She was an exceptional singer along with Richard who was an amazing arranger and producer though most of their songs were written by others. But Karen felt them in her soul. RIP Karen.
Karen was amazing. Clear, perfect pitch (w/o auto tune.) Beautiful, rich tone. 3-octave range. Incredible breath control. Impeccable diction. Seamless transition between her upper & lower registers. And she makes you FEEL every word!! (And Richard knew how to make the arrangements - instrumentation, timing, etc. - that fit them perfectly. Add their tight harmonies and… pure PERFECTION!)
Her brother said , no doubt that she was tremendous singer . Although she was happiest when she played the drums . Her brother put on a concert a few yrs back with him playing 🎹 and his sister in the background on a giant screen singing as he played 🎹.
Written by Bonnie Bramlett and the late great singer/songwriter Leon Russell. Sung hauntingly beautiful by the late great Karen Carpenter. First sung by her back in (1971) 😎👍👍👍.
Love the Carpenters, Karen had a beautiful voice, I didn’t appreciate them in the 70’s when I was a teenager but I definitely appreciate their music now, it’s like she has a tear in her voice
Karen's voice is like no other...love this song!!!! If you want to see her happy watch her drumming videos... you'll be impressed by her musicianship and you'll see another side of her
HAUGHTINGLYYYYYY BEAUTIFULLLLL LADIES! 😊 SHE'S BEEN GONE FROM US 40 YEARS NEXT YEAR 🙃 BUT THE GREAT MUSIC AND SONGS ARE TIMELESSSSS AND WILL STAY THAT WAY THANK GODDDDD! 😊
She had a once-in-a-lifetime voice. There will never be another Karen Carpenter. She was so beautiful. I think every kid in the 70s & early 80s fell in love with her. "Top Of The World" is a much happier song. They have quite a few happy songs.
"Superstar" was recorded by Karen on her first take, singing the lyrics that had been scribbled by Richard onto a napkin. It took a while for Karen to warm up to the song. "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning," she recalled in a 1981 interview. "It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too."
Karen gripped the heart of this 12 year old boy back in 1974, from that point there has been no one to compare with her. I alway say to anyone thinking of a singing career…she is the one to listen to.
When Karen sings you don’t have to struggle to understand the words. This makes it easier to identify with the song. It is not only a lovely tune and beautiful voice but it is also a story.
Karen Carpenter was an Angel 😇 sent from Heaven and left us way too soon! One of the most beautiful voices ever heard! The compositions are the direct result of her brother Richard Carpenter who really played to Karen’s strengths as a singer! I LOVE ❤️ the music of The Carpenters! RIP Karen!
I think one of the best qualities about Karen is that she had the ability to come across as singing only to YOU, and nobody else. A great story teller with he voice. Also she literally walked into the studio from the parking lot, stepped up to the microphone and recorded this song in ONE take.
Raw, powerful, angelic and majestic, ethereal...nobody...NOBODY can touch her, NOBODY...what a sad and tragic story, she never falters even when she changes registers, just absolutely amazing, she is also a drummer and a good one at that and that's also on tape.
As another thought, even when the lyrics were able to be sung by every human being on the planet, there was no person in the world who could deliver them like she could. The diction was completely different from what you could hope for from any other singer. Challenge yourself to find any other singer, past or present, who could change your perception of a song simply by her enunciation!!! She was in a class by herself!!! RIP Karen!!!......
Experts or not, you ladies did a great job! Leon Russell wrote this song and Karen just put so much feeling and emotion into it! 50 years later and I still have to fight back the tears. ( usually unsuccessfully). Such a beautiful woman with such a beautiful and ANGELIC voice. Pitch perfect and like you said, effortless. Number of times where she doesn't even take a breath where any other singer would. Was fortunate to grow up with this talented duo. " Close to You " was a must play at every high school dance and many couples tied the knot with " We've Only Just Begun " playing. RIP KAREN. Wish you had known how much we loved you, how beautiful you were, and that you were the BEST!
She has wonderful intonation and breath control, but with her beautiful voice, it's the timbre that grabs me. The characteristics that you can't exactly quantify make her gift such a emotional listening experience. This song was written about groupies, so not exactly about a relationship lost, but I guess it was "unrequited." There is a line in the original version that goes " and I can hardly wait to sleep with you again." Richard changed that to be a little more family friendly, and for Karen it was "and I can hardly wait to be with you again." We loved the song in 1971, and without being real sensitive to the lyrics, would belt out the "baby baby baby baby oh baby." Adults all over were cringing. This is a cover, and in the early 1980's Luther Vandross also did a wonderful r&b version. Love it. Thank you.
I feel her voice reflected her life, and that's why she sounded so sad. She was a phenomenal woman. FANTASTIC SINGER, I think the best female vocalist I've ever heard. Also, a very accomplished drummer. Her nickname was "ONE TAKE KAREN" because she would sing a song 1 time and nail it so well that the music producers didn't want to screw it up by doing a second take. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HER TALENT? Just such a tragic life though. Even though she married, I feel she never found the LOVE she was really looking for! I pray that she can see from heaven just how many people on earth really loved her! I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT SHE IS LEADING GOD'S CHOIR NOW! Thanks a lot for making me cry thinking of her again! NOT YOUR FAULT THOUGH. Loved your reaction to this song. One of my favorites from Karen.
I first heard this song in late 1971. I was 11 coming up in 12 years old, and this song really moved me even at that age. That was, of course, her brother Richard on the keyboard. He is the genius master arranger of all of their music. Thank you for reacting to this song.
Great! Please continue on the Carpenters songs. This song means much to many people, including self.👌Would you two react to "Say Good-bye To Love" by them. It is another sad song by them; and the irony of the song is that it kind of reflected her life. She really thought that she was too fat; and she had low esteem, but to me and to most of us... she was BEAUTIFUL!
Studio musician, songwriter and performer Leon Russell wrote this.Always thought this was her best-the breath control, vibrato, and phrasing is stupendous! Today, she has become the one who left us with this song..wish you were comin back again oh baby...that's the sad part of me.
To give credit where due, Leon co-wrote "Superstar." Writing credit on the original was just to Bonnie Bramlett & Leon Russell (released as a single, Dec. 1969 by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends). Delaney Bramlett later also gained writing credit & Rita Coolidge has since said she should have been credited too.
I was part of a Special Choir Group in Middle School in the early 80s where we practiced for month's because we had been picked to sing with The Carpenters at the then Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles. I was so excited along with all of my friends that were singing too.. The songs that we were to sing with Karen were We've Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, Top of the World and a little known song of theirs called Saturdays. Unfortunately, Karen became ill the day of the performance and that show at the Pavillion was cancelled! We were all so heartbroken.. I don't know if it had anything to do with the illness that caused her to pass, but she has always been one of my favorite singers and I really would have liked to meet her, which we most likely would have been able to do.. Nice reaction!! I really like your guys relationship with each other!!
Thank you very much for playing this. I do appreciate your reactions.Oh, could you react to "Place to Hideaway" - She really seems to float as she sings that song. I am very happy with you two with the Carpenters!
This song was actually about a groupie who got to be with a performer and waits for him to come back(some of the lyrics had to be changed) . You GOT to do more Carpenters and watch Karen drumming. Maybe some upbeat ones like Top Of The World or Please Mr Postman.
This song was originally called The Groupie and originally recorded by Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney And Bonnie. Karen just blew Bonnie's version away. And Karen's brother Richard is an amazing arranger and songwriter.
Oh please do "WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN" -- much happier, and also soooooo beautiful -- probably 50% of weddings used this song as the first dance of bride and groom in the 1970's and 1980's. Exquisite. ❤
She was the best voice of my generation. Nobody has ever come close imo. She was in her early twenties here, so where she drew the darkness from we’ll never know. She went somewhere dark for this song, you can see it in her body language
Love this song. I grew up with The Carpenters music in the 70's. "Superstar" ranks as one of my top 5 favorite Carpenters songs. This song really shows off Karen's great range with her vocals.
Even us old Hippies and Metal Heads have to respect the awesome talent that was Karen Carpenter, so ably assisted by her brother, musician, producer and arranger Richard Carpenter. Not normally on my everyday playlist but every so often have to hear that amazing voice again. Thanks for this, the best video of that song. Try a modern voice from this century, the great Lzzy Hale, her band Halestorm is amazing but she also plays with many other singers, try her with Eric Church with That's Damn Rock n Roll at a country music award show in 2014, they set off sparks and she let's loose, freaking out the huge crowd. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
Both Petula Clark and Olivia Newton John were friends of Karen, and both said, "Karen has something in her voice, that I don't have, and never had. She can project her feelings and emotions in her singing, that no one else can do. She makes you feel it." Just remembered, Dionne Warwick said the same thing, and she knew Karen also. She was very gracious in the things she said about Karen.
I researched for our Carpenters episode: in our research, it seems that nobody had a bad word to say about Karen. Not the case with her dirtbag husband.
"A Song For You" written by Leon Russell, really showcases Karen's voice. She takes a song that sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard when Leon sings it (No disrespect to Mr. Russell intended) and turns it into a masterpiece.
And she was only 21 years old here, if I'm not mistaken. Just think of ALL the beautiful music we would have, had she lived beyond 32. Just a beautiful voice! 😔💔❤️
They called her "One Take Carpenter" in the studio. She would nail it the first time. Every time. Unbelievable. I never knew what Anorexia or Bolemia even was until Karen's death. Absolutely tragic and heartbreaking.
You'll notice the sound of numerous instruments not in the video. This is the musical genius of Richard. He conducted and added the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to this. He also stacked his and Karen's voice for the harmonies. The result is a musical masterpiece. Other great Carpenter songs written by Leon Russell are "Song For You" and "This Masquerade". Two of my favorites. Good examples of Richards talents and Karen's wonderful three level octave range and deep contralto voice with vibrato. Rest In Peace little drummer girl.
There was little sadness in Karen's life when she sung this song in 1971. The Carpenters were having hit after hit after hit and were doing incredibly well. So why the sadness in this song, the soulful sadness of her voice, the emotion displayed here? Because Karen chose to. Over fifty years later, she can still make grown men tear up, because she takes complete control of your emotions the moment she begins to sing. That's what is so special. You feel sad because... she willed you to... you're just caught up in the emotional roller coaster she takes you on. Richard masterfully created the aura that swirls about Karen as she sings this song straight into your soul. That's why I consider this song one of the best ballads ever.
This song ws written by a rock band groupie. She was upset that the Carpenters changed a phrase in order to make it marketable in that day. She wrote,"I can't wait to sleep with you again." It was changed to, "I can't wait to be with you again."
Check out Fil from the Wings of Pegasus channel he has done electronic voice analysis of famous singers and was shocked that Karen hit every single note perfectly . He said that no one else ever has such a vocal signature.
It's sad to think of all the songs we never got to hear Karen sing since her death 40 years ago. She always brings tears to my eyes every single time i hear her sing.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS ANALYZING THIS SONG, NO I'M A MAN AND I'M NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT I CRY AT TIMES WITH THIS SONG, THAT'S HOW MUCH IT TOUCHES MY SOUL! I BELIEVE SHE'S ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE SINGERS EVER THANK YOU❤
The song was written by Leon Russell. It's about a groupie longing for her absent superstar. Rita Coolidge originally recorded the tune, but her version had the words "and I can hardly wait to sleep with you again."
Besides her perfect pitch and emotional delivery, it was the bass in her voice that very few women have. She can slide in and out of a deep bass sound that made all the top female singers of her time jealous, and also made them instant fans. Paul Williams wrote 3-4 of Karen's biggest hits, also Leon Russell wrote, A Song for You. Check out him live singing his own song, then watch Karen do it for an amazing contrast.
I get tears in my eyes every time I hear Karen sing. She was so incredibly talented. Her life story is very sad. Her mother didn't give her the love that she needed, and she battled anerexia nervosa. There are so many great Carpenters songs. Check out Little Altar Boy. Karen's voice is ethereal. One commenter said that he wasn't even religious, but he was greatly moved by her singing.
There is a beautiful melancholy in her voice and phrasing, even in the happier sounding songs. I repeat it over and over, if she and Art Garfunkel had had a child together, the child would likely have had the world's most perfect pop/soft rock/folk singing voice. Also, here's a thought about the lyrics, to make them perhaps even more poignant and sad. How about: She's never actually met the superstar, but when she reminds him in this song that he "told" her he loved her, it was just him singing and playing his song(s), on the radio, and when he came through town on tour, songs that were so good she couldn't help feeling they were sung to her, and she went to see him play once, but didn't have the courage to cause a meeting between them, and so she's singing to the memories she wishes that they had together. Sorry, I'm a poet, I can't help hearing it this way.
A LOT of people think that she was talking about a failed relationship or maybe an old lover who left her, promising that he come back, but I never really saw it that way, even with those specific lyrics. I always saw this as a lonely person, who listens to old love songs on the radio, TV on stage ... melting to the sound of the music and falling in love with the singer. However, I think it's only make believe, and in the part where she sings, "Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby You said you'd be coming back this way again baby" I think she (the woman in the song) was just reacting to the words in the song, not that she ever knew or even met the singer in real life, or that he actually ever said (sang) those things to her. I think she was only daydreaming of being in a relationship with the person she imagined the singer to be ... sort of a "what if?" scenario only, it was never meant to be taken seriously. I can think back to times in my life, hearing songs myself and thinking that way. Linda Ronstadt always did that for me 👍😉😊😁👍. Anyway, there are plenty of videos with her being very cheery. It's just that people don't suggest as many of those. You should look for some of the ones showing off her drumming, as she was a fantastic drummer.
One of the greatest female voices of all time. She's stunning!
The purity in her voice is amazing
This vocal performance is the very first take, reading the lyrics from a piece of paper.
The Carpenters = Outstanding Harmonies!!!
A voice as smooth as silk. What I loved about that era is that singers and songwriters wore their feelings on their sleeve.
Karen's voice is like no other she gets every emotion
She was an exceptional singer along with Richard who was an amazing arranger and producer though most of their songs were written by others. But Karen felt them in her soul. RIP Karen.
Yes. Richard built the house and Karen lit it up.
Richard deserves a lot of credit also.
Karen's voice is unique and beautiful.
Karen was amazing.
Clear, perfect pitch (w/o auto tune.)
Beautiful, rich tone.
3-octave range.
Incredible breath control.
Impeccable diction.
Seamless transition between her upper & lower registers.
And she makes you FEEL every word!!
(And Richard knew how to make the arrangements - instrumentation, timing, etc. - that fit them perfectly. Add their tight harmonies and… pure PERFECTION!)
The beautiful voice of Karen Carpenter!
The magic of Karen Carpenter…there will never be another ❤
This beautiful woman's voice saved my life as a kid
Her brother said , no doubt that she was tremendous singer . Although she was happiest when she played the drums . Her brother put on a concert a few yrs back with him playing 🎹 and his sister in the background on a giant screen singing as he played 🎹.
Her voice was an instrument and she knew how to play it so well!!
OMG what a voice!
Written by Bonnie Bramlett and the late great singer/songwriter Leon Russell. Sung hauntingly beautiful by the late great Karen Carpenter. First sung by her back in (1971) 😎👍👍👍.
One of the most hauntingly melodic contralto voices ever.
Love the Carpenters, Karen had a beautiful voice, I didn’t appreciate them in the 70’s when I was a teenager but I definitely appreciate their music now, it’s like she has a tear in her voice
Karen's voice is like no other...love this song!!!! If you want to see her happy watch her drumming videos... you'll be impressed by her musicianship and you'll see another side of her
HAUGHTINGLYYYYYY BEAUTIFULLLLL LADIES! 😊 SHE'S BEEN GONE FROM US 40 YEARS NEXT YEAR 🙃 BUT THE GREAT MUSIC AND SONGS ARE TIMELESSSSS AND WILL STAY THAT WAY THANK GODDDDD! 😊
Perfect vibrato.
She had a once-in-a-lifetime voice. There will never be another Karen Carpenter.
She was so beautiful. I think every kid in the 70s & early 80s fell in love with her.
"Top Of The World" is a much happier song. They have quite a few happy songs.
Her voice, perfection nothing more to say as nothing needs to be said
"Superstar" was recorded by Karen on her first take, singing the lyrics that had been scribbled by Richard onto a napkin. It took a while for Karen to warm up to the song. "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning," she recalled in a 1981 interview. "It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too."
Karen Carpenter WAS an angel who came to leave a few (vocal) gifts! Ther will never be another. Celine Dion- this is what GREATNESS is about!
After being complimented on her lower register Karen said "the money is in the basement". What a beauty!
Karen gripped the heart of this 12 year old boy back in 1974, from that point there has been no one to compare with her. I alway say to anyone thinking of a singing career…she is the one to listen to.
When Karen sings you don’t have to struggle to understand the words. This makes it easier to identify with the song. It is not only a lovely tune and beautiful voice but it is also a story.
Karen Carpenter was an Angel 😇 sent from Heaven and left us way too soon! One of the most beautiful voices ever heard! The compositions are the direct result of her brother Richard Carpenter who really played to Karen’s strengths as a singer! I LOVE ❤️ the music of The Carpenters! RIP Karen!
I think one of the best qualities about Karen is that she had the ability to come across as singing only to YOU, and nobody else. A great story teller with he voice. Also she literally walked into the studio from the parking lot, stepped up to the microphone and recorded this song in ONE take.
Raw, powerful, angelic and majestic, ethereal...nobody...NOBODY can touch her, NOBODY...what a sad and tragic story, she never falters even when she changes registers, just absolutely amazing, she is also a drummer and a good one at that and that's also on tape.
My fave Carpenters song! ♥ I suggest The Carpenters - This Masquerade
Most reactors tend to miss it for some reason
As another thought, even when the lyrics were able to be sung by every human being on the planet, there was no person in the world who could deliver them like she could. The diction was completely different from what you could hope for from any other singer. Challenge yourself to find any other singer, past or present, who could change your perception of a song simply by her enunciation!!! She was in a class by herself!!! RIP Karen!!!......
Experts or not, you ladies did a great job! Leon Russell wrote this song and Karen just put so much feeling and emotion into it! 50 years later and I still have to fight back the tears. ( usually unsuccessfully). Such a beautiful woman with such a beautiful and ANGELIC voice. Pitch perfect and like you said, effortless. Number of times where she doesn't even take a breath where any other singer would. Was fortunate to grow up with this talented duo. " Close to You " was a must play at every high school dance and many couples tied the knot with " We've Only Just Begun " playing. RIP KAREN. Wish you had known how much we loved you, how beautiful you were, and that you were the BEST!
She has wonderful intonation and breath control, but with her beautiful voice, it's the timbre that grabs me. The characteristics that you can't exactly quantify make her gift such a emotional listening experience. This song was written about groupies, so not exactly about a relationship lost, but I guess it was "unrequited." There is a line in the original version that goes " and I can hardly wait to sleep with you again." Richard changed that to be a little more family friendly, and for Karen it was "and I can hardly wait to be with you again." We loved the song in 1971, and without being real sensitive to the lyrics, would belt out the "baby baby baby baby oh baby." Adults all over were cringing. This is a cover, and in the early 1980's Luther Vandross also did a wonderful r&b version. Love it. Thank you.
I feel her voice reflected her life, and that's why she sounded so sad. She was a phenomenal woman. FANTASTIC SINGER, I think the best female vocalist I've ever heard. Also, a very accomplished drummer. Her nickname was "ONE TAKE KAREN" because she would sing a song 1 time and nail it so well that the music producers didn't want to screw it up by doing a second take. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HER TALENT? Just such a tragic life though. Even though she married, I feel she never found the LOVE she was really looking for! I pray that she can see from heaven just how many people on earth really loved her! I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT SHE IS LEADING GOD'S CHOIR NOW! Thanks a lot for making me cry thinking of her again! NOT YOUR FAULT THOUGH. Loved your reaction to this song. One of my favorites from Karen.
She has the voice I imagined as a child when people spoke of Angels singing -- and I guess I still feel that way.
I love her lower register because it sounds so incredibly tragic and haunting. What a beautiful voice.
I grew up in the 70s, and listened to the Carpenters for hours on end. Karen was quite simply the greatest female vocalist that I've ever heard!
Karen"s voice is surely from the heavens.
She is so beautiful also . It all just fits.
Cheers from down under 🤘😎🤘
Karen pulls all your emotions out into almost every song she sang!😢❤Her beauty was so much more on the inside than what she showed.
She played the drums in the studio on most of their songs.. In the video for rainy days and Mondays she is playing. Great reaction. Thank you. 😊
The best female voice in history
We truly love and miss you, Karen
Her voice is so unique... Like an angel
I first heard this song in late 1971. I was 11 coming up in 12 years old, and this song really moved me even at that age. That was, of course, her brother Richard on the keyboard. He is the genius master arranger of all of their music. Thank you for reacting to this song.
Hi Eric, you have a great memory. I agree completely, Richard is a musical genius. 😃
@@generationgapreacts Thank you. That’s easy to remember.😊
@@Eric_L_Laney LOL 😆
Her whole life story is quite tragic,but she was an extremely well respected drummer and that was where she happiest,sitting behind a drum kit.
Great! Please continue on the Carpenters songs. This song means much to many people, including self.👌Would you two react to "Say Good-bye To Love" by them. It is another sad song by them; and the irony of the song is that it kind of reflected her life. She really thought that she was too fat; and she had low esteem, but to me and to most of us... she was BEAUTIFUL!
Studio musician, songwriter and performer Leon Russell wrote this.Always thought this was her best-the breath control, vibrato, and phrasing is stupendous! Today, she has become the one who left us with this song..wish you were comin back again oh baby...that's the sad part of me.
To give credit where due, Leon co-wrote "Superstar." Writing credit on the original was just to Bonnie Bramlett & Leon Russell (released as a single, Dec. 1969 by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends). Delaney Bramlett later also gained writing credit & Rita Coolidge has since said she should have been credited too.
One reviewer said she had a tear in her voice
I was part of a Special Choir Group in Middle School in the early 80s where we practiced for month's because we had been picked to sing with The Carpenters at the then Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles. I was so excited along with all of my friends that were singing too.. The songs that we were to sing with Karen were We've Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, Top of the World and a little known song of theirs called Saturdays. Unfortunately, Karen became ill the day of the performance and that show at the Pavillion was cancelled! We were all so heartbroken.. I don't know if it had anything to do with the illness that caused her to pass, but she has always been one of my favorite singers and I really would have liked to meet her, which we most likely would have been able to do.. Nice reaction!! I really like your guys relationship with each other!!
The high school choral group I was with, “The Strawberry Singers”, sang the same song except for Top of the World. Ours was the fall of 1971.
Her voice touches your soul.
The mom has great insight and comments.
She Was A God Given Talent ! An Exceptional Singer ! RIP Karen Carpenter!
Beautiful sad song. Karen's voice is so amazing and haunting. She and Richard made so many great songs.
Thank you very much for playing this. I do appreciate your reactions.Oh, could you react to "Place to Hideaway" - She really seems to float as she sings that song. I am very happy with you two with the Carpenters!
There are few things in life more soothing than Karen's voice.
Better than an Ativan...
This may be my favorite Carpenter's song. So. So smooth..
One of the most beautiful voices ever
This song was actually about a groupie who got to be with a performer and waits for him to come back(some of the lyrics had to be changed) . You GOT to do more Carpenters and watch Karen drumming. Maybe some upbeat ones like Top Of The World or Please Mr Postman.
I love your reactions ❤️ Love Carpenters 😊
I have been kind of a headbanger my wole life but when it comes to Karen, I always make exception. I LOVE her!
A music reviewer from Rolling Stone once said, "Karen Carpenter's voice is the sound of a lover whispering in your ear."
Her voice was like a warm hug, that broke your heart.
Always enjoy the Carpenters.
The only voice I ever heard that could sing angels asleep.
This song was originally called The Groupie and originally recorded by Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney And Bonnie. Karen just blew Bonnie's version away. And Karen's brother Richard is an amazing arranger and songwriter.
Oh please do "WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN" -- much happier, and also soooooo beautiful -- probably 50% of weddings used this song as the first dance of bride and groom in the 1970's and 1980's. Exquisite. ❤
She was the best voice of my generation. Nobody has ever come close imo. She was in her early twenties here, so where she drew the darkness from we’ll never know. She went somewhere dark for this song, you can see it in her body language
She does have a beautiful clear voice, but my favorite singer of this era is Linda Ronstadt
I enjoyed instrumentally in this song the beginning Oboe solo,, with French Horns later and in the chorus the trumpet and trombone, both featured .
Love this song. I grew up with The Carpenters music in the 70's. "Superstar" ranks as one of my top 5 favorite Carpenters songs. This song really shows off Karen's great range with her vocals.
Even us old Hippies and Metal Heads have to respect the awesome talent that was Karen Carpenter, so ably assisted by her brother, musician, producer and arranger Richard Carpenter. Not normally on my everyday playlist but every so often have to hear that amazing voice again. Thanks for this, the best video of that song.
Try a modern voice from this century, the great Lzzy Hale, her band Halestorm is amazing but she also plays with many other singers, try her with Eric Church with That's Damn Rock n Roll at a country music award show in 2014, they set off sparks and she let's loose, freaking out the huge crowd. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
The purest voice ever. So smooth and precise pitch. And a great drummer !!!!
Both Petula Clark and Olivia Newton John were friends of Karen, and both said, "Karen has something in her voice, that I don't have, and never had. She can project her feelings and emotions in her singing, that no one else can do. She makes you feel it."
Just remembered, Dionne Warwick said the same thing, and she knew Karen also. She was very gracious in the things she said about Karen.
I researched for our Carpenters episode: in our research, it seems that nobody had a bad word to say about Karen. Not the case with her dirtbag husband.
@@classicrockbeagle Yes, he was a scammer, and just wanted her money. He was less than dirt. Karen deserved better.
"A Song For You" written by Leon Russell, really showcases Karen's voice. She takes a song that sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard when Leon sings it (No disrespect to Mr. Russell intended) and turns it into a masterpiece.
I agree what a amazing person Karen carpenter was and she kindly shared her talents with us mere mortals.
And she was only 21 years old here, if I'm not mistaken. Just think of ALL the beautiful music we would have, had she lived beyond 32. Just a beautiful voice! 😔💔❤️
They called her "One Take Carpenter" in the studio. She would nail it the first time. Every time. Unbelievable. I never knew what Anorexia or Bolemia even was until Karen's death. Absolutely tragic and heartbreaking.
Written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell...Master of Space and Time 🎹🎼🎩❤❤❤
You'll notice the sound of numerous instruments not in the video. This is the musical genius of Richard. He conducted and added the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to this. He also stacked his and Karen's voice for the harmonies. The result is a musical masterpiece. Other great Carpenter songs written by Leon Russell are "Song For You" and "This Masquerade". Two of my favorites. Good examples of Richards talents and Karen's wonderful three level octave range and deep contralto voice with vibrato. Rest In Peace little drummer girl.
There was little sadness in Karen's life when she sung this song in 1971. The Carpenters were having hit after hit after hit and were doing incredibly well. So why the sadness in this song, the soulful sadness of her voice, the emotion displayed here? Because Karen chose to. Over fifty years later, she can still make grown men tear up, because she takes complete control of your emotions the moment she begins to sing. That's what is so special. You feel sad because... she willed you to... you're just caught up in the emotional roller coaster she takes you on. Richard masterfully created the aura that swirls about Karen as she sings this song straight into your soul. That's why I consider this song one of the best ballads ever.
This song ws written by a rock band groupie. She was upset that the Carpenters changed a phrase in order to make it marketable in that day. She wrote,"I can't wait to sleep with you again." It was changed to, "I can't wait to be with you again."
The best female voice of the 20th century. Originally from Connecticut!
She was fantastic singer! I think this lady and her mom do a great job. The daughter is gorgeous.
Simply the best voice ever
Check out Fil from the Wings of Pegasus channel he has done electronic voice analysis of famous singers and was shocked that Karen hit every single note perfectly . He said that no one else ever has such a vocal signature.
It's sad to think of all the songs we never got to hear Karen sing since her death 40 years ago. She always brings tears to my eyes every single time i hear her sing.
flawless performance!!
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS ANALYZING THIS SONG, NO I'M A MAN AND I'M NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT I CRY AT TIMES WITH THIS SONG, THAT'S HOW MUCH IT TOUCHES MY SOUL! I BELIEVE SHE'S ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE SINGERS EVER THANK YOU❤
The song was written by Leon Russell. It's about a groupie longing for her absent superstar. Rita Coolidge originally recorded the tune, but her version had the words "and I can hardly wait to sleep with you again."
Karen sings like a melancholy angel.
Besides her perfect pitch and emotional delivery, it was the bass in her voice that very few women have. She can slide in and out of a deep bass sound that made all the top female singers of her time jealous, and also made them instant fans. Paul Williams wrote 3-4 of Karen's biggest hits, also Leon Russell wrote, A Song for You. Check out him live singing his own song, then watch Karen do it for an amazing contrast.
I get tears in my eyes every time I hear Karen sing. She was so incredibly talented. Her life story is very sad. Her mother didn't give her the love that she needed, and she battled anerexia nervosa.
There are so many great Carpenters songs. Check out Little Altar Boy. Karen's voice is ethereal. One commenter said that he wasn't even religious, but he was greatly moved by her singing.
The music that she could have given us over the years.
There is a beautiful melancholy in her voice and phrasing, even in the happier sounding songs. I repeat it over and over, if she and Art Garfunkel had had a child together, the child would likely have had the world's most perfect pop/soft rock/folk singing voice.
Also, here's a thought about the lyrics, to make them perhaps even more poignant and sad. How about: She's never actually met the superstar, but when she reminds him in this song that he "told" her he loved her, it was just him singing and playing his song(s), on the radio, and when he came through town on tour, songs that were so good she couldn't help feeling they were sung to her, and she went to see him play once, but didn't have the courage to cause a meeting between them, and so she's singing to the memories she wishes that they had together.
Sorry, I'm a poet, I can't help hearing it this way.
No words.
Hi ladies enjoyed your opinion of this angelic voiced karen
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this? If you want to see Karen literally bursting with joy, search for her drum solos and check them out.
Karen Carpenter is an Angel.
A LOT of people think that she was talking about a failed relationship or maybe an old lover who left her, promising that he come back, but I never really saw it that way, even with those specific lyrics. I always saw this as a lonely person, who listens to old love songs on the radio, TV on stage ... melting to the sound of the music and falling in love with the singer. However, I think it's only make believe, and in the part where she sings,
"Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby
You said you'd be coming back this way again baby"
I think she (the woman in the song) was just reacting to the words in the song, not that she ever knew or even met the singer in real life, or that he actually ever said (sang) those things to her. I think she was only daydreaming of being in a relationship with the person she imagined the singer to be ... sort of a "what if?" scenario only, it was never meant to be taken seriously.
I can think back to times in my life, hearing songs myself and thinking that way. Linda Ronstadt always did that for me 👍😉😊😁👍.
Anyway, there are plenty of videos with her being very cheery. It's just that people don't suggest as many of those. You should look for some of the ones showing off her drumming, as she was a fantastic drummer.
musicians are true geniuses