A bit of background: Tori Holub is an aspiring recording engineer. She put out a video analysing The Carpenters' technique for layering vocals (especially Karen's.) Events escalated from there!
Nobody can replace Karen Carpenter and Tori herself says that! She is not trying to be Karen Carpenter. Her natural voice even when she does other music, still has the Karen Carpenter vibe. She has introduced an original song and does cover some other artists. But what she has done is spectacular in my opinion and Jim Wilkas has done a genius job of arrangement and production. I agree that sometimes doing a cover song in your own way can be an asset. But there are some songs you should not mess with and this is one of them. This is not an attempt to be Karen Carpenter. I think it is a phenomenal Karen Carpenter tribute as it is meant to be.
Tori is indeed a talented singer. However, I understand the concern that her voice bears a striking resemblance to Karen’s. This similarity might be unintentional, as it could just be the natural tone of Tori’s voice. It’s unlikely that Tori is merely imitating Karen as if she were performing in a nightclub. I believe that Tori’s singing style is authentic and unique to her. It’s possible that Tori was influenced by Karen’s style and decided to study it. After all, every singer and vocal student needs a mentor or a role model. Tori might have spent years studying Karen’s style and tone, which is a common practice among vocal students. Just like art students who spend their days studying art, learning techniques, visiting art museums, and studying fine arts before they can pick up a brush, vocal students also study the work of great singers. Karen serves as an excellent reference guide for many. Learning to sing involves mastering various techniques, such as singing on vowels. Tori’s talent and skills could be applied to other styles of singing as well. To become a great singer, one must study the vocals of the great ones. So, in essence, Tori’s approach to learning and improving her singing is quite common and effective.
You missed something very important about this particular release it was meant to honor Karen Carpenter and they released it on her birthday this year 2024 in memory of Karen Carpenter
Hi Dennis, this was an homage piece as it was released on Karen’s birthday in heaven, 3/2/24. That said it was Jim Wilkas who created this beautiful video. Tori does have some originals and more are coming. The day after We’ve Only… was released. Her new single, totally original and written and arranged for Tori in the style of Bacharach/Carpenters. So in her wheelhouse but totally new. It’s called Something To Believe In. ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.htmlsi=MpJ_gMfS6iIpp8Sv Also, last night she sang two songs at the Carpenters 55th Anniversary Celebration in. Downey, CA. To say there was an audible hush in the audience is an understatement. I recorded it and will be posting it shortly. It’s only iPhone footage but it came out OK. It was a night of Carpenters music from artists from all over the world. Another cover is coming, and then some originals and covers of other bands. Her channel is full of short demos of her covering music of the 60-80’s. There is another full original from last year called Christmas Again. The Carpenters connection. It was written by Steve Eaton and Donnie Demers. Steve wrote All You Get From Love Is A Love Song, for Carpenters, it was their last Top 40 hit. They approached Tori after hearing a cover short. Joe
Learn to review things for what they are, not for what YOU think they should be. If you have a problem in general with "cover bands," then don't review them. Otherwise, review them on their own merits. Did you enjoy the song or not? Did it move you or not? That's what's TRUE. The rest is about a cover being something less than the original, or how song should be interpreted, is your OPINION, and not "the truth."
We earlier reviewed Karen carpenter doing a cover of a Herman’s hermits and gave it a great review because she made it her own. This artist is trying to sound like Karen. I want her to do it her way. If I want to hear the carpenters I will listen to them. This my opinion. Like I said. I want to hear something original and many of you supplied me with links to do just that. This review was a requested song. Not my idea but it is my opinion.
@@OnlytheTruthReviews-pe9mw I agree with your opinion. Keeping in mind that Richard Carpenter selected all the music produced and re-arranged them (as the one you mentioned) in all his compositions that Karen sang, I don't know that Tori Holub has that kind of resource. She does have the singing ability like that of Karen Carpenter, the best I know of.
We love what she does and appreciate her honor and respectful homage to someone who Americans adored. We need her in the world today.But, like you said, its your opinion.
@@Nostaljack I have seen original music written for her, but not yet by her. Sort of like Elvis, who had a fair career mostly covering others. And she is only 20,
@@ericzeichert511 Nice to know. Not everyone needs to write but she will need to get away from the "Karen" thing sooner than later. FYI Elvis didn't write anything. The writing credits he has were negotiated by Colonel Parker. The deal was if the writer would give Elvis writing credit, he'd do the song. If not, he wouldn't. Few could afford to tell Elvis/Parker "no". Celine Dion has done this trick in more clandestine fashion in relatively recent years..
As I write this on April 28th, I understand Tori is attending the Carpenters 55th anniversary celebration in Downey where she was expected to perform at Downey Methodist church. No confirmation if Richard Carpenter attended or met with Tori.
Thanks, Dennis! Yes, we're all routing for her to get some of her own songs. Here's one: "Something to Believe In" ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.html
That's a very fair review. I also thought if I wanted to hear the same version again I can just watch a Carpenters video and I don't need to listen to a cover but after saying that I think because we had Karen for such a short time that we want to hear that voice again and that why we love Tori.
That it was for Crocker Bank in California. Paul did the vocal and it’s on RUclips. It failed as a commercial, young couples with no money flocked in. Smash as a hit song! And let’s not forget Roger Nichols, both men living legends.
Tori is Tori, that is just her voice & how she sounds. I can understand you not liking a cover done in the same style (unlike many of us who appreciate it, even though we were not Carpenters fans originally), that is entirely your prerogative & point of view. It would be strange if we were all the same. You do however need to understand that this cover & arrangement was deliberately put together that way, given how alike Tori sounds to Karen. Hopefully you get to hear and for balance review ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.html for balance and a better understanding of Tori & her music. Have a great day Sir.
yeah, but Tori isn't trying to replace or be Karan she just happened to have studied Karan's style , it's what all students of vocals do.. just like if we want to paint like Pablo Picasso or learn from him we have to study his style.. all singers learn from the masters How else we gonna learn how to apply our Technique Tori has good Technique of which she can apply to any other style of music such as the blues or rock..
@@EdwardRoberts-vd1ix totally agree, yeah I’m wrong. Can’t sing or do anything…like this. ruclips.net/video/3JP9CNs9YV4/видео.htmlsi=fDsdbV_2c2DUxTgM .
Just as there is just one Tori. No two voices can ever be alike. Some “similarities” to the ear but not the same. Tori is in the now and can do justice to songs like what the Carpenters did all those years ago. Appreciate what we have not what she isn’t. Did you see her cover of SomethingIn Your Eyes? It’s on my channel. Live at the Carpenters 55th.
Instead of reacting to Tori you should react to the real thing: Karen Carpenter. There is no equal and no substitute. Tori is good, but she's not in the same league at all.
Although Tori claims she's not trying to be Karen Carpenter, I can't fully believe that to be true. She seems to live in a dream world, as if she is living through the eyes of Karen. If she sounds like Karen, it is because she is a good imitator. She ought to leverage that ability. Her voice is not bad, however, it does not strike me as her own. It is an effort to be someone she will never be.
I have no doubt Tori will over time do as you suggest, leverage her pleasant natural voice range and timbre to find her own songs and styles. But most musicians start out imitating others, whether our teachers, our peers or our "heroes", because so many of them set the bar for creativity, beauty and transcendence in art. Tori, Jim and countless others could do far worse than choosing Karen and Richard as their gold standard!
Tori Holub has a lot of short videos on her RUclips channel of covers she's done and The Carpenters are only a small percentage. She has also has covers of Olivia Newton-John, Bread, The Beatles, Heart, Righteous Brothers, Linda Ronstadt and Patsy Cline. I prefer her version of Crazy by Patsy Cline. I like her version of Magic by ONJ just as much or more than the original. Not all her clips are original takes on songs but some are. The goal of this particular video with James Wilkas was to replicate The Carpenters, We've Only Just Began as closely as they could.
@@carpentershub1726 Hurt who? Do you know her personally and what her "own" voice sounds like? Making blanket assumptions and statements about an individual's intent and capabilities from a video that is intrinsically designed to sound "as performed" by the original artist is what sounds disingenuous to me. Just because she happens to be a real Carpenters fan and has a beautiful voice that does in fact share certain tonal qualities with Karen, one should infer that she's living in a dream world? I prefer to see her as more of an artistic anomaly for her age and someone who is willing to share a gift that many genuinely appreciate. Her voice is her own. Try listening to her version of Georgia on My Mind. She's not trying to be Ray Charles, or Karen for that matter.
![KAYTRANADA - Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGK3YVmGZ3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
A bit of background: Tori Holub is an aspiring recording engineer. She put out a video analysing The Carpenters' technique for layering vocals (especially Karen's.) Events escalated from there!
So love and appreciate your reply ! Tori is talent personification in all that she does.... and incredibly humble.
Nobody can replace Karen Carpenter and Tori herself says that! She is not trying to be Karen Carpenter. Her natural voice even when she does other music, still has the Karen Carpenter vibe. She has introduced an original song and does cover some other artists. But what she has done is spectacular in my opinion and Jim Wilkas has done a genius job of arrangement and production. I agree that sometimes doing a cover song in your own way can be an asset. But there are some songs you should not mess with and this is one of them. This is not an attempt to be Karen Carpenter. I think it is a phenomenal Karen Carpenter tribute as it is meant to be.
Tori is indeed a talented singer. However, I understand the concern that her voice bears a striking resemblance to Karen’s. This similarity might be unintentional, as it could just be the natural tone of Tori’s voice. It’s unlikely that Tori is merely imitating Karen as if she were performing in a nightclub. I believe that Tori’s singing style is authentic and unique to her.
It’s possible that Tori was influenced by Karen’s style and decided to study it. After all, every singer and vocal student needs a mentor or a role model. Tori might have spent years studying Karen’s style and tone, which is a common practice among vocal students.
Just like art students who spend their days studying art, learning techniques, visiting art museums, and studying fine arts before they can pick up a brush, vocal students also study the work of great singers. Karen serves as an excellent reference guide for many.
Learning to sing involves mastering various techniques, such as singing on vowels. Tori’s talent and skills could be applied to other styles of singing as well. To become a great singer, one must study the vocals of the great ones. So, in essence, Tori’s approach to learning and improving her singing is quite common and effective.
Very perceptive and fairly accurate. A lot is documented on her Instagram and I assume Tik Tok, but I’m not on that.
You missed something very important about this particular release it was meant to honor Karen Carpenter and they released it on her birthday this year 2024 in memory of Karen Carpenter
Tori has a beautiful voice. Well done. Sadly, there will never be another Karen Carpenter.
she is everbit as good as karen and that is saying something
Hi Dennis, this was an homage piece as it was released on Karen’s birthday in heaven, 3/2/24. That said it was Jim Wilkas who created this beautiful video. Tori does have some originals and more are coming. The day after We’ve Only… was released. Her new single, totally original and written and arranged for Tori in the style of Bacharach/Carpenters. So in her wheelhouse but totally new. It’s called Something To Believe In.
ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.htmlsi=MpJ_gMfS6iIpp8Sv
Also, last night she sang two songs at the Carpenters 55th Anniversary Celebration in. Downey, CA. To say there was an audible hush in the audience is an understatement. I recorded it and will be posting it shortly. It’s only iPhone footage but it came out OK. It was a night of Carpenters music from artists from all over the world. Another cover is coming, and then some originals and covers of other bands. Her channel is full of short demos of her covering music of the 60-80’s. There is another full original from last year called Christmas Again. The Carpenters connection. It was written by Steve Eaton and Donnie Demers. Steve wrote All You Get From Love Is A Love Song, for Carpenters, it was their last Top 40 hit. They approached Tori after hearing a cover short.
Joe
@jbs256 Thanks for the great update and for videoing Tori's performance in Downey. Hope to see it soon. Did Richard Carpenter attend?
Hi Joe! Thank you for the update! I too am looking forward to your video upload 🤙
Yes he did. He received an award and there is a picture of him with Tori.@@briank10101
Apparently we get the same youtube feeds, and I'm there for it. By the way, Something To Believe In definitely IS.
@@Ron808Y it’s up and I think you saw it, right? I’m dealing with a lot of comments so they all blend but I think…
Learn to review things for what they are, not for what YOU think they should be. If you have a problem in general with "cover bands," then don't review them. Otherwise, review them on their own merits. Did you enjoy the song or not? Did it move you or not? That's what's TRUE. The rest is about a cover being something less than the original, or how song should be interpreted, is your OPINION, and not "the truth."
We earlier reviewed Karen carpenter doing a cover of a Herman’s hermits and gave it a great review because she made it her own. This artist is trying to sound like Karen. I want her to do it her way. If I want to hear the carpenters I will listen to them. This my opinion. Like I said. I want to hear something original and many of you supplied me with links to do just that. This review was a requested song. Not my idea but it is my opinion.
@@OnlytheTruthReviews-pe9mw
I agree with your opinion. Keeping in mind that Richard Carpenter selected all the music produced and re-arranged them (as the one you mentioned) in all his compositions that Karen sang, I don't know that Tori Holub has that kind of resource. She does have the singing ability like that of Karen Carpenter, the best I know of.
I was heart broken when Karen passed away. Tori did well. Brought back memories.
We love what she does and appreciate her honor and respectful homage to someone who Americans adored. We need her in the world today.But, like you said, its your opinion.
She also does covers of Olivia Newton-John, Heart, and a stunning version of Georgia On My Mind and possibly others. She is not a one trick pony.
Does she do "her"? Doing covers of other artists IS "one trick." The REAL trick is to do your own thing. Can she do that? I'm honestly curious.
@@Nostaljack I have seen original music written for her, but not yet by her. Sort of like Elvis, who had a fair career mostly covering others. And she is only 20,
@@ericzeichert511 Nice to know. Not everyone needs to write but she will need to get away from the "Karen" thing sooner than later.
FYI Elvis didn't write anything. The writing credits he has were negotiated by Colonel Parker. The deal was if the writer would give Elvis writing credit, he'd do the song. If not, he wouldn't. Few could afford to tell Elvis/Parker "no". Celine Dion has done this trick in more clandestine fashion in relatively recent years..
As I write this on April 28th, I understand Tori is attending the Carpenters 55th anniversary celebration in Downey where she was expected to perform at Downey Methodist church. No confirmation if Richard Carpenter attended or met with Tori.
ruclips.net/video/uC-psDgHl0c/видео.html
@@MikeJones-xe7ovthank you 🙏
Thanks, Dennis! Yes, we're all routing for her to get some of her own songs. Here's one: "Something to Believe In" ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.html
I like to think that Richard Carpenter would have rejected that song as too mawkish.
That's a very fair review. I also thought if I wanted to hear the same version again I can just watch a Carpenters video and I don't need to listen to a cover but after saying that I think because we had Karen for such a short time that we want to hear that voice again and that why we love Tori.
Have you ever heard Paul Williams’s version, the original songwriter? It was apparently written for a bank commercial!
That it was for Crocker Bank in California. Paul did the vocal and it’s on RUclips. It failed as a commercial, young couples with no money flocked in. Smash as a hit song! And let’s not forget Roger Nichols, both men living legends.
@@jbs256 Thanks!
Tori is Tori, that is just her voice & how she sounds. I can understand you not liking a cover done in the same style (unlike many of us who appreciate it, even though we were not Carpenters fans originally), that is entirely your prerogative & point of view. It would be strange if we were all the same. You do however need to understand that this cover & arrangement was deliberately put together that way, given how alike Tori sounds to Karen. Hopefully you get to hear and for balance review ruclips.net/video/bQURbjijAbI/видео.html for balance and a better understanding of Tori & her music. Have a great day Sir.
I think you need to do some home work on this singer and video and why it was done. Tour truth rings hallow.
“ Do an original” From someone opinion on other peoples work… Priceless!
You did no homework here.
Sometimes too many "Gatekeepers" is not helpful.
She did do an original. Look on her channel. She did Carpenters proud on this song.
Another one to review is Harriet-Goodbye To Love, or her tribute to Karen....Harriet-What's Mine Is Yours.
There is only one Karen Carpenter.
And there is only one Tori Holub. Your point?
yeah, but Tori isn't trying to replace or be Karan she just happened to have studied Karan's style , it's what all students of vocals do.. just like if we want to paint like Pablo Picasso or learn from him we have to study his style.. all singers learn from the masters How else we gonna learn how to apply our Technique Tori has good Technique of which she can apply to any other style of music such as the blues or rock..
@@jbs256 And she's unoriginal
@@EdwardRoberts-vd1ix totally agree, yeah I’m wrong. Can’t sing or do anything…like this.
ruclips.net/video/3JP9CNs9YV4/видео.htmlsi=fDsdbV_2c2DUxTgM
.
Great voice but not on the same level as Karen. There was only one Karen. End of story. This young lady is very good however. I'm impressed.😊
Just as there is just one Tori. No two voices can ever be alike. Some “similarities” to the ear but not the same. Tori is in the now and can do justice to songs like what the Carpenters did all those years ago. Appreciate what we have not what she isn’t. Did you see her cover of SomethingIn Your Eyes? It’s on my channel. Live at the Carpenters 55th.
Instead of reacting to Tori you should react to the real thing: Karen Carpenter. There is no equal and no substitute. Tori is good, but she's not in the same league at all.
Although Tori claims she's not trying to be Karen Carpenter, I can't fully believe that to be true. She seems to live in a dream world, as if she is living through the eyes of Karen. If she sounds like Karen, it is because she is a good imitator. She ought to leverage that ability. Her voice is not bad, however, it does not strike me as her own. It is an effort to be someone she will never be.
I have no doubt Tori will over time do as you suggest, leverage her pleasant natural voice range and timbre to find her own songs and styles. But most musicians start out imitating others, whether our teachers, our peers or our "heroes", because so many of them set the bar for creativity, beauty and transcendence in art. Tori, Jim and countless others could do far worse than choosing Karen and Richard as their gold standard!
Tori Holub has a lot of short videos on her RUclips channel of covers she's done and The Carpenters are only a small percentage. She has also has covers of Olivia Newton-John, Bread, The Beatles, Heart, Righteous Brothers, Linda Ronstadt and Patsy Cline. I prefer her version of Crazy by Patsy Cline. I like her version of Magic by ONJ just as much or more than the original. Not all her clips are original takes on songs but some are.
The goal of this particular video with James Wilkas was to replicate The Carpenters, We've Only Just Began as closely as they could.
Incredibly lame perspective
@@SAnnun-hs1io Why? Other than the fact the truth can hurt.
@@carpentershub1726 Hurt who? Do you know her personally and what her "own" voice sounds like? Making blanket assumptions and statements about an individual's intent and capabilities from a video that is intrinsically designed to sound "as performed" by the original artist is what sounds disingenuous to me. Just because she happens to be a real Carpenters fan and has a beautiful voice that does in fact share certain tonal qualities with Karen, one should infer that she's living in a dream world? I prefer to see her as more of an artistic anomaly for her age and someone who is willing to share a gift that many genuinely appreciate. Her voice is her own. Try listening to her version of Georgia on My Mind. She's not trying to be Ray Charles, or Karen for that matter.