I appreciate that you appreciate the vocal stacking/ overdubbing of their voices. From a very young age, Richard Carpenter was enamored with the harmonies of Les Paul (the inventor of the electric guitar) & Mary Ford when they sang songs like “How High the Moon”. The harmonic result was different from other overdubbing at the time, because normally overdubbed harmonies were one voice per harmony, whereas Mary Ford's were at least two for the same part, if not more, giving an ethereal quality to the sound. As a three-year-old, Richard asked his mother how Mary Ford could sound like that, and she said ‘practice’, so he remembers going around the house trying to sing in an overdubbed voice. You can hear the Les Paul/Mary Ford influence in songs like ‘Close to You’, where the ending consists of Karen and Richard singing 4-part harmony, but each of those vocal parts was recorded three times, making the final result 12 voices. ua-cam.com/video/NkGf1GHAxhE/v-deo.html
It sounds like they were performing with their backup soundtrack and that's probably why you heard violins. She always sang to the tracks instead of just lip-synching and did it perfectly.
This has always been one of my favorite Carpenters songs because of the tempo and the arrangement. I love how the strings, drums and some percussive touches like the tambourine which strangely I didn’t pick up on in this video but on the recorded version it’s clearly heard, Judy ust a little set back in the mix, not as up front as the strings and drums. I can see how you were reminded of ABBA with the vocal arrangement and stacking Karen’s vocals creating a really crisp and tight result. It’s this video cuts out a little early and the last repeated verse is cut off. I’d like to suggest a couple of Carpenters songs for you to react to. This first one is a cover song they recorded called “Please Mister Postman”. It was a big hit for them reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart in 1975. The original version by The Marvelettes also reached #1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles Chart in 1961. It was the first Motown (Tamla) song to top the pop singles chart. This second reaction suggestion is for a song some Carpenters fans have mixed feelings about. I personally think it’s brilliant. It’s called “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” which has a music video as well ua-cam.com/video/teBV0EoJJY8/v-deo.html
Fabian, you like the multitracked (or "stacked") vocals. So do I. Richard did not quit doing that even after Karen's passing: check out "When Time Was All We Had" from his 1987 solo album "Time"... "Refrain" in this context means the chorus portion of the song; you're talking about restraint, not refrain, so not really the same thing, but you are certainly right that KC's vocals are never, never "too much"...
The video shows several guys singing background vocals but in actual fact, it’s just Karen & Richard. This is the actual recording / album track being lip synched (and instruments-synched!🤣) by the persons in the video.
Yes. And that opens them up to criticism...but in fact that was the standard way TV performances were done in the 70s. Interestingly there is at least one Carpenters video that uses both techniques: the Karen Carpenter/Ella Fitzgerald duet standards medley from Carpenters' 1980 TV special. Karen is "TV live", but Ella, who absolutely did not do that, is actually live. And you cannot tell, at all. Probably that's because these ladies were two of the finest pop singers of that century...
This video probably relates to one of the many Carpenters rereleases; as has been said the performance (a "TV live" one; it's the studio track you hear) dates to the early 70s. This song was an old Ruby and the Romantics single which Richard heard, liked, and rearranged for Karen...There are genuine live recordings of Carpenters, too. They were excellent live...
What is shocking is she was only 22 when this was recorded, 2 years later her voice was insanely good. I eould have to seetgem in concert, but I was born in 72
I just watched a great documentary series today on You tube. It was Karen Carpenter : To Young to Die. There are great comments by Sheila E. , John Bettis, Richard's songwriting partner and One of Karen's best friends, the great Petula Clark. You might want to watch it for your enjoyment and a pretty accurate account of just what happened.
Ah, that's one everybody knew about even though it had never been released...finally appeared around 2001 or so on the "As Time Goes By" retrospective...
Read "Little Girl Blue" if you get the chance. It is an unabashed biography of the Carpenters and the timeline of their singles. As always, if you're listening and love it, you been "Karenized".
Check out Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" "I am...i said" "Play me" "Song sung blue" "Stones" "Holly holy" "Brother loves traveling salvation show" "Cracklin' rosie" "Red Red wine" "Solitary man" "Kentucky woman" "Cherry cherry" "Shiloh" "Forever in blue jeans" "Longfellow serenade" "Hello again" "America" "Love on the rocks" "September morn" "If you know what i mean" "I've been this way before" "You don't bring me flowers" duet with Barbra Streisand (a great artist to discover too)
I'm gonna be honest here and say,I truthfully wasn't listening to anything but Karen's voice, once you mentioned the violin,then I started trying to listen to the instruments,lol.
Great reaction. You asked about 80s hits - Please go back to Abba - you've only scratched the surface,😍 Abbas songs Piper and I am the City are powerful 80s tunes.
Both those are actually late 70s; ABBA broke up in 1982, and only their final album (The Visitors) dates from that decade (1981)...but that does not change the truth that Fabian (or anyone else) can't go wrong listening to ABBA...
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CARPENTERS PLAYLIST: ua-cam.com/play/PLe70UwDfhHBhOHpJ25BJSSrVuVKo7FSXd.html
No auto tune back then, just pure talent 💖
Actually, this was released in 1972...I remember when it came out and I was enthralled with Karen's voice.
It’s the harmony for me.. omg I never get tired of listening to KC and RC 🙏🏽💔💞
The most beautiful voice God has ever or will ever create! :)
I love The Carpenters
I appreciate that you appreciate the vocal stacking/ overdubbing of their voices. From a very young age, Richard Carpenter was enamored with the harmonies of Les Paul (the inventor of the electric guitar) & Mary Ford when they sang songs like “How High the Moon”. The harmonic result was different from other overdubbing at the time, because normally overdubbed harmonies were one voice per harmony, whereas Mary Ford's were at least two for the same part, if not more, giving an ethereal quality to the sound. As a three-year-old, Richard asked his mother how Mary Ford could sound like that, and she said ‘practice’, so he remembers going around the house trying to sing in an overdubbed voice. You can hear the Les Paul/Mary Ford influence in songs like ‘Close to You’, where the ending consists of Karen and Richard singing 4-part harmony, but each of those vocal parts was recorded three times, making the final result 12 voices. ua-cam.com/video/NkGf1GHAxhE/v-deo.html
When you realize how tonally accurate Karen is, you get goosebumps.
I've been getting them since 1970 !
Touch Me When We’re Dancing and merry Christmas darling are other great Carpenter songs if you get a chance. Keep up the good work. Thanks again.
karen does a great version of "don't cry for me argentina" and the carpenters have a great christmas album.
Just listened to that and other stuff from Passages yesterday. Really fantastic
It sounds like they were performing with their backup soundtrack and that's probably why you heard violins. She always sang to the tracks instead of just lip-synching and did it perfectly.
This has always been one of my favorite Carpenters songs because of the tempo and the arrangement. I love how the strings, drums and some percussive touches like the tambourine which strangely I didn’t pick up on in this video but on the recorded version it’s clearly heard, Judy ust a little set back in the mix, not as up front as the strings and drums. I can see how you were reminded of ABBA with the vocal arrangement and stacking Karen’s vocals creating a really crisp and tight result. It’s this video cuts out a little early and the last repeated verse is cut off. I’d like to suggest a couple of Carpenters songs for you to react to. This first one is a cover song they recorded called “Please Mister Postman”. It was a big hit for them reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart in 1975. The original version by The Marvelettes also reached #1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles Chart in 1961. It was the first Motown (Tamla) song to top the pop singles chart. This second reaction suggestion is for a song some Carpenters fans have mixed feelings about. I personally think it’s brilliant. It’s called “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” which has a music video as well ua-cam.com/video/teBV0EoJJY8/v-deo.html
Fabian, you like the multitracked (or "stacked") vocals. So do I. Richard did not quit doing that even after Karen's passing: check out "When Time Was All We Had" from his 1987 solo album "Time"...
"Refrain" in this context means the chorus portion of the song; you're talking about restraint, not refrain, so not really the same thing, but you are certainly right that KC's vocals are never, never "too much"...
Voice stacking...no other reactenrs have mentioned that before. Very observant. Your smart.
The video shows several guys singing background vocals but in actual fact, it’s just Karen & Richard. This is the actual recording / album track being lip synched (and instruments-synched!🤣) by the persons in the video.
Yes. And that opens them up to criticism...but in fact that was the standard way TV performances were done in the 70s. Interestingly there is at least one Carpenters video that uses both techniques: the Karen Carpenter/Ella Fitzgerald duet standards medley from Carpenters' 1980 TV special. Karen is "TV live", but Ella, who absolutely did not do that, is actually live. And you cannot tell, at all. Probably that's because these ladies were two of the finest pop singers of that century...
Very rare to see someone reacting to this. One of my favs.
This video probably relates to one of the many Carpenters rereleases; as has been said the performance (a "TV live" one; it's the studio track you hear) dates to the early 70s. This song was an old Ruby and the Romantics single which Richard heard, liked, and rearranged for Karen...There are genuine live recordings of Carpenters, too. They were excellent live...
What is shocking is she was only 22 when this was recorded, 2 years later her voice was insanely good. I eould have to seetgem in concert, but I was born in 72
You missed a great experience. We saw them live twice in Columbus, Ohio in the early 70s and she was still the drummer at the time.
Goodbye to love a great song
I just watched a great documentary series today on You tube. It was Karen Carpenter : To Young to Die. There are great comments by Sheila E. , John Bettis, Richard's songwriting partner and One of Karen's best friends, the great Petula Clark. You might want to watch it for your enjoyment and a pretty accurate account of just what happened.
Yes, great episode
Smoothest voice ever.
I still have a crush on Karen Carpenter. She's so good looking! ❤
While you're on a Abba/Carpenters binge Can you react to Karen Carpenter covering Abba's classic Thank You for the Music in 1978?
Most everybody in their band played multiple types instruments. You can see them swap to a different instrument on different songs.
Great reaction please react "Carpenters Rainbow Connection"
Ah, that's one everybody knew about even though it had never been released...finally appeared around 2001 or so on the "As Time Goes By" retrospective...
Read "Little Girl Blue" if you get the chance. It is an unabashed biography of the Carpenters and the timeline of their singles.
As always, if you're listening and love it, you been "Karenized".
Karenized, I'm going start using that.
💓💓💓💓💓
There is the tambourine guy again.....
Love the Playlist Brother 👌 ❤
Check out Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" "I am...i said" "Play me" "Song sung blue" "Stones" "Holly holy" "Brother loves traveling salvation show" "Cracklin' rosie" "Red Red wine" "Solitary man" "Kentucky woman" "Cherry cherry" "Shiloh" "Forever in blue jeans" "Longfellow serenade" "Hello again" "America" "Love on the rocks" "September morn" "If you know what i mean" "I've been this way before" "You don't bring me flowers" duet with Barbra Streisand (a great artist to discover too)
I'm gonna be honest here and say,I truthfully wasn't listening to anything but Karen's voice, once you mentioned the violin,then I started trying to listen to the instruments,lol.
CHECK OUT kANSAS- THEY have a great violinist- also keep your eyes on the drummer, their 2002 Atlanta concert was awe some!!!
Don't forget to mention the💲10.
Great reaction. You asked about 80s hits - Please go back to Abba - you've only scratched the surface,😍 Abbas songs Piper and I am the City are powerful 80s tunes.
Both those are actually late 70s; ABBA broke up in 1982, and only their final album (The Visitors) dates from that decade (1981)...but that does not change the truth that Fabian (or anyone else) can't go wrong listening to ABBA...
If you like seeing how violins can add heaps to a song, try Back to Life by Soul II Soul.
I knew you were way off when you said 85 in the beginning. Like nope.. Early 70's.
I think Karen did a great job and so did the band. No disrespect but this could be a version of a Poor Mans Orchestra.
Notice how much thinner she was in this video.
Here is a good video that explains how Carpenter's achieved their sound:
ua-cam.com/video/RS6pIkIImsM/v-deo.html