Vocal Coach reacts to Karen Carpenter singing Superstar
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ม.ค. 2023
- This is not my first time hearing Karen Carpenter, but since we're all about awesome vocalists here, I thought it was time we talk about one of the greatest altos to ever grace the music scene. Today we're listening to the Carpenters perform Superstar.
Watch the original video uninterrupted: • Carpenters - Superstar
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#karencarpenter #vocalcoach #reaction - เพลง
Forty years on, and it's still hard to listen to her without feeling a profound loss.
So true 😢
Yes, she was amazing and I love her voice.
Their songs always make me tear up. They affect me profoundly.
So true. So true.
It's so true. I just feel my breath stolen from my body.
One of my favorite things about Karen was she truly sang. She didn't scream, yell, bellow ... she just sang.
Agree. No vocal gymnastics, just great singing!
And what an insightful review. Made me appreciate KC more fully!
And all of that is absolutely fine in the context of the song. Of course you're not going to do that on this song. But every other song isn't THIS song.
My Mom always used to say that about "American Idol". - "Why are they always hollering?"
And she didn’t warble. I can’t stand warbling.
A voice like that isn't just a voice -- it's her soul. She sings her deep deep soul.
AMEN !!!!
Her voice brings me to tears.
Also it was great that women artists in the 1970's and 1960's didnt need to sexualize themselves to make it. Women were respected as great artists. Karen is a legend and was huge around the world.
Some many years back, recording engineers at General Electric studied thousands of human recordings since voice recording was invented. Their summary was that Karen Carpenter had the most perfect recording voice of all time.....
I'm not surprised...even now when I hear that voice coming through the radio I do become very sentimental...
No surprise!
Karen has my vote! The best voice in music history!
Agreed
Years ago, a road manager never heard a wrong note.
No auto tune. No electronica. No mechanical band. Just pure music and a singer that knew what she was doing.
No backup dancers, smoke machines, mirrors or pyrotechnics! I miss real singers!
@@firesignsc1981No throwing microphones :)
@@tresero2862& no smashing of a guitar. Just simply a beautiful voice.
What a voice she had... She was such a sad loss. The struggles of life... Heartbreaking still listening to her beautiful voice
Didn’t need to perform in her underwear either.
My dad was her driver on her European tour, he said she was a beautiful soul and it didn't matter who you were or how long she had known you, she treated you like an old friend who she had known for years, she was such a genuine person and treated everyone like they were really important, even her driver, my dad. There never has been nor will there ever be another Karen Carpenter, the voice of heaven, pure and effortless, beautiful, so sad that she is gone too soon, RIP Karen ❤️
That’s a nice vignette! 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing that. I'm so glad they met each other!!
Your dad’s job was as important as any other!! Happy to know he got to meet such a kind soul!!
When I get to Heaven I am going to a Karen Carpenter & Whitney Houston concert!
A once in a lifetime voice. I'm a 67 year old guy, born 6 years after Karen. I had to keep my absolute admiration of the Carpenters secret as I was much more of a rock and roll guy. Her premature death was a shock and I still miss her. At least we can still listen to her now.
Funny - I just read a book on the Carpenters and that is exactly what a lot of musicians and people in general did.
I think there are an awful lot of "closet" Karen fans among the world of hard rock musicians and most every other genre. No true musician can deny her obvious talent, even if it wasn't "cool" in some circles to acknowledge it. I can't imagine anyone who truly loves music not loving the incredible and amazing instrument that was her voice. One of the most beautiful sounds that we will ever hear.
I challenge you to listen to Tori Holub on TH-cam doing a cover of We've Only Just Begun. Karen 2.0...
Her voice was unbelievable. Simply one of the greatest and most intense vocalists to ever walk the Earth!
One of the greatest voices in history. So pure. She never screams or stretches to hit a note. Never forces a note. No crazy vocal runs or acrobatics.
Yep. She let her tone do all the work. Beautiful! 😍
That's what made her one of the greats.
I WAS LUCKY TO SEE THE CARPENTERS AT THE STAR CIRCLE THEATER NR FRISCO, 1973 "WHAT A VOICE" & GREAT BACKING, & JUST LIKE THEIR RECORDS. SHE COULD ALSO PLAY THE DRUMS REAL GOOD , ALSO LUCKY SECOND TIME ON TRIP TO CANADA,. GREAT LOSS,. STILL HAVE THEIR SHOW TICKETS
reminds me of my childhood what a lovely time to remember
She had angelic voice 😊
You can’t listen to Karen Carpenter sing without tears coming to your eyes. She just had the most beautiful unique voice ever in pop music.
I’m 70 years old and my heart hurts when I hear her songs. Such a beautiful voice!
Amen ❤
True
Truly Angelic. : )
Appreciate your take on this
I also think Richard Carpenter’s arrangements, especially the layering of harmonies, adds so much to the Carpenter sound.
And he wrote and rearranged the songs they did . He deserved more credit.
Absolute Genius
I’m a drummer and I tell you Karen was right in there with all the great jazz and rock drummers of her day! I loved that she played traditional grip with the left stick on the snare and the hand speed she demonstrated around the kit! Of course most know her for her outstanding alto vocals but don’t be fooled because Karen was also a marvelous drummer! I learned a lot by watching her performances! Hats off to Karen Carpenter: drummer and singer 🎤🥁extraordinaire!
Agreed ! 💞👍🎶
She actually had to be convinced to come out from behind the kit and take lead vocals. She said she considered herself to be a drummer who happened to sing. So humble.
I've seen videos of her drumming, and she is really quite good. I was curious if she is on any of their records and it turns out, according to him, most of the time it was Hal Blaine, sometimes playing along with her, sometimes solo. Blaine also said that initially their parents had a big influence on them and insisted that Richard was the star and Karen was chiefly the drummer in his band, not the lead vocalist. She reluctantly got up from the kit to become one of the best singers in a generation.
@@manonthemoog Yes, and sadly it seems her mother had a lot to do with the "it's all about Richard" thing. As a parent of three kids myself, I find it very hard to understand loving one more than the others, but I recognize that sometimes this is indeed the case. We can't really know how much of a part all of that played in Karen's struggle with her self image, but it seems reasonable to conclude that it had at least some part in it. Both Karen and Richard were immensely talented in different ways. They complemented each other superbly and people with actual ears, like the great Wrecking Crew bassist Joe Osborn, who discovered them, and Herb Alpert, who signed them, knew that the two of them, as a team, were capable of creating something that had never been heard before. It's tragic that we lost her so young, but we are truly fortunate to have the gifts that they both gave us.
@nickmariotti4241 I believe they were typical showbiz parents and didn't necessarily love Richard more than Karen. Richard was 1000% more outgoing than Karen, who felt above all else that she was a drummer. Keep in mind this is the mid 60s. If my kids were entering the music industry, which horse should I back: A shy female drummer (which was so rare then it was almost a freak show) and reluctant singer? Or a personable, ken doll lookalike singer/songwriter/keyboardist?
As soon as you hear the first note you know its Karen. No one ever came close to sounding like her. She was an Angel that visited Earth.
not. She was a sinner like the rest of us deserving of hell and then the lake of fire on judgement day. She was a flawed human.
Too bad she didn't like the food here.
@@keithhinchcliffe4377 I'm crying... holy fk.
@@keithhinchcliffe4377 WTF Man?!
right. there are only a few artists with instant recognition. Richards music does the same
The amazing thing about Karen Carpenter is that her voice is entirely unique. Nobody else sounds like her.
You know who it is as soon as she starts to sing. Beautiful.
Yeah... I've always said she had the' Golden Voice'... 🎵
This woman sounds close.
th-cam.com/video/7kYFz9C6__g/w-d-xo.html
Absolutely! She was so amazing.
All the best singers have their own thing going on 👍🏻 Karen Carpenter , Barbara Streisand , The Bee Gees, Sting and many more . Unique and not copiable .
@@thornbird6768 I would disagree slightly here. The singers you mention certainly have unique sounds but they can be copied. I have mistaken several singers for Barbara Streisand over the years for instance. And I know there are bands that try to copy the BeeGees. Not well but they try. I have never heard a singer able to copy Karen Carpenter's low range and tonal depth. Give her the first 3 notes and you know it's her.
Karen is one of the BEST Female Singers of ALL TIME.
No THE best
ONE OF THE BEST..
.can you read?@@arroncooper6077
The biggest thing is she played in his band she never had any vocal training. It was all natural. She once spoke to dionne Warwick who asked if she had ever had vocal training. She replied no
Warwick responded GOOD DONT EVER TAKE A LESSON OR CHANGE A THING!
So bittersweet hearing that magnificent voice again! NOBODY sings like Karen Carpenter. NOBODY.
Karen and Nat King Cole in my opinion had something special in there voice ❤️❤️💰💰🙏🙏💰💰
Well said!
A true legend
Nope, a very unique voice her and Richard.
Well, Rumer comes pretty close, especially when she sings Burt Bacharach & Hall David.
th-cam.com/video/OFCC8ZDHlNM/w-d-xo.html - Slow
th-cam.com/video/rXlC4RxOG-0/w-d-xo.html - Alfie
th-cam.com/video/-WOiOU-gij0/w-d-xo.html - I'll be home for Christmas
th-cam.com/video/LxwoK5pYM48/w-d-xo.html - (They Long To Be) Close To You
th-cam.com/video/oZVwkeoW_Xs/w-d-xo.html - What The World Needs Now Is Love
Karen's voice was the diamond. Richard's arrangements were the setting.
Yes yes! Perfect.
That's fair. However, Richard's post-Karen work exposed a significant force they exerted on each other that was critical to both.
She recorded a solo album that wasn't even released. Karen's singing and Richard's arrangements made the whole. On her own she was the half.
This chart is especially nice. The bass line cannot be beat. It's like a second melody.
Atticus Magnus, That statement sounds too good for it not to gave been used before, but I will give you credit for using it perfectly here.
If it's never been used before, I suggest you copyright it before I do.
Kudos.
It’s so nice to hear a simply good voice with out the screaming and screeching so common in many singers nowadays.
Karen Carpenter is My Favorite Female Vocalist 😍 from the United States 🇺🇸 Her Voice is a Gift from God, such a Beautiful Instrument 100% God Given. Rest In Peace 🙏 Beautiful Karen Carpenter ❤
how about that you almost NEVER hear her take a breath?
she is flawless .. one of the most amazing voices that ever lived
Never thought about that, but yes what amazing control. Has any singer ever been able to master such control? No pun intended, but it leaves you breathless.
The most amazing female vocalist of all time!😊
@missleawitch Karen's performance on Superstar is almost flawless. It's as close to perfection as anything I've ever heard. You can hear her take breaths on "We've Only Just Begun", but it's a different type of song. I think she needed to project more and that may have required taking deeper breaths. I'm nearly 63, and I still feel that Karen had the purest voice of *any* female vocalist.
@GuamChris Dear GuamChris, I am 69 and have the exact same feeling about Karen's voice as you do. EXACTLY THE SAME FEELING. WOW. Stay in touch as it looks like we are "Karen-mates". Much love, Chuck in North Carolina. 6/7/1954
Miss her voice and sweetness so much....
Karen's ability to record in one take shows how natural her perfect pitch really is. It's like listening to honey.
YUP
Good analogy.
...listening to honey. That's wonderful.
I love Karen's voice. Honey makes me nauseous. It is way too sweet and cloying.
@@Mordante69 Yes. OK. Her voice has this wonderful viscosity, I might agree. But honey has both viscosity _and_ flavor. 30 weight motor oil has about the same viscosity as honey and has a similarly awful flavor. But Karen's voice maintains its viscosity at a wide range of timbres, so I'd say the best analogy is her voice is like 10W30 grade motor oil. Only problem is that more people are familiar with honey than are familiar with 10W30 motor oil so they would understand a honey analogy, and not a motor oil analogy. That said, I personally find honey to be repellant. I love nectar. I've had honeysuckle nectar directly from the honeysuckle flower. I don't know what it is that bees do to it once they get ahold of some nectar, but for me it makes the nectar nauseating, and I'm not the only one. Karen was as far away from nauseating as imaginable. Her voice had the viscosity of 10W30 motor oi. Her voice poured forth from her soul like 10W30 motor oil.
I was the drummer in a club band with a female lead singer in the Karen Carpenter era, and was privileged to perform many Carpenters songs. To this day I always stop and sing a long when I hear one of her songs. Brings chills and tears. Superstar was one of my favorites, and I'll be hearing it in my mind, and singing it softly to myself for the next few days. Such a beautiful voice, and woman. A terrible tragedy that she died so young.
Karen was vocal perfection. One of a kind. So sad how we lost her.
What's extraordinary, and no one mentions, is that she was only 19 or 20 there. She was already singing with an old soul. ❤
Great comment... Yes I think so too✌
About 21 years old, she was awesome.
Frank Sinatra famously said that Karen Carpenter is the only singer he would pay to see.. What a complement! Thank you for Recognizing Karen's incredible voice.
He probably meant of her generation. It’s well known that Ella Fitzgerald was his favorite female singer of all time.
DIDN'T care for Sinatra, but he was spot on!
There's a story she was leaving a restaurant as John Lennon was entering. He told her she had a nice voice. She thought he was just being polite.
* compliment
WOW, that is quite a quote.
I was born in 1963 and am very familiar with the Carpenters.
Your analysis of this Master vocalist is extremely accurate.
The expression on your Beautiful face said everything.
Thank You for sharing this ❤
Karen Carpenter was nothing less than an angel that God let us borrow for just a short time. She was magical, beautiful and gave us so much with her music. She's always been one of my absolute fav female artists.
Karen didn't always follow the proper rules of singing; she was such a natural that she simply did it, just the way it came to her. Absolutely breathtaking.
And nobody in her circle of friends/ family knew she could sing.
Everything was wrapped up in the success of Richard, her Brother. How sad is that?
They were both working hard on music from childhood onward and you claim their parents didn't know Karen could sing? I guess anything goes on the internet these days. @@ParkAvenue34
According to Wikipedia, there’s some truth to this. She always played the drums, but they weren’t aware that she could sing as well as she did.
You using your alt account to bolster your clearly erroneous post? Haha
People may not know how long and hard Richard & Karen worked to become the superstars that we know. RIchard is another inspiring story but both worked and practiced and practiced and played countless places to learn their craft starting in high school and then in the college choir program where Karen got incredible coaching to perfect her amazing voice. Both of them should not be thought to be born with their talents alone, they worked very hard. They both knew how fickled the music industry was and that's one of the reasons they worked so much and toured and toured and really seized their day.
I love how Karen enunciate every word and doesn’t cut them off. The clarity of her voice and words make her probably the most articulate singer ever.
Absolutely. So clear. You could hear every word.
Great musical arrangements allow for that. Richard should get some credit for that.
Clarity and perfection without losing any warmth.
So clear. So beautiful.
@@gene2049 And yet you don't hear her gasping for breath like far too many singer do. She knew how to breathe and fill her lungs in order to hold those notes and change to another key without that horrible gasping air intake far too commonly heard. Perfection!
If you're going for 'perfect' then it has to be 'perfect'. Perfect tone, phrasing, arrangement, dynamics, intonation. Everything is perfect. And yet there is a freedom in the way she performs it. Beyond talent.
Anything’s possible when you have the full set of pencils, in many varying shades, in your colouring box. and know how to use them and look after them. It’s not only talent but also a lot of practising. It’s 50 years since The Carpenters, and particularly Karen’s voice would stop me in my tracks when a depressed teenager.
Her singing was so relaxed, never forced. The low notes resonated deep inside which gives such a full timbre. And she can shift her register up and down so easily, not even taking a breath
I could only listen for 2 minutes. . .My eyes well up and I begin to feel so sad about Karen every time I try to listen to her again these days. I'm old enough to remember her entire career vividly. So beautiful, so talented, and so very much missed!
I know, me too.
So tragic to be taken by an eating disorder. Heartbreaking.
Indeed! Quite true. I cannot hear her absolutely captivating performance of this song with a touch of melancholy. Such a wonderfully talented vocalist. A voice buttery smooth yet warm, rich and soothing.
Such a gorgeous, powerful voice and beautiful woman, and at the same time she looked unwell. We may not have noticed it back then. RIP, Ms. Carpenter.
same ...
Karen's voice was pure silk. Every note so controlled, so velvety. This is my favourite Carpenters song. So haunting 😍
velvety and honeyed because I can't stop listening to her voice.
Agreed with this version, but I love Leon Russell's version as well, completely different of course (rough gravelly, etc.) and it was HIS song of course...
Same here! Always loved listening to her sing this song. For me, it's a tie with "Close To You."
This was one of her greatest live performances imo. She was really feeling the second verse- loneliness is such a sad affair…. It is quite haunting and touches me every time. What a treasure and I’m glad I grew up listening to her voice.
Ditto 👍
She had the finest female voice!
Karen Carpenter was a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Her voice is truly a gift from God! Thank you for introducing her music to current music fans. She needs to be remembered and revered!
All these years later I can't listen to Karen without getting teary eyed.
Me too, Reed, me too. 😔
"We've only just begun"... I can't 😭
I just did !
The distance between this purity and the awful music today is incredible...paradise and hell...
2:10 min in the video and I'm teary-eyed also.
The studio vocal for this song was reportedly Karen's first take. Still my favourite of all The Carpenters songs. When she sings the word "loneliness" you feel every bit of the sadness and emptiness it conveys. She was every rocker's guilty pleasure, a great drummer, an extraordinary singer and she is greatly missed by millions of fans all over the world. A real Superstar.
Yeah the video or her singing this is out there, or I should say was. One of the commercial companies has the rights. She was completely withdrawn and eyes closed as I recall.
Truly one of the greatest voices ever! So sad she died so young and was unhappy.
It was actually a warm-up, rather than an official "first take".
There is no doubt, whenever she sang, it was from the heart. Children have that gift of honesty and telling us what is on their heart. Karen never lost that when she sang.
@@markrhein9886 So true!
Such a wonderful description of the unique talent Karen possessed ...
Karen Carpenter was not only a “drummer”, but she was a fantastic drummer, up there with the greats of drumming! THANK YOU so much for being sure to add that fact at the end. And remember, it’s her you hear playing drums in almost all their recordings. When the Carpenters band played all over before becoming famous, Karen was playing drums for the band and singing from behind her drum kit! In fact when her voice turned her into a superstar, she did NOT want to leave her drums to stand out front and just sing! But she was basically forced to do so.
“ And I can hardly wait, till I’m with you again”
Great line.
Love this song and Karen Carpenter.❤
I love that line. ❤
@@BirdTalk13You know it's a song about a "groupie" who thinks the superstar loves her.
My mother used to sing “Close to You” to me when I was a young child in the early-mid 1970s - “…just like me, they long to be, close to you…”. Some 50 years later, my mother is 80 and profoundly disabled by Parkinson’s, with little voice remaining, but whenever I hear Karen Carpenter, if I close my eyes, I can see and hear my young, vibrant and amazing mom beaming with joy whilst singing that song to me. My eyes may well with tears, but they are happy tears as I recall who we both used to be all those years ago.
Awesome memories
That's the power of music. Think about not being able to remember lyrics--until you start singing them. Totally different part of the brain at work.
what a wonderful story! Although it brought huge tears to my eyes, I am so grateful you shared.
That is such a precious memory! Thank you for sharing, and all the best to you and your mom. 🌹
Thank you….I used to sing it in youth group functions as a teenager. So many memories. What a precious memory of your sweet mother.
Not only was her voice amazing, it's also just so moving. You can't listen to her and not be affected on a very deep and emotional level.
_Profondeur._
Karen Carpenter, a voice of silk and a vibrato as smooth as cream. Nearly 50 YEARS on since I first heard the Carpenters, and Karens voice STILL sends shivers up the spine.
Lastly: I’m SO glad you mentioned her drumming!!! I was a drummer and that’s why I first heard the Carpenters. Karen was originally a drummer. And it’s so shocking to me many people don’t even know that anymore! And let me emphasize here, she wasn’t just someone who could keep a beat etc.. BEFORE Karen ever sang, she wanted to sit behind a drum kit and play drums in the band! And let me tell you, Karen was an accomplished drummer!! Not just sone mediocre drummer, but I’m talking top notch drumming, up there with the well known great drummers. AND, keep on mind, in the early days, she was singing while sitting behind her drum kit playing for her band. So she drummed and sang at the same time! Look for TH-cam videos of this. Once her voice really got heard by the masses, which made her a superstar, they put her up front as the singer and hired a drummer for their band, which Karen always said, I’d rather be behind the drum kit!! haha
Anyhow, as a drummer, I’m so glad you mentioned her incredible drumming. Her voice was in addition to her talent on drums!
Karen Carpenter was overflowing with talent, and no matter what she did she was destined to stardom.
May she RIP, leaving us way too soon to the terrible disease of anorexia.
Karen truly had a remarkable voice and nobody else sounds like her. I've always loved her voice. Such a loss on all levels. RIP and thanks for sharing your wonderful voice with us. ♥
Her voice is like a mother’s warm and comforting hug. 🙂
Yes, it’s like a mother’s milk spurting from her cheese bladders.
In 50 years I have not found a voice that pleases me as much as Karen's. She made me enjoy songs that I didn't particularly care for. Pitch, breath control, range and silky smooth all seemed so natural and effortless for her.
Eva Cassidy comes close for me.
And for me growing up in those years the only female that I could actually sing aling with comfortably by are 12.
Anne Murray.
@@catlady3147 , Anne Murray certainly has a rich voice as well. When you can't have Karen, Anne is a great substitute.
And an amazingly talented drummer as well.
I grew up with The Carpenters in their early days. Karen had the voice of an angel. She was a gift to all of us! ❤️ she was a SUPERSTAR!⭐️
Karen Carpenter has a voice of gold. Absolutely beautiful and awe inspiring. She has the most beautiful voice of any female vocalist.
The vocal coach mentions that in a different musical climate her voice might not have been discovered. That would have been a tragedy. Thank God she sang when she did.
Longum olim et o tam distancia longe, cadui amore tibi ante spectaculum secundo:
long ago and oh so far away, I fell in love with you before the second show.
A time when we could understand the lyrics because of such clear singing! Nobody comes close to Karen Carpenter. She has such a gorgeous unique voice. I have never heard the same voice or similar ever. She was truly gifted in voice and singing!
Agree...✌
God gifted talent.
They do exist. It's about singing from the centre of one's Soul and with the breath. The rest just follows.
@@louiserussell8267 Agreed. Linda Ronstadt is up there too. And Streisand in her prime.
Natalie Merchant is another uniquely beautiful voice. Karen to me is number one!
The crazy thing is that Karen didn't even want to sing in the early days. She was actually an incredible drummer and that's what she really wanted to do. The funny thing is that some people with gifts like this don't even necessarily realize what they have. I remember listening to a lot of her records growing up and I was so sad the day she died. She was such a talent that just burned out before her time. On March 2, she would have been 73. So hard to believe. May she rest in peace.
Barbra Streisand didn't want to be a singer originally, she wanted to be an actress. Did both, like Karen.
@@imcnagpc2 If only she would have kept singing instead of talking.
🙏🕯👍😻💛
She continued to hate it. She was shy.
They needed to let her quit show biz.
Thank you for this. I am a 67 year old male and Karen is still hands downs the purest female vocalist I’ve ever heard. I hope what I’m going to say does not offend anyone. Knowing the terrible condition she suffered from ( that led to her premature death), it is incredible a strong voice with such depth could come from such a frail body. I concluded many years ago that she simply sang like the person she thought she saw in the mirror. She was one of the best. I was aware of the struggles she faced because of a friend that was suffering with the same. I have felt some loss when any of my musical icons have passed. But when Karen Carpenter died… I cried.
Every single time I hear her sing, I well up with intense emotion and end up crying. So beautiful.
Every time as well
Her intonation was flawless. Never had to guess the words she was singing. It was a knife in the heart of the world when she left us.
So true, beautifully stated.
I think you mean enunciation. Clear enunciation means the audience can understand the words. Intonation refers to how well the singer stays on pitch. She of course has excellent intonation as well, but that doesn't seem to be what you were referring to.
I agree. The world was heartbroken.
Yes😢
One of the great things about music from this era is what it doesn't have. No autotune, no over-produced over-engineered effects, just talented performers and masterfully crafted songs. I'm sure that the same kind of talent could exist today, but I'm also fairly confident that it would be stifled by the industry trying to make it "better" with the gadgets and gizmos of today's technologies. What Karen and others of her time had was the opportunity to be good. That's probably very rare today.
But she was still overproduced. I don’t think her brother did any favors. I get so tired of reading all the praise he gets for being this wonderful arranger and producer, when so many of their songs have so much excess bullshit. Why does she need 20 backing vocalists and so much orchestration?
@@jefffawcett Calm down, Richard was a genius, picking songs to highlight her voice and he arranged the songs for a bigger effect. It's was rare when they preformed with an orchestra. The only trick they used was her voice dubbed as backing vocals in certain songs. Many of the songs the guys in the band did backing vocals.
@@jefffawcett The backing vocalists here were Karen and Richard. The audio is from the studio recording on which they sang all the vocals.
With all the technological crutches available today I wonder if it has the effect of stifling an artist's development? In other words why develop those muscles if you don't need to?
@@jefffawcett There was a period of time that I thought the exact same thing and thought perhaps Richard stifled Karen. But I have to say that when Karen did her solo album and I heard what Phil Ramone did with her, it removed the uniqueness of her voice. It made me realize what Richard had done was actually choose the songs that were best suited for her voice. I do get that some people just did not care for his rich orchestrations and Arrangements but overall I don't think anybody knew Karen's Voice better than Richard and he absolutely did showcase her voice in a way that nobody else could have.
Pure singing without autotune. She was amazingly the best singer.
her brain was autotune
This is my favorite Carpenters song! I'm glad we still have her recordings...
Somebody once said that Karen had the ability to make you feel like she was singing to YOU personally. So true.
The resonance of her lower range is like chocolate, salt, and honey all at the same time. And yet it’s so pure and rich. I’ve often wondered how much we’ve missed musically and lyrically because of her death.
And note by note, she knew how to tap into those resonances until, as Bethany points out, she slides into that upper range and sounds almost like a second singer, which emphasizes the chorus even more.
Sorry but she hated singing. To live she would have had to stop.
@@WillChil466 I know she thought of herself as a drummer, but to say she "hated" singing is a bit over the top. No one could do something to that degree of perfection and hate it.
Karen's voice... words cannot describe how beautiful it is. I have always admired her singing. Perfection achieved.
One of the best voices of music to have ever existed!! She has always been one of my favorite singers! Loved the biographical movie with Cynthia Gibb portraying her! The world would have gained so much more from her for many more years if she just wouldn't have listened to the cruel society we have ! She was a truly beautiful precious person!! ❤❤
Along with Karen's immense talent is the fact that her brother was able to produce music that was perfect for her voice. Together they were unstoppable!!
What makes me happy is that my professional disc jockey son told me that we baby boomers had the best music ever recently. He is right.🤷🏽♂
Richard said he tried to exploit her lower range. He said when she studied voice she always sang in head voice but he said her low range was richer.
Or he could just copy the Rita Coolidge version?
Yes....Richard is a genius producer...and he was the perfect arranger for Karen's incredible vocal talent.
They were on the top of the world. (in their own Lear jet).
No wardrobe malfunctions, racy outfits or any other BS. Just pure, raw and refined talent.
A nineteen-year grudge! You'll earn a long service silver medal soon! Joking aside, I do love the sly juxtaposition of raw and refined-brilliant!
Things were so much simpler then and the voice was the main event, not like now, when theatrics takes precedence.
Taylor who?
@@bjohnson1489 Taylor Swift! Whose soaring vocals are only comparable to the stars in the heavens, a background befitting a queen, draped within the cosmos raging!
The internet ruined everything.
In my lifetime their will be nobody that can match her voice. it is so natural and she was known to only need 1 take to record a song
Great to hear an intelligent appraisal of her genius
"One take Karen." She was a gift, and her brother Richard is a musical genius. Nothing comes close. Superstar indeed!
Indeed. Richard's compositions are spectacular.
You are so right. 😀
My father was a singer, trained in classical, lyrical school from the early 1940s. He heard just one song by Karen Carpenter in the 80s or 90s, and instantly recognized the unique warmth and depth of her voice and delivery and expressed his profound admiration.
Her voice still moves me deeply. I just haven't wanted to research how and why she spiraled into the complications that ended her life. You can't sing like that and communicate feelings so naturally without being a profoundly sensitive being. Such a tragedy.
Part of it had to do with the fact that she was petite and “chubby” as a young girl - she was a California girl in the 60’s/early 70’s where and when thin was definitely in - which she dealt with by dieting sensibly. As she got older and they began to perform, she was a drummer and initially would have preferred to sing behind a drum kit but she was pulled up front and therefore on full display. Early in their career, she saw photos and television performances in which her healthy body looked heavy to her and unfortunately, someone in the press commented on it at some point… and you know how it all ended.
Anorexia. So sad.
Her problem with anorexia started at the very beginning of her career because of a comment a newspaper wrote about her weight. Whats truly sad is that she finally got treatment and then her heart gave out from the years of abuse.
Obviously nothing to do with her being bullied by just about everyone, mother, brother, husband and press.
She put up with so much abuse mentally and after all the bullying from her brother perfecting the unique sound of the carpenters he was nothing without her yet still had him appear on her show, they didn't want him, she had the talent, she was the carpenters, she was also very beautiful, if only she believed it herself and her junkie brother lived, there is no justice.
@@pen64
I don't understand why you have described her as small and thin and rounded, you can't describe a petite person as chubby unless they are inflatable, a petite lady is of slight frame and not tall, a chubby person is rounded and another polite way of saying they are fat.
Twiggy was a model, skin and bone devoid of tits but that was her natural state, she was not alone, the number of fat, chubby, obese people was far less because there were very few junk food outlets and food chemically saturated was in its Infancy.
"It's a master class in beautiful, effortless singing." Amen
Shed many tears when Karen passed away, was driving in Sydney, Australia, had to stop the car to try and come to terms with the loss of the greatest and most angelic person ever to be given G-d's gift of life. Leon Russell's classic remains my favourite Carpenter's song ever. Karen was unique, never to be seen again, pray she is now with Jesus in Glory. And such a respectful and beautiful analysis...... Blessings and love!
I was driving too and had to pound the steering wheel I was so upset balling....why? why?? why???
The greatest irony is that Karen never considered herself a "Singer", She called herself a drummer who could sing!!! One of the best Female vocalist in history!!! CRAZY RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
Hard to think she's been gone 40 years now, yet we still speak about that velvet voice!!! THERE'S NO ONE ELSE LIKE HER!!!!!!❤
Drummers considered her a very good drummer.
A friend of mine posted the video of Karen playing the drums in '68 saying she had NO idea she started out as their drummer.
You are absolutely right. In fact, it is my considered belief that Karen Carpenter could sing so well (and so beautifully) precisely because she was a drummer. That gave her the sense of timing needed to hit her notes so well. For instance, being thoroughly familiar with the beat and the tempo (as a result of being a drummer) allowed her to know how to control her breathing, as in how long to hold her breath and just when to pause. Granted, rests are indicated in the sheet music; however, those markings don’t necessarily reflect the spaces between phrases. With her background as a drummer, Karen Carpenter knew exactly where the unmarked pauses fit. That is clear in her vocal phraseology.
@natlisan You know your history, and her talent!!
@@thomash.schwed3662 Hey, it worked out well for Phil Collins too
She had the voice of an angel. Even as a teenager, we all knew it. Such a tragic loss, so young.
And there's not been anyone who even comes close to her beautiful voice
Confession !
I am a 58 year old Head Banger, and yet every time i hear Karen Carpenter sing i cry !
Her voice is so warm and rich, and the songs ......... She was sent from heaven, but needed back way too soon.
Cheers from down under 😎
Headbanger here too, and I cry every time I hear Her sing
Her vocal range is unmatched even today, truly unique
They were considered way too wholesome for their time and most record labels wouldn't have touched them. I am so glad they forged their own musical path because they have endured. Thank you for sharing your insights into her voice.
I'm not a vocal coach but I know one thing and that is when I hear Karen I know a perfect voice when I hear one!
Incredible to hear it all broken down and yet Karen just opened her mouth and sang with such emotion. So much longing, joy, sorrow… just amazing.
@@deliaguzman1138And she didn’t even want to sing. She was the drummer. She was content being the drummer. But I think it was Richard that convinced her to step out front.
Amen to that brother!
She is a trillion times better than almost all the singers of the modern era who scream. Unmatched
Her voice always reminds of my childhood my Mum was a big fan of the Carpenter’s and played their records on a Saturday morning when cleaning the house. It’s funny how simple things like that without realising it at the time create such sentimental memories
Karen Carpenter is my absolute favorite singer. I just LOVE her voice. Such a tragedy to lose her so young.
Karen Carpenter is one of the most beautiful singers. I grew up listening to her and I was so sad when she died. Even to this day, I love to hear your voice 50 years later still beautiful.🥺
Hello Charlene, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the COVID-19 virus
We are of the same age. Remember her on Ed Sullivan?
Karen passed away the year I graduated hs. At that time, there was massive backlash against anything "easy listening" or "disco". The Carpenters were never part of all that, due largely to Karen's voice. Like butter. She is a category unto herself. 😢❤❤
I dated her once…yeah I wish…just like all of us guys back then…
One word for Karen Carpenter.....Exquisite!!
Her voice is so full, round and warm and has so much depth not just deep as in low. Incredible.. it's.. almost mind blowing.
I loved Karen Carpenter when I was a little girl. I used to go Trick or Treating at her parents house in Downey, CA and saw her several times. I even started playing drums like her. I will never stop loving her music ❤ She was such a gift.
It was such a sad loss for all of us. I'm sure for you even more so.
Thanks for sharing. Lovely story.
@@stewartlietz4236 o
My dad went to school with them
Also from Downey is the lead singer of Metallica
Karen just pulls at my heart strings. I watched her live in concert in about 1975-76. What I wouldn't do to live again those magical moments. I hope my comment adds a drop of love to Karen. I so enjoyed the wonderful comments others posted.
I also saw her in 1975, never forget how I felt hearing her live!
I love her too and no doubt the sensitive miss her a lot!❤😊
Her singing seems so effortless, her voice is so gloriously full, and her diction is so pristine. I could listen to her for hours on end. She has my vote as the greatest of all time.
Karen Carpenter definitely had perfect pitch and the rich soulfulness she was blessed with is just incredibly beautiful. I’ve always loved the Carpenters and when I hear her voice, it’s like a healing medicine. It’s like when you get a sunburn and apply a soothing aloe. It’s instant healing.
She's one of my favorite singers. Most of their songs make me cry. She has such a beautiful, not forced vibrato. Her breath control is amazing as well.
I cried many tears in the beautiful, heartbreaking sound of Karen Carpenter, no other miss ❤
Her voice, and Nat King Cole’s voice - two of the smoothest I’ve ever heard. Imagine the two of them doing a duet together…
Ohhhh, I so agree!! My two favorites - the ONLY two singers who can bring tears to my eyes!
100%…my fave female and fave male singers of all time.
Yes, with Nat playing the piano and Karen on drums.
I was born in 1958, so only learned of the Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper plane crash (February 3, 1959) as a piece of history. For me, the day the music died was 24 years and one day later - February 4, 1983 when I heard Karen Carpenter had died. I was driving home from work when the news came on the radio, and I had to pull off the road to bawl my eyes out. RIP Angel Voice.
Paul McCartney has said that Karen had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive". It was in 1976. Nothing had change since.
No vocal coach in the world can teach that...that's talent straight from God!!!!
Right on!!100%
@reb3610@@orlandogustar1717 That's what I mean. Do not try to analyse people like Karen,Picasso, etc... just admire and accept them for the feelings they brought to you.
They are special, but everybody is special in one way or another.
Quite possibly the Greatest female vocalist of them all !
I remember the day she passed. I was driving to college and I had to pull over. I had a little difficulty believing the news coming from the radio. I was surprised how sad I felt from the loss of someone I never personally met. But, she touched us so deeply with her voice and spirit. It’s remarkable. RIP.
I had to pull over with the news of Robin Williams passing😢
As did I. Her loss was so unexpected and so crushing. At least we were able to listen to her and still can. I do miss the variety show performances, which are hard to find. I remember one in which she was singing (I don't remember the song, sadly) and was bouncing from instrument to instrument while singing so wonderfully. I was blown away-!
Absolutely beautiful voice from a beautiful person.
I am so very pleased that the younger generation is discovering one of the perfect female voices. There is no equal. Karen set the standard.
Greatest female voice of all time. Period. End of Sentence. RIP "Angel" We miss you!
Well I've still got Babs a notch above her for range, but I like Karen's voice more; i've got Olivia NJ, Diana Ross, Dolly and Linda next in the queue
@@thedys70 Hearing Karen Carpenter sing is hearing what God can create, like watching Secretariat race. Patsy Cline is very close.
@@thedys70 Wow! I'm right there with you on Streisand and Ronstadt. I love the other three you named, but just not quite as much (for example, look at how Whitney Houston elevated Dolly's song, "I Will Always Love You"), but that's the cool thing about art, its beauty is in the eye (or ear, in this case) of the beholder and it's OK that we have different opinions.
Eva Cassidy❤
@@mediamannaman Totally bro; Whitney probably makes my top ten, but she threw it all away towards the end, and lost the respect of many, myself included.
I have never heard a female's voice as perfect as Karen's. When she sings, she always brings tears to my eyes. And now that she's in Heaven, the angels have a lead singer. She certainly left her mark here on Earth. May she rest in peace.
Same here. Many great voices in the world but I've still never heard anyone sing better than her.
👍🏆
Heaven? Really? Great concept but no evidence, sadly.
You cannot see the wind, yet, you know it's there. Take care and all the best.
@@kellywilliamson2187 I agree, but with someone who left their mark like Karen did, it's nice to fantasize.
The voice that all other voices aspire to be.
Absolutely beautiful voice. My favorite female singer of all time.
Her vibrato is perfect. Perfect pitch, too. Smooth as silk.
Perfect intonation too. Never off key.
@@yvonneplant9434 She also had a perfect vibrato. It was so unforced and smooth.
Karen Carpenter is one of those classic examples of a naturally gifted singer.
I bet she didn't even have to think about "breathing", it just came instinctively.
That mellow sound and perfect diction!
Beautiful 💖
My first time reaction to listening to you. Nice job. I mean, great job! Your analysis and comments are so insightful and interesting to note. I don't listen to much Karen Carpenter but when I do, I tear up. Her voice is so heavenly beautiful and, as you say, smooth and effortless. It is so very sad she passed at such a young age. Thanks for this reaction video.
I have absolutely no musical/vocal talent - I cannot even sing Happy Birthday. But I have always had an incredible respect and admiration for those lucky people who both have, and realize their vocal abilities. The way you described her was the way I have felt about Karen Carpenter's amazing vocal style my entire life. I'm glad you appreciate her, and showcased her special style.
You are spot-on with your analysis. You definitely have a new subscriber.