to cover the song, Richard toned it down, to make it better fit the Carpenter’s clean image. Originally titled Groupie (Superstar), he dropped “Groupie” and changed lyrics like “I can hardly wait to sleep with you again” to “I can hardly wait to BE with you again.” Here’s a link to the 1969 original for comparison; ua-cam.com/video/86S6upe_GO0/v-deo.html
This song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett which is about a woman who falls for a rock star, has a romantic night with him, but then, in a sad delusion, awaits his return, believing him when he said he loved her. Only the incomparable Karen Carpenter could do this song justice. She had THE most perfect voice. Full stop. Unequaled and never to be heard again. Her brother, Richard, arranged all of their songs and created the "wall of sound" heard on most of their songs - and adopted by the music industry still heard in many songs today. He also sang backup harmonies - and played piano and keyboards. He was (and is) an absolute musical genius. His little sister, Karen, was also an extremely gifted drummer. She preferred to be behind the drums and played the drums on all of their earlier songs. But, her voice was so incredible, they had to bring her out front despite her terrible shyness. There was no autotune or any manipulation - that voice was all Karen. She was an extraordinary woman who left us way too soon. She was the voice of many generations. Karen died of heart failure due to Anorexia Nervosa at the tender age of 32 back in February 1983. So loved and missed to this day. Pure talent.
She recorded this studio version in ONE TAKE... no auto tune, just perfection...
Known as "one take Karen"
Just like the Queen she is
A painfully beautiful voice. A painfully short life. And how to put a tear in a grown mans eye. R I P
Pro tip: watch movies on Kaldrostream. Me and my gf have been using them for watching loads of movies lately.
@Lian Asher Yea, I've been watching on Kaldrostream for since december myself :)
Amazing definicion
Karen's vocals were done in one take and this was actually the first take. Karen was absolutely incredible. One of the best of all time!
Yes, her name was Karen, and she was one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. As a teen and into my early twenties, I listened to her for hours on end, and I'm not ashamed to say that I wept on the day she died.
Nor should you be ashamed x
A voice of pure Liquid Gold. Will always be remembered, her voice will always be with us. ♥️👍
Thank you for that Colin. So true. Her voice will always be with us.
i fell in love with the carpenters when i was 12 yrs old i'm 58 now, no one has ever come close to karen's voice and the beautiful arrangements that richard did
Agree! Used to sing their songs in our elementary school music class. Karen and Richard are wonderful and there's no replacing them.
Your story and mine are the same. Loved Her so much!
I am the same....
She has one of the most iconic female voices of all time. She could also play the drums!
Not only "could" she play the drums, but was terrific at it!
Yes! She described herself as a drummer who could sing her first love was the drums❤️❤️
According to Carpenters lore, the version you hear on the recording is the first time Karen ever sang the song. Richard had transcribed the lyrics for her with some small changes, and she was going to lay down a "working vocal" so they could tweak the arrangement. Richard tried several other takes, but none equaled the first dry run. This legendary performance was literally Karen warming up.
That is right, Almost always Karen nailed the songs she was singing on the first take. One of the most phenomenal singers that ever lived!! Karen!!! Deeply Loved and Missed forever!!!!
I never knew that...Awsome version.
karen was only 21 year old here! and sang and recorded the song on 1 take! reading the lyrics off a napkin! the carpenters were THEE biggest u.s. hitmakers of the 70's and her voice then and now was and is still regarded as one of the greatest female voices if not thee greatest female voice of the 20th century.. surely, the most pure, richest, intimate, haunting, movingly beautiful female voice of love and romance songs ever!... the ultimate singer who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU!....
She is definitely my favorite female vocalist.
@@SPohl-zy4rz mine as well, always has been since i was little and now decades later and always will be..not just her and her brother's hits, but nearly every single song they ever recorded on all of their albums..
@@tomschmitz5745 Nicely put. I love when people offer kind words about Karen & Richard. It really warms my heart. Thanks again.
I dont think will find or will another fresh pure voice ever ...in the history
Simply the best female singer I've ever heard! Totally flawless
Without a doubt, the top female vocalist ever. The harmony and Richards voice and piano make this group a sensation even today.
"Her voice is so good". That's the understatement of the year. Carpenters came out well before "Autotune", so what you're hearing is nothing but her pure, raw talent!! In the dictionary under "Voice of an angel", you'll see Karen Carpenter.
Love your sentiments S. Johnson.
Karen had such a beautiful and heavenly voice!!! More Carpenters, please!!!
Such a heartbreaking beautiful song. Her voice is unbelievably strong. Love her music. Definitely check out more of her.
The Carpenters had multiple hits that are a must hear! " Rainy Days and Mondays", "We've only just begun", "Close to you", "Yesterday Once More".... to name a few.
And yes, they were also huge with Christmas music. Thank you for this😊
The saddest thing is that Karen left us the most beautiful songs about love when she never found it for herself 😔
Si te das cuenta.... la mayoría de las grandes voces de la historia, han cantado desde el dolor.....
If I could only find a time machine....
The more you listen to Karen Carpenter the more you love her.
Karens voice was so buttery smooth, one of the best female vocalists of all time, they were all good.
An Angel's voice...and the sadness that underlies every word. My eyes immediately well up. ❤ u Karen
Best female vocalist. Her voice went right to your heart. They have a great catalogue of fantastic songs.
She had the most perfect voice ever. It's a shame she died so young.
She had the sweetest, richest voice.
Omg she was one of a kind. Her voice just reaches thru your soul. This song is so powerful, awesome choice to review 👏👏 such a tragic loss too. This song is about an obsessed fan and she’s in love.
The song is a cover. It's a groupie's song. which the original title conveys. The original rock song is fairly lame, and Karen, or someone else, recognized she could transform it into magic.
You said it correct, it reaches your soul, that is what all her songs did, so sad the way she died!
@@sheilaswegler4859 Mostly due to her brother's spectacular arrangement, he did all the arrangements of their tunes. Her voice, which is one in a million, coupled with his arrangements put them in an eternally classic category
One take! She was and is BRILLIANT! No one will EVER sound like her.
I was just saying today - seriously - that I think Karen Carpenter was the best vocalist I've ever heard. She has a very welcoming, warm tone to her voice, but it's not overdone. It's subtle and smooth and sincere. But there's also this underlying sadness that permeates everything she sings, this feeling like she is fine with the world as it is, but she still longs for the world the way it could have been. It's a very nostalgic, heartbroken but again extremely subtle tone that just makes her music timeless. My favorite song from her is still one of her simplest tunes: "Close To You". She sings this almost nursery rhyme of a song flawlessly, and yet there's this strong undercurrent of regret and longing that just lifts the song way higher than it has any right to be. It still bothers me that she never realized how beautiful and talented she was and ended up dying by starving herself to death to live up to some impossible image no one wanted from her. I still hold Karen Carpenter very close to my heart, and I always will.
I use the word "transcendental" a lot in my comments when describing Karen's voice. There's a soothing empathy to the way she sings that really touches people. It just seems to vibrate in beauty.
It does my heart good to see younger people listening to KC and appreciating her unsurpassed talent. I've loved her since I was kid in the 70s and The Carpenters always remind of my childhood, but she really is timelsss. It's like what Herb Alpert said, when first hearing her voice, that as soon as she starts to sing her presence is there - like it envelopes you. Losing her to anorexia was such a shock, because until then no one had really heard of it or knew it existed. At least we still have her gift. Great reaction.
You are so on point when you say unsurpassed talent. That's truth.
I grew up in the early 70s, we kind of
Made fun of the Carpenters then,
After all we were “too hip”. Looking back she was the best of her generation, and certainly no one today can touch that beautiful voice.
She had perfect pitch, she never made a mistake. In the studio the first take was good, she always wanted to do it over again. I am glad young people are finding out who she was. She will always live if people rember. They had a good Christmas album.
Yes, you're right. She was so sensitive that she had perfect rhythm and pitch. People don't often mention how difficult it must have been to FEEL like that all the time. Miss Carpenter was one of the unlucky sensitive ones.
Karen Carpenter knocks it out of the park period! I adore her vocals!
She’s got you! ❤❤. Just imagine what she could’ve achieved granted a long life.
Carpenters... one of my all time favourites. And yes, they have a great Christmas album!
The best produced Christmas album for decades. Still a favorite.
@@playhardnea Yes Tom, the 1984 CD release of Christmas Portrait is probably the most beautifully arranged and produced albums of all time.
Another awesome reaction video. There will never be another voice like Karen's. The music i grew up with. Superstar is my very favorite Carpenters song.
Karen Carpenter is indeed the best female vocalist ever and her voice proves it perioid!
It sounds so much better when vocalists, especially female vocalists just hold the note instead of all that up and down shite.
amen !
You hit the nail on the head ! Great 👍🏼 comment 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Here ! here!
Oh, yes.
She was an amazing singer and a brilliant drummer, too. Check her out.
Everything she ever sang is beautiful!
BEAUTIFUL VOICE.. I LOVE THE CARPENTERS!,...😇
If she sang the phonebook, it would win a Grammy!
amen ❤
@@lss74 Thanks! - Just stating the obvious
Watch her "Morton's Potato Chips" commercial from c1970, thr equivalent of an angel singing the phone book 😊😎
Funny but very, very true. A pure perfect voice.
One of the most purest voices . RIP Karen .
Sister Karen has an amazing and hauntingly beautiful voice and was a great drummer, too (may she rest in peace), and brother Richard is an amazing piano player, arranger and producer. You might also like the Carpenters' hits "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Close to You," "Top of the World" and "Yesterday Once More."
Now that is a voice, clear, ennunicating the whole word, holding a note correctly, beautiful arrangement, real music. Beats along with the heart, no screaming wabbles, it tells a story, draws the listener in. Nothing like this today in any female singer.
The depth, bass, emotion, tone, all perfect. You will never hear a better singer. Not many make you stop and listen like Karen.
Stunning, smooth like velvet!
“Silky Velvety Silk “ 😍
Karen is the voice, and Richard is the music! He's classically trained, and arranged all the notes, and instruments! Amazing! This was one duo, that ruled the world, in their day!
Yes you are correct the Carpenters did some Christmas songs. Her voice is like no other on the planet so that must be where you've heard it. Many have tried to imitate her but always falls short so yes her voice is the one you remember.
Love how music didn't have to blow your mind with some crazy arrangement and breakdowns and shouting to be good, it could be understated and still become a hit or even a classic like this song, it just had to touch your soul a certain way, and Karen's voice does just that, one of my absolute favorite vocalists.
Richard carpenter actually has very amazing arrangements. It is subtle, but I as a pianist am very sensitive to the chords and I can tell you it plays a huge part. Karen carpenter's own ventures without Richard flopped big time
@@albertweedsteinthethuggeni7797 you didn't have to shade Karen to praise her brother lol, i get what you're saying tho, a musician's ear is usually better at appreciating the complexities of Richard's arrangements. Obviously i wasn't downplaying how brilliant he is, the genius of his pop music is that you might think of it as simple, but it's certainly not simplistic.
@@Ciclopea2 both are equally important. They can't survive without each other. I'm sorry if my words were a bit harsh
Greatest female singer ever to live. No one will ever compete with her. I was in my early 20’s when she passed away from an eating disorder. To this day I still know ALL the words to every song she ever sang....Judy D.
I love The Carpenters ♥🎼
Lary Soad Me too. I wanted to be Karen when I was a teenager.
"Merry Christmas Darling" is the song they play alot on the radio and in stores during Christmas season.
That one is in the top 4, if not my #1 all time favorite Christmas song.
I dearly love the songs/albums by Carpenters (Karen & Richard; sister & brother) so much so that I don't give a flying fig how much my sister's husband makes fun of me for it!
Bruddah, you listening to GREAT music from the BEST decade of music! ALL genres!
Karen's voice was perfect. Her brother Richard Carpenter was the one on the piano. We lost her way too early.
a tiny short snippet of the song was in "tommy boy"... and of course their christmas album is a all time classic.. their rendering of classics and their original hit "merry christmas darling"..
Her brother was adamant about their listing be performances sounding just like the recorded versions. Her voice was so beautiful and haunting!!
Listen to the revamped version Richard created with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He continues to be an amazing arranger and brought Karen to the world. He is to be thanked.
This song was a work lead first take SHE nailed it as she always did we really do need karen carpenter more than ever LOVE YOU KAREN 💔💕 give a listen to the carpenters where do I go from here
Every time I hear this song I cry. Miss you Karen !!!!!!!
Cada vez que escuho esta cancion me hace llorar. Te amo Karen !!!!
Yes that voice is Amazing! And the harmonies make me melt. Rest in Heaven KC 🙏🏽💎💎an Angel that left us to soon.
Karen will never be forgotten. A Legend all the way and an angel in heaven.
Sounds like she's singing about a musician she's in love with!!!
Karen and her brother Richard, (he was on keyboards and Karen sometimes played the drums), were so huge back in the day! They were everywhere, all the time! You couldn't turn on the radio without hearing them. They were that good! That's why Karen's sudden death at an early age came as such a shock to their fans! If I remember correctly, I believe she actually passed away due to an eating disorder. So glad that you are discovering them and will be doing more reactions. Good job!
Heart failure due to anorexia nervous/ bulimia She LITERALLY starved herself to death
When most celebrities pass away my reaction is "How sad". When I heard Karen died, it was like somebody punched me in the stomach. I realized that what the world had lost, it would never have again.
Have been listening to Karen since the 1960's and will continue to. Rest-In-Peace Beautiful Lady
Her voice melts my heart i say that every time I hear her voice
Karen, no limit to her vocal (and drums) talent, strength, clarity and range!!! Their music varied but often, rather melancholic... This song was recorded by several w/ different titles. Richard heard Bette Midler perform it...tweaked and Karen recorded in one take... Trumpet and clarinet, certainly could be.. I always thought flugelhorn and maybe oboe... Great, classic song, thank you!!! I hope you do continue listening to the Carpenters!!! 👍👌🤙
Karen & Richard were the best sister and brother group. Most beautiful and great composition. I miss them and soothing music. 🥰🙏🏼
No one can sing like her. Beyond legendary. Probably the greatest female singer of the 20th century. Paul McCartney and Elton John have said the same. Thanks for reacting to Carpenters.
Richard, her brother was behind the piano. He was the arranger, composer. He had a way doing these wonderful arrangements that really accentuated Karen's voice. They did a song in 1975 called "Only Yesterday". Recommend it.
One of my favorite songs
Just 21 years old here, she was the most fluid & flawless vocalists of all time. Listen to her 2nd stanza 2:45-2:57, noting how she sings softly & strongly, adding various colors to her tone. She sang thru complete the line in one breath! Everything we hear was laid down on first take by the incomparable Karen Carpenter.
She was a Superstar. One of the biggest of the 1970s...of all time. You Millennials need to go back in time and see what was. Look how nice she was dressed. This was class. And it was the Official Video...first Official TV Video, anyway.
Superstar was an original song in the Broadway musical 'Hair'. Karen's version is absolutely the best rendition out there. Pure perfection. Another incredible version of it was done by Luther Vandross, another incredible singer taken from us way too early.
She's only only 21 here... Absolutely astounding. Her voice is like warm honey..
Definitely check out some of their other songs they were absolute mega stars in the 60s and 70s..
She passed away in 1983, at the age of only 32. :( :( Complications from anorexia. Which at the time was not really a very well known or understood illness.
This is Music with a capital M! Carpenters made part of my life, during my youth years. Miss her voice ‘till today.
Richard, her brother, is the one that drove everything from behind the scenes. Arrangement of the Instruments & vocals. I believe they were the first to use 8 track recording of vocals used in their harmonises. Being the younger sibling, she just did whatever he said. Basically, stand there and sing this Sis. So cool aye. He was quite protective of her.
Karen's voice was from another world... And her brother Richard an exquisite arranger... Karen had no lucky with her romantic life, her marriage was a failure and a great pain for her, and this song reflects exactly this... Try incredible songs like Goodbye To Love, Solitaire, This Masquerade, We´ve Only Just Begun, Maybe It's You... So many great songs...
There is a Christmas song Karen Carpenter sings is Merry Christmas, Darling. Beautiful song,
I was lucky enough to see them in concert such a long long time ago...sigh. It was released as a single on August 12, 1971, and reached number 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening and number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
beyond jealous❤
only these classic greats can bring a tear to my eyes...So much passion.. RIP Karen Carpenter... ahhh todays music not even close... good job bro
As a aspiring singer who's yet to
make a mark in professional recording you search for any kind of work that inspires you creatively it goes without saying that Karen Carpenter is no doubt one of the best voices ever put on recorded tape period! A voice like that only comes once in a lifetime!
It has the best "hook" of any songs I've ever heard. Arrangements by Richard Carpenter made this song so iconic. Best singer of her era, maybe including now if music fans start listening to their songs. And there are many great songs.
And this is a woman who considered herself "a drummer who also sang" versus being "a singer who also played drums"...amazing natural vocal qualities/styling...and a 3 octave voice! We lost her decades too soon :-( Her brother Richard was also extremely talented - he never really got the recognition he should have...
that voice AND she was an incredible drummer
One of the best, most unique singers of all time. Thanks for doing this.
Karen was a fantastic drummer too. Listen to her drum solo. She’ll blow you away. 🥁
One of the most beautifully perfect voices ever! Like a warm hug from someone you love on a bright sunny day!
No one and i mean no one had a voice like Karen, she killed every song she ever did, one of a kind, Karen was, so sad she died so so young, at 32,
A voice by which all others are measured. 💕
Very well put.
Karen also brilliantly shines in "Top Of The World" from 1973 and "Only Yesterday" from 1975.
Karen had such a clear, ethereal, haunting voice. They called her One-Take Karen, she nailed it first time, every time. She said she was a drummer first, she was expert at it. She way preferred being behind the drums to being in front of the band. Her brother Richard played the keyboard/piano and arranged and produced their music.
I have always just loved the purity and tone of her voice.
Its the warmth in her tone....it just envelops you.
Karens voice is hauntingly beautiful and gorgeous. Richards arrangements were always stellar.
Karen has something that most singers do not have…her gorgeous and rich voice stirs an emotional connection like no other. You can actually cry listening to her. To me her voice is the best I ever heard ever heard.
Luther Vandross also covered this song. ❤❤
Wow , gorgeous, love your reaction Dereck
Her brother, Richard, arranged for them, played piano, and sang background vocals.
Karen was also a very good drummer. Buddy Rich called her his favorite and she won best rock drummer in 1975, among other accolades.
John Lennon once told her that hers was his favorite voice. He saw her having lunch in a cafe in New York and approached her.
Her brother did an excellent job as well arranging their songs. Sincerely. 70s kid
Love that younger generations are hearing what we grew up to and appreciate her. Awesome drummer. Her brother Richard just as talented on the piano. No one comes close. You should review “we’ve only just begun” .
The version with her on drums is good too.
She truely is the best there is, the best there was, best there ever will be
The greatest voice I ve ever heard. We were once about the same age.
Dereck, great reaction!! The lyrics may come across as a "one night stand" on the surface. But what the song convey's is something much more emotional (and less physical). Many young people in the 70's had only the radio to hear new music. What she's singing is, she fell in love with a song and the artist's "sad guitar". It made her feel a strong connection to the "superstar" singing it on the radio. The chorus, "Don't you remember you told me you love me baby?" is her recalling the line from his song. But in reality, she's in her room, lonely and thinking about his song she can't wait to hear again.
Superstar is about a groupie who, “Long ago”, went to a concert, fell in love with a rock star “before the 2nd show”, had a one night stand and now listens to him on the radio, waiting for him to come back. When the Carpenter’s decided to cover the song, Richard toned it down, to make it better fit the Carpenter’s clean image. Originally titled Groupie (Superstar), he dropped “Groupie” and changed lyrics like “I can hardly wait to sleep with you again” to “I can hardly wait to BE with you again.” Here’s a link to the 1969 original for comparison; ua-cam.com/video/86S6upe_GO0/v-deo.html
Nice clarification. That seems very plausible. Thanks.
Karen Carpenter had the voice of an angel. I'm sure if there is a choir in heaven, she's the lead singer.