Karen Carpeneter died 42 years ago.

I will be listening to her tonight. BTW there is a young woman on YouTube who has practiced singing the Carpenters songs and is truly amazing as she sounds almost identical with her intonation and range.

https://youtu.be/kkhoXUN7Jhw?si=tcd4-M0hP6PgfSFI

Not her but nice to know young people are appreciative of her great music.

Her voice was iconic and was an indelible part of my childhood, and many may not realize that she was a very competent drummer as well.  I’ll definitely be giving her a listen today. 

She had a fantastic voice. Her brother was a wizard at production and the recording quality was always exceptional.

She was also a very accomplished drummer. 

The Carpenters were that kind of group that many of my friends wanted to shun because they were a bit kitschy, but many of them finally caved pleading, in effect, that even tough guys need a puppy; and it didn't hurt that the puppy could croon like an angel. The best of the songs were classic but classics from an earlier time.

Karen  was the glue That  kept things together,her brother had a drug problem 

that was a big problem. 

When I'm reading comments on audiogon about the music people listen to, I pay attention because I'm open to new music and I wonder if anyone will mention the Carpenters.

I'm aware of the bias against the Carpenters because some people think they're too square, not rocky enough, etc. But it seems to me that Carpenters is excellent audiophile material, at least for audiophiles who are into music, (as opposed to audiophiles who are into analyzing their gear). But I have never seen anyone here mention the Carpenters despite Karen's voice (which is considered the greatest of all time by many, including me), great layered harmonies, lush arrangements with hundreds of orchestral, rock, and pop instruments, great songwriting, excellent recording, etc. 

Maybe some people don't want to be known for liking music that others consider to be square. Nevertheless, some of the most admired musicians gave high praise to them, including Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, etc. And in a 1975 Playboy magazine readers' poll, Karen Carpenter was voted the best rock drummer of the year – edging out Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, The Who's Keith Moon and The Beatles' Ringo Starr. 

So, what's not to love about the Carpenters? 

Karen was a beautiful person and talent.  Words can't express her level of talent as she was accomplished in so many areas.  In my book, Karen is #1 and I have all her music.  

❤️

It’s quite wonderful how after all these years KC is still remembered so fondly. Such a talented person gone too soon.

An all-time favorite! I had my first "close dance" at a young age ( middle school) with a female while "Close to You" was playing 💘

The Carpenters were a very early influence on me because my older sisters had their albums. I fell in love with Karen's voice way back then and knew pretty much all their songs (still do). To me she has perhaps the "clearest" singing voice of any female artist that's ever lived (at least in the recording age). I don't think she's ever sung a single word that wasn't easy to understand. She's definitely in my top 3 female vocalists of all time, and is probably number 1 on that list.

It's good to know that people still appreciate the Carpenters!

I just turned off my TV, and I'm going to turn on some Carpenters. 😁

BTW, her brother was an innovative musician/mixing engineer.

I believe even the toughest/macho guys had a secret  favorite Carpenters song during their heyday in the 70's.

All the girls in school loved her version of this, and it's one I'll  never admit I like. 

Interestingly, a Leon Russell composition. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ5KKoDmtPo

Sounds very- 70's and maybe cheesy to some, but great music has no expiration date.

If you haven't  watched this already, a must see.

https://www.ksps.org/programs/specials/the-carpenters-close-to-you/

She had a beautiful voice.  

she had sad eyes. her voice had a transient sadness in it as well. I hope she experienced happiness. 

she had sad eyes.

Indeed she did.

Watched the video.  Her total raging bitch of a mom seemed to have effed her up good.  So sad. 

I vaguely remember watching a documentary about the group, and I kind of remember getting the impression that her relationship with her brother could have been healthier.  But who knows.

RIP to one of the most beautiful voices in music.  And a good drummer.  

I never liked them then and I would be damned to listen to them now. 

@unclewilbur 

"But it seems to me that Carpenters is excellent audiophile material."

Have you picked up the 2018 release: "Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra?"

If not, you need to because both the sound quality and the subtly enhanced orchestration will probably stun you with how much better that it sounds; and, the original recordings were quite good to begin with!

I can admit that a a teenager back in the 1970s I would have scoffed at the music of Karen Carpenter. And I did (my parents had a few Carpenters albums, and I'm sure I rolled my eyes every time they played one).

I can also admit that I was VERY wrong on most of her stuff. She had a magnificent voice and tremendous talent. Hell of a drummer as well. 

I was never shy of admitting I enjoyed the Carpenters and Karen’s sultry voice, vast range, and accomplished drumming.  I listen often to their well recorded songs.  However, my memory of her relationship with her brother were that is was complex, with Richard’s controlling personality making musical decisions leading in part to her insecurity and emotional problems.  Combined with emotional issues from being overweight in childhood, and drug abuse, this compounded her anorexia nervosa, with habitual restricting and drug induced vomiting which, in turn, led to her tragic death from heart failure.  What a loss from a now better understood and treatable disorder.  Her life story can be a lesson for young adults now suffering from Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

@carlso63
Exactly!
Here is a typical situation in 1970. Four, sixteen year old boys are cruising around in a car, and listening to the most popular radio station. "Close To You," which is number one on the charts is playing on the radio. All four boys look at each other and shake their heads, roll their eyes, and say "No." The button is switched to the second most popular station. (Remember when we had buttons?) The Carpenters are playing on both stations! And all the boys wonder what’s happening!

The boys go to their homes and turn on the radio as they go to sleep. Of course, the Carpenters are playing on the radio again. The words are interesting. The melody feels nice. There is harmony, and layers of beautiful voices. They listen.......

For some people, it took a while to appreciate the significance of the Carpenters.

Sonic Youth were big fans of Karen Carpenter; they even wrote a couple of songs for/about her....  

Her drumming abilities were world class.  Some people from her time speculate that moving her off her beloved kit to singing out front contributed to her sad downfall.  Naturally shy evidently.  There is an interview with Sheila E who is in awe of Karen's skills.  And yes that gorgeous voice...Part of my youth for sure.

WOW! I miss what could have been at what was. Karen had such a gorgeous voice and was my first female singer that really captivated me in my youth. I have to admit the arrangements by her brother played a part, but her voice, lush, clear, entrancing. I think tonight I'll be listening to them again. I too also enjoyed the fact that she could drum with the best of drummers too. Back then you didn't find many women playing any instrument maybe outside of guitars back then.

Legend has it that Frank Sinatra said Karen Carpenter "was the only singer that he would pay to see.".

One of the stupidest things I have ever done was to trade the only Carpenters album I owned in at the local Peaches store in Atlanta. They were giving a 50 cent credit for used records toward new albums, so I picked out a few from my collection that I had listened to a couple of times, but felt like I wouldn't be listening to them much in the future. The clerk who helped me tried to talk me out of trading it in (I think he knew it was a decision I would would later regret, which I did). There is no other female artist that would be mistaken for Karen Carpenter - her voice was that unique.

@discnik

Fifty cents???

You must have more albums than cents!!! 

Or should I say, you have more albums than sense...

...Either way seems right. 😜

Anyway, I've done much worse. Twenty-five years ago I put together a $20,000 high end audio system and sold it for a great loss just one year later!

You might ask why I would do that.... Well the answer is even more preposterous.  I quit a great job, sold most everything, and moved to a deserted island called Dry Tortugas. So I definitely have regrets too!!

In the late 70s, fifty cents was probably equal to $2.00 today. Albums typically were around $6.98 each at that time, so I got a credit of $3.00 by trading in the six albums out of my collection. The others were probably real dogs because I don't recall any of their titles. As some have expressed in this thread, at the time I was not a huge fan of the Carpenters. Some of their songs sounded contrived, to put it charitably. If you do the math above, Peaches was actually given just a 25% discount on the dollar.

seriously, and respectfully. when it’s a post for her, about her, would it be hard to spell her name correctly? Nine characters...

And yes, the most amazing voice, ever. Not my #1 but in the top 10, rated for emotional connection.

@grislybutter 

Wow!!!  You didn't mention specifics about who misspelled what. So I looked around the comments only to find that I misspelled "Carpenters" in my title!!! 

I am so embarrassed. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar is important to me. And misspelling the name of my beloved Karen is particularly embarrassing. I tried to edit my mistake but it can't be done after thirty minutes. I know this because I tried to add a comma to a different comment that I made, and then learned about the thirty minute limitation on editing. 

Anyway thanks for pointing out my mistake. Unfortunately I can't fix it. And by the way, it's difficult to write more than a few words in this little box because I can't see everything that I've written. I have to scroll around, if you know what I mean.

because I tried to add a comma to a different comment that I made, and then learned about the thirty minute limitation on editing.  I tried to edit my mistake but it can't be done after thirty minutes. I know this

@unclewilbur  , this site will not let you make an edit to the title of your thread even if you do catch it before the 30 minutes is up.

@mitchagain “Have you picked up the 2018 release: "Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra?"

I stream that album often, but I haven’t bought it. I really like it for a different flavor of Carpenters music. And since you’ve reminded me of it, I will definitely listen to it tonight.

@unclewilbur Yes, I own the "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra" CD. The last time I checked, a new copy on Amazon was only $9,00, which is a steal. It has become one of many go to CD's for showing off my audio system. 

Since you lived on the Dry Tortugas, do you know the song "Hey Papa" by Terence Boylan? The song is about Ernest Hemmingway. Terence went to Bard College and was friends with Walter Becker, Donald Fagen & Chevy Chase. His brother, John Boylan, was a well-known record producer in the 1970's. Not surprisingly, many of the great session musicians who played on Steely Dan albums also played on Terence's albums (Eponymous Debut & "Suzy"). 

@unclewilbur thanks for your response, and sorry if I came across harsh. We all make mistakes, no worries. I am an ESL person, with a terrible accent so at least I try to spell  

With all this talk about the Royal Philharmonic, I guess I'll have to give it another listen.  I bought an import of it a few years ago, and I only played it once.  I cannot say it did a lot for me, but sometimes I put stuff on on the wrong night.

The only other Carpenters CD I own is the MFSL A Song For You which I bought back in the '90s and which truly has a great sound.  I cannot help but love Top Of The World.  I remember when I was in Junior High or there abouts hearing the Now And Then cassette one of my friends owned, and thinking it had some neat songs on it.   I used to see it on ebay, I think it may have been a Pony Canyon import or maybe a JVC XRCD, and nostalgia has had me close to pulling the trigger, but I have so far felt that they always wanted ridiculously too much $ for it. 

@grislybutter You wrote “ESL” … My brain refuses to cooperate with acronyms so I looked it up.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Now I get the idea. Is that a real acronym?!? A lot of time could be saved for the reader if it were written as “english second language.” 😄. Anyway, what is your first language, and where are you from?

…And about my mistake, my embarrassment was much more harsh than your words. ☺️ But I’ll get over it.

@mitchagain I never heard the song “Hey Papa” so I streamed it to know more. It’s a nice song and I could listen to more of that. 
 

There are many things like music, movies, news, popular trends, etc that I have missed through most of my life, because I lived a fairly remote life. Dry Tortugas is just one example. But currently I’m getting caught up with normal [abnormal] life.

@unclewilbur Hungary/Hungarian. Wasn't my first choice but no one asked me  

Yeah.  And if sheʻd have taken just half that sandwich from Mama Cass, theyʻd still be alive today.

Please...Enough of the Karen Carpeneter fixation.....jeezzz

'And if sheʻd have taken just half that sandwich from Mama Cass, theyʻd still be alive today."

Sigh.. looks like we have an immature, juvenile members here that likes to perpetuate nonsense.

Grow up, russbutton.

chrisoshea - you're the one who is on a thread called "Karen Carpenter died 42 years ago". Odd place to be if you want to whine about having a fixation on Karen Carpenter. Do you normally spend time on forum threads in which you have no interest? 

That voice was so good...unbelievably great...RIP Karen...

+1, @larsman .

chrisoshea - you're the one who is on a thread called "Karen Carpenter died 42 years ago". Odd place to be if you want to whine about having a fixation on Karen Carpenter. Do you normally spend time on forum threads in which you have no interest?