The Carpenters

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:46 am

Hi Everyone,

I love the music of the Carpenters.
Karen's voice was so rich and deep and it is always good to hear Richard and Karen's music on the radio.

Karen died far too young but she left behind a lot of lovely music.
It's hard to pick a few "best" ones as most of them were brilliant I think.

"we've only just begun" along with "yesterday once more" are two of my most favourites as well as "Merry Christmas darlin'" which would have to be my favourite Christmas song of all time!

We have a DVD documentary at home which tells the story of Richard and Karen. I didn't know that she could play the drums as well!
Very unusual for a girl way back then in the late 1960's.
Even now, I can't think of ANY female singer who can play the drums.

Not a week goes by when we don't hear a Carpenters song on the radio.
Sir Terry loves Karen and let's us all know just now lovely it is to still hear and enjoy her lovely voice.

Without doubt, Karen is up there with the best of them.
I think that the Carpenters will always be popular because the music has stood the test of time and will continue to be enjoyed by music lovers of all ages. You just can't keep a good singer down which is great news for the next generation of music lovers who will discover just how lovely her voice was.

DutchDean · Post by **DutchDean** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:47 pm

I love the Carpenters - Karen had such a warm voice. I really miss her,
they recorded some fantastic material.
Dean

jon · Post by **jon** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:02 pm

Hilary

Karen C certainly has a lovely voice. I once saw it described as being like "an animated Kleenex tissue"; it's quite a pure sound. I do enjoy the Carpenters from time to time, though I think they have a tendency to verge on the soppy sometimes. "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" was one of their more interesting and unusual offerings though.

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 3:49 pm

Karen had a superb voice, so many favourites for us to choose from, but here's two "For All We Know, "and Close To You."

john · Post by **john** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 6:47 pm

i am also a big fan of the carpenters, my favourite tracks include only yesterday, yesterday once more, and one of the last songs she recorded called NOW, in fact i used to belong to the uk fan club and went to a couple of their meetings, ah those were the days when i was young!!!

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:26 pm

The Carpenters were fantastic, and very innovative in many respects - I seemed to remember the 'Yesterday Once more' album that had their covers of many 60s classic songs 'Mr Post man' for one - I think Richard sang a bit more on that. In particular he did a good cover of 'The Night has a thousand eyes', which kind of got me interested in 60s pop.

Hard to pick a favourite, they have some many uplifiting tunes - 'Top of the world' is lovely, 'Only Yesterday' could be the story of my life! And 'Sweet sweet smile' is so bright and breezy it should available on the NHS!

Remember seeing Karen playing drums in TV broadcasts, she had these perspex drum kits, and she was fantastic at it.

Its sad that she seemed to have been less than happy, she had a fantastic voice, was pretty and very talented.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:39 pm

Hi all--i think we may have mentioned The Carpenters before--I just love them--have all their recordings and dvds--plus some exclusive dvds I got from ebay--featuring Karens Wedding, singing in Chinese , duet with Ella Fitzgerald, their last concert--loads of stuff.
I love almost everthing Karen sings, but one of my top fave recordings is "The Rainbow Connection" from the last released cd "As Time goes by", and also from one of my "ebay " dvds "Knowing when to Leave" --a really great Burt Bacharach song that is rarely heard. Helen Reddy did a good version of it too. I believe there is still a lot of Karens material out there waiting to be released. Her voice remains always instantly recognisable and completely different to anyone else.

I also have a couple of solo cds of Richard--but they did not really do very well. He has daughters, one of which is supposed to sound uncannily like Karen.

Their 2 Christmas cds are just amazing.

Talking of Lady drummers the only other one I know is from a group from way back--but I cannot recall their name---but I am sure that someone else will--i think their hitbsong was called "Have I the right"---maybe they were called The Honeycombs"---or something like that--as far as I know they were a one hit wonder!

Marian

jon · Post by **jon** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:15 am

Hi Marian

You're correct that there was a group called The Honeycombs who had a hit - a No 1 in fact - with "Have I The Right?" in 1964, which I absolutely love. I have it on one of those CDs of 60s hits, and I love the bit in the middle when it gets louder and they sing "Come right back, I just can't bear it..." etc. with the loud drums supporting the singer. I don't know anything else about the group, though, and certainly didn't know they had a female drummer. Thanks for that snippet of information. And, yes, I believe it was a One Hit Wonder!

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 12:55 pm

That's the one , Jon!! You have described it perfectly.

Marian

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:07 pm

The honeycombs also bravely recorded "My Prayer" nothing like the Platters hit though.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:39 pm

I love the Carpenters also. Karen Carpenter had one of the most unique and lovely voices ever. I know so many people that agree with me. I'm pleased that several of you have mentioned Only Yesterday. It was one of their biggest hits in the US, but seems to have been forgotten by many. I also love Sweet Sweet Smile, All You Get From Love Is A Love Song, For All We Know, Close To You, Rainy Days and Mondays, and Merry Christmas Darling.

But I feel her top three vocals are:

Superstar (the way she carries over the phrase is breathtaking)

Ticket To Ride (I never liked the song until I heard them sing it; now I like the Beatles version too)

Don't Cry For Me Argentina (I think she sings this better than anyone else)

I'm pleased Hilary to hear that they are still playing Carpenters records in the UK. They have been off the radio in the US for quite some time now. Even the awful "adult contemporary" stations (the kind that will be playing Bad Day and You're Beautiful daily for the next few years) won't play the Carpenters. But I'm sure that AM 740 in Toronto plays the Carpenters.

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:57 pm

I think Karen Carpenters voice has been compared to the late Eva Cassidy on many occasions, or should that be the other way round. Both voices are stunningly beautiful

Another female drummer, I believe was from the group Thunderclap Newman, who had a wonderful no.1 hit with "Something In The Air" in 1969

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:09 pm

Hi Robert-I do not really think that Karen Carpenter or Eva Cassidy sound alike at all. But both great singers--so sad that they both died so young.

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:49 pm

Paul - I had forgotten the cover of 'Don't Cry for me Argentina' - she put a lot emotion into it, which is of course what Madonna misses off hers! And 'All you get from love' - had forgotten about that! Thanks for reminding me to replay those

We are lucky to have the BBC - its usually 'foreigners' wh have to remind us! The licence fee is worth it for Radio 2 and BBC Breakfast alone!

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 1:33 am

But you don't need a licence to listen to the radio, Mike

but I see what you mean Mike, without the licence money, then no radio2