My mom is 85 years she has dementia. She doesn’t know who I am. She used to sing this to me when I was little. When I play this, mom knows all the words. We sing together and I have her back for a minute.
@@djdonald243 Do you really think so? I love my mom so much. It’s a privilege to take care of her. I get overwhelmed though. I’m the only child, so it all lands squarely on my shoulders.
Karen was one of a kind. There will never be another like her. She had such a pure calming voice. And she was a terrific drummer. That was her passion even more than singing. Sadly we lost her so young. Thankfully we have her legacy left in her music.
@@bradk4036 I was at school when this happened never forget it, same with Princess Diana, know exactly where and when, such a loss with both. She had an incredible voice, her brother is also very underrated, they made the group together.
The only Karen no one hates. LMAO! Jokes aside, I used to listen to their albums going to sleep at night. Her voice is absolutely magical. I cried the day her death was announced. The Carpenters were HUGE back in the 70s, and deservedly so. They were the king and queen of AM radio(the "lighter" stuff, back then). At my 6th grade "graduation" to Jr. High School, we sang their song "We've Only Just Begun". Her brother still makes music, but without her voice, it's just not the same.
@@karencurtis4374 I only learned about the whole "karens" thing maybe two years ago and I hated it. Why do people have to ruin such a beautiful name? (At least it's probably not going to stay as permanently ruined as "Lucifer". "Light-bringer" is a *beautiful* meaning for a name.)
Karen Carpenter is the only female vocalist to make a man's eyes water because of the combination of her voice, Richards voice and piano playing along with the harmony. Karen is the top female vocalist of all time in my book.
Karen Carpenter... Simply the best female singer of all time. The so called singers of today cannot hold a candle to this woman. Her passing was a tragedy. RIP Karen.
Karen's voice is like a warm blanket...completely enveloping you, and giving you a sense of protection. The Carpenters are one of the few groups that you never need a lyric sheet for...thanks to Karen's incredibly clear singing.
@@joanmaciel416 I'll second that, Joan. Doggone, I am so lucky to have grown up right during the thick of music like this (Beatles, Chicago, Doobies, America, Stones, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, and on and on...)-- and to have actually seen The Carpenters in concert once, in 1973. They were fantastic live, and Karen was so humble and gracious.
Little known factoid: Karen Carpenter had the nickname of "One-Take Karen" as she always arrived at a recording session completely prepared. She knew her lyrics, she knew her tempo, she knew how she wanted it to sound so when retakes and re-recordings were required it was basically never because of Karen. It's sad that in modern times "Karen" is a name used so disparagingly.
A recent rather large online poll voted the whole "Karen" trend as the most tiresome and annoying current fad. I don't know, maybe because of that, it might start going away. People are sick of it I guess. I remember this same poll a few years back when the term "On Fleek" made number one as the most tiresome fad. But getting back to Karen Carpenter, what an incredible talent and sweet person she was. Very sad....
This was a much played song. A great hit. It introduced the world to the fabulous Karen Carpenter! The Carpenters are just Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard.
@@shelter9236 No. Carpenters are ONLY Karen and Richard. The others are their backing band which joined them when they went on tour, or appeared with them in their music videos. Just look at all their albums covers. It is just the two of them, Siblings Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter.
@@kevinhodgson2990 Yes indeed. He also produced all their studio albums, selected the songs for them, did the background vocals (with Karen), and sang lead solo vocals on certain tracks in their first few albums (ie those from 1969-73).
Karen and Richard Carpenter were the group. He wrote some of the songs and played the piano. So sad how the stress in her life affected her health. One of the best female vocalists ever.
What nobody has mentioned in the comments is that for all their recordings, Karen and Richard provided the backing vocals themselves, layering each track. That's why the studio versions sound so creamy, if you will...It's all them.
I personally believe that her voice is so amazing precisely because of the haunting psycological pain inside her, wich in the end took her life through anorexia. Starving herself to death gave her a sad, sad, soulful voice (technically her heart gave out, when she started putting on a little weight again).
@@glennquagmire1747 Considering he didn't say she was the best, he said one of the best. I had heard Sheena Easton had played the drums but can't find anything on TH-cam. Maybe you can suggest one.
@@glennquagmire1747 Do you mean Shelia E.? Sheena Easton was only a singer. And I love Shelia E., but she's not remotely the best drummer. She's actually technically a percussionist (those are timbales she's playing). I've never actually seen her behind a drum kit. And Karen Carpenter was dead by 1983, so the contemporaries that were referring to her as one of the best were people like Buddy Rich and Hal Blaine, guys that had been around for a long time (Hal Blaine was the most recorded session drummer in the world, ever).
I've been a drummer for over 40 years...Karen was a MONSTER drummer...A real pro...She could sight read and was pro trained...Karen rips my heart out...Her life was so tragic and her songs and voice were so beautiful...
Karen in her school where she went was teach for a man that try to she play other instruments like violin or other. But she preferred the drums. Mr. Frankie Chaves was her teacher in drums.
As phenomenal as her voice was, she considered herself a drummer who sang and not a singer who played drums. She has a couple of videos of her drumming that are amazing.
So true, and I love how she played up her amazing drumming skills. She was so modest and humble, I don't even think she was aware of how phenomenal her voice actually was. Miss her more than words can express. 😔🙏🏽💖
I'm not normally a fan of live videos, but seeing beautiful Karen in her prime singing and playing the drums was a real bittersweet treat, knowing that the world will never experience the return of the Carpenters
True, she learned the correct play, and she was good at it. A lot of young people want to skip all the mundane things that make a good drummer and just start pounding. You can see Karen's techniques and approaches were good. She could've been a heavily sought session player if she'd wanted that instead of being onstage.
Her brother plays piano and does all the musical arrangements. Karen was also a drummer - very very good drummer, and her voice was discovered almost by accident. A beautiful contralto voice, with tone and pitch always perfect. Frank Sinatra once said that she was the only female singer he would pay to see in concert. Heaven has a lead angel singer in Karen. RIP
Written by Burt Bacharach, this was a huge hit in its day. Karen Carpenter at her peak. Great selection for Female Friday.👍 BTW, Dionne Warwick (Whitney Houston’s aunt) sang a lot of Burt Bacharach songs and has a unique voice too.
I'm so old when listening to Dianne Warwick, no idea what a Whitney Houston was. ..🤣 and Burt played the piano one night at a dinner party at my dad's in Malibu, long ago.
@@kejo7779 Heartbreaker was her biggest hit and she didn't really like the song. The Bee Gees wrote it and went to her home and begged her to do the song. I'm glad she did because it one of my favorite songs of hers.
It is still 3 months away, but The Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling" is one you need to file away for Christmas / December. I always have leaking eyes for it.
Back in the day when artists actually had talent. Today, every artist is manufactured. And you guys pull my heart strings having baby Luka in the video! Love y’all!
"Bless The Beasts & The Children", it will bring a tear. When Karen died, the world truly lost an inspiration of love. Luka stared hard at you. I loved holding my little ones. Used to take my shirt off & hold them up under a wrap/blanket while in the rocking chair. Listening to music by candle light. Some great memories! Bless the beasts & the children....
There's a movie called Bless the Beasts and the Children and it uses their song as it's theme. The movie came out in 1971. I didn't know if there were still copies of this movie around so I searched, and wouldn't you know it...a copy on youtub...full version... th-cam.com/video/1FyFUm5r-f4/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=TH-camMovies
It is known to me that Whitney Huston is a cousin to Dionne Warrick. "I Say A Little Prayer For You," is one of Dionne's greatest hits. Oddly enough Whitney and Natalie Cole sang a duo, also making this song a great hit. This would be a perfect selection for "Female Friday."
You should look up some clips of Karen playing the drums! She was AWESOME! Her voice is super smooth and her lower register is like warm honey. She had such talent. Very sad life story.
Let me add to Alan's suggestion. If you haven't already you need to look up and react to her drum solo (1976 I think -- when she was like about 26 years of age. Here's the solo which was performed on their first TV Special th-cam.com/video/sdHyzGXAJPg/w-d-xo.html
Karen Carpenter was a phenomenal singer. I was a paper boy when she died and I cried when I read the headline. She was a great drummer too, but she was better up front.
As a public figure, Karen also exhibited grace and class. Everybody liked her. She was deeply mourned when she died, and in death, she ascended from superstar to legend.
Yes, the Carpenters are a brother and sister duo. He was on piano and wrote most of their material. They are backed up by various musicians. Little Luca was a fun addition to the video. :)
Richard did some of the songwriting (and played the piano and did the arranging), but many of the early hits were from outside songwriters. This is Burt Bachrach (music) and Hal David (lyrics), a very successful team. (I periodically mention "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield; they wrote that, too.)
First of all, your baby is adorable! Second realize that Karen Carpenter is a legend and a voice like that will likely never come around again in our lifetimes. Also realize there was no such thing as autotune in those days. This is sheer talent.
The fact that your baby cried during this song of all songs made my day. It’s beautiful, your baby’s beautiful and so are you guys. Thank you for the good vibes you send out always.
Karen was the voice and Richard was the producer/creative director. Richard had the big ideas, the creativity, the arrangements but I think this gets forgotten because Karen’s voice and talent were so big! And yes, her voice is clean, crisp, and her diction is perfect. She’s an example of natural, God-given, raw talent.
Karen is so special to me because her story made me realize I had anorexia and made me stop. I didn't know what it was and that it could kill me. So she saved me❤❤ RIP Sweet girl.
The Carpenters were indeed just two - Richard Carpenter and his sister, Karen. She had the golden voice and he was a master arranger largely responsible for their unique sound.
Majestic and Angelic doesn't do her justice, her voice never breaks even when she changes registers, it's amazing, Paul McCartney said she was the greatest female voice he ever heard. It's raw powerful and PURE. She's also a damn good drummer but when she passed away only then did I and many others realize what a gift we lost, it was devastating, she is not of this world.
@robertmichaeljones in fact she was reluctant to come out from behind those drums. Only after Richard's strong urging, did she step out in front and show off the GOAT singer. This woman touches my heart, spirit and soul. In sooo many ways.
They were actually a duo, Karen singing and on drums, with Richard on the piano and backing singing. The other musicians were hired as they were needed, they weren't regular members of The Carpenters. Karen's voice gets the attention, and she has a wonderful voice, but Richard was the composer and arranger, it was he who arranged everything around the quality of her voice to maximise the effect.
That's true. And they would record multiple tracks of just THEIR voices, on their albums. For live performances, they added the other singers, I think - I saw them live when I was 11 years old, and don't remember. But that unique Carpenters sound was because it was just the two of them, and multiple tracks. At least, that's what I always have heard!
The other musicians on this record would later become known as The Wrecking Crew. They worked together on many hit records during the 60s and 70s. Other names attributed to the group were, The First Call Gang, and The Clique. They were A-list session musicians who worked mainly in L.A..
@@margiejackson4226 Yes, I've seen videos of them recording the extra tracks to make that multi-layered sound. Have you heard "Mr. Guder"? LOVE the moving parts towards the end!
Karen resisted stepping out from the drums. Richard did all of the arrangements. Karen was very shy. When they forced her to just sing was the beginning of her eating disorder.
Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played the drums for the recordings because Karen wasn’t seasoned in that atmosphere. Joe Osborn on bass actually “ discovered them”. The background vocals were provided by The Ron Hicklin Singers, a staple in the industry back in the day.
as beautiful as karen's voice is, what makes the carpenters' songs so magical is the brilliant arrangement and production by richard. in anyone else's hands they would not have the legacy they enjoy today. absolutely gorgeous sound.
and thanks to Herb Alpert who with Jerry Moss, gave them the break they needed by having them join A&M records. Having the Carpenters on their label helped pay other musical groups their salary.
This was played at every school dance, prom, weddings. Huge Huge hit that year. She was a badass on drums - there is a video someone here of her performing a drum solo
Can’t say enough about Karen carpenter. She’s considered as having one of the best female voices ever!! Her brother Richard was super talented as well. You guys reacted to superstar, my fave carpenter song. Check out rainy days & Mondays & if you really want to see her true love, check out her drum solo video. RIP KAREN ❤️😇❤️
The Carpenters, we’re Just 2 People a Brother, and Sister. They were absolutely amazing. 😊they were very famous, they were on radio, all the time back in the day. I’m so glad I grew up back then.
You can never go wrong with The Carpenters! Karen was something special. She had perfect tone all the time. She was known as One take Karen in the studios. She was a drummer who sang like an angel. The Carpenters was Karen and her brother an awesome arranger , Richard. Miss Karen!! Rip Angel.
When Karen Carpenter was made, they gave her extra perfection. Too bad they had to use mental health issues to balance it out. I was a mere child of 1 or 2 when she died, but I cry every time I hear her sing. Every time a Carpenters song comes on the radio in the car, I have to switch channels because I can't drive with tears in my eyes.
That is so touching, Nirmal. Yes, there is a bittersweet dimension there, but please try to look at it this way-- it's natural to be sad that she's gone, but moreso than that, let's be GLAD that she was here.
She had the most beautiful velvety voice. Such a tragic life & the world lost a rare talent when she died. I would also recommend "We've Only Just Begun", Rainy Days & Mondays" & "I Won't Last a Day Without You." And Baby Luca just wanted to sing along!
She had such a clear, pure voice, but she always preferred drumming (which she was awesome at!). She didn't care for being up front singing. The lyrics are: On the day that you were born the angels got together. And decided to create a dream come true. So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And star-light in your eyes of blue. That is why all the girls in town follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you... BTW, Luca is a real cutie!
Karen was by far my favorite female singer ever. I had a few guys though- including Steve Perry; Morten Harket, Freddy Mercury, David Gates, Gary Puckett, Bobby Hatfield, Marvin Gaye, Terry Kath, Robin Gibb, and of course Elvis (whose voice I've only recently realized was pretty darn good)!!
You should check out the tribute album done in the 90's by several relatively popular alternative bands of the time. I'm also a metal fan, but I love that album!! Sonic Youth kills it on their eerie cover of Superstar.
My wife and I love the Carpenters! Their song We've Only Just Begun was released August 21st 1970. We got married on August 16th 1970. So it's very special to us. We even got the opportunity to see them live in 1972. Karen's voice is melodic and so pure. And she was fantastic on the drums! It was an amazing performance! We have a few of their albums and still enjoy them. Would love to see you react to more of their music.
So many fantastic Carpenters songs ‘We’ve only just begun’, ‘Rainy Days and Mondays’, ‘Masquerade’ and the beautiful ‘Make believe it’s Your First Time’ are just a few of our favourites. Things were certainly going on in that reaction 😹😹👏👏👏👏
Karen Carpenter was a drummer first. She just happened to be able to sing while drumming. She always said she was a drummer who sang. She also happened to be a virtuoso at both. She was one of the best drummers EVER. Her voice was absolutely without peer. She was the entire package.
Karen had one of the purest voices. That is her brother Richard playing the piano. Definitely listen to Rainy Days and Mondays! It is beautiful and there is a saxophone in that video. It’s beautiful. Luca is absolutely gorgeous!!💙
Jordan, you've moved away from just rap, to realize that there's a vast world of music out there. Now, bro, it's time to move away from just SPORTS movies. Soooooo many brilliant movies out there :-)
Everything she touched with her velvet alto voice was perfection. Their Christmas albums are my favorite holiday music. Two siblings with incredible talent.
karen is the greatest female vocalist of all time,she sings with a tear in voice. if you look up her life story youll no why,listen to rainy days and mondays,the lyrics will tell you some of problems she was going through
One of the best natural contralto voices of all time. Her brother Richard is on the electric piano. He was responsible for most of their arrangements IIRC.
Karen Carpenter was able to play any instrument...But the drums were her first love....Her brother, Richard, who would be on the piano, wrote alot of the songs, and her voice was discovered when they needed to test the lyrics and music....she didn't like the limelight on her, but it was her voice that helped to sell that song, and any song of theirs.
I just love the Carpenters, Karen's voice is angelic. She started out playing the drums and singing, and after a while they wanted her in front because her voice was so beautiful. There is a movie about her life you might want to check out. Happy listening guys!!
I'm SO happy you picked this Carpenters song. The 1st time I heard it on the radio, I remember I stopped dead in my tracks, while I was walking from one room to another at home. Her voice was the most beautiful thing I ever heard, and I couldn't move til the song was over.
Karen had one of the greatest voices in American music, but never considered herself a singer. She would have been perfectly satisfied to stay in the back with her drums....and felt very shy about stepping out front as a vocalist.
@@oldmanghost219 A musician friend of mine was at a Carpenters concert at a large auditorium in the 1970's. A large thunderstorm outside knocked the electricity out. After a few minutes, the crowd noise died down and Karen Carpenter told the audience from the stage to be very quiet and that she would sing a tune a cappella without a mike or sound system. He related that her strong singing voice--in perfect pitch--filled the whole auditorium. The electricity came back on by the next tune, but everyone in that auditorium knew that they had just heard something magical. Yes, she was very, very good.
The Carpenters were red hot in the late 60's and early 70's. They faded and made a resurgence in the late 70's to have just enough hits late in the decade to be the group with the most chart hits in the 1970's. Karen's voice was extraordinary.
Here’s that word iconic again! This brother in sister act and her by herself took the music world by storm… Very talented, writers, singers, musicians they had it all This song was top of the charts everybody was singing it no matter where you were or listening on the radio… It was huge
My parents really liked the Carpenters, so their songs always conjure a powerful feeling of nostalgia for me -- especially evoking memories of listening to their albums on long cross-country car rides. The sweet richness of Karen Carpenter's voice was incredible, and her premature death is one of the (many) tragedies in music history.
Richard Carpenter is the Pianist. Karen was fantastic, and she was so clearly identifiable through her vocals, but Richards contributions have often been overlooked.
Firstly, Lucas is GORGEOUS!!! Also, loved how Momma's instinct kicked in as soon as Lucas started fussing. Watching you guys doing the whole "parent" thing is HEARTWARMING!!! Love you guys...
More Carpenters songs you might consider: "Yesterday Once More" "For All We Know" "Bless The Beasts And Children" "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" "Rainy Days And Mondays" "This Masquerade" "(A Place To) Hideaway" "I Need To Be In Love" "Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)" "Now" (this is the last song recorded by Karen Carpenter before she passed away) "Solitaire" "Ticket To Ride" "We've Only Just Begun" "Top Of The World" "Sing" "I Won't Last A Day Without You" "Those Good Old Dreams" "On The Balcony Of The Casa Rosada/Don't Cry For Me Argentina" "A Song For You" "I Can Dream, Can't I?" "One Love" ...and pretty much anything else by them. They do have a few 'bad songs', but not many. You can skip "Goofus" and "B'wana She No Home".
I would add 'Goodbye to Love' to that list, but as a guitar player who was "budding" in the 70s I always genuflected to the superb solo that takes us out of the song.
They had a lot of hits during their 1969-1981 run. Their overall success during the 1970s was right up there with Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, ABBA, and the Bee Gees in terms of record sales and airplay.
One of the three most gorgeous voices of all time. Along with Patsy Cline & Jim Reeves, I could listen to Karen Carpenter sing the weather forecast and be entranced.
The most beautiful voice of that generational time who songs of harmony, melodies & smooth lyrics just keeps you in love and pure happiness. Karen Carpenter the angelical voice & Richard Carpenter who arranges all their songs while providing a great piano. The Carpenters a unique brother & sister musical group who touched millions with their pop ballads of folk song & dance from the early beginnings Downey, California. Thank you for sharing their musical GREATNESS!
This is the best video for this song. I’ve seen one other reactor react to this video. It showcases the true talent of Karen . Her voice and drum skills. The band members and Richard blending so smoothly. Just a beautiful song from a gifted group and an Angelic songstress/drummer . RIP Karen
Karen's voice was such perfection. I've said this before but I'll say it again - I love seeing the live version of Mr. Guder because they sound great but also Karen on the drums is my favorite! She looks so happy!
My mom is 85 years she has dementia. She doesn’t know who I am. She used to sing this to me when I was little. When I play this, mom knows all the words. We sing together and I have her back for a minute.
what a moment that must be. Best wishes.
She might meet her one day.
Sounds and smells reach into our deepest memories.
She might not remember who you are, but she still loves you
@@djdonald243 Do you really think so? I love my mom so much. It’s a privilege to take care of her. I get overwhelmed though. I’m the only child, so it all lands squarely on my shoulders.
Karen was one of a kind. There will never be another like her. She had such a pure calming voice. And she was a terrific drummer. That was her passion even more than singing. Sadly we lost her so young. Thankfully we have her legacy left in her music.
Very cute baby... 👶🏼
Well said
Another artist we wish we could just go back and hug and make everything okay.
We lost her at the age of 32, she died of heart failure due to complications from anorexia.
@@bradk4036 I was at school when this happened never forget it, same with Princess Diana, know exactly where and when, such a loss with both.
She had an incredible voice, her brother is also very underrated, they made the group together.
The only Karen no one hates. LMAO!
Jokes aside, I used to listen to their albums going to sleep at night. Her voice is absolutely magical. I cried the day her death was announced. The Carpenters were HUGE back in the 70s, and deservedly so. They were the king and queen of AM radio(the "lighter" stuff, back then). At my 6th grade "graduation" to Jr. High School, we sang their song "We've Only Just Begun". Her brother still makes music, but without her voice, it's just not the same.
lmao i still do
Really wish we could stop shredding the name 🙏
@Mal weston do you really believe “we” all are horrible woman?????
Funny comment...but I do have a precious Karen.
@@karencurtis4374 I only learned about the whole "karens" thing maybe two years ago and I hated it. Why do people have to ruin such a beautiful name?
(At least it's probably not going to stay as permanently ruined as "Lucifer". "Light-bringer" is a *beautiful* meaning for a name.)
Karen Carpenter is the only female vocalist to make a man's eyes water because of the combination of her voice, Richards voice and piano playing along with the harmony. Karen is the top female vocalist of all time in my book.
Mine to. Grew up hearing her on the radio. She does bring the tears. Still my favorite female voice.
Karen's voice always make me cry. So beautiful.
Amen to that.
Karen Carpenter... Simply the best female singer of all time. The so called singers of today cannot hold a candle to this woman. Her passing was a tragedy. RIP Karen.
Karen's voice is like a warm blanket...completely enveloping you, and giving you a sense of protection. The Carpenters are one of the few groups that you never need a lyric sheet for...thanks to Karen's incredibly clear singing.
You guys are real life on display. Awesome family.
A weighted warm blanket!
Even at 4 years old I was playing my parents Carpenters album.
Well said
@@joanmaciel416 I'll second that, Joan. Doggone, I am so lucky to have grown up right during the thick of music like this (Beatles, Chicago, Doobies, America, Stones, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, and on and on...)-- and to have actually seen The Carpenters in concert once, in 1973. They were fantastic live, and Karen was so humble and gracious.
Little known factoid: Karen Carpenter had the nickname of "One-Take Karen" as she always arrived at a recording session completely prepared. She knew her lyrics, she knew her tempo, she knew how she wanted it to sound so when retakes and re-recordings were required it was basically never because of Karen.
It's sad that in modern times "Karen" is a name used so disparagingly.
Karen Carpenter is the one Karen that nobody can hate. :)
A recent rather large online poll voted the whole "Karen" trend as the most tiresome and annoying current fad. I don't know, maybe because of that, it might start going away. People are sick of it I guess. I remember this same poll a few years back when the term "On Fleek" made number one as the most tiresome fad. But getting back to Karen Carpenter, what an incredible talent and sweet person she was. Very sad....
So unfair to Karen Carpenter. I was a big fan of the Carpenters.....beautiful music. She had an amazing voice.
Karen was really shy and introverted. So she felt that she had to do it right to not feel the stress…
thank you
This was a much played song. A great hit. It introduced the world to the fabulous Karen Carpenter! The Carpenters are just Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard.
No there are other male members of the group, one of them was Cubbie in the Mousketeers.
th-cam.com/video/__VQX2Xn7tI/w-d-xo.html
@@shelter9236 the voices are ONLY karen and richard, as karen sang lead, richard back up and they did all of the background harmonies...
@@shelter9236 No. Carpenters are ONLY Karen and Richard. The others are their backing band which joined them when they went on tour, or appeared with them in their music videos. Just look at all their albums covers. It is just the two of them, Siblings Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter.
@@calvinmurty8273 Richard played piano and did most of the arrangements
@@kevinhodgson2990 Yes indeed. He also produced all their studio albums, selected the songs for them, did the background vocals (with Karen), and sang lead solo vocals on certain tracks in their first few albums (ie those from 1969-73).
Karen and Richard Carpenter were the group. He wrote some of the songs and played the piano. So sad how the stress in her life affected her health. One of the best female vocalists ever.
She died from anorexia. It was tragic. The world lost a true gift.
Yup, duo.
What nobody has mentioned in the comments is that for all their recordings, Karen and Richard provided the backing vocals themselves, layering each track. That's why the studio versions sound so creamy, if you will...It's all them.
Absolute tragedy beautiful voice, rainy days and Monday's chokes me up every time R.i.p Karen.
This was one of my go-to songs when I was auditioning frequently.
@@muffinamy83 I hope you did it justice she had a beautiful voice
My fav as well
I personally believe that her voice is so amazing precisely because of the haunting psycological pain inside her, wich in the end took her life through anorexia. Starving herself to death gave her a sad, sad, soulful voice (technically her heart gave out, when she started putting on a little weight again).
@@peterkragelund4794 Beutiful voice before the media started calling her a chubby little girl
Paul McCartney stated that; "she has the best female voice in the world, melodic, tuneful and distinctive."
"Yesterday Once More" is a great song!
It was actually John lennon
Frank Sinatra said she was the only singer that he would pay to listen to.
:@@chrisalldis3375 I think John actually approached her in a restaurant and told her personally, that she had a great voice, she nearly fell over.
Karen Carpenters voice was a gift from the gods. She is irreplaceable.
From God.
Probably the greatest female voice of all time. Just pure gold. No effort and so clear and clean. Aretha would be best singer.
Karen is considered by many of her contempories as one of the best drummers ever.
Your opinion not to take away her skills but Sheena Easton was the best period
@@glennquagmire1747 Considering he didn't say she was the best, he said one of the best. I had heard Sheena Easton had played the drums but can't find anything on TH-cam. Maybe you can suggest one.
@@glennquagmire1747 Do you mean Shelia E.? Sheena Easton was only a singer. And I love Shelia E., but she's not remotely the best drummer. She's actually technically a percussionist (those are timbales she's playing). I've never actually seen her behind a drum kit.
And Karen Carpenter was dead by 1983, so the contemporaries that were referring to her as one of the best were people like Buddy Rich and Hal Blaine, guys that had been around for a long time (Hal Blaine was the most recorded session drummer in the world, ever).
@@ckalinwi Actually Sheena Easton was a drummer which I didn't know until I Googled it.
Karen is one the greatest vocalists I've ever heard. Supreme talent.
I've been a drummer for over 40 years...Karen was a MONSTER drummer...A real pro...She could sight read and was pro trained...Karen rips my heart out...Her life was so tragic and her songs and voice were so beautiful...
Karen in her school where she went was teach for a man that try to she play other instruments like violin or other. But she preferred the drums. Mr. Frankie Chaves was her teacher in drums.
She got kicked off the drums by management. They didn't want her to be playing them
Must have been hard for Richard to go through losing his sister like that.
Monster?
@@Coowallsky Meaning great...Like; Rainy days and Mondays was a MONSTER hit...
Clear and pitch perfect. Karen Carpenter sang like an angel.
As phenomenal as her voice was, she considered herself a drummer who sang and not a singer who played drums. She has a couple of videos of her drumming that are amazing.
So true, and I love how she played up her amazing drumming skills. She was so modest and humble, I don't even think she was aware of how phenomenal her voice actually was. Miss her more than words can express. 😔🙏🏽💖
I'm not normally a fan of live videos, but seeing beautiful Karen in her prime singing and playing the drums was a real bittersweet treat, knowing that the world will never experience the return of the Carpenters
True, she learned the correct play, and she was good at it. A lot of young people want to skip all the mundane things that make a good drummer and just start pounding. You can see Karen's techniques and approaches were good. She could've been a heavily sought session player if she'd wanted that instead of being onstage.
Though many of hermillions of admirers would respectfully disagree on that point. To me she was a very good drummer, but the greates singer ever.
Her brother plays piano and does all the musical arrangements. Karen was also a drummer - very very good drummer, and her voice was discovered almost by accident. A beautiful contralto voice, with tone and pitch always perfect. Frank Sinatra once said that she was the only female singer he would pay to see in concert. Heaven has a lead angel singer in Karen. RIP
The greatest female voice of all time. RIP to such a troubled soul.
awe, Baby Luca is precious. Perfect song for him.
What a beautiful little boy.
The baby melted my heart more than the song. What a cute baby!
Written by Burt Bacharach, this was a huge hit in its day. Karen Carpenter at her peak. Great selection for Female Friday.👍
BTW, Dionne Warwick (Whitney Houston’s aunt) sang a lot of Burt Bacharach songs and has a unique voice too.
Bachrach is still my favorite composer. His musical ideas are so unusual, and he always makes it work.
I'm so old when listening to Dianne Warwick, no idea what a Whitney Houston was. ..🤣 and Burt played the piano one night at a dinner party at my dad's in Malibu, long ago.
She's her cousin, not her aunt.
Heartbreaker is my favorite of hers...
@@kejo7779 Heartbreaker was her biggest hit and she didn't really like the song. The Bee Gees wrote it and went to her home and begged her to do the song. I'm glad she did because it one of my favorite songs of hers.
It is still 3 months away, but The Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling" is one you need to file away for Christmas / December. I always have leaking eyes for it.
Yes
Love that song!! A Christmas staple.
Yes,
This is a holiday fav. For the rest of Christmas 🎄 time!
It always warms my soul
Karen was 19 years old when she recorded this.
Her voice is like warm honey...
Back in the day when artists actually had talent. Today, every artist is manufactured.
And you guys pull my heart strings having baby Luka in the video! Love y’all!
@davyblackburn4090
True, I don’t attend coffee parties,
"Bless The Beasts & The Children", it will bring a tear. When Karen died, the world truly lost an inspiration of love.
Luka stared hard at you. I loved holding my little ones. Used to take my shirt off & hold them up under a wrap/blanket while in the rocking chair. Listening to music by candle light. Some great memories! Bless the beasts & the children....
Bless the beasts and the children is my favorite.
great suggestions
There's a movie called Bless the Beasts and the Children and it uses their song as it's theme. The movie came out in 1971. I didn't know if there were still copies of this movie around so I searched, and wouldn't you know it...a copy on youtub...full version...
th-cam.com/video/1FyFUm5r-f4/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=TH-camMovies
@@summersands8105 I'll have to watch it again. It has been many years. Thanks!
@@martink3804 Hi Martin! I'm going to watch it again too. I have to prep myself for it as it made me cry the first time. lol
This song, and their song "We've Only Just Begun," were sung at almost every wedding from around 1975 to the present.
It was our 'first dance' wedding song, 1998 ❤
They both came out in 1970. That year also saw the number one hit "Make It With You" by Bread. First dances were never the same again.
There's nothing like a Burt Bacharach melody. He put notes together like no one else. Check out some of his hits with Dionne Warwick.
Been meaning to recommend Dionne, she is great!
Absolutely! 👍
Auntie Dionne is one of my favorite follows on twitter - she's a hoot!
It is known to me that Whitney Huston is a cousin to Dionne Warrick. "I Say A Little Prayer For You," is one of Dionne's greatest hits. Oddly enough Whitney and Natalie Cole sang a duo, also making this song a great hit. This would be a perfect selection for "Female Friday."
Yes! I love Burt Bacharah! Since I was a teenager!
You should look up some clips of Karen playing the drums! She was AWESOME!
Her voice is super smooth and her lower register is like warm honey. She had such talent. Very sad life story.
Absolutely agree. Her 'basement' register was amazing.
karen carpenter was a chip off the old block!!
Let me add to Alan's suggestion. If you haven't already you need to look up and react to her drum solo (1976 I think -- when she was like about 26 years of age. Here's the solo which was performed on their first TV Special
th-cam.com/video/sdHyzGXAJPg/w-d-xo.html
This song was composed by Burt Bacharach. He was a monster hit writer, most notably for Dion Warwick.
Karen Carpenter was a phenomenal singer. I was a paper boy when she died and I cried when I read the headline. She was a great drummer too, but she was better up front.
February made me shiver.. with every paper I’d deliver.. bad news on the doorstep.. I couldn’t take one more step…. The day the music died
As a public figure, Karen also exhibited grace and class. Everybody liked her. She was deeply mourned when she died, and in death, she ascended from superstar to legend.
Yes, the Carpenters are a brother and sister duo. He was on piano and wrote most of their material. They are backed up by various musicians. Little Luca was a fun addition to the video. :)
Most of their songs were written by other songwriters.
Richard did some of the songwriting (and played the piano and did the arranging), but many of the early hits were from outside songwriters. This is Burt Bachrach (music) and Hal David (lyrics), a very successful team. (I periodically mention "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield; they wrote that, too.)
@@Jessica_Roth My bad., I thought he wrote more of them. You can always tell the Burt Bachrach ones of course.
@@bengilbert7655 Thanks for the schooling. . I'd thought he wrote a lot more of them.
@@J_Gamble Didn't mean to "mansplain." :)
Best female singer ever!! Any song by the Carpenters is a classic. Been a fan for over 40 years.
Yep fan for 50
@@rebeccawyse5562 me too
@@rebeccawyse5562 I had to get every 45 and album.
First of all, your baby is adorable! Second realize that Karen Carpenter is a legend and a voice like that will likely never come around again in our lifetimes. Also realize there was no such thing as autotune in those days. This is sheer talent.
I'm a Christmas music nerd and The Carpenters have a great Christmas album. Not for review on the channel, but for your family use.
That Christmas Album is one of my favorite Christmas albums.
I cannot do Christmas without Carpenters music
I still love the Carpenters to this day
The fact that your baby cried during this song of all songs made my day. It’s beautiful, your baby’s beautiful and so are you guys. Thank you for the good vibes you send out always.
Karen was the voice and Richard was the producer/creative director. Richard had the big ideas, the creativity, the arrangements but I think this gets forgotten because Karen’s voice and talent were so big! And yes, her voice is clean, crisp, and her diction is perfect. She’s an example of natural, God-given, raw talent.
Karen is so special to me because her story made me realize I had anorexia and made me stop. I didn't know what it was and that it could kill me. So she saved me❤❤ RIP Sweet girl.
Karen had a once in a Generation voice! Phenomenal!
A tragic loss to the world when she passed. 😥
I, for one, absolutely enjoy Luca and his baby noises. He is a doll.
The Carpenters were indeed just two - Richard Carpenter and his sister, Karen. She had the golden voice and he was a master arranger largely responsible for their unique sound.
Majestic and Angelic doesn't do her justice, her voice never breaks even when she changes registers, it's amazing, Paul McCartney said she was the greatest female voice he ever heard. It's raw powerful and PURE. She's also a damn good drummer but when she passed away only then did I and many others realize what a gift we lost, it was devastating, she is not of this world.
Karen’s voice was the purest, cleanest was beautiful female singing voice ever.
I am reacting to this video over a year after, but holy crap I never realized Karen Carpenter was a drummer!
For me and my soul and spirit, as a singer, she is the GOAT. Ain't even close.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@robertmichaeljones in fact she was reluctant to come out from behind those drums. Only after Richard's strong urging, did she step out in front and show off the GOAT singer. This woman touches my heart, spirit and soul. In sooo many ways.
In my opinion, only the Bee Gees approach the Carpenters harmonic abilities.
They were actually a duo, Karen singing and on drums, with Richard on the piano and backing singing. The other musicians were hired as they were needed, they weren't regular members of The Carpenters. Karen's voice gets the attention, and she has a wonderful voice, but Richard was the composer and arranger, it was he who arranged everything around the quality of her voice to maximise the effect.
That's true. And they would record multiple tracks of just THEIR voices, on their albums. For live performances, they added the other singers, I think - I saw them live when I was 11 years old, and don't remember. But that unique Carpenters sound was because it was just the two of them, and multiple tracks. At least, that's what I always have heard!
The other musicians on this record would later become known as The Wrecking Crew. They worked together on many hit records during the 60s and 70s. Other names attributed to the group were, The First Call Gang, and The Clique. They were A-list session musicians who worked mainly in L.A..
And Karen always admitted that there was no Carpenters without Richard.
@@sgnmath1234 So, whatever became of Richard?
@@margiejackson4226 Yes, I've seen videos of them recording the extra tracks to make that multi-layered sound. Have you heard "Mr. Guder"? LOVE the moving parts towards the end!
We've Only Just Begun was/is an iconic wedding song... truly beautiful!
Karen resisted stepping out from the drums. Richard did all of the arrangements. Karen was very shy. When they forced her to just sing was the beginning of her eating disorder.
Wow, that's so sad. I grew up hearing them and did not know that. It seems cruel now😢
Should have just left her alone and do what she loved!
Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played the drums for the recordings because Karen wasn’t seasoned in that atmosphere. Joe Osborn on bass actually “ discovered them”. The background vocals were provided by The Ron Hicklin Singers, a staple in the industry back in the day.
I believe her eating disorder has to do with her personal relationships with her Mom especially
@@verapena9465🎯
As a drummer, drumming while singing is quite difficult. Having an angelic voice on top of that is priceless.
Karen was a treasure. I love the way she can drop an octave and a half and just nail that low vibrato to the wall. Truly one of the great voices.
as beautiful as karen's voice is, what makes the carpenters' songs so magical is the brilliant arrangement and production by richard. in anyone else's hands they would not have the legacy they enjoy today. absolutely gorgeous sound.
and thanks to Herb Alpert who with Jerry Moss, gave them the break they needed by having them join A&M records. Having the Carpenters on their label helped pay other musical groups their salary.
This was played at every school dance, prom, weddings. Huge Huge hit that year. She was a badass on drums - there is a video someone here of her performing a drum solo
Can’t say enough about Karen carpenter. She’s considered as having one of the best female voices ever!! Her brother Richard was super talented as well. You guys reacted to superstar, my fave carpenter song. Check out rainy days & Mondays & if you really want to see her true love, check out her drum solo video. RIP KAREN ❤️😇❤️
And then they need to react to Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.
The Carpenters, we’re Just 2 People a Brother, and Sister. They were absolutely amazing. 😊they were very famous, they were on radio, all the time back in the day. I’m so glad I grew up back then.
Richard was the arranger, composer and producer of all of their music. Great brother, sister duo. Complimenting each other's talents.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Karen Carpenter... the sweetest voice of all!
Karen had a voice like velvet. Check out their song "We've Only Just Begun".
Played at every wedding!
You can never go wrong with The Carpenters! Karen was something special. She had perfect tone all the time. She was known as One take Karen in the studios. She was a drummer who sang like an angel. The Carpenters was Karen and her brother an awesome arranger , Richard. Miss Karen!! Rip Angel.
When Karen Carpenter was made, they gave her extra perfection. Too bad they had to use mental health issues to balance it out. I was a mere child of 1 or 2 when she died, but I cry every time I hear her sing. Every time a Carpenters song comes on the radio in the car, I have to switch channels because I can't drive with tears in my eyes.
That is so touching, Nirmal. Yes, there is a bittersweet dimension there, but please try to look at it this way-- it's natural to be sad that she's gone, but moreso than that, let's be GLAD that she was here.
The Carpenters were initially a brother/sister duo, as for the rest of the band they were essentially session musicians hired when required
Karen wasn't just a drummer, she was a world class drummer.
She was fucking solid for the time, not just gong through the motions at all!
People forget what a great percussionist she was. She was never happier than behind her drum kit…
This particular song doesn’t demonstrate just how bloody good a drummer she was!
Jax too
Hal Blaine on drums for most top Carpenter recordings.
Karen Carpenter's voice is iconic, angelic & smoother than melted butter!!! Their harmonies are amazing!!!
She had the most beautiful velvety voice. Such a tragic life & the world lost a rare talent when she died. I would also recommend "We've Only Just Begun", Rainy Days & Mondays" & "I Won't Last a Day Without You."
And Baby Luca just wanted to sing along!
My favorite was "Hurting Each Other"
@@bryanwhitton1784 Great one - I forgot about that song
She had such a clear, pure voice, but she always preferred drumming (which she was awesome at!). She didn't care for being up front singing. The lyrics are:
On the day that you were born the angels got together.
And decided to create a dream come true.
So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And star-light in your eyes of blue.
That is why all the girls in town follow you all around.
Just like me, they long to be close to you...
BTW, Luca is a real cutie!
2 favorite voices of all time-Karen Carpenter and Steve Perry.
Both voices can pierce the soul as soon as you hear them.
Karen was by far my favorite female singer ever. I had a few guys though- including Steve Perry; Morten Harket, Freddy Mercury, David Gates, Gary Puckett, Bobby Hatfield, Marvin Gaye, Terry Kath, Robin Gibb, and of course Elvis (whose voice I've only recently realized was pretty darn good)!!
Another singer with impeccable enunciation was Doris Day. Her version of "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" is perfect!
This song is SOOOO ICONIC!! I'm a metal fan, and I love this song.
You should check out the tribute album done in the 90's by several relatively popular alternative bands of the time. I'm also a metal fan, but I love that album!! Sonic Youth kills it on their eerie cover of Superstar.
My wife and I love the Carpenters! Their song We've Only Just Begun was released August 21st 1970. We got married on August 16th 1970. So it's very special to us. We even got the opportunity to see them live in 1972. Karen's voice is melodic and so pure. And she was fantastic on the drums! It was an amazing performance! We have a few of their albums and still enjoy them. Would love to see you react to more of their music.
Congratulations for 51 years of marriage.
@@chrisclanton4430 Thanks so much! Appreciate it!
I don't know if what I'm going to say makes sense, but Karen Carpenter had the purest voice ever. Just everything about was perfect, and pure.
Love love loved the Carpenters. They were so big when I was in middle school. Such great voices and harmonies.
So many fantastic Carpenters songs ‘We’ve only just begun’, ‘Rainy Days and Mondays’, ‘Masquerade’ and the beautiful ‘Make believe it’s Your First Time’ are just a few of our favourites.
Things were certainly going on in that reaction 😹😹👏👏👏👏
I need to be in love, too 💕
@@angelarasmussen1800 Another fantastic one 😸😸🐾🐾
i recommend 'ticket to ride', 'superstar' & 'for all we know'!
Karen Carpenter was a drummer first. She just happened to be able to sing while drumming. She always said she was a drummer who sang. She also happened to be a virtuoso at both. She was one of the best drummers EVER. Her voice was absolutely without peer. She was the entire package.
Karen had one of the purest voices. That is her brother Richard playing the piano. Definitely listen to Rainy Days and Mondays! It is beautiful and there is a saxophone in that video. It’s beautiful. Luca is absolutely gorgeous!!💙
karen was one of the greatest singers of the last century.
But is Luca ok? She seemed out of sorts!
Not one of, the most beautiful voice ever.
Jordan, you've moved away from just rap, to realize that there's a vast world of music out there. Now, bro, it's time to move away from just SPORTS movies. Soooooo many brilliant movies out there :-)
Keren really needed a support system; she was so talented,
but she really needed more people in her life that could watch out for her.
Everything she touched with her velvet alto voice was perfection. Their Christmas albums are my favorite holiday music. Two siblings with incredible talent.
Karen had perfect pitch in her voice.
karen is the greatest female vocalist of all time,she sings with a tear in voice. if you look up her life story youll no why,listen to rainy days and mondays,the lyrics will tell you some of problems she was going through
Karen had a FLAWLESS voice and such a tragic life with her passing.
One of the best natural contralto voices of all time. Her brother Richard is on the electric piano. He was responsible for most of their arrangements IIRC.
Karen Carpenter was able to play any instrument...But the drums were her first love....Her brother, Richard, who would be on the piano, wrote alot of the songs, and her voice was discovered when they needed to test the lyrics and music....she didn't like the limelight on her, but it was her voice that helped to sell that song, and any song of theirs.
I just love the Carpenters, Karen's voice is angelic. She started out playing the drums and singing, and after a while they wanted her in front because her voice was so beautiful. There is a movie about her life you might want to check out. Happy listening guys!!
I'm SO happy you picked this Carpenters song. The 1st time I heard it on the radio, I remember I stopped dead in my tracks, while I was walking from one room to another at home. Her voice was the most beautiful thing I ever heard, and I couldn't move til the song was over.
Karen had one of the greatest voices in American music, but never considered herself a singer. She would have been perfectly satisfied to stay in the back with her drums....and felt very shy about stepping out front as a vocalist.
Yes. They had to coax her out front. Baby steps.
@@oldmanghost219 A musician friend of mine was at a Carpenters concert at a large auditorium in the 1970's. A large thunderstorm outside knocked the electricity out. After a few minutes, the crowd noise died down and Karen Carpenter told the audience from the stage to be very quiet and that she would sing a tune a cappella without a mike or sound system. He related that her strong singing voice--in perfect pitch--filled the whole auditorium. The electricity came back on by the next tune, but everyone in that auditorium knew that they had just heard something magical. Yes, she was very, very good.
The Carpenters were red hot in the late 60's and early 70's. They faded and made a resurgence in the late 70's to have just enough hits late in the decade to be the group with the most chart hits in the 1970's. Karen's voice was extraordinary.
Karen's voice was amazing. As to the song, it was composed by Burt Bacharach, that's a pedigree that's hard to deny. Great reaction.
Here’s that word iconic again! This brother in sister act and her by herself took the music world by storm… Very talented, writers, singers, musicians they had it all
This song was top of the charts everybody was singing it no matter where you were or listening on the radio… It was huge
My parents really liked the Carpenters, so their songs always conjure a powerful feeling of nostalgia for me -- especially evoking memories of listening to their albums on long cross-country car rides. The sweet richness of Karen Carpenter's voice was incredible, and her premature death is one of the (many) tragedies in music history.
Richard Carpenter is the Pianist. Karen was fantastic, and she was so clearly identifiable through her vocals, but Richards contributions have often been overlooked.
Totally agree, the label in initially didn’t even want him, she refused if memory serves me right.
One of the purist voices ever! Gone too soon. Rest In Peace Karen.
( this song “ Close to you “ was written by Burt Bacharach )
Her voice always makes me tear up... angel voice
Firstly, Lucas is GORGEOUS!!! Also, loved how Momma's instinct kicked in as soon as Lucas started fussing. Watching you guys doing the whole "parent" thing is HEARTWARMING!!! Love you guys...
More Carpenters songs you might consider:
"Yesterday Once More"
"For All We Know"
"Bless The Beasts And Children"
"Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft"
"Rainy Days And Mondays"
"This Masquerade"
"(A Place To) Hideaway"
"I Need To Be In Love"
"Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song)"
"Now" (this is the last song recorded by Karen Carpenter before she passed away)
"Solitaire"
"Ticket To Ride"
"We've Only Just Begun"
"Top Of The World"
"Sing"
"I Won't Last A Day Without You"
"Those Good Old Dreams"
"On The Balcony Of The Casa Rosada/Don't Cry For Me Argentina"
"A Song For You"
"I Can Dream, Can't I?"
"One Love"
...and pretty much anything else by them. They do have a few 'bad songs', but not many. You can skip "Goofus" and "B'wana She No Home".
I would add 'Goodbye to Love' to that list, but as a guitar player who was "budding" in the 70s I always genuflected to the superb solo that takes us out of the song.
I love Merry Christmas darling.
@@shotgunblast28 how do you feel about New Year's Eve, or say, the Epiphany, sweetheart?
😂🖖😙🎶
Sorry not sorry, I couldn't resist.
✌😉❤🍁❤
They had a lot of hits during their 1969-1981 run. Their overall success during the 1970s was right up there with Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, ABBA, and the Bee Gees in terms of record sales and airplay.
One of the three most gorgeous voices of all time. Along with Patsy Cline & Jim Reeves, I could listen to Karen Carpenter sing the weather forecast and be entranced.
The most beautiful voice of that generational time who songs of harmony, melodies & smooth lyrics just keeps you in love and pure happiness. Karen Carpenter the angelical voice & Richard Carpenter who arranges all their songs while providing a great piano. The Carpenters a unique brother & sister musical group who touched millions with their pop ballads of folk song & dance from the early beginnings Downey, California. Thank you for sharing their musical GREATNESS!
This is the best video for this song. I’ve seen one other reactor react to this video. It showcases the true talent of Karen . Her voice and drum skills. The band members and Richard blending so smoothly. Just a beautiful song from a gifted group and an Angelic songstress/drummer . RIP Karen
Karen's voice was such perfection. I've said this before but I'll say it again - I love seeing the live version of Mr. Guder because they sound great but also Karen on the drums is my favorite! She looks so happy!
One of the greatest voices in music history and a top drummer.
You have to listen to The Carpenters - We've only Just Begun
The boy understood the song - he wanted to be CLOSE to you. He was so chill and (mostly) happy in the second half. Adorable.
Karen had a honey smooth voice. She was also noted as a one- take wonder! Her brother, Richard, was the arranger. Their vocal harmonies are EXQUISITE!