People like me who grew up on her, no ass flashing, want to puke at the sleazy girl "singers" of recent years & today. When we were kids in the 70s, we literally walked around our town, singing The Carpenters songs, PRACTICING every single NOTE, aspiring to get closer to sounding like Karen. Beautiful times, no ass flashing or slutty crap... a much more beautiful life and gorgeous memories!
Agreed 100 percent, no one even comes close, she was so unique and thank god she moved away from the Drums, her voice is of liquid Gold, she can hold high and low , shes amazing , rip karen gone but never forgotten xx
Mine as well, always has been, always will be... Her voice is therapy for the soul, and the ultimate storyteller voice who sang TO the listener NOT at them!.. Melted Chocolate, the freshest breeze on a hot humid day, the warmest hug, seeing the smile of a friend you haven't seen in years and other adjective comments/phrases...
didnt knw about her anerexia and illness. That is heartbreaking I liked the carpenters songs as a small kid and i still like it, so Thank u very much for your beautiful songs Carpenters and may your light shine bright for ever Karen
I'm a classic hard rock type of guy. And I totally agree. No other female "pop" vocalist has ever been able to put such emotion into a song like Karen Carpenter.
She struggled with a food disorder for years. Her family tried so hard to get her help, but eventually her body was too badly damaged. I remember hearing about her passing on the news and i just sat and cried. Sad that she didn't realize her worth and sad that we wouldn't hear that beautiful voice live again. 😢❤
They suffer from a low self image anorexic/ bulemics. My sister could have been a casualty buy I learned about this 1st because of Karen Carpenter and we got her help before it was too late! Awful illness when you know what they do to themselves...sad!
She wanted to be primarily a drummer but her mother didn’t think it was feminine enough. Her brother was no saint either. I’m not saying her family didn’t love her, but I think her lack of control in her own life played a big part of the disorder.
Look up Tori Holub. She has a passion for keeping Karen's voice alive. She has covered a great deal of Carpenter catalog.: performed in front of Richard. He approves.
@@Coowallsky She was an excellent drummer, and her talent was recognized and praised by Buddy Rich. Edit: "In a 1975 Playboy magazine readers' poll, 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."
Contrary to popular belief that fame and public scrutiny were to blame, those close to the Carpenter family claim the root of Karen's problems was an overbearing, perfectionist mother who clearly favoured her "musical genius" brother, Richard. Karen was three years younger than her brother Richard, a piano prodigy who started arranging music at 12. Their mother, Agnes, often boasted that her son was a musical genius, and Karen idolised him. When the family moved from Connecticut to California in 1963, Karen found her first musical love, playing drums in her high school's marching band. Karen was a typical, chubby teenager and Richard teased her, calling her "fatso". Their mother described Karen, who at the time was 17 and a healthy 10st and 5ft 4in, as "hefty around the butt", and took her to see a doctor about her weight. Karen was put on the Stillman water diet, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet popular in the 1960s, which involved vitamin supplements and drinking eight glasses of water a day. After six months, she had lost 25lb, but her relationship with food, and her self-image, was irrevocably damaged. That was the start of Karen counting calories daily and exercising. Karen and Richard eventually signed with A&M Records and their first hit single released in 1969 was a cover of The Beatles "Ticket To Ride." After realising the true worth of her contralto voice - described by some as like that of an angel - the label started to wean Karen away from playing the drums, her greatest love, and - poignantly - an instrument she could hide behind. By the early 1970s, she was front of stage, alone and with a microphone, and millions of eyes on her. It's possible that Karen's weight loss during the 70s may have been a form of attention-seeking, even when that attention was negative. She was able to control something in her life - Richard controlled a lot, her mum controlled a lot, the record companies controlled a lot, and this was one of the few times in Karen's life where she could make a rebellious stab for independence. Another pressure on Karen and Richard was more obvious; the duo's squeaky-clean, all-American image in the rebellious era of Vietnam protests, the Watergate scandal and hard rock. According to Karen; "Because we were brother and sister, we were ridiculed up, down, backwards and forwards... Nobody would go after the music, but they criticised our clothes, our hair... they criticized our audiences because families came." Another unhappiness for Karen was her inability to find lasting love. Her marriage to self-described property mogul Tom Burris in 1980 ended quickly. It later emerged how, three days before her wedding day, Burris told his future wife, who wanted children, that he'd had a vasectomy and would not get it reversed. During treatment in New York in 1982, Karen confessed to psychotherapist Steven Levenkron that she could take up to 90 laxatives at once and admitted taking up to ten thyroid medication pills a day. Later, it was learned that she had also been unknowingly poisoning herself with overdoses of a syrup that induced vomiting. She was also found to be suffering from body dysmorphia (ie, the thinner Karen was, the fatter she felt). Karen was found dead at her parents' home on February 4, 1983. She had suffered congestive heart failure due to complications from anorexia. Sadly, the Carpenters drummer Cubby O'Brien remembers Karen's optimism and determination in her final days: "I spoke to Karen just a few days before she died and she was in good spirits. She was in the studio and recording. She was feeling good." RIP Karen Carpenter
We lost Karen in February of 1983. I was 19 and was shopping when they announced it over the PA system in the store. I broke down crying right in the middle of the store because she was so special. So incredibly sad.
Myself as well. Safeway Grocery. At first I thought it was a Carpenter h8†er playing a joke. I get home and my cousin Paul Keenan who worked at ABC on Dynasty said they were released for the day because.... 😢
I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing and the time I heard that she had passed… I was devastated. She had too many people pressuring her to get better from her anorexia because they wanted to record and make more money… and, sadly her brother, Richard was the main instigator. It is just such a tragic story. But, truly she is one of the GOAT’s 🙌
I'm. Psych RN. Eating disorders are almost always about control. Many things contributed to her disorder, but I feel (reading up on her over the years) that she enjoyed what she did but didn't feel like she had a lot of control over her career. She adored and was very close to her brother, but he was very much assertive and their managers kind of pushed her to sing front and center. Her first passion and love was drumming. She liked singing, but she preferred to be behind the drum kit. I've read that she felt way too "noticeable" as a front-and-center lead singer. She felt very subconscious about how she looked. But yes, her brother and managers pushed her to come out from behind her beloved drums. Check out a video of just her drumming skills (there are a couple on TH-cam) and see how ecstatic she is. She's all smiles when she drums. The self-consciousness, coupled with possibly a couple remarks on her weight early in her career (legend says a review stated that "Richard's chubby sister has a wonderful voice" and feeling a lack of control all contributed to her eating disorder. Also a weird relatnonship with her mother, who openly favored Richard as the golden child and showed her very little affection but a lot of control. She starved herself down well below 90 lbs. Back then the average Joe had never heard of Anorexia, and even doctors knew little about the psychology behind it and how to treat it. Her friends and family knew she had a problem but were clueless as to what to do.You can't just tell an anorexic to eat. It's the one thing they can control (what they put in their mouth). She was finally getting treatment, but that consisted of putting about 30 lb s on her in a. matter of weeks through IV nutrition int he hospital, and that further stressed her already damaged heart.
Her first "bad" relationship was apparently with her mother. According to her friends from youth, Karen never felt that anything she did was acceptable to her mother. Dealing with such an oppressive relationship from youth and then piling the pressures of performing on a national stage were most likely key factors contributing to her mental illness. Such a sad and senseless loss.
It was also her mother. And since this is 2024, if I say: “Karen’s mom was like Abuela from ‘Encanto,’ Karen was like Mirabel and Richard was like Isabela,” you’ll probably know what I mean. I don’t remember which Carpenters bio I read this from, but her mother clearly valued Richard over Karen. That was why they packed up and moved from CN (?) to CA: for HIS career. And there was an incident where Richard and Karen literally just got done performing and went backstage, and someone went running up to them with a phone. Guess who was on the other end… It was their mother. Agnes Carpenter wanted to scream at them and demand to know why they hadn’t sent those autographed pictures to that kid like they said they would. Karen and her brother were never good enough for their mom. Karen especially was never good enough for her mom. It broke her heart in the end.
I developed Anorexia at age 13.im 70 now. Yes, it Is all about Control...i had a very damaged birth -age 7 childhood, I was adopted by a Great set of parents who got me into counseling at age 11, but back then, treatment was Poor. It is Still an issue with me, but i dont let it control me anymore. God bless you for takuing an interest in these disorders
I am glad you've taken an interest in The Carpenters. Arguably one of the perfect pure voices ever. It's amazing to me that she was only 20 yrs old when they recorded this. They used to call her "one take Karen" because many of their songs she recorded in just one take. This song "Superstar" is one of those songs. Frank Sinatra himself even said the only person he would ever pay money to hear sing was Karen Carpenter.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee 😂 you know nothing about singing. I sang alto in choirs for decades. Can easily hit all those low notes and as loudly as regular notes.
Her voice is liquid gold. Someone told her she looked heavy and then she starved herself. She got help and gained weight then unfortunately died of heart failure.Karen was a true alto. She was born in. 1950. Can you believe she thought of herself as a drummer and not a singer
Karen was a phenomenal drummer and her brother Richard had to push her to get out in front and sing vs. stay behind her drums. Also, always remember it took Richard's amazing song selections, arrangements, layering their harmonies, and his equally phenomenal keyboarding skills that allowed Karen's vocals to soar and to make that Carpenters magic. Karen had a solo album that someone else produced later in her career and it didn't have the same sparkle.
Playboy magazine did a survey of best drummers and Karen came out ahead of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, and he was beside himself to be ranked behind a girl drummer. She was a masterful drummer, and perhaps should have stayed in the bay with the drum so no one would remark on her shape. FWIW, I remember having a boyhood crush on her, she was so pretty and that voice was absolutely mesmerizing. 💔
A reviewer with Rolling Stone said, "Karen Carpenter's voice is like the sound of a lover whispering in your ear.". She's been gone more than 30 years...and her voice STILL gives me goosebumps.
It was a devasting loss for those of us that grew up listening to Karen. Their song We’ve only just begun became one of the biggest hits at weddings. My heart still hurts when I hear Karen sing. RIP Karen we miss you 😢
It was our prom theme. 😔❤ I can still see the decorations in my mind. Can't believe it was so many years ago! Perfect theme for us, graduating and just starting out on our life adventures...
My entire 6th grade class sang "We've Only Just Begun" during our "graduation ceremony" from Elementary School to Jr. High School. Quite fitting a song for graduations and weddings.
She passed at age 32 in 1983, so she would only be 73 right now....a real loss....she was so famous that she and her brother had a weekly TV show with musical gust stars etc....yiou were spot on with haters- some critic said she looked fat early in her career and she started purging- she took diet pills, took meds that made her go to the bathroom even though she weighed less then 90 pounds...and it ruined her heart and other organs....she was at her parents house and didn't come down fro breakfast and they fiound her in the bedroom upstairs having died in her sleep. The news was all over the world and they showed her video biography as a warning to the parents of young girls about bullying and eating disorders
in her case, I have read that her mother was merciless about her weight...... constant criticism...... with every single bite of food she took............ and so, looking for approval........ her solution was to just stop eating.
The Carpenters were underappreciated as musical innovators. They were some of the first to overdub their vocals and did virtually all of their own "background" singing. They did some of the first songs to be dubbed "power ballads." Richard did the bulk of their arrangements and orchestration. And Karen was a world class drummer.
Out of all the great and talented (M/F) singers of all genres that have passed away in the last 50 years. If I could have just one back. It would be Karen Carpenter.
I can't listen to Karen Carpenter for more then 30 seconds before I start crying like a baby. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful singer, just like an angel!
Karen Carpenter was the best singer no doubt, but factually, she had just under a 3 octave range. She didn’t need whistle register theatrics to be great
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee disagree. The best singers create a sound all their own. They don’t try to be all things to all people. Bee Gees had a sound. Bread and David Gates had a sound, ELO had a sound. You aren’t going to convince anyone with your argument. I don’t know how old you are but I’m 60 and lived in the Carpenters era. They were special.
If you can believe it, The Carpenters were considered "Square" back in the day. Now, people understand how great they were. (They were great then too really...square was just because they were cleaner cut then most musicians)
@@Lonewolf-i8p I wonder where I was during that part of her life! I didn’t know that Karen Carpenter ever married! So where was her husband at the end? I flat out don’t remember anything about him! Was he a known celebrity? Someone remind me what year Karen passed, may she RIP.
She died in 1983. Someone told her early on in her career that she was a bit chubby and should lose some weight. It affected her deeply and she struggled for the rest of her life. She had a one of a kind unique voice. So pure, rich and smooth like velvet. Some of her other great songs include We've only just begun, Solitaire, Ave Maria, Only yesterday, Masquerade, Ticket to ride, Close to you and Yesterday once more.
She never learned to love herself, after the remark was made. I always seen her pain in her singing. She was a beautiful women, with a beautiful voice. R.I.P. Karen
One of the few people to ever take the stage who had perfect pitch. Record producers loved her because she could do in one take what it took others twenty or thirty. She could also reproduce her studio performance live... note for note flawlessly. Beautiful voice, talented musician (incredibly talented drummer) and definitely very easy on the eyes. Once she began performing with her brother it was inevitable that they would go to the top. Ironic thing was that she didn't enjoy performing and only stayed with it because it had always been her brothers dream to be an entertainer. He craved the spotlight while she craved peace and quiet and it eventually cost her her life. The pressures of performing and people expecting her to look and act a certain way led to inevitable mental health issues and developing anorexia and she died of complications brought on by her failure to eat
Karen had a way of going right into your soul and heart with her singing. Not only did she have probably the best singing voice, ever, but she had a way of sending her emotions to you through her singing. Every time I hear her sing, I get all teary-eyed and choked up. Karen was one of a kind. It has been said that she is now teaching the angels in heaven how to sing. She has certainly left her mark in this world. RIP, Karen.
I’ve always interpreted the lyrics as: she’s an adoring fan,and due to her loneliness has created a “relationship” that doesn’t really exist. The lyrics, her performance, her voice, and her story are devastating.
I interpret as she is a fan who got back stage and gave it up to the "superstar" thinking she is "the one" for him, not realizing that she was only one of many.
This Carpenters version (1971) is actually a remake with "watered down" lyrics. The original lyrics (1969) said, "and I can hardly wait, to sleep with you again". So you're pretty much both correct.
I agree completely and always thought of it as a sad song and a girl who was taken advantage of. If not for the beautiful vocal, the song is heartbreaking and disgusting.
I grew up with the Carpenters. I remember exactly where I was when the announced over the radio that she had passed away. Sad day. No other voice like hers or ever will be. The quality of the arrangements are all her brother Richard’s.
Her voice is INCOMPARABLE. Her story was a sad one for sure. What a loss to the world. Their music , HIGH CLASS CLASSIC! We women have so much pressure to be thin, and it is ridiculous to feel that pressure but it is real. I feel for us women.
Karen Carpenter was one of the first women to play an instrument for a popular/famous band. And her voice was phenomenal. Such a huge loss when she passed.You could call the new channel FUQ 2.0 lol.
Her Christmas song “Merry Christmas Darling” makes me cry every Christmas as my husband dies a few months before this song came out. We lost a beautiful voice. It’s so cool to see you guys discover this music from late 60s, 70’s, 80’s. Best singer singer song writers who also played instruments and performed.
She passed away in February of 1983. This song was written by Bonnie Bramlet and Leon Russell. Rita Coolidge sang it when she performed in the Mad Dogs and English Men tour with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell. They filmed the tour and made a movie out of it called “Mad Dogs and English Men” and also a live album of the same name. Leon Russell is one of my favorite artists from that era. His “Jumping Jack Flash/Youngblood Medley” 13:04 is to live for.
Her voice is liquid gold! It has fullness, depth, and warmth that no one else has ever replicated. Very early in their career, a journalist wrote that she was "chubby," and that is one of the things that started the spiral. However, anorexia is usually about control, or lack thereof. One area where individuals can exert control is over their own bodies. 😢 Karen Carpenter, unfortunately, could never see herself the way we saw her.
She died of complications from anorexia (congestive heart failure). I remember listening to her music when I was young and it hit me so deep. Then, watching the made for tv movie about her life just broke my heart. So much potential & I understand completely...
There are many great female singers with unique and powerful voices, such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah, Adele, etc. But I personally don't think there is anyone with a voice as beautiful as Karen Carpenter's. And that might have something to do with me listening to her when I was going through a really bad time in my life. You would think a Melancholy voice like hers would do me more harm than good in a time like that, strange, right?
Wow! She has such beautiful control. She sounds just as (or more) beautiful when she pushes the volume. The beauty of her voice expresses so much emotion at all volume levels. When she pushes the volume up, the sound is so emotional and beautiful at the same time. I believe her brother is responsible for the beautiful arrangements and most of their compositions. I believe it was her brother who pushed her into performing. In every video you see of her, you will see her brother playing the piano or keyboards. It's obvious she overdubbed her own background vocal parts in this song. I was lucky to see The Carpenters live in Jacksonville, FL in 1975.
Her tragic death was shattering to everyone back then, and an education to us all about this illness. Listening now to this perfect voice we lost too soon continues to shatter our hearts to this day . . .
Sir Paul McCartney said she had one of the best female voices he had ever heard. So sad she didn’t know how beautiful she was inside & out. Love your reactions!
I’m 64. I grew up listening to them. I learned many songs on the piano. She has the purest voice I’ve ever heard. It gives me great joy to see someone young like you appreciate their music. Richard was equally good at making the arrangements for their music.
my dad was working at the white house when the carpenters came for a visit and performance in the early 70s. he met her and has really fond memories of talking to her. she was really a sweet and special person off stage
Recorded in one take, reading the lyrics off a napkin, only 21 years old at the time! The song reached number #2 on the charts in 1971.. While recorded many times by various artists, the Carpenter's version remains the standard and all time classic....
I always loved that song. I used to sing it to my grandchildren as a lullaby. My youngest grandson, who is now 6 years old, will ask me to sing the "Close To Me" song.
Herb Alpert took her on at A&M records. So he produced their songs with her brother, Richard. Herb said they called her “one take Karen”She was that perfect everytime. BTW you were saying she was shy or an introvert. She started out in the back of the band on drums. She reluctantly gave them up to perform as the vocalist out front. Herb Alpert said he asked her once “what do you think is your best talent? What would you say you do well”. She answered “drumming”. So that tells you what she thought of her own voice.
I was born in the 60's and I remember The Carpenters well. Karen has the most angelic voice I've ever heard and in my opinion the best female vocalist ever. Karen was so talented and I enjoy listening to The Carpenters music whenever I get a chance. It takes me back to the "good ole days". 😌Thanks for the reaction!
Karen, Patsy Cline, Doris Day & Peggy Lee had some of the most beautiful, God-gifted voices I’ve ever heard….& I’m a classic rock guy. I remember my dad had the Carpenters 8-track in his 70 Chevelle when I was a kid. That one & Charlie Pride are permanently fixed in my memory.
No auto tune no ass flashing just pure talent
Agreed. When you flash your ass, you have no talent.
And prided on doing just 1 take.
Never been a more beautiful voice❤
People like me who grew up on her, no ass flashing, want to puke at the sleazy girl "singers" of recent years & today.
When we were kids in the 70s, we literally walked around our town, singing The Carpenters songs, PRACTICING every single NOTE, aspiring to get closer to sounding like Karen. Beautiful times, no ass flashing or slutty crap... a much more beautiful life and gorgeous memories!
Exactly! Just talent... and being able to hold an audience with all her clothes on, unlike so many females today.
Karen Carpenters voice is still to this day the most captivating, technically perfect voice ever uttered.
And most of the songs were recorded in ONE take! Amazing!
Agreed 100 percent, no one even comes close, she was so unique and thank god she moved away from the Drums, her voice is of liquid Gold, she can hold high and low , shes amazing , rip karen gone but never forgotten xx
@@jennyfuddpucker3481x siempre!!!!
I would definitely say I agree, but only as an alto voice. I have other choices for mezzo and sopranos. But she was truly one of a kind.
Karen Carpenter and Whitney Houston are the two cleanest sharpest clear voices. RIP Karen and Whitney
John Lennon walked up to her at a Los Angeles restaurant and told her "I want to tell you, love, that you've got a fabulous voice
What more do you want than a compliment from John Lennon my hero
She said after he left "that he was probably just being nice". She didn't know she was a singing goddess.
She didn’t need Lennon’s validation.
That's so sad. Her mother really screwed her up.
Really? Wow… truth…
If angels could sing, this is what they would sound like.
My favorite female voice of all time. Her voice sounds like melted chocolate.
Yes 😊
What a perfect description.
Her voice was like a warm hug, that broke your heart.
great description! ♥
Mine as well, always has been, always will be... Her voice is therapy for the soul, and the ultimate storyteller voice who sang TO the listener NOT at them!.. Melted Chocolate, the freshest breeze on a hot humid day, the warmest hug, seeing the smile of a friend you haven't seen in years and other adjective comments/phrases...
Richard Carpenter is a musical genius. He arranged all of their music.
Did a lot with the Wrecking Crew too. He was a master Arranger.
Karen Carpenter! One of the most beautiful female voices of all time!
didnt knw about her anerexia and illness. That is heartbreaking I liked the carpenters songs as a small kid and i still like it, so Thank u very much for your beautiful songs Carpenters and may your light shine bright for ever Karen
Today's music can't even come close to this type of quality! I was so lucky to grow up with beauty like this.
You just listened and discovered one of the best female singers of all time!!!
Absolute perfect pitch. Never a missed note.
To this day, in my opinion, the harmony of the Carpenters has never been matched.
Her voice just wraps around you like a warm blanket and draws you into the story she's singing.
True!
THAT was a beautiful description..
Great comment!
I'm a classic hard rock type of guy. And I totally agree. No other female "pop" vocalist has ever been able to put such emotion into a song like Karen Carpenter.
I have used the descriptor of a warm hug.
Her voice was and still is something out of this World. There is no other Karen Carpenter.
She struggled with a food disorder for years. Her family tried so hard to get her help, but eventually her body was too badly damaged. I remember hearing about her passing on the news and i just sat and cried. Sad that she didn't realize her worth and sad that we wouldn't hear that beautiful voice live again. 😢❤
They suffer from a low self image anorexic/ bulemics. My sister could have been a casualty buy I learned about this 1st because of Karen Carpenter and we got her help before it was too late! Awful illness when you know what they do to themselves...sad!
She wanted to be primarily a drummer but her mother didn’t think it was feminine enough. Her brother was no saint either.
I’m not saying her family didn’t love her, but I think her lack of control in her own life played a big part of the disorder.
This is really sad 😢 I loved her voice, her songs ❤
Really tried to help her? Too little, too late. They were more of a stress factor than helpful
Her mother seemed to be part of the problem. 😢
Voice of an angel. RIP Karen💔
One of a kind voice. There will never be another one like her. I can't get 30 seconds into one of their songs before the tears start.
I saw her in 73!!!
listen to Tori Holub. she is karen remade...amazing
Look up Tori Holub.
She has a passion for keeping Karen's voice alive. She has covered a great deal of Carpenter catalog.: performed in front of Richard. He approves.
Me too.
I don't make it 30 seconds before crying.x
She was also an excellent drummer. In fact, drumming was her first love.
Good. Not excellent
@@Coowallsky She was an excellent drummer, and her talent was recognized and praised by Buddy Rich.
Edit: "In a 1975 Playboy magazine readers' poll, 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."
@@FrankBailey-mg9uo She was not an excellent drummer. Rich's praise does not make it so..
@@Coowallsky Your denial of her drumming excellence is irrelevant.
@@FrankBailey-mg9uo Your belief that her drummig was excellent is ludicrous.
She was blessed with perfect pitch. Very few people are born with it.
She's been gone for over 40 years 😥 And she's still the best and most talented female "pop" vocalist and drummer in the world.
Contrary to popular belief that fame and public scrutiny were to blame, those close to the Carpenter family claim the root of Karen's problems was an overbearing, perfectionist mother who clearly favoured her "musical genius" brother, Richard.
Karen was three years younger than her brother Richard, a piano prodigy who started arranging music at 12. Their mother, Agnes, often boasted that her son was a musical genius, and Karen idolised him. When the family moved from Connecticut to California in 1963, Karen found her first musical love, playing drums in her high school's marching band. Karen was a typical, chubby teenager and Richard teased her, calling her "fatso". Their mother described Karen, who at the time was 17 and a healthy 10st and 5ft 4in, as "hefty around the butt", and took her to see a doctor about her weight. Karen was put on the Stillman water diet, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet popular in the 1960s, which involved vitamin supplements and drinking eight glasses of water a day. After six months, she had lost 25lb, but her relationship with food, and her self-image, was irrevocably damaged. That was the start of Karen counting calories daily and exercising.
Karen and Richard eventually signed with A&M Records and their first hit single released in 1969 was a cover of The Beatles "Ticket To Ride." After realising the true worth of her contralto voice - described by some as like that of an angel - the label started to wean Karen away from playing the drums, her greatest love, and - poignantly - an instrument she could hide behind. By the early 1970s, she was front of stage, alone and with a microphone, and millions of eyes on her.
It's possible that Karen's weight loss during the 70s may have been a form of attention-seeking, even when that attention was negative. She was able to control something in her life - Richard controlled a lot, her mum controlled a lot, the record companies controlled a lot, and this was one of the few times in Karen's life where she could make a rebellious stab for independence. Another pressure on Karen and Richard was more obvious; the duo's squeaky-clean, all-American image in the rebellious era of Vietnam protests, the Watergate scandal and hard rock. According to Karen; "Because we were brother and sister, we were ridiculed up, down, backwards and forwards... Nobody would go after the music, but they criticised our clothes, our hair... they criticized our audiences because families came."
Another unhappiness for Karen was her inability to find lasting love. Her marriage to self-described property mogul Tom Burris in 1980 ended quickly. It later emerged how, three days before her wedding day, Burris told his future wife, who wanted children, that he'd had a vasectomy and would not get it reversed.
During treatment in New York in 1982, Karen confessed to psychotherapist Steven Levenkron that she could take up to 90 laxatives at once and admitted taking up to ten thyroid medication pills a day. Later, it was learned that she had also been unknowingly poisoning herself with overdoses of a syrup that induced vomiting. She was also found to be suffering from body dysmorphia (ie, the thinner Karen was, the fatter she felt). Karen was found dead at her parents' home on February 4, 1983. She had suffered congestive heart failure due to complications from anorexia. Sadly, the Carpenters drummer Cubby O'Brien remembers Karen's optimism and determination in her final days: "I spoke to Karen just a few days before she died and she was in good spirits. She was in the studio and recording. She was feeling good." RIP Karen Carpenter
We lost Karen in February of 1983. I was 19 and was shopping when they announced it over the PA system in the store. I broke down crying right in the middle of the store because she was so special. So incredibly sad.
Myself as well. Safeway Grocery. At first I thought it was a Carpenter h8†er playing a joke. I get home and my cousin Paul Keenan who worked at ABC on Dynasty said they were released for the day because.... 😢
I was in a Grocery store too. They announced it over the speaker. I was young . Very sad to hear.
I went into 2 full months of clinical depression, while touring with a drama company.. It was a challenging time in life
I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing and the time I heard that she had passed… I was devastated. She had too many people pressuring her to get better from her anorexia because they wanted to record and make more money… and, sadly her brother, Richard was the main instigator. It is just such a tragic story. But, truly she is one of the GOAT’s 🙌
I'm. Psych RN. Eating disorders are almost always about control. Many things contributed to her disorder, but I feel (reading up on her over the years) that she enjoyed what she did but didn't feel like she had a lot of control over her career. She adored and was very close to her brother, but he was very much assertive and their managers kind of pushed her to sing front and center. Her first passion and love was drumming. She liked singing, but she preferred to be behind the drum kit. I've read that she felt way too "noticeable" as a front-and-center lead singer. She felt very subconscious about how she looked. But yes, her brother and managers pushed her to come out from behind her beloved drums.
Check out a video of just her drumming skills (there are a couple on TH-cam) and see how ecstatic she is. She's all smiles when she drums.
The self-consciousness, coupled with possibly a couple remarks on her weight early in her career (legend says a review stated that "Richard's chubby sister has a wonderful voice" and feeling a lack of control all contributed to her eating disorder. Also a weird relatnonship with her mother, who openly favored Richard as the golden child and showed her very little affection but a lot of control.
She starved herself down well below 90 lbs. Back then the average Joe had never heard of Anorexia, and even doctors knew little about the psychology behind it and how to treat it. Her friends and family knew she had a problem but were clueless as to what to do.You can't just tell an anorexic to eat. It's the one thing they can control (what they put in their mouth).
She was finally getting treatment, but that consisted of putting about 30 lb s on her in a. matter of weeks through IV nutrition int he hospital, and that further stressed her already damaged heart.
Her first "bad" relationship was apparently with her mother. According to her friends from youth, Karen never felt that anything she did was acceptable to her mother. Dealing with such an oppressive relationship from youth and then piling the pressures of performing on a national stage were most likely key factors contributing to her mental illness. Such a sad and senseless loss.
Her mother was really horrible and demeaning to her. That was what really started it.
Her mother too!!
It was also her mother. And since this is 2024, if I say: “Karen’s mom was like Abuela from ‘Encanto,’ Karen was like Mirabel and Richard was like Isabela,” you’ll probably know what I mean.
I don’t remember which Carpenters bio I read this from, but her mother clearly valued Richard over Karen. That was why they packed up and moved from CN (?) to CA: for HIS career.
And there was an incident where Richard and Karen literally just got done performing and went backstage, and someone went running up to them with a phone. Guess who was on the other end… It was their mother. Agnes Carpenter wanted to scream at them and demand to know why they hadn’t sent those autographed pictures to that kid like they said they would.
Karen and her brother were never good enough for their mom. Karen especially was never good enough for her mom. It broke her heart in the end.
I developed Anorexia at age 13.im 70 now. Yes, it Is all about Control...i had a very damaged birth -age 7 childhood, I was adopted by a Great set of parents who got me into counseling at age 11, but back then, treatment was Poor. It is Still an issue with me, but i dont let it control me anymore. God bless you for takuing an interest in these disorders
I am glad you've taken an interest in The Carpenters. Arguably one of the perfect pure voices ever. It's amazing to me that she was only 20 yrs old when they recorded this. They used to call her "one take Karen" because many of their songs she recorded in just one take. This song "Superstar" is one of those songs.
Frank Sinatra himself even said the only person he would ever pay money to hear sing was Karen Carpenter.
Karen Carpenter was pitch perfect and her lower register was particularly beautiful.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee 😂 you know nothing about singing. I sang alto in choirs for decades. Can easily hit all those low notes and as loudly as regular notes.
There were so many songs Karen had left to sing. It's hard not to imagine what could have been. A true superstar gone long before her time.
Exactly - this is the second great tragedy concerning Karen - what could have been - what will never be...
Can you imagine a Karen Carpenter / Freddie Mercury duet? That would've been epic
@jimeiden2360 no, but I can imagine a Karen/David Gates duet...
Her voice is liquid gold. Someone told her she looked heavy and then she starved herself. She got help and gained weight then unfortunately died of heart failure.Karen was a true alto. She was born in. 1950. Can you believe she thought of herself as a drummer and not a singer
She said..Im a DRUMMER who can sing
SHe was and still is known as "The VOICE!" How I miss her
Me too & still get goosebumps whenever I hear her voice 😢
I have always loved them. I could sing in her pitch. Never to high or to low. I used to sing alto in school choir. Couldn't get higher. Just right
Karen was a phenomenal drummer and her brother Richard had to push her to get out in front and sing vs. stay behind her drums. Also, always remember it took Richard's amazing song selections, arrangements, layering their harmonies, and his equally phenomenal keyboarding skills that allowed Karen's vocals to soar and to make that Carpenters magic. Karen had a solo album that someone else produced later in her career and it didn't have the same sparkle.
Playboy magazine did a survey of best drummers and Karen came out ahead of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, and he was beside himself to be ranked behind a girl drummer. She was a masterful drummer, and perhaps should have stayed in the bay with the drum so no one would remark on her shape.
FWIW, I remember having a boyhood crush on her, she was so pretty and that voice was absolutely mesmerizing. 💔
A reviewer with Rolling Stone said, "Karen Carpenter's voice is like the sound of a lover whispering in your ear.". She's been gone more than 30 years...and her voice STILL gives me goosebumps.
More than 40 years now. She’s been dead longer than she was alive 🙁
...and not only to you.. 😪
It was a devasting loss for those of us that grew up listening to Karen. Their song We’ve only just begun became one of the biggest hits at weddings. My heart still hurts when I hear Karen sing. RIP Karen we miss you 😢
Yes. My wife and I sang We’ve only just begun at my sister’s wedding.
@@erdossuitcase7667 I sang it at my cousin's wedding.
I feel the same way.....
It was our prom theme. 😔❤
I can still see the decorations in my mind. Can't believe it was so many years ago! Perfect theme for us, graduating and just starting out on our life adventures...
My entire 6th grade class sang "We've Only Just Begun" during our "graduation ceremony" from Elementary School to Jr. High School. Quite fitting a song for graduations and weddings.
RIP Karen Carpenter. The world is a poorer place without your incredible voice.
She passed at age 32 in 1983, so she would only be 73 right now....a real loss....she was so famous that she and her brother had a weekly TV show with musical gust stars etc....yiou were spot on with haters- some critic said she looked fat early in her career and she started purging- she took diet pills, took meds that made her go to the bathroom even though she weighed less then 90 pounds...and it ruined her heart and other organs....she was at her parents house and didn't come down fro breakfast and they fiound her in the bedroom upstairs having died in her sleep. The news was all over the world and they showed her video biography as a warning to the parents of young girls about bullying and eating disorders
I know it's an oft - repeated story ,of young beautiful girls starving themselves . But learning is best thru repetition . And if one life is saved ?!
in her case, I have read that her mother was merciless about her weight...... constant criticism...... with every single bite of food she took............ and so, looking for approval........ her solution was to just stop eating.
The Carpenters were underappreciated as musical innovators. They were some of the first to overdub their vocals and did virtually all of their own "background" singing. They did some of the first songs to be dubbed "power ballads." Richard did the bulk of their arrangements and orchestration. And Karen was a world class drummer.
I cried when she passed. She was a beautiful, talented and fragile gift.
Out of all the great and talented (M/F) singers of all genres that have passed away in the last 50 years. If I could have just one back. It would be Karen Carpenter.
I still cry when I hear her voice.
I cried too. Thy rest of your comment 100% correct.
"We've Only Just Begun" was THE MOST POPULAR WEDDING RECEPTION SONG OF THE 1970's. Period. 😊
I think it is still very popular!
If she was still with us, she'd be 73. And with a voice like that, yes, she'd still be singing.
GOD, what a catalog they would have had by now.....
@@peggygoddard8038 isn't that the truth!
GOD! Every time I hear her voice it just knocks me to my knees! There can NEVER be another voice like that! A gift (to us) from God!
There is no question about the words in the song she’s singing, she sings with so much clarity!
Karen had the most memorizing and haunting voice no one will ever match her talent. And she was extremely beautiful to me. RIP sweet Karen
I can't listen to Karen Carpenter for more then 30 seconds before I start crying like a baby. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful singer, just like an angel!
There's a couple of generations of people really need to listen to this superstar!
The most underrated singer ever.
7 octave range, beginning at the low end. Just plain luscious. Exquisite vocals.
Karen Carpenter was the best singer no doubt, but factually, she had just under a 3 octave range. She didn’t need whistle register theatrics to be great
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee “virtuoso technique” doesn’t beat sincere, pure, soothing and relatable. There’s a reason Karen Carpenter is beloved.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee disagree. The best singers create a sound all their own. They don’t try to be all things to all people. Bee Gees had a sound. Bread and David Gates had a sound, ELO had a sound. You aren’t going to convince anyone with your argument. I don’t know how old you are but I’m 60 and lived in the Carpenters era. They were special.
@@lauriloo38c Indeed, Karen Carpenter's voice is unmistakable, you know it's her from the first note she sings on any song.
@brucewozniak9473 Ummmmmm, no. Just no. Karen had a 3-1/2 octave range (at most). The entire piano keyboard is just over 7 octaves...
Karen Carpenter had the voice of an angel
Karen Carpenter's voice was one in a million, once in a generation.
Best female singer ever.
If you can believe it, The Carpenters were considered "Square" back in the day. Now, people understand how great they were. (They were great then too really...square was just because they were cleaner cut then most musicians)
So true.
@@barbkrettler1944Yes , they were shunned and ignored because of their wholesome image. An injustice to the two of them and their talent.
And, they were pop stars, in a Rock market.
She was also unhappily married which didn't help. She had the voice of an angel. RIP Karen.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@Lonewolf-i8p I wonder where I was during that part of her life! I didn’t know that Karen Carpenter ever married! So where was her husband at the end? I flat out don’t remember anything about him! Was he a known celebrity? Someone remind me what year Karen passed, may she RIP.
Karen is the greatesr\t female vocalist of all-time, in my opinion. Untouchable. A voice from Heaven.
The smoothest vibrato ever. She has effortless power and a huge range. Her tone was so rich and full. There are not many voices to compare her too.
Her brother produced and arranged all the music, he doesn’t get enough credit for his talent and he had great voice also.
Her brother Richard was the mastermind who produced and arranged the music to fit Karen’s beautiful voice.
She died in 1983. Someone told her early on in her career that she was a bit chubby and should lose some weight. It affected her deeply and she struggled for the rest of her life. She had a one of a kind unique voice. So pure, rich and smooth like velvet. Some of her other great songs include We've only just begun, Solitaire, Ave Maria, Only yesterday, Masquerade, Ticket to ride, Close to you and Yesterday once more.
Close To You was and is one of her most popular songs even today.
Merry Christmas Darling is one of my all time fave Xmas songs
She never learned to love herself, after the remark was made. I always seen her pain in her singing. She was a beautiful women, with a beautiful voice. R.I.P. Karen
@@alixaugustine9599Absolutely!
Top of the World
Karen Carpenter started as a full time drummer for the group. She gradually became the frontwoman for the group.
She was a SUPERSTAR ....voice like smooth velvet...and those low notes, just amazing.
She was amazing
Two songs by The Carpenters you should introduce to your girls are Bless the Beasts and the Children, and Sing a Song.
OMG!! That is such an INCREDIBLE song !!! And the harmony at the end…”The Children” gives me goosebumps!!
One of the few people to ever take the stage who had perfect pitch. Record producers loved her because she could do in one take what it took others twenty or thirty. She could also reproduce her studio performance live... note for note flawlessly. Beautiful voice, talented musician (incredibly talented drummer) and definitely very easy on the eyes. Once she began performing with her brother it was inevitable that they would go to the top. Ironic thing was that she didn't enjoy performing and only stayed with it because it had always been her brothers dream to be an entertainer. He craved the spotlight while she craved peace and quiet and it eventually cost her her life. The pressures of performing and people expecting her to look and act a certain way led to inevitable mental health issues and developing anorexia and she died of complications brought on by her failure to eat
Karen had a way of going right into your soul and heart with her singing. Not only did she have probably the best singing voice, ever, but she had a way of sending her emotions to you through her singing. Every time I hear her sing, I get all teary-eyed and choked up. Karen was one of a kind. It has been said that she is now teaching the angels in heaven how to sing. She has certainly left her mark in this world. RIP, Karen.
That's nice to picture, teaching the angels. ❤
I’ve always interpreted the lyrics as: she’s an adoring fan,and due to her loneliness has created a “relationship” that doesn’t really exist. The lyrics, her performance, her voice, and her story are devastating.
I interpret as she is a fan who got back stage and gave it up to the "superstar" thinking she is "the one" for him, not realizing that she was only one of many.
This Carpenters version (1971) is actually a remake with "watered down" lyrics. The original lyrics (1969) said, "and I can hardly wait, to sleep with you again". So you're pretty much both correct.
I agree completely and always thought of it as a sad song and a girl who was taken advantage of. If not for the beautiful vocal, the song is heartbreaking and disgusting.
As others have noted, the original title was “Groupie.”
I grew up with the Carpenters. I remember exactly where I was when the announced over the radio that she had passed away. Sad day. No other voice like hers or ever will be. The quality of the arrangements are all her brother Richard’s.
Her voice is mesmerizing. I can't remember not listening to her.
Her voice is INCOMPARABLE. Her story was a sad one for sure. What a loss to the world.
Their music , HIGH CLASS CLASSIC!
We women have so much pressure to be thin, and it is ridiculous to feel that pressure but it is real. I feel for us women.
Karen Carpenter was one of the first women to play an instrument for a popular/famous band. And her voice was phenomenal. Such a huge loss when she passed.You could call the new channel FUQ 2.0 lol.
Her Christmas song “Merry Christmas Darling” makes me cry every Christmas as my husband dies a few months before this song came out. We lost a beautiful voice. It’s so cool to see you guys discover this music from late 60s, 70’s, 80’s. Best singer singer song writers who also played instruments and performed.
She passed away in February of 1983. This song was written by Bonnie Bramlet and Leon Russell. Rita Coolidge sang it when she performed in the Mad Dogs and English Men tour with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell. They filmed the tour and made a movie out of it called “Mad Dogs and English Men” and also a live album of the same name. Leon Russell is one of my favorite artists from that era. His “Jumping Jack Flash/Youngblood Medley” 13:04 is to live for.
Her voice is liquid gold! It has fullness, depth, and warmth that no one else has ever replicated. Very early in their career, a journalist wrote that she was "chubby," and that is one of the things that started the spiral. However, anorexia is usually about control, or lack thereof. One area where individuals can exert control is over their own bodies. 😢 Karen Carpenter, unfortunately, could never see herself the way we saw her.
One of the best female voices of all time.
Only Yesterday is Awesome!!! Yesterday Once More, We've Only Just Begun, and (They Long to Be) Close to You are all also great.
She died of complications from anorexia (congestive heart failure). I remember listening to her music when I was young and it hit me so deep. Then, watching the made for tv movie about her life just broke my heart. So much potential & I understand completely...
Beyond a doubt, a true American Icon. Top 10 vocalist, anywhere anytime any genre, of all time.
I grew up listening to them. It was so sad when she passed.
Best female singer of the 20th century. Perfect pitch.
Of all time. Best singer in any century
I heard someone say: "She had perfect pitch and was pitch perfect." If you have voice analysis software, you will see this to be true!!
There are many great female singers with unique and powerful voices, such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah, Adele, etc. But I personally don't think there is anyone with a voice as beautiful as Karen Carpenter's. And that might have something to do with me listening to her when I was going through a really bad time in my life. You would think a Melancholy voice like hers would do me more harm than good in a time like that, strange, right?
True beauty always brings pain.
Wow! She has such beautiful control. She sounds just as (or more) beautiful when she pushes the volume. The beauty of her voice expresses so much emotion at all volume levels. When she pushes the volume up, the sound is so emotional and beautiful at the same time. I believe her brother is responsible for the beautiful arrangements and most of their compositions. I believe it was her brother who pushed her into performing. In every video you see of her, you will see her brother playing the piano or keyboards. It's obvious she overdubbed her own background vocal parts in this song. I was lucky to see The Carpenters live in Jacksonville, FL in 1975.
Her tragic death was shattering to everyone back then, and an education to us all about this illness. Listening now to this perfect voice we lost too soon continues to shatter our hearts to this day . . .
It still amazes me that some people have never heard of this! I'm glad you have been introduced to The Carpenters. She is amazing!
Sir Paul McCartney said she had one of the best female voices he had ever heard. So sad she didn’t know how beautiful she was inside & out. Love your reactions!
I grew up through the seventies and eighties listening to the Carpenters weekly. RIP Mum.
I’m 64. I grew up listening to them. I learned many songs on the piano. She has the purest voice I’ve ever heard. It gives me great joy to see someone young like you appreciate their music. Richard was equally good at making the arrangements for their music.
my dad was working at the white house when the carpenters came for a visit and performance in the early 70s. he met her and has really fond memories of talking to her. she was really a sweet and special person off stage
Recorded in one take, reading the lyrics off a napkin, only 21 years old at the time! The song reached number #2 on the charts in 1971.. While recorded many times by various artists, the Carpenter's version remains the standard and all time classic....
I absolutely loved her. It broke my heart when she died.
Best female alto ever. First take Karen.
I believe she was a contralto, still, she has the finest voice ever recorded.
@@charlesparrott1689 You would be correct!
Congratulations on the birth of your new daughter! 🎉🎉🎉❤
Her control in her voice is incredible. The flow through the notes just floats on clouds. Very well trained.
When someone makes you cry you know there singing touches your soul.
"Close to you" is another great song!
I always loved that song. I used to sing it to my grandchildren as a lullaby. My youngest grandson, who is now 6 years old, will ask me to sing the "Close To Me" song.
Carpenters they sounds like and Orchestra then Karen her iconic voice .. she sounds like angel .
Herb Alpert took her on at A&M records. So he produced their songs with her brother, Richard. Herb said they called her “one take Karen”She was that perfect everytime. BTW you were saying she was shy or an introvert. She started out in the back of the band on drums. She reluctantly gave them up to perform as the vocalist out front. Herb Alpert said he asked her once “what do you think is your best talent? What would you say you do well”. She answered “drumming”. So that tells you what she thought of her own voice.
She was known for doing songs in one take. Perfectionist. Wonderful.
I was born in the 60's and I remember The Carpenters well. Karen has the most angelic voice I've ever heard and in my opinion the best female vocalist ever. Karen was so talented and I enjoy listening to The Carpenters music whenever I get a chance. It takes me back to the "good ole days". 😌Thanks for the reaction!
Chills from the first notes! Karen's voice is stunning! Loved your reaction to my favorite group of all time.
Karen, Patsy Cline, Doris Day & Peggy Lee had some of the most beautiful, God-gifted voices I’ve ever heard….& I’m a classic rock guy. I remember my dad had the Carpenters 8-track in his 70 Chevelle when I was a kid. That one & Charlie Pride are permanently fixed in my memory.
They say her voice is pitch perfect!
Actually, her voice was pitch perfect.
I could listen to Karen Carpenter sing the phone book. Such a gorgeous tone to her voice.
She was a superstar voice and person. Someone called her chubby when she was young and it put in into a self destructive frame of m8nd.
She fell in love with what she heard on the radio. Like many in this world.
To me, Karen was simply the best female singer I've ever heard.
Can you imagine someone with that glorious voice singing "I love you, I really do" to you? Makes me cry 😢
Her voice is a mixture of velvet and mahogany….unmatched.
She was a great drummer too. My heart was broken when she died.
Her voice got me through my "childhood " TRUTH. !❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤