I Used to HATE this 70s Band…Now I ADORE Them…THIS Is What CHANGED My Mind! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 2 фев 2024
- Coming up, the story of one of the most emotionally charged hits of the rock era- Raindy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters was written by a budding songwriter Paul Williams with music by Roger Nichols, and performed by the Sister and Brother duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter. This duo was constantly ridiculed by journalists for their squeaky-clean image. I admit that I absolutely Despised their music for a quarter century. But then in a transcendent moment, today’s song converted me for good. It was Karen’s soothing voice that changed me. Today’s song, Rainy Days and Mondays is a "no doubt about it" masterpiece with one of the best lyrics of its day. But A decade after the song’s peak on the pop charts, the lives of the lyricist Paul Williams and lead singer Karen Carpenter were thrown into turmoil. It’s yet another interesting tale of what goes on behind the fame…NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #thecarpenters
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It’s time for another edition of our show the new standards. This show takes an in-depth look into songs that transcend genre, decade, and fads - songs that are landmarks in our culture and society. I have to admit today's group was one that I could not stand for the first 20-plus years of my life. I used to hate their music. Actually, despise is probably a better word to use. I turned the channel when they came on the radio. I threw up in my mouth if I ever had to listen to their stuff for longer than 2 minutes and my parents loved them. Then something changed in me and now I adore them. Especially the soothing voice of one Karen Carpenter.
The Carpenters stand as one of the most successful duos in the history of rock music, boasting phenomenal popularity across the globe. In the UK, they secured the 7th spot among the biggest-selling acts of the 70s, while in Japan, they ranked second only to The Beatles as the best-selling international act of all time, currently holding the prestigious third position behind The Beatles and Mariah Carey. Stateside, siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter delivered an impressive tally of 12 Top 10 singles. Despite their chart-topping success, the Carpenters faced skepticism from critics who struggled to reconcile their wholesome image with their widespread acclaim.
Lester Bangs a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine opined that The Carpenters were “out of step” with the music of the era, and mocked them further by stating The Carpenters had “the most disconcerting collective stage presence of any band I have seen. I’m gonna bite my tongue on that review because you all know how I feel about Rolling Stone Magazine… 
Развлечения
Poll: Who has the MOST SOOTHING Voice of the Rock Era?
Jon Anderson. Yes
Karen Carpenter, hands down.
Judie Tzuke
Christine McVie
Francis Albert Sinatra
Cash
Leslie Gore
Ronette Spector
Karen Carpenter.
Richard Carpenter said it best: “If you say you don’t like our music that is fair but if you say it’s BAD music, I’m sorry, you’re just wrong” ❤️❤️ They were both geniuses.
I've never been a Carpenters fan and I did disdain their music as a hard rocking stoner. That was a form of stoned snobbery and I know that now after being delivered from that dead-end lifestyle(PTL). My Carpenters connection is with their Christmas album. Selections from it are a must in my Christmas Playlist. However, if any of their music comes on a Playlist or the radio, it serves to take me back to the time before drugs entered my life & makes me nostalgic about my early teens. Also makes me sad to think of the premature ending of poor Karen's earthly journey.
I know that Richard was right, their music wasn't bad music. My grandmother loved it.
No argument there. But the sixties music was about way more than musical merit per se.
@@user-wh5so3ns6b I was never a fan of hard rock. Just filled with negative emotions. I like beauty , positive feelings, and sometimes profound meaning.
He’s right. In terms of craftsmanship it’s amazing, there’s no mistakes, and Karen’s voice was flawless, she’s always right on the money
Couldn't agree more! The Carpenters were Fabulous!
She had one of the purest voices ever. How lucky were we to be alive at the same time as Karen Carpenter
I'm still a hard rocker at 72 but when I hear Karen Carpenter sing i slip into a warm, comfortable, blissful state.
We called the Carpenters 'goodie 4 shoes'
amen
Thank you!
You said it! I wrote the same thing in my original comment!
Exactly.
I always loved the Carpenters, and hated the way the critics treated them. She tried so hard to be what other's wanted, and still be true to herself, it was pretty heartbreaking. I was a 'clean' kid during the 70's, no alcohol, drugs, etc, and appreciated their image
Karen's voice will never be matched again. She was priceless
Smooth as silk… flawless!
Definitely Karen Carpenter. However, I wouldn't classify their music as rock & roll, but rather pop. When I was in college, The Carpenters were scheduled to perform. Sadly many students complained that they didn't want their sugar-coated music. They wanted more hard rock performers. Ticket sales were dismal, so The Carpenters canceled. When I was young, I was torn between liking them and thinking that they were something my parents liked. I couldn't have that!
Too bad her great voice was used for bad music.
@@deathmetaldouglas69 It's only YOUR opinion that the music is bad, and what would You know about it? Being "deathmetaldouglas" you've limited yourself. Music is universal, and that means ALL MUSIC.
@@MetFan37 So if my name was Jazzy Jeff (I love Miles Davis even more than Morbid Angel BTW) would you be making the same dumb argument? Hmmmmm.
How can anyone hate Karen Carpenter? Her voice is so strong, pure and soothing
There was a lot of rock snobbery in the 70s and 80s that looked down on “clean” groups and music that sounded good without having to blow out your amps.
She has a good voice but could have lost some of her ugly "hiccups/slurs" coming off words at the end of phrases. I'd have to go through their songs to find them, but most people should know what I mean.
Only an idiot that doesn't recognize true talent.
@@coloradospacegeek4226 coupled with the rise of the Underground/Progressive Rock format that quickly evolved into Album Oriented Rock aka AOR.
People dont really hate them. They just like other bands. Some people dont like the beatles.
I was a Top 40 Radio disc jockey in Northern Indiana in the early 1970s. My date was a recently graduated high school cheerleader. She convinced me to drive to the Notre Dam Convocation Center in South to see the National Cheerleader Finals.
Halfway through the competition, the judges took a break and a band set-up to play.
I hadn't heard of them before but absolutely fell in love with the female's voice.
We moved up and stood directly in front, trying to find her. To my utter amazement, it was the drumner.
That's when I fell in love with Karen Carpenter 😍 💕
The very first time I heard Rainy Days and Mondays, I was a kid in L.A. I literally stopped , listened,, and thought to myself, "That is the most beautiful singing voice I will ever hear." I still think that is true.
41 years ago today, February 4, 1983 the world lost a beautiful voice and a beautiful soul. RIP Karen Carpenter. ❤️
I was 13 when I bought my first single record: The Carpenters' Close to You. Until I saw the date in your post, I didn't recall that Karen died the day before my birthday 13 years later.
How does a 21 year old singer sing "Talking to myself and feeling old" and make it sound genuine? Her gift is that her voice never sounded false when she was singing any line. She connected to the words so well. There are a lot of female singers who can sing with exuberance. Singing with power and fireworks galore. She never needed to overstress herself. Her singing just flowed out of her like hot chocolate. So sweet and pure and warm. Why is it that it seems the best things in life are limited. We needed more of her singing but it ran out. What a shame.
That's because depression knows no age.
Steven Tyler wrote Dream On when he was 14 years old. My mom loved the Carpenters when I didn't, but now I do.
You make the classic mistake non musicians make when listening to rock music which is overthinking lyrics. This is not a testimonial at a church baptismal ceremony where someone says they found Jesus nor is it a politician running for office stating qualifications for the office. Creatively the songwriter and vocalist singing the song are conveying an emotion using the sentiment of the words to make it come to life. They want the listener to feel something that the song is conveying and when you sense the melancholy Karen is singing about you get the point of the song. For example, the Ohio Players sang about "Fire" in a massive 70's hit but were not arguing for an actual fire. They were expressing the passion felt for a particular woman. It's the emotion most of the time in rock music that is the goal of the song and less frequently the literal message of the lyrics.
When you are 21 and you realize your childhood is over, you do feel old, even though your adult life is still ahead of you. As the decades of your life pass and memories become more distant, you realize you are never old until your dead. My mom died in January at 92 and 2 months. She never complained about feeling old, even when she couldn't see well (Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)), ate almost nothing (she weighed 70 pounds), and could barely move. She wanted to keep living, but her body didn't.
So true. Imagine the wonderful songs they would have continued to make. It’s such a shame.
I was stationed overseas in the Army when Karen passed away. I sat in my barracks room and cried. I loved her voice and how the Carpenters music made me feel growing up! Thanks for this.
If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend a visit to her tomb in LA. Its a beautiful place and it was almost a spiritual experience for me. Lots of people have been there and left flowers and I did the same myself.
The girl never used autotune and never sang off key. Beautiful vocals!
Autotune was not even invented until 1996 & first used in 1997. It is OVER-USED these days. I miss the days of natural musical talent.
I was a total rock head in the 70s, Zep, Sabbath, etc....but I always had room in my heart for my guilty pleasures of ABBA and The Carpenters. :-)
Not guilty. They were great.
nice - so many people put themselves in a box when it comes to music
i grew up in the 60/70s - graduated HS in 77 - i listened to everything - rock, pop, prog, metal, R&B, country - you name it
if it was good - it was good - never cared about the genre
Me too, and Little River Band as well.
@@jonniiinferno9098 Same here, Manilow or Venom it's no problem for me I like it all...
Same here Dave!
Oh my God, I'm 62 years old & I don't remember a time in my life I didn't love their music. Karen's voice is otherworldly. ❤
Indeed, sometimes almost literally otherworldly. Have you ever heard ‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft’? It’s from their ‘Passage’ album. The video is here on youtube.
That's the only song of theirs I couldn't stand then and still can't! 😅
When I was a Radio DJ, I couldn’t tell you how many thousand times I’ve played that song. My opinion of it has varied throughout my former career. But the whole 40-ish years of that, I was thankful that the station (whichever station it was) had its transmitter at a location some distance from the studio. Why? Because just in case there WERE aliens landing near town, that situation made it so the station’s air signal (what you actually picked up on your radio, which CAN be located if you know how) was always at least across town from where I WAS! Just in case they were hostile (or just don’t like Carpenters music) when they aimed whatever at the source of that signal… IT WOULDN’T BE THE SAME PLACE I WAS!!.
@@edryba4867I was working in Top 40 and AOR radio a few years later and that song never came up in the gold category, as I can remember anyway. I remember playing it at least once, but don’t remember why. It’s not really a big favorite of mine, just quirky and intriguing. My overall opinion of the Carpenters is that they brought life and beauty to otherwise drab and boring pop songs. If we didn’t have Karen’s lilting vocals the songs mostly wouldn’t be worth listening to; they’d be totally forgotten by now if they’d been performed by anyone else, with only a few exceptions like ‘Stop Mr Postman’.
I very much wish Karen had lived a lot longer, obviously because her death in youth was tragic but also because the loss to the American musical universe was incalculable. I wonder what other kinds of music she might have given us in later years. My favorite of all is Karen’s version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina’, and one cannot listen to her flawless and definitive performance without wondering why she didn’t have a full career doing nothing but Broadway. She was as good as anyone there, now or then. Perhaps she couldn’t act, I don’t know, but she sings ‘…Argentina’ better than anyone I’ve ever heard!
Carpenters- sheer perfection!
You didn’t grow up with the carpenters , that’s why you don’t like them . Her voice is iconic and their songs are timeless.
100%!
Her death was such a waste... hearing her sing brings tears to my eyes...
How old is he? I'm 56 and assumed he was only a little younger. The Carpenters were the epitome of uncool back then. Our parents like them, which made them extra uncool.
@@Tracymmo Who is "he"... her brother was 4 years older... he's now 77...
@@t.c.2776 I think Adam is meant...
Karen's voice can be described as hauntingly beautiful. So sad that she left us way way too soon. My wife of now 51 years and I saw the Carpenters in Chicago while Karen sang and was on the drums. What a fantastic brother and sister duo.
You are absolutely right. Karen's voice is a once in a generation voice.
A young Norwegian singer also has a hauntingly beautiful voice. Angelina Jordan is 18 years old and has more than 200 songs including several originals. Listen to her interpretation of "Feelin' Good" & "Every Time We Say Goodbye". She reminds me a lot of Karen.
ruclips.net/video/p8kAL-sGJx8/видео.htmlsi=1MovvZbuwRE9ldUZ
She was the first woman I ever saw playing drums. Helped my sisters and I realize we could do it too. Two of us ended up playing them in school.
Carpenters were my first concert, in 1974. (I went alone, since they were not considered cool.) They used backup tracks, since it was just the two of them, but Karen played drums. Most do not realize it, but they were not really a pop act. They were polished jazz musicians; it informed Karen's phrasing, and Richard's composing. Their music is very sophisticated, in an unpretentious way.
According to her brother Richard, being forced to the front of the stage to sing at the microphone and denied the ability to sit at the drums played a large role in her eating disorder. It was the only thing she had complete control over in her life.
@@jillwklausen Those rare recordings of Karen on drums can be found here on RUclips. Sent them to my grand daughter who is also a percussionist. ❤
Mo Tucker was one of the first if not THE first.
That’s not nothing. Big deal back then.
I met Richard Carpenter in 1985 while taking a music marketing class at UCLA taught by the editor of Billboard magazine. He arranged a tour of A&M records and lo and behold there was Richard in the studio where he and Karen recorded all their hits. He was the nicest guy in the world and shared some great stories but you could still feel his sadness of losing Karen. Still one of my great memories.
Karen died in 83 so I’m sure he was still in mourning. 2 years isn’t much time for that for siblings who were very close.
Their abiding sibling love was one of the things that made them special. I think she sang lead mainly because Richard and John Bettis wanted it; she considered herself a drummer first and last. (You can see in clips that the thing that lights her up the most is playing drums.)
Wow! That’s cool! I had heard that Richard Carpenter was such a nice guy.
What I meant to say should've been Karen's prime years, God bless her!
Richard in his late 70s now. Time flys.
Helped me to learn to be nonconformist. At age 11 I loved them both the moment I heard them for the first time. I played piano and sang so I recognized it immediately. I learned not to care about being mocked by people who did not understand. When I arrive in the next world, some of my first words will be: I want to see Karen.
A rare song and performance that gives us permission to be sad. Thank you, Karen and Richard, and Paul Williams and Roger Nichols. And Adam, for reminding us of this poignant and beautiful song.
You ever see a big fluffy white cloud against a blue sky? It's not blocking the sun, but it's near enough that the sun tinges the edge with gold, orange, and red. Her voice sounds like that. Angelic.
❤ Very well put 🎉
so true.
And it was well recorded. They had 19 singles in a row that charted in the top 50 and most were in the top 20. People may say they didn't like them, but they did and always will.
Word:)
The Professor is one of the truly genuinely nice guys on RUclips. He revealed his vulnerability he endured and how the Carpenters helped him heal.
Prof, thank you for what you bring to this community!
Music has a way of answering questions for us. As a 18yo was fighting constantly with my father when Cat Stevens brought out Father and Son. It helped me make some sense of what was happening. Dad died suddenly 3 years later and this song always brings a tear. I loved the Carpenters' music - so much of it resonated then, but more so now.
Yes. The Professor is knowledgeable and well connected, and interviews some of the greatest (Brian Wilson, Ann Wilson), yet remains open and humble. This channel is an oasis for me in troubled times, socially and personally.
Brilliant....thank you
"When you're happy, you hear the music. When you're sad, you hear the lyrics."
Wow...I love than analysis. @@quimeau
I was 5 yrs old when my eldest brother got married. I was their flower girl & the song that was sung as it was for so many in 1970, We've Only Just Begun! Every time I hear it this many years later, I always think of them!! After 35 years of marriage, 5 children & 2 grandchildren, we lost my sister in law to cancer. It was devastating for my brother, all of us! They now have 12 grandchildren & there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her & when the Carpenters come on the memories flood!! She loved them & we love her!! Thanks for this, it warmed my heart hearing some of the back story to this song & all of the songs Karen sang that will always bring joy & a smile!!!
Ditto, it was played at my wedding whilst we were signing papers in the vestry, back in April 1973.
The lyrics are so fitting, now my husband of many years has passed, it is a song that never fails to stir up emotions.
How could anyone ever despise the Carpenter's music? Go figure. Geniuses!
The Carpenters lived down our street, and my brothers went to school with them in the Morris Cove section of New Haven before moving to Downey. They're Connecticut's pride and
joy!! No one has a voice like Karen❤
I’m glad you grew up with them!
They're from CT?? No way I didn't know that wow...
Yes, sir, I know I d you not! Google it!
No one before or since.
"Claire de la Fuente" has almost the same voice like Karen C....Listen to one of her songs..."Sayang" she's the Filipino version of Karen Carpenter and she's also a famous during the 70's in the Philippines
I will be 70 in a few months and Karen’s voice helped me thru many hard and dark times in my life. RIP to an exceptional voice.
@danielrivard9335 Happy Birthday in advance..........I have a brother who is turning 70 this year also.
Patty-I will be 74 in a few months. I loved Karen's voice because she was one of the few female vocalists with whom I could sing. I wasn't blessed with a beautiful soprano voice. No, I had and still have a 2nd Alto voice. Their music always made me feel better. I have so many memories attached yo their music.
@@patriciatolliver4057 Merci, Patty, may your 2nd alto resonate for many years.
You may have a soulmate. I turn 70 in June, and Karen's voice has gotten me thru many times, good and bad.
@@ChuckHackney Chuck, We are Survivors, man.
I am 51 and live in Sweden and very few in my age know about the Carpenters, but I think their music is timeless.
When I listen to the Carpenters, I'm transported back to my childhood preteen years and all of the joys and innocence. I remember getting the 45 of Mr. Postman for my 12th birthday! I loved all of their songs. And Paul Wiilliams.....love him, too. One of my favorites of his was The Rainbow Connection., And when John Denver sings it, I just break down and cry.... Actually, John Denver is the male version of Karen Carpenter to me.
Karen Carpenter and Linda Ronstadt were both truly gifted at making our souls hear what the song/music was trying to tell us. Pure Emotion ❤
Pure emotion is exactly right!
i remember those days when radio could have been called Bacharach and who and Close to You hinted at the vocal chops that would flood the radio when the Carpenter's released their next album - think you will enjoy this performance - the world's greatest cover band, but more than that, Leonid & Friends - Ksenia Buzina's version of Superstar - ruclips.net/video/JhWrggrJ20I/видео.html - - - Chicago ? - ruclips.net/video/9_torOTK5qc/видео.html - - - Steely Dan ? - ruclips.net/video/P_8aZZ9d_EA/видео.html
David Gates too!
@uforferdetnilsson2595 Also check out "Lexington Lab Band" for some amazing re-creations. Much more than a cover band.
You just named my two favourite female singers of the 70s.Yes,there were,and still are,plenty of great vocalists out there,but no other voices could pull emotions out of you like Karen and Linda.
I never understood why so many people have a problem with wholesomeness, I find it refreshing. Love the Carpenters, always did. If Karen had lived lived, can you imagine how many records they might have broken.
Their “wholesomeness” was a sham. They both succumbed to very unwholesome lifestyles, and their image kept them from getting help.
But I love the Carpenters. Wholesome? No. They were talented professionals.
Not exactly "wholesome" no...there was a purity though & their music was later called "softcore"...and there was an amazing 1994 tribute album called "If I Were a Carpenter" with 90s alt-rock bands covering Carpenters songs, like Sonic Youth, Redd Kross, Shonen Knife, Babes in Toyland & more...their music had this undeniable "something" that spoke to these underground alt-rock/alt-pop bands & artists...
@@lawrencedavis4406"soft rock", not soft core.
Karen had her issues, and Richard was a qualude addict, so they weren't exactly squeaky clean. Karen's story behind the scenes is mostly tragic, from her extreme shyness to her failed marriage to people taking advantage of her to her eating disorders.
Wholesomness is the new punk
I’ve loved the Carpenters since I was a little girl. At 49, Karen’s voice still gets deep in my soul.
The Carpenters song "Top of the World" launched a life-long passion for good vocals in music, any music. Karen Carpenter, Peter Cetera, Steve Perry, and a host of other vocalists still inspire me at nearly 60 years of age. Add to that your well-spoken point that a powerful vocal can exorcise the demons in our emotional state. Thanks for this video! I'll always remember the Friday Karen died. It was a cold blustery day. I was a senior in high school, and was listening to my walkman between classes. The announcement came over the radio just as I was entering choir class... The sorrow from the entire class echoed across the campus for the rest of the day.
Karen Carpenter was not only a fabulous vocal talent, but watching her play the drums is a sheer treat! Absolutely amazing!
Yep/ Weird he didn't mention that. Though he's apparently not a musician.
John Bonham of Zeppelin was pissed she got a higher ranking as a drummer
Indeed. Search this sight for her performance of Dancing in the Streets. You will not be disappointed.
A hunger for the wrong drumsticks.
She always wanted to be a drummer first.
Paul Williams. Just a massive talent. He was everywhere while I was growing up in the 70s.
Remember him in Smokey and the Bandit and Phantom of the Paradise.
I remember him on the early, early days of the Muppet Show -- They made him a "Paul Williams" Muppet!
@@themeanhornet1070 I was just watching Phantom! Paul had such a massive talent. Could work in any genre. And he works well with Muppets! I’m always pleasantly surprised when I see his body of work. Love Paul Williams!
Yes, he wrote Old Fashioned Love Song. Three Dog Night recorded it. Rainbow Connection for the muppets. Paul Williams has wrote some hits. He’s a talented songwriter.
I met Paul Williams in 1977 when he opened the East County Preforming Arts Center in El Cajon, Ca. Then again last year at Comic Con in Arkansas. He was such a kind man who listened to me fan girl out.
They were the first cassette tape I bought after I received a cassette recorder for christmas. I could finally listen to music in my room, and I played it constantly. Still love it and her wonderful voice
Only the professor could tell this story. Your honesty and sharing about your life, couples with your own mellow, story telling ability makes you the perfect narrator for Karen Carpenter. Thank you¡
Tha professor is the best at what he does……. Thank you for your insight…….
In my opinion Karen Carpenter was an Angel walking and living amongst us humans. A voice that was so calm and yet so powerful. She is truly missed
It's interesting when things we once hated as a child become treasured memories now
It's like that with food, too. Used to hate broccoli and lentils, now I love them!
On the other hand, I used to like the Dave Clark Five and now I wonder why.
I know!
Same with cheese and Salami as a kid and now...🤓
Used to change the station when they played their songs around Christmas. Made me so sad. Always thought She had a great voice. Ten or so years ago, I was reminiscing about all the old music and starting into their catalog. Tears poured as I grieved for her and marveled at the great arrangements and her magic voice. Having become an amateur performer over the last 20 years, I could see deeper into the nuances of these wonderful songs. Big fan of Paul Williams from way back but not aware of all he wrote. Now, when one of their songs pops up, I crank it up. Sometimes the tears come, but their as much joy as sadness. Thanks for this great story of your "conversion". I love your shows and will continue to watch. I'm 65 and a Bluegrass picker from Tennessee.
My wife's graduation song was "We've Only Just Begun" and she would often joke about it, how cheesy she thought it was. I never felt that way, and I once said her, "Karen Carpenter had only just begun." That's all I said. She never joked about the song again. I think we all need a little bit of saccharine-sweet in our lives, and a healthy dose of reality, just to get our hearts right sometimes.
Her rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" drives me eye-swelling, ugly crying, because, no, she won't, and It think of all the people I've loved who I'll never see again for Christmas; my brother, my grandparents, some very dear friends I grew up with. But I can't turn the song off. I NEED to let it playout ... and cry it out. I like to think I'm a better person for it.
As a teenage boy in the 70's there weren't too many things less cool than admitting that you liked the Carpenters. It was a sure fire one way ticket to teenage hell! However I remember seeing them on a TV show doing 'Close to You' and I was hooked. I loved Karen from that first moment. She was pretty and of course her voice just melted me into a puddle. Now, over 50 years later her voice still feels like velvet to my soul. Absolutely one of the two or three best female singers of all time....possibly THE best. It's such a tragedy that she never knew how special she was and how many hearts she touched. RIP Karen.
Same
i'm 64 - and 99% agree with your statement - the 1% is that i think she absolutely is/was the best female singer of all time - her voice was so pure and emotive...
For me, only two other singers are in the same angelic voice category as Karen C and have the instant ability to stop me in my tracks and choke me up, that would be Eva Cassidy and Selina Quintanilla, both of whom also died just when they were getting started. It's often impossible to make it through the first verse of one of their songs without feeling overwhelmed. It's a reminder to me that angels never seem to last long in this hell we're in.
Amy Winehouse is another example but I can usually make it all the way through one of her songs without being emotionally obliterated. But not always.
yes
In grade school we sang some Carpenters songs in choir. I was not ashamed to say I liked the Carpenters then. I wasn't popular LOL
Mom and dad took us to the Missouri state fair about ‘68, ‘69, and the Carpenters were on fire. After Bobby Goldsboro, they came out and Karen was on the drums! I was like, “WHAT?” What a dream come true that was. I’m still heartbroken when I think of how she passed. We lost a national treasure.
You're one of the lucky ones who saw them early in their career when Karen was still singing from behind her drums. Before they made the tragic mistake of taking her out of her "comfort zone" and pushing her out front to lead the band.
You mean the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia? I think it was in 1971 because I was there and remember hearing Karen singing Close To You. They blasted it over the loud speakers to the whole Fairgrounds. I'm pretty sure it was in 1971.
@@davidhedges7186 I cannot dispute your account of the event. Due to certain activities in the 1970’s my memory banks, much like those of Will Robinson’s robot on “Lost In Space”, are heavily corroded.
@@davidhedges7186That tracks. '68-69 would be too early (Carpenters' first recordings as such came out in '69), but 1970 was their breakout year and in '71 they were peaking...
Maybe It's You. I was in the sixth grade and my teacher would play Carpenters after lunchtime and let us read books for about a half an hour. That's the song I remember most and still love.
From their breakout album, 1970's Close To You. Their jazziest and, in some ways, richest project...
I've been a Carpenter fan my entire life..to say I'm a fan is an understatement. This video was amazing..thank you for spotlighting Karen's voice and the brilliant arranging by Richard.
"Rainy Days and Mondays" when it segues into "Goodbye to Love" gets me emotionally every time. I always loved The Carpenters because Karen's voice was so beautiful and mesmerizing.
I spoke with Richard when I ran into him at Macy’s in Downey. It was the early 1990’s.
We talked about Karen. His voice crackled with sad emotion. I left our conversation in tears. Even to this day, when I hear a Carpenter’s song, I go back to that day and can feel his sadness.
I cried for weeks when she died. It was just all so sad….
_Thanks for sharing that story. That was certainly a lucky interaction._
*_Richard & Karen Carpenter came from a good, loving, & supportive family. It's such a shame that Karen was never lucky enough to have her very own loving/supportive family. She deserved SO much better. I think she would've loved being a mother & would've excelled at it._*
_It's good that Richard was able to move on from her death & become a loving father/husband. 👍_
Karen was such a pure soul, her beautiful voice, it made it excruciating to lose her, because nobody deserved to live more than Karen Carpenter. Nobody.
@@andyroid5028Their mother wasn't loving or supportive of Karen.
Her voice has the ability to reach out and grab hold of me, often times making me sad and misty even after all this time.
No matter the genre, the presentation, QUALITY art always stands out. Karen's vocals are so beautiful that even those who want to not like the style are captivated by sound.
You are so spot on with The brilliance of Karen's voice She proved that greatness does not have to be belted out. Her amazing gift of perfect pitch and beautiful soft tones are timeless!
No one has ever matched Karen Carpenter's heartachingly beautiful voice. You can hear her pain in her songs.
Some of her songs are sad, but not the majority of them; many are wistful or happy: "We've Only Just Begun", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Merry Christmas, Darling", "For All We Know", and "Top of the World", to name a few. But happy or sad, hearing Karen Carpenter sing never disappoints.
Agree but to me even in the upbeat songs, there is something unspoken in Karen's voice... another layer that gives it depth and melancholy. I can't really describe it, but I don't just hear "happy."
@@cryptic1741This
Tori Holub is hauntingly close. ruclips.net/video/jd4Uf7zERGw/видео.html
There is a new young vocalist named Tori Holub that gets so close, it’s scary. Search for her on RUclips. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Still heartbroken over Karen's shortened life.... and what could've been. What a voice! She proved you don't have to hit those high soprano notes to be an awesome singer. I drive by the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach almost daily...
So many superstars of the sixties and seventies that died so young, that they took musical blessings to the grave we old people/all people will never tickle our ear drums!!
Karen could hit the high notes as well as the lows. She was one of the 4+ octave range singers.
Bless her heart. Rip Karen Carpenter. She had such a beautiful voice.
I mourned so much when she died..I had had one opportunity to see them in 1972or 3 when they came to Fort Worth, but my parents would not allow me to go with my church youth group. My heart was broken.
When I hear a Carpenters song, I admit I feel some anger rise up, knowing how she was cruelly bullied by an insensitive writer.
I did not know they had a venue named in their honor.
When I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, one of my favorite things to do was go to yard sales or thrift stores and buy albums or cassettes that looked interesting. I come from a family of musicians, and discovering new music was always exciting. I can't across Carpenter's album Passages and it was my favorite album of my 11-12yo life. I've recently been going through a divorce and the song "Two Sides" has been a comforting reintroduction to my rotation. My Dad, who was a singer-singwriter, in the bluegrass, Southern Rock, Country & Western, genres, adored Carpenters.
Even though I appreciated them when I was younger, like you, with the years and more life experience, I've come to truly appreciate their depth.
Thanks for always putting out such great content. I adore your show!
I was not, am not, and will never be ashamed that I like The Carpenters. What made me like them was Karen's voice, their harmonies, and their songs. More emotions were added when David Spade and Chris Farley sang to the song Superstar on the movie Tommy Boy.😂
Karen Carpenter had the best voice in all of music history. This song was my introduction to them. My cousins had a “record player” and this song on 45. We played it over and over and over. Today “SuperStar” is one of my favs too. There will never be another Karen Carpenter. So sad the way her life ended. RIP sweet angel.
First sentence. Truth
Someone (Rick Beato??) analyzed her voice and concluded that she beat the crap out of any of today’s singers even when the were using autotune.
She wasn't the best voice but one of the best. Loved all the carpenters songs
@@earlr2992 I'll agree that she was one of the best. I'll perhaps disagree with you on who was the best. Who would you nominate as "the best", or some of the best? I'm curious.
@@ChrisHiblerPinball I don't think any one person is the best. The best ones are all different and have different styles. I think Karen Carpenter is Great, Whitney Houston, I like the group Three degrees, I like Ann Murrey, and there are a few more. I like that they all have very strong clear voices and sing effortlessly. You never see them straining to reach a note.
Thank you for featuring the Carpenters. I’ve always thought of Karen as the greatest female singer ever.
Thank you for this video. Every time I think of the Carpenters, I get sad and a bit angry because of Karen's tragic death and the insensitivity that led to her anorexia. She, and her voice, were a gift that the world lost all to soon. This song, in particular, is a comfort to me.
The Carpenters are embedded deep into my musical DNA....and they still evoke deep emotions upon the first notes I hear🥲
"Brings comfort to the soul" perfectly describes Karen Carpenter's distinctive and revelatory talent. Truly one of the best vocalists of all time.
It’s like chicken soup for the soul.
When I listen to her songs it soothes my soul.
As someone who enjoys both Led Zeppelin and the Carpenters, I have to say they are both immensely talented and iconic in their own ways. Add Superstar as another song that hits those peaks in singing and emotions.
Superstar is amazing!
"As someone who enjoys both Led Zeppelin and the Carpenters .." What a great opening phrase! Haha -- 100% with ya'! I agree about Superstar, and would like to mention my very favorite Carpenters song: Close To You. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
Oh yeah, loved everything Led Zepplin to Karen Carpenter. While I sang aloud to both albums back in the day, I sing Superstar at karaoke. 🎶
There's a video of her doing a Burt Bacharach medley live singing and playing the drums that is insane. The level of musicianship is second to none. None of the monitoring systems that make live performances today work. Just raw talent.
Our soul is in our voice. She was wounded and we heard it. But we could not figure it out. Talented, beautiful, gifted, almost perfect, sweet, a unicorn among us, intelligent, worshiped for her sound by the world.... We were more than fans ...she was our friend. Yet...yet....how?
She deserved a heavenly stage...better than us.. and we miss her ... Thank you! Appreciated. Much love....
I always got such shit as a kid for listening to them. It was “old” music because by then, it was probably 10 or 15 years old, but I didn’t care. Karen Carpenter’s voice had me in my feels one way or the other every time I heard it, and I didn’t care what other people thought. I sang their songs to my children. My daughter’s favorite was “Sing”, and my son’s was “Close To You”. They still love those songs at 26 and 27 years old.
Close to You is such a heartfelt song.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 - I started singing it to my son because he has his father’s beautiful blue eyes. “Golden starlight in your eyes of blue”. I think of his sweet, 2 year old self every time I hear it. Makes me smile so hard.
I was a little boy when this song came out. It was raining and my mother had picked me up at school for some reason. Since it was raining, I knew my mother wouldn't let me go outside and play. Raining Days and Mondays came on the radio and when it said "they use to call the blues" I didn't know what that meant. I asked my mother to explain it and that is when I learned what blues was. I knew the feeling, but didn't know what to call it. At that moment I could relate to the song. Every time I hear that song it takes me back to that day. It was brings back happy sad days. You have to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues. Karen's voice will always be timeless. Great Video.
No matter where you go, if a Carpenter song came on, you can see people just drift off into their memories and emotions and it’s a beautiful thing to see. That’s music.
I grew up, listening to The Carpenters. I have such wonderful memories of being a kid with my parents and siblings.
Karen is proof that angels do walk amongst us.
The Carpenters bring back good memories from my childhood. “Those old melodies still sound so good to me, as they melt the years away”.
"as they melt the YEARS away"
@@bodaciouscowboy thanks, corrected. I knew that but mistyped in my rush.
My favorite. A bucket list of mine is to go back to my old neiborhood and sit on the front steps of my childhooh home and play that song (on my phone)and just sit there and experience that feeling where I heard that song for the first time.
My favorite female voice of all time. She has touched my soul for years, however, I was like you back in the day, and didn’t know what to think of them. But I was converted and absolutely love their music now. This is coming from a 70s heavy metal man.
THEY ARE HORRIBLE
Yeah, I went through a hating phase when I was young. I found them a bit too saccharine back in the 70s, but in the end her incredibly expressive voice won me over. Yes her voice is perfect technically, but it's the deep emotion she conveys that really moves me.
@@ms.felonystrutter2472 No they aren't. You just refuse to listen outside your single genre. There is a lot of great music out there.
@@ms.felonystrutter2472🤣🤣🤣 Not horrible but not great. To each their own. 👍
I am EXACTLY there with you on this one. My two favorite male singers are Robert Plant and Jon Anderson. My two favorite female singers are Karen Carpenter and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. Spanky had those pipes, and Karen made you feel like she was right there in the room with you.
I remember as a teenager (in the 80s and 90s -- the influence of my older brothers) being both captivated by the Carpenters music and embarrassed to admit it to my friends. It's taken a while, but vindication is (bitter)sweet.
I really appreciate your admitting that you weren't a fan at first. And it was very heartfelt when you told the story about hearing her song after your wife left. I too have developed new appreciations as I got older for the emotional space that they occupied.
yes, I have re-discovered the Carpenters to inspire my 1-year old granddaughter. The soothing voice makes her stop and listen. Karen Carpenter will live on!
We've seen a lot of singers come and go, each special in their own way, but Karen Carpenter stood alone. Her voice really felt like it came from heaven and God was just sharing.
Agree. May she RIP.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's and the Carpenters were a big part of my early love of music. Karen Carpenter was huge back then, amazing voice and a great drummer.
Karen Carpenter was also voted the best rock drummer in 1975. Rest in peace Karen you blessed the world with your beautiful voice that will never be forgotten
The Carpenters “A Song For You” was my first album! I begged my mom for the LP while shopping at a department store and to my surprise she said yes! I was 11 yrs old and I played that album daily! Karen’s voice is sublime.
I’ve watched many of your videos, Adam. I’m much older than you (I’m 66) and I love your deep appreciation for music. I was moved by you related briefly the demise of your marriage. I went through the same thing after 26 years of marriage. Like you music was a source of healing for a very long and painful season. You’re a good soul, Adam. Keep up the good work!
He will appreciate your comment if he sees it. God bless
64 - and i can relate - my first marriage ended after 12 years and 2 sons - the Professor's story brought those memories to the forefront.
2nd marriage 24 years in November - 200% better than the first. Glad you and the Professor both survived. 🙏
@krd1209 - 😢
@krd1209 *_Oh wow. I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. Thanks for sharing your story... but I must admit, your story really saddened me. It stirred up some teary-eyed emotions in me (& I'm a middle-aged guy who doesn't cry all that often)._*
_Anyway, it's hard to come up with some appropriate/comforting words (because 'words' just seem to fall short in respect to the tragedy you are enduring)... so, I'm sorry if I'm struggling here with these words a bit. Overall, I pray that time will heal your painful wounds. Carry on as best as you can... I'm sure it's what she would have wanted you to do (until you see her again one day)._
*Stay strong & take care of yourself (& good luck)! Things **_WILL_** get better!*
My Mom was a member of the Columbia House Music Club and she got The Carpenters Greatest Hits 8-track tape along with some others from Helen Reddy, Captain & Tenneille, and some 1950's & 60's doo whop music. We had an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon with an AM-FM 8-track tape player. Mom always played The Carpenters tape and us three kids got to know all the lyrics to every song on that tape. We actually developed a lot of appreciation for The Carpenters. If Mom liked it, we liked it too. Hearing their music brings back good memories of my childhood. Back when things were better.
You can cruise the vistas.
Your comment takes be back as well, those good old days. 😊
yep - back when things/life - were a lot better - wish we could go back to those "Wonder Years"...
btw - i'm 64 - family of 9 - for as far back as i can remember - we always had a 9-passenger station wagon
on trips - people would pass us - and they would be counting how many kids were in the car
on one trip - a station wagon passed us - they had 8 kids to our 7...
Paul McCartney has said that she had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive".
I don't necessarily agree, as there are so many great singers, it's hard to rank them, but she had a gorgeous voice that was unmistakable. Her rule as a hitmaker was short, but amazing. She left us too soon.
😢
I am in my late 60's. Karen was.............to me.............perfect. The world hasn't been the same since she left. An angel with an angel's voice. Ok, I'll stop, but you understand.
Close To You will always resonate with me. Rumer has a wonderful version.
Karen had one of the purest voices in music.
I agree! Rumer’s voice sounds just like Karen to me!
I'm almost 64 and remember as a child, listening to Carpenters and her beautiful voice in my mom's car. Also, don't forget that Roger Nichols was the engineer of all those superb Steely Dan albums as well as many many others.
I'm glad you finally were able to truly hear and appreciate their amazing music! I've loved them since I was a kid in the '70's. My Mom loved them and listened to them all the time, so I guess me being a big fan was to be expected. They would have given us so much more beautiful music had Karen not been taken away so soon.
I had exactly the same gag response
Karen Carpenter’s voice brings me to tears now
I dont know how anyone could "loathe" anyone for having a clean cut image. Sad really. I can understand their music not being everyones "cup of tea" but their talent and musicality couldnt be denied. And amazing how such a "loathed" group is being discovered more than 4 decades later and earning the respect they always should have had. A voice that is timeless, unique with a strange kind of melancholy is such a rich combination. Anyone who was a fan of them back then is a bigger fan now and realizes just how good they were.
Very well, said.
If you considered yourself to be a bit of a bad boy (or girl) as a teen and you liked to listen to loud rock music, then you probably loathed the Carpenters. They were squares and represented everything you hated. But comes time, comes wisdom, and then you can leave behind those childish considerations and learn to appreciate them for what they were: wonderful, extremely talented muscians.
I wanted to hear The Carpenters' "Top of the World" but the cool kids in school had older brothers and said I should listen to Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein", etc.
really, you don't know? they were square. and I like them, but they were clearly square. most kids are into music their parents would hate . its not a stretch to see why they weren't liked by a lot of their contemporaries
and again i like them, but its not hard at all to see why many didn't like them
There's clean cut, and then there's clean cut.
There's Karen and Richard, and then there's Donnie and Marie.
I never paid any attention to them. Then I got married, my wife loves them, and so I've come around. Karen Carpenter really does have a beautiful voice.
You listen to her recorded voice understanding there is no reverb or effect and you realize how pure it was. Never heard anything like it.
I've always loved the Carpenter's songs, they are part of my growing up as I'm 63.
I'm old enough to have been young enough when the Carpenters hit it big. That means I never had a negative reaction to them even as I grew up and became more a fan of hard and prog rock. The Carpenters still bring a warm feeling every time I hear Karen's wonderful voice. It's too bad she's still not with us. The Carpenters would be huge on the retro tours today, and there's no doubt we missed many more hit songs from one of pop's greatest vocalists. As Adam wonderfully recounts, her songs and vocal stylings grew to have even more meaning to us as we all matured. I hope you've found peace, Karen.
It is kind of odd how they cut across genres, where even some hard rock fans didn't instinctively lunge for the radio button when Karen started singing.
Richard is still with us and I wonder if he might start up a tour soon?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 He is doing a limited tour in the UK this year. He will be doing a Q&A with the audience also. He said this is the first time he can bring himself to play their songs without Karen. 😥
I was mesmerized by how good of a drummer she was! Simply outstanding!
Absolutely phenomenally beautiful voice but many don't have a clue as to how good she was on the drum kit.
Just stumbled across your video. Gotta tell you, your delivery and style is really engaging, interesting and very polished. Great job! And I couldn't agree more about the Carpenters. It's wonderful that you and others have come around to acknowledge just how underrated and brilliantly talented they actually were.
As a kid, there were 3 voices that I remember that used to soothe me to sleep. There was Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt and Olivia Newton-John. I was in love with all three. I even remember when I was five, I told my mom that one day I would marry Karen. It was only a few years later that I found out that she passed when I was barely 2.
I was a 70's and 80's metal head but I remember hearing the Carpenters on the radio while riding the bus to school. I considered it bubble gum music but I also remember every word and note. I fought really hard not to like them. It wasn't until decades later that I went back and listened to them and realized how amazing they were. On the other hand I always had a secret love in Olivia Newton-John too. I would never tell anybody this at the time as I would have been relentlessly chastised by all my metal head friends. Both Karen and Olivia had incredibly expressive voices and had a way of making you feel like they were singing directly to you and only to you.
I might have been 7 when Rainy Days and Mondays came out. I remember hearing it on the radio and starting to cry.
Three brilliant voices and as above I was into heavy metal, but knew a fabulous voice when I heard one!
yep - kid crush on all three of them - i was 12 when Rainy Days and Mondays was release.
and just so ya know - you woulda been faaar back in the line of young bucks that wanted to marry Karen Carpenter 😜
so sad for us all that she the world waay too soon...
In addition to the absolute magic that was Karen, I still marvel at Richard’s playing, backup vocals, arranging and producing. There is a lushness and exceptional polish to their recordings. To say their standards were high, would be an understatement. What a gift they were.
They were perfectionist's and it shows.
You just made me cry with your story, and thinking about Karen who was hounded about her looks. It was tragic and robbed us of many more years of her velvety voice. 😢
I'm still in love with KC and that voice. It reminds me of first loves, riding the endless bus trips of a couple hours a day and that bus drivers radio and the music while growing up in the 60's and 70's. My heart was broken when she died and still is. If you want to feel love just listen to her sing.
Paul Williams (lyrics) and Roger Nichols (music) also wrote their "I Won't Last a Day Without You".
Paul wrote lyrics of Barbara Streisand "Evergreen" and Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song".
Roger wrote the melody of Paul Anka's "Times of Your Life".
He also wrote the lyric for The Rainbow Connection which I adore. I struggle to sing that with that children in school as the words are just so pure and beautiful.
But Karen Carpenter's voice, that's a whole other story. One of the most beautiful vocal instruments in the history of recorded sound.
Good Stuff!
Paul Williams was very popular in the 70s..
Roger has a knack for melody writing. He has inspired me in my songwriting.
My husband went to high school with the Carpenters. We'd always see Karen and her mom out shopping. I always loved their music.
I also love the Carpenters.... and your show... the way you bring light is profound!
As I write this with a blurry screen, this review brought up so many memories of a time long ago made fuzzy by the passing of time, but it even so it can still elicit warm, and often tearful memories. I was 13 in 1971 and "Rainy Days.." was playing everywhere on AM and particularly during our yearly family camping trip to Clear Lake, CA. It even rained that week. My life had changed completely the year before having been paralyzed by a spinal defect. The song seemed to fit my mood as I struggled with the new normal, and yet it was comforting. I've always been keen lyrics and what they convey and now at the age of 65 hearing it again has meaning as it comfort me this time remembering people in my life now gone. Of five people that lived in our household only my brother is left. The Carpenters for me marks the passing of time and are woven into the fabric of my life and the lives of so many. I can still hear the crackly sound of the little AM radio and yet that song is priceless. Thanks for segment.
Karen Carpenter's vocals can cut through any blues, can melt the coldest heart. Always hard to understand her passing, she lives in my soul as the perfect siren who heals with just a few words. Thanks Prof, its raining again!
did not melt mine and I do not have a cold heart. I liked a few things they did but, was just not into that kind of music.
But, I felt really sad when she died. It was such a waste. I knew she was talented and a good singer even though I was not into her style of music.
That voice can really get to your SOUL!
I grew up listening to the carpenters. Richard’s arrangements were phenomenal but Karen’s voice is so pure and angelic! No singer ‘s voice has ever come close to sounding as beautiful as Karen’s voice! She left this earth way too soon!
When Karen sings, I listen! She has the most soothing voice I've ever heard. I love her music. RIP Karen❤