I am a hard rocker (favorite bands - Zeppelin, Rush, Judas Priest). But I have always been obsessed with the Carpenters. Karen’s voice is beautiful beyond description.
My husband and I danced our first dance at our wedding “ We’ve only just begun “. I get goosebumps listening to her angelic voice still in 1970. I was a baby, being a 1969 baby. But her voice is so beautiful and timeless it doesn’t seem to matter how old the song is. It still touches the soul.
I was a teenager when the carpenters became famous. We were all listening to Zepplin, The Who, Joe Cocker, Janice Joplin, etc., so this music and her looks were considered bubblegum music and really square! I am amazed at how many black rappers who never heard of the carpenters, absolutely love her voice. I have a new found appreciation for Karen and Richard now. Thank you for doing this.
Same here. I grew up on the Beatles. When the Carpenters came out, although I really liked their songs, I wouldn't admit it to anyone. Cuz they weren't, you know, cool. Same thing later with ABBA. I'm glad I'm old now and don't give a rip what anyone else thinks. I love the Carpenters and ABBA.
mine too.... the most beautiful, moving, intimate, rich, pure voice i've ever heard and suspect i will ever hear....the ULTIMATE female crooner who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU...greatest female voice of love and romance songs.. looking for love, finding love and losing love....
Her vocals always had an inner angelic sweetness, no matter what octave she sang in. Never harsh or brassy. Her talent set the bar so high, it's still hasn't been met.
My older sister introduced me to the Carpenter's when I was 8 years old ( 58 years old now ). I fell in love with her voice as a young boy. I listen to them when I want to hear an ANGEL sing..
To Ron yeah an incredible drummer they say she enjoyed drumming more than singing but I don't know about that but what a voice and like u said what a talent missed by millions
To Kevin I havnt heard much patsy Cline only a song called crazy which I love I only know the singers of the past were so much better sung with more heart and soul than singers of today and were more talented Karen's music was pop and slow ballads I think patsy was more country correct me if I'm wrong but I will definatly check her out
@@miamidolphinsfan apples vs oranges.. can't compare the two.. cline is my favorite and i think greatest female singer of "country" songs and karen carpenter is my favorite and i think greatest "pop" singer of love and romance songs... both their voices were OTHERWORLDLY and both were and are THEE epitome of the singer who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU!...
Not only did she have a simply incredible voice, she was a very accomplished drummer which was actually her real passion. there are a couple of videos of Karen showing off her drum prowess. Really interesting! Fyi.
I absolutely love this song! this song has been special on a lot of occasions. when I was having my son in the operating room this song was playing. I said to my doctor that this is going to be a special kid and he definitely is. My son and his wife got married in January of this year and we did the mother son dance to this. there wasnt a dry eye in the house. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Of course I've heard the song a thousand times, if not more. And it always brings a tear to your eye. I miss her so much. I was driving down the interstate when I heard the news on the radio that she had died, and I was absolutely devastated. I don't think I remember the rest of the drive home. Like you, I too was 5 years old when I first heard this.
Thanks for your lovely comments. She's my favorite singer ever. Her voice just crosses right through you. Her brother wrote such wonderful arrangements for her. They were (and are to me) the best of the best.
Texas Country Boy, thank you for sharing the legendary Carpenters on your channel. "Close to You" is an irresistible pop ballad written by the brilliant songwriting team of Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics). It was recorded previously by artists such as Dionne Warwick and Richard Chamberlain. But it was Richard Carpenter's inventive arrangement and Karen's angelic voice that elevated it to a masterpiece.
I always thought if Don Henley from the Eagles could remain lead vocalist behind the drums why couldn't she? she shined brighter singing and drumming, she was so brilliant, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true with her voice.
@@Ciclopea2 Yes, she was able to play the drums and sing, but at the same time the industry kept telling her that a lead singer Cannot play the drums when Don Henley did it... I don't want to use the word that starts with an "S" and ends with a "M" but it was nothing more than that!!!! The same thing applies to pianos and female singers, until the late 80's the female singer, either sang besides the piano or laid down in top of it, preferably with a cut out long dress so you could see one or both of her legs. Of those female singers that know how to play the piano, how many of them were, or would be allowed, from the late 60's to the late 80's to actually play the piano??? Do you really think that in the early 70's Alicia Keys, that actually knows how to play the piano, would be allowed to do it?? C'mon, be real
But ironically she quickly gained a huge stage presence and controlled the stage with confidence. They went on to do tv specials. Richard said he was never a fan of doing the TV specials but Karen loved doing them. Richard was the one who discovered her talent. Karen in an early interview said she didn't think she could do anything. She had all this talent but had no clue what she had, but Richard saw it. Amazing how others can see, what people can't see in themselves.
Cockney Red I agree, anorexia has not well understood at the time. Now it would be different. Her mother was a bitch and was always telling her she was fat, that’s what started her downfall into anorexia unfortunately and it just wasn’t well understood at the time. Now would be a different story.
I REMEMBER HEREING OF KAREN'S DEATH ON THE NEWS IN 1983 I WAS 16 BUT IN 1988 WHEN I FIRST SAW THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY I DISCOVERED THIER MUSIC REALLEY GOT IN TO IT NOW I HAVE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY DID KAREN YOU ARE MISSED R I P 💗
Oh yeah. It was all about her voice. So pure. She was one of the first I learned to copy, the best I could, when I was very young . 6 years old. I fell in love with singing because of her.
Summer of '70, this song WAS # 1 all over the world. --------Richard arranged /produced ----------Karens' flawless vocal : alto/ contralto, note-perfect. Bacharach / David, wrote this song. Richard arranged it. ----------Karen died from over-use of Syrup Of Ipecac, am emetic that in overuse, kills cardiac muscle. THAT'S how she died : she had no L-ventricle left when she collapsed. -----------------THE greatest voice of our time. -----1st time I listened, I was in tears, it was so gorgeous. ----------------------------------WolfSky9, 73 y/o
I was 5 when I 1st heard this as well. I’ve loved her always & in 83 when she died I was a senior & I took it very hard. Only singer that ever touched me like that.
This song sounds BETTER to me NOW than when it FIRST came out PROBABLY because none of the songs now aren't NEAR as good! I was 13 years old when it came out.
So sad she had such a low image of herself. In reality she was a Goddess. Her voice could calm anyone and sooth any pain away. It bothers me that she passed so very young - an enormous tragedy
In 'my' personal opinion, Karens voice was, and is, one of the top 5(if not the top itself) vocals, ever. No auto-tune fakery to be found. Just honest, real, TALENT. And the fact that she NEVER wanted to be the singer, just the drummer, makes the irony so much sadder. and for those that are wondering why i said the irony was sad, it is because being the face of the band (lead singers burden), she felt uncomfortable about how she looked, which drove her to anorexia, (which was not a well understood issue in those days) , leading to her death one month before her 33rd birthday.
At least you admit you have heard it before ,even when little .I am sure most of the others have too really who do these reactions videos ..,it's impossible to not never hear these on any radio station or an ad ,films...etc
TCB..I was age 6..but I remember my cohort of nerd friends in college in the early 80s playing the cassette! To this day, there is no voice I have heard to match Karen's..
Herb Alpert didn't think this song was for him as it was originally given to him so he suggested Karen & Richard try to do something with it, well, there u have it, they reached No. 1 with this song as it reached out to a lot of people & they made this song their own.
I aint never heard nothing like her voice never -Karen didnt even think she could sing -i am like what you talkin about ??? Its perfection Karen -sendin this comment to heaven -
Her self image was created by a dominant mother who preferred Richard and that some jerkweed of a reporter commented that she looked a “bit heavy”. This destroyed her self image and thus led the way to her anorexia. 😢
Karen Carpenter was all the rage in the 70's. Many people didn't know she was an accomplished drummer as well as singer. TV appearanace at 19 years old ua-cam.com/video/vdECtVO-Epo/v-deo.html Her amazing drumming skills: ua-cam.com/video/H47v7yYRfjA/v-deo.html
Written by Burt Bacharach... not Richard... even though Richard wrote or adapted many in their catalogue... I was 9 when this changed the course of pop music, pulling us out of the heavier-sounding, turbulent 60's... Listen to Superstar, better recording & original song
You should do a reaction to "superstar" by the Carpenters, its a great song, I never get sick of listening to it ua-cam.com/video/68rBWuT0iDo/v-deo.html
I am a hard rocker (favorite bands - Zeppelin, Rush, Judas Priest). But I have always been obsessed with the Carpenters. Karen’s voice is beautiful beyond description.
She was 19 years old when she recorded this...
Her voice is like warm honey 😍
Absolutely astounding...
Best female vocalist in my opinion...sweet highs and buttery lows....Lord have mercy!
Makes a man shed a tear knowing her personal story. 🙁
Simply the best female singer I've ever heard
agreed...
Still
No auto-tune needed for Karen, the best alto voice of my lifetime. Loved, and still love her.
The way she held her notes. So perfect.
Karen's voice is like honey.
Honey & chocolate 😭😋😍
@@Coupydog and ketchup :)
And she always thought of herself as a drummer who could sing! What an amazing talent! My heart broke the day she died.
Every time I hear her sing, my heart still aches 😥💔
such a treasure. voice of an angel
My husband and I danced our first dance at our wedding “ We’ve only just begun “. I get goosebumps listening to her angelic voice still in 1970. I was a baby, being a 1969 baby. But her voice is so beautiful and timeless it doesn’t seem to matter how old the song is. It still touches the soul.
Finally getting the props they deserve thank you
I was a teenager when the carpenters became famous. We were all listening to Zepplin, The Who, Joe Cocker, Janice Joplin, etc., so this music and her looks were considered bubblegum music and really square! I am amazed at how many black rappers who never heard of the carpenters, absolutely love her voice. I have a new found appreciation for Karen and Richard now. Thank you for doing this.
Same here. I grew up on the Beatles. When the Carpenters came out, although I really liked their songs, I wouldn't admit it to anyone. Cuz they weren't, you know, cool. Same thing later with ABBA. I'm glad I'm old now and don't give a rip what anyone else thinks. I love the Carpenters and ABBA.
and I never met anybody in the sixties or seventies calling anybody, "square." Ever.
My favorite female singer. I love their Christmas songs!
mine too.... the most beautiful, moving, intimate, rich, pure voice i've ever heard and suspect i will ever hear....the ULTIMATE female crooner who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU...greatest female voice of love and romance songs.. looking for love, finding love and losing love....
My favorite female singer from the beginning of their career & for the rest of my life. No one can touch her 😎😿
Very nice Christmas track for sure and Bless the Beast and the Children
Her vocals always had an inner angelic sweetness, no matter what octave she sang in. Never harsh or brassy. Her talent set the bar so high, it's still hasn't been met.
My older sister introduced me to the Carpenter's when I was 8 years old ( 58 years old now ). I fell in love with her voice as a young boy. I listen to them when I want to hear an ANGEL sing..
I love her voice so much. My parents introduced me to The Carpenter's music and I thank them for the gift. Rip mom dad, this song is for you both. 💖
Thanks for bringing attention to them. They seem overlooked these days. Bless you.
Beat that if u can I don't think so best female vocalist ever
Patsy Cline beats her by a smidgen
To Ron yeah an incredible drummer they say she enjoyed drumming more than singing but I don't know about that but what a voice and like u said what a talent missed by millions
To Kevin I havnt heard much patsy Cline only a song called crazy which I love I only know the singers of the past were so much better sung with more heart and soul than singers of today and were more talented Karen's music was pop and slow ballads I think patsy was more country correct me if I'm wrong but I will definatly check her out
@@miamidolphinsfan apples vs oranges.. can't compare the two.. cline is my favorite and i think greatest female singer of "country" songs and karen carpenter is my favorite and i think greatest "pop" singer of love and romance songs... both their voices were OTHERWORLDLY and both were and are THEE epitome of the singer who sang TO YOU NOT AT YOU!...
I second that, Mr Schmitz
Not only did she have a simply incredible voice, she was a very accomplished drummer which was actually her real passion. there are a couple of videos of Karen showing off her drum prowess. Really interesting! Fyi.
She now gives voice lessons to the angels!
I absolutely love this song! this song has been special on a lot of occasions. when I was having my son in the operating room this song was playing. I said to my doctor that this is going to be a special kid and he definitely is. My son and his wife got married in January of this year and we did the mother son dance to this. there wasnt a dry eye in the house. It was one of the best moments of my life.
I never knew Karen was a drummer! That maybe explains that natural-sounding swing in her voice. Wonderful arrangement, composition by Richard.
she was an amazing amazing drummer, incredible technique, she could have made it big as a flashy drummer without ever opening her mouth.
@@docgonzales And she would have loved just that.
The composer was Burt Bacharach. Richard arranged it.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Of course I've heard the song a thousand times, if not more. And it always brings a tear to your eye. I miss her so much. I was driving down the interstate when I heard the news on the radio that she had died, and I was absolutely devastated. I don't think I remember the rest of the drive home. Like you, I too was 5 years old when I first heard this.
Thanks for your lovely comments. She's my favorite singer ever. Her voice just crosses right through you. Her brother wrote such wonderful arrangements for her. They were (and are to me) the best of the best.
Very nostalgic love it brings tears to my eyes. Such a breath of feest air in this day in age.!!😍😍😍😍👌👌👌👏👏👏👏👏
I remember being at work and their song's being played on the radio,ah happy day's I was 19 years old, music back then was great.
Texas Country Boy, thank you for sharing the legendary Carpenters on your channel. "Close to You" is an irresistible pop ballad written by the brilliant songwriting team of Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics). It was recorded previously by artists such as Dionne Warwick and Richard Chamberlain. But it was Richard Carpenter's inventive arrangement and Karen's angelic voice that elevated it to a masterpiece.
I always thought if Don Henley from the Eagles could remain lead vocalist behind the drums why couldn't she? she shined brighter singing and drumming, she was so brilliant, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true with her voice.
The answer is... it was the 70's, today she would definitly stay behind in the drums...
@@tiagopatricio3805 it was the 70's and she still got to be behind the drums, i don't think that changed because of what decade it was.
@@Ciclopea2 Yes, she was able to play the drums and sing, but at the same time the industry kept telling her that a lead singer Cannot play the drums when Don Henley did it... I don't want to use the word that starts with an "S" and ends with a "M" but it was nothing more than that!!!!
The same thing applies to pianos and female singers, until the late 80's the female singer, either sang besides the piano or laid down in top of it, preferably with a cut out long dress so you could see one or both of her legs.
Of those female singers that know how to play the piano, how many of them were, or would be allowed, from the late 60's to the late 80's to actually play the piano???
Do you really think that in the early 70's Alicia Keys, that actually knows how to play the piano, would be allowed to do it?? C'mon, be real
Just brings a tear to my eyes hearing this.....gorgeous voice😓
But ironically she quickly gained a huge stage presence and controlled the stage with confidence. They went on to do tv specials. Richard said he was never a fan of doing the TV specials but Karen loved doing them. Richard was the one who discovered her talent. Karen in an early interview said she didn't think she could do anything. She had all this talent but had no clue what she had, but Richard saw it. Amazing how others can see, what people can't see in themselves.
Purest voice ever
My first boyfriend, I was 14, first slow dance, this was "our song". Ahh, simpler times. Yeah, it was really sad when she died.
voice of an angel,tragic loss,and so avoidable.
Cockney Red I agree, anorexia has not well understood at the time. Now it would be different. Her mother was a bitch and was always telling her she was fat, that’s what started her downfall into anorexia unfortunately and it just wasn’t well understood at the time. Now would be a different story.
GOAT of female voices! How lucky to have grown up in the 70s!
Love there version of the song "Superstar"
Incredible song I agree
What a voice ....so beautiful
She killed "Jambalaya", she really enjoyed singing that song on the stage while in concert.
I REMEMBER HEREING OF KAREN'S DEATH ON THE NEWS IN 1983 I WAS 16 BUT IN 1988 WHEN I FIRST SAW THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY I DISCOVERED THIER MUSIC REALLEY GOT IN TO IT NOW I HAVE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY DID KAREN YOU ARE MISSED R I P 💗
I grew up on this, my mom would play their records all the time when I was a kid. Love this song. Very sad she passed the way she did.
Oh yeah. It was all about her voice. So pure. She was one of the first I learned to copy, the best I could, when I was very young . 6 years old. I fell in love with singing because of her.
Summer of '70, this song WAS # 1 all over the world. --------Richard arranged /produced ----------Karens' flawless vocal : alto/ contralto, note-perfect. Bacharach / David, wrote this song. Richard arranged it. ----------Karen died from over-use of Syrup Of Ipecac, am emetic that in overuse, kills cardiac muscle. THAT'S how she died : she had no L-ventricle left when she collapsed. -----------------THE greatest voice of our time. -----1st time I listened, I was in tears, it was so gorgeous. ----------------------------------WolfSky9, 73 y/o
Effortless beautiful singing.
Thank you, Texas Country Boy, for appreciating Carpenters music.
I was 5 when I 1st heard this as well. I’ve loved her always & in 83 when she died I was a senior & I took it very hard. Only singer that ever touched me like that.
Best ever. Amazing.
Love and miss you KC
She was an Angel loaned to us by GOD. Beautiful voice, Beautiful Lady.
We are around the same age! I LOVE the Carpenters! Thanks for sharing.
KC the best 👍🏻
RIParadise Queen 👑🙏🏽😥Thank you for this.
Her brother doesn't get his credit they all sound great but she carries those songs for sure have 4 of their songs on my playlist
a lot of people can sing, but no other singer, in my opinion, had the specialness that karen had.
This song sounds BETTER to me NOW than when it FIRST came out PROBABLY because none of the songs now aren't NEAR as good! I was 13 years old when it came out.
She was a serious drummer! They won the Monterey Jazz Contest in 1969...
Nice reaction the Carpenters we're great group play Brook Benton Rainy Night in Georgia that's a beautiful song
So sad she had such a low image of herself. In reality she was a Goddess. Her voice could calm anyone and sooth any pain away. It bothers me that she passed so very young - an enormous tragedy
Burt Bacharach wrote this and many others...he was the go to guy for many a wonderful everlasting tunes.
u can get lost in time wit this here
I was eight and in third grade. Superstar I remember
As you can see she is drumming while she is singing with her incredible voice. Karen considered herself a drummer that could sing.
The first time I heard her voice...this song...I stopped and asked who the hell is that! I was captivated. Trumpet Player at the time...
Pure!
Love Karen Carpenter and Burt Bacharach's music!
Love the Carpenters
How did we get rap later on after this? One of the mysteries of the universe.
what a voice that was-Karen Carpenter
I loved The Carpenters. Had a couple of their albums growing up. So sad what happen to her. Not much was known about anorexia back then.
a better video to watch is "We've Only Just Begun 1970" karen singing and playing drums. guaranteed twice the likes and twice the views
In 'my' personal opinion, Karens voice was, and is, one of the top 5(if not the top itself) vocals, ever.
No auto-tune fakery to be found. Just honest, real, TALENT.
And the fact that she NEVER wanted to be the singer, just the drummer, makes the irony so much sadder.
and for those that are wondering why i said the irony was sad,
it is because being the face of the band (lead singers burden), she felt uncomfortable about how she looked, which drove her to anorexia, (which was not a well understood issue in those days) , leading to her death one month before her 33rd birthday.
At least you admit you have heard it before ,even when little .I am sure most of the others have too really who do these reactions videos ..,it's impossible to not never hear these on any radio station or an ad ,films...etc
TCB..I was age 6..but I remember my cohort of nerd friends in college in the early 80s playing the cassette! To this day, there is no voice I have heard to match Karen's..
Herb Alpert didn't think this song was for him as it was originally given to him so he suggested Karen & Richard try to do something with it, well, there u have it, they reached No. 1 with this song as it reached out to a lot of people & they made this song their own.
I love the carpenter's and the fifth dimension song one less bell to answer.
Richard ARRANGED the songs, he did not WRITE them.
October 18, 1970. Ed Sullivan show. The debut. Worth a look. :-)
Karen Carpenter was here to say there's about a billion shades to everything.
I aint never heard nothing like her voice never -Karen didnt even think she could sing -i am like what you talkin about ??? Its perfection Karen -sendin this comment to heaven -
Fresh air.
Superstar is her best! - Perfection!
Nice choice.
Crescent Noon would you react to KZ Tandingan Close to you Version? You
will be surprise and you love it.
Tell them I lived in the time of Karen Carpenter
Her self image was created by a dominant mother who preferred Richard and that some jerkweed of a reporter commented that she looked a “bit heavy”. This destroyed her self image and thus led the way to her anorexia. 😢
Karen Carpenter was all the rage in the 70's. Many people didn't know she was an accomplished drummer as well as singer.
TV appearanace at 19 years old ua-cam.com/video/vdECtVO-Epo/v-deo.html
Her amazing drumming skills: ua-cam.com/video/H47v7yYRfjA/v-deo.html
The song from the "Angry birds" movie.
I love Karen's voice!
Paul Weller does a great cover of this classic on his Studio 150 album!
Superstar is a must
She taught she was fat but she really was just thick she had a nice figure.
Subscribed!
Ageless
Plwase react to carpenters rainy days and Mondays
THAT'S RIGHT YES I HAVE HEARD I LOVE HER MUSCI
YEAH ALSO LIKE MR POSTMAN & TOP OF THE WORLD)
Dear Texas country boy could u please do reaction to a song called for all we know by the carpenters thank u
Yes, "For all we know" I believe is under-rated.
Written by Burt Bacharach... not Richard... even though Richard wrote or adapted many in their catalogue... I was 9 when this changed the course of pop music, pulling us out of the heavier-sounding, turbulent 60's... Listen to Superstar, better recording & original song
You should do a reaction to "superstar" by the Carpenters, its a great song, I never get sick of listening to it ua-cam.com/video/68rBWuT0iDo/v-deo.html