New subscriber! Burch, I agree with you 100% about Karen Carpenter and her amazing vocal talent! I had a huge crush on her back in the day! Thank you both for a great reaction! Another amazing talent from that same era, that you may or may not have reacted to yet, was Judisth Durham of The Seekers ("Georgy Girl," etc...). She too had a crystal clear voice. I would love to see y'all react to The Seekers as well. Thanks!
Karen Carpenter has been hailed by the music industry as having one of the best female voices of all time. Nice to see her still living in the hearts of so many.
After listening to her for over 50 years, I have run out of words to describe how heavenly beautiful her voice was. Angelic, pure and impossible to duplicate. I am so thankful for being around when she started. What a treasure!
I wonder how many of us who were kids then saw video clips of them performing (such as when we watched adult variety shows with our parents, which I found boring and thus rarely did). Hearing this song on the radio was an experience - hearing that iconic harmonica intro takes me right back to 5th grade. Even though I know the words to all of their radio hits by heart, I didn’t know Karen Carpenter was a drummer until RUclips came along 15 years ago.
There was an incident when she was exiting a restaurant and passed John Lennon in the doorway. He said "Hey you've got a really great voice". She ran off in tears because she thought he was poking fun at her, but he was deadly serious.
Karen, in my opinion, had the best female voice ever. For someone who never wanted the spotlight, she blew everyone else away. It took her brother a long time to convince her to be the lead singer. She was happiest playing her drums. She always sang from the heart and always seemed so sad. Although she married, I don't think she ever really found the love she dreamed of. Well, I am sure now, since she passed away just how much the WORLD really lover her. No doubt that she is leading the Lord's choir in heaven! Every time I hear her, I get teary-eyed. Taken much too soon from us. R.I.P. KAREN
Karen Carpenter wasn't just an amazing drummer. She was a world class drummer, and was recognized by many male drummers in the industry as one of the greatest ever.
Not only was karen a drummer she also was a guitarist and a bass player and she could also play french horn, she was a multiple talent that is surely missed everyday this woman was the best female singer of the 1970's and beyond, R.I.P. karen god bless you beautiful soul. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Karen had the most effortless and pure voice. She really went through so much having to deal with being in that spotlight. The pressure of being thin and keeping up that image lead to her early death. Heartbreaking. Superstar is my absolute favorite of their songs.
Fun fact, it's actually studio legend, Hal Blaine playing drums on the track. Now, Karen could easily have played it (even Hal said so). But we all know how business is.
To be that clean-sounding and still have so much soul is a very rare thing. Her voice was like the view from the top of a mountain mixed with a warm brandy.
If you really want to hear Carpenters with a country feel, react to Sweet Sweet Smile. It was written by Juice Newton and Otha Young for Juice but her record company didn’t like it for the album she was working on. Karen visited Juice’s manager and he played a demo of the song and she fell in love with the song. She took it to Richard and he did what he always did and made it a Carpenters song. It made it to number 8 on the country chart in 1978. Please react to this song, you will not be disappointed!
Funny that she mentioned wanting to hear Karen singing country. One of my favorite Carpenters songs is their cover of Jambalaya originally sung and recorded by the great Hank Williams. It's a really fun song!
I agree with you Burch, perhaps the best female vocalist ever. Plus there was no auto tune then and the technology of microphones was just amplified voice. There was nothing but voice, no tricks
Growing up it wasn’t cool to like what was called “easy listening,” but as I’ve grown older I’ve really grown to appreciate The Carpenters. I normally don’t like perfect music, I like flaws, but The Carpenters are truly flawless, there’s no mistakes in their music, everything is right on the money, and the craftsmanship is remarkable. Karen Carpenter couldn’t hit a bad note if she tried, and she was a very rare talent, may she Rest In Peace
Karen was everyone's sister. We loved her and still do! Great voice, great timing (One take Karen)! True pitch, true tone! She is missed but still with us!
I can see Burch's reaction watching...with mixed emotions. Like me, I can only smile and cry at the same time experiencing Karen and the Carpenters back in the GREATEST decade of music! How they were able to leave a HUGE impact on my youth and today's youth! Karen's voice and Richard's arrangements were a PERFECT match!!
The purity and tone and her lower register make her for me the finest singer, certainly female, of all time. She doesn't need to do runs or go for broke on her high notes. She sings from her soul and her heart, simply luscious and sweet and calming.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love that she never engaged in vocal gymnastics and didn't "SHOW OFF" her incredible talent like so many singers do. Humility personified. She didn't know how good she really was.
To sing that magnificently beautifully while simultaneously playing the drums superbly is absolutely incredible! People don't really understand and appreciate just how difficult that really is!
I break down and cry every time I see someone react to her. To see her talent and her sweetness, and know what she went through. Breaks my heart all these years later.
I first saw them in a band called Spectrum at the Whisky-A-GO-GO in Los Angeles in 1966 or 67. You seldom saw a female drummer back then so they stuck in my mind. Did not normally go to the Whisky as Shelly’s Man-Hole (a jazz club owned by Shelly Mann) was more to my liking. The next time I saw them their band had broken up and Richard had formed a 3 piece Jazz band he on keyboards or piano and Karen on the drums with Wes Jacobs on bass. She was an accomplished jazz drummer one of her idols was Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck's drummer). By 16 she had a drum set like Morello’s and could play “Take 5”. By 19 (when signed with A&M) she had a 3 octave contralto (B2 to B5sharp) voice the angels were jealous of . Richard had numerous roles in Carpenters, including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals. Herp Alpert heard one of their demo tapes and signed them with A&M records in 1969 and let them do their own thing. Their first album "Offering" did not do to well but the second (1970) "Close To You" went to #1 and won them a Grammy for best duo album beating the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel with several of the singles going to 1 or 2 and everything after was pure gold (they also renamed "Offering" "Ticket To Ride" and it did better). Their career ended in 1983 when Karen died at 32 of complications from anorexia. Would recommend “Rainy Days and Mondays” or “(groupies) Superstar” or “Goodbye to Love” it was the first power ballad with Toni Peluso on the fuzzy guitar or “Ticket to Ride” a Beatles cover which Lennon when ask about it said how can you complain when an angel takes one of you song and makes it hers? Many of her fans were entertainers themselves Sinatra said the only one he would pay to see was Karen Carpenter. Both McCarthy and Lenon complimented her Lenon was ask what he thought of them covering "Ticket To Ride" his reply if an angel sings your song how can you complain? I am getting really long winded so will stop. PS Whitney Houston had a range from G2 to G#5, (almost 3 octaves) with the ability to belt up to C6. No one knows what Karen could belt to as she never belted. She let the music softly flow like honey on velvet.
Karen Carpenter’s voice was absolute perfection.❤ Her death was heartbreaking. I wish she had been able to realize how incredible she was and how she is loved to this day.
Like Burch, I also grew up hearing Karen Carpenter on the radio. She had such an incredible voice. I'm glad you were able to share this reaction with us. Keep up the great work!
My dad is the one that got me into The Carpenters......and Karen Carpenter is astounding.......sufering from Depression myself this song rings so true........absolutely love this one!!!!!!! thank you for this one
It can be difficult to see the video to this song. Seeing how beautiful she was and amazing she was singing and drumming can just choke me up even today. My first exposure to the Carpenters was on the school bus when the girls in the choir would sing their songs, and of course they were everywhere on the radio. When she died it just seemed unreal and you thought it couldn't be so.
A lot of fans look back on their favorite singers form "Back in the day" and realize just how good they really were. Kind of hindsight. We who grew up listening to the Carpenters knew what we had. We knew from the first note we ever heard Karen sing that we were witnessing something special. We loved her, and we were devastated at the loss of her.
She was a drummer that could sing. Which is what she wanted. Everyone else pushed her to be a singer that could drum. She didn't want the spotlight. Solitaire, Top of the World, Mr Postman are all good songs.
Don't forget her brother Richard on the piano!! Been a huge fan for over 50 years now!! Wow time flies!! There's not one bad Carpenter's song!!❤❤ Love, your channel❤ Keep great music 🎶 alive.
I totally agree. Karen Carpenter is worthy to be considered the best female singer of all time. However, the world would never have had Karen Carpenter, were it not for her big brother, Richard. Together, this sibling duo WAS The Carpenters. Early on, Richard was ONLY TRUE music talent in their family. By the age of 13, Richard was dubbed by his Yale music instructor as a music prodigy. Richard IS the OTHER HALF of The Carpenters. He is a highly talented pianist & composer, he sang backup, & arranged ALL The Carpenters' songs. Karen looked up to her big brother's musical talent & was her major influence in wanting to get involved with music. Their EQUALLY COMBINED musical talents created The Carpenters & made them music LEGENDS. If not for Richard & their STRONG brother/sister relationship, we would never have had Karen Carpenter to APPRECIATE for ETERNITY. I enjoy your reactions and your channel. Thank you!
Incredible singing ability !! Her pitch, tone, vibrato and control are exceptional .. but...... the emotion in her voice gets me every time. I think the emotion is coming from a real place in her. That is why Rainy Days and Mondays can still bring emotion to me.
The Carpenters and being a fan, were never "cool" back in the day - but that somehow never prevented them from being consistently near the top of charts - or so widely loved and respected even to this day ;) ❤
There was so much great music made in the 1970s that we didn't consider the Carpenter's music "cool". However, no matter what kind of music you liked, when Karen's voice came on the radio everyone listened. We all knew how special she was. The sad thing is that she really didn't know how loved she was. When I heard she had passed away, it felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.
My favorite, of theirs, has always been "For All We Know." Slower, and, in my humble opinion, more beautiful singing from her, than their others. If you've ever seen those TV commercials advertising some brand of chocolate truffles...and a French chef looking dude is stirring melted chocolate...that silky smooth liquid chocolate... that's Karen Carpenter's voice.
EXCELLENT reaction!!! Yes, her Vibrato is insane. Absolutely incredible. There will never be another Karen Carpenter. She's out of reach. You should react to "Superstar." Great song, amongst MANY others they have
Arguably one of the best female Alto singers ever, and that's in an amazing field of Stevie Nicks, Annie Lenox, Sade, and Norah Jones to name just a handful. But as a note, Hal Blaine actually played the drums on the album recording. The song was written by Paul Williams, who also wrote "We've Only Just Begun" and other huge hits like "Rainbow Connection", "Evergreen, etc. It was recorded while she was 20 years old.
Just to make something clear... to the best of my knowledge, the recordings have such gorgeous expanded harmonies because Richard and Karen were singing ALL the parts and overdubbing them to the record. Saw them twice in concert and they had great musicians who doubled as the background singers, but a brother/sister duo covering all the parts is pretty hard to beat !! Their lush sound was one of the first things that grabbed me when I chanced to hear their version of "Ticket to Ride".
My dad had the Carpenters in his 70 Chevelle 8-track on a rotation. Vividly recall that as a kid. Didn't really give it much thought til i was older, then realized how good she was. Very few can match Karen's pure vocal pitch/tone. When i think of the best female vocalists, Karen, Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee & Judy Garland come immediately to mind.
I played drums guitar and with the help of youtube i now play piano But what you cant learn here is how to sing like her I would give up every instrument to sing half as good as her
Saw Karen sing and drum in 1972 .Karen was up there with Phil Collins and Levon Helm as a drummer/singer .Her best songs --Trying to get the Feeling Again ,Solitaire ,the song Aplace to Hideaway ,a Burt Bacharach Medley (check the one in black and white in Australia 1972 ).Best duets --with Ella Fitzgerald,John Denver and Perry Como. For singing and drumming check out he cover of the Beatles Help the Carpenters do.
I've been saying for decades that Karen was my favorite singer though I'm more of a rock guy. It's been interesting recently to hear people more in the know than me say how really special and unique she was.
My two favorite female vocalists of all time...Karen Carpenter and Ann Wilson...As a life long drummer/percussionist,I can state with some authority that Karen's skill on the drum kit was also remarkable....4 way limb independence plus vocals,is 5 way independence and such a spot on sense of rhythm,vocal pitch and just a beautiful,pure voice...
I'm 61 now and did like them when they were at the height of their career, even though it was tough to admit to my buddies LOL. My favorite thing to do is to put on a good pair of headsets and listen to Karen through them, it is a glorious sound in my opinion. Timeless!
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New subscriber! Burch, I agree with you 100% about Karen Carpenter and her amazing vocal talent! I had a huge crush on her back in the day! Thank you both for a great reaction! Another amazing talent from that same era, that you may or may not have reacted to yet, was Judisth Durham of The Seekers ("Georgy Girl," etc...). She too had a crystal clear voice. I would love to see y'all react to The Seekers as well. Thanks!
That was not country,top of the world was i was 10 and the first 45 I brought was superstar
Karen Carpenter has been hailed by the music industry as having one of the best female voices of all time. Nice to see her still living in the hearts of so many.
After listening to her for over 50 years, I have run out of words to describe how heavenly beautiful her voice was. Angelic, pure and impossible to duplicate. I am so thankful for being around when she started. What a treasure!
The most beautiful, pure voice ever!! The tone is so unique! We lost a national treasure when she passed away!!
Indeed Karen Carpenter is one of the best female vocalist ever.
I’m a metal head and I love her voice 😘
Male or female, Voice, period. And Drummer🎸
I wonder how many of us who were kids then saw video clips of them performing (such as when we watched adult variety shows with our parents, which I found boring and thus rarely did). Hearing this song on the radio was an experience - hearing that iconic harmonica intro takes me right back to 5th grade.
Even though I know the words to all of their radio hits by heart, I didn’t know Karen Carpenter was a drummer until RUclips came along 15 years ago.
The best in my opinion, there have been many, many greats, but Karen was the best of the best👍✌️
For a voice you just want to hear and listen to, it's really hard to beat Karen Carpenter. She was an impressive talent.
An absolute shame that she thought she wasn't enough when in all actuality she was perfect 💕 R.I.P. Miss Carpenter 🙏
There was an incident when she was exiting a restaurant and passed John Lennon in the doorway. He said "Hey you've got a really great voice". She ran off in tears because she thought he was poking fun at her, but he was deadly serious.
She was gorgeous!
Karen, in my opinion, had the best female voice ever. For someone who never wanted the spotlight, she blew everyone else away. It took her brother a long time to convince her to be the lead singer. She was happiest playing her drums. She always sang from the heart and always seemed so sad. Although she married, I don't think she ever really found the love she dreamed of. Well, I am sure now, since she passed away just how much the WORLD really lover her. No doubt that she is leading the Lord's choir in heaven! Every time I hear her, I get teary-eyed. Taken much too soon from us. R.I.P. KAREN
Karen Carpenter wasn't just an amazing drummer. She was a world class drummer, and was recognized by many male drummers in the industry as one of the greatest ever.
Her voice is a warm blanket.
She sang effortlessly, as if she wasn't trying to impress anybody, but that came across as sincere and genuine.
I totally agree Burch she is the best female vocalist I have heard in my 50 odd years on this earth ❤
She even beat John Bonham for drummer of the year in a Playboy music poll, Bonham almost cried over that
Indeed, you are spot on, Ms. Carpenter wasn't one in a million, she was one in a lifetime!
Describing Karen Carpenter's voice as perfect is no exaggeration. I remember when she died. 👍
Karen Carpenter has the best overall voice I have ever heard. She passed on my birthday Feb 4 1983. I was crushed
Not only was karen a drummer she also was a guitarist and a bass player and she could also play french horn, she was a multiple talent that is surely missed everyday this woman was the best female singer of the 1970's and beyond, R.I.P. karen god bless you beautiful soul. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
A voice as smooth as silk. Even better, it’s a song people can relate to. It has humanity.
Karen had the most effortless and pure voice. She really went through so much having to deal with being in that spotlight. The pressure of being thin and keeping up that image lead to her early death. Heartbreaking. Superstar is my absolute favorite of their songs.
Mine also, Richard's arrangement on Superstar really shows off her voice! I have heard other singers say she had perfect pitch.
The purest, richest, smoothest most angelic voice of all time and she was a fabulous drummer too, what a legend!
Playing the drums and keeping your voice soft and smooth is an art.
Great drummer!
Fun fact, it's actually studio legend, Hal Blaine playing drums on the track. Now, Karen could easily have played it (even Hal said so). But we all know how business is.
I would say that they probably lip-synced on the video to their own pre-recording.
She had perfect control of both.
To be that clean-sounding and still have so much soul is a very rare thing. Her voice was like the view from the top of a mountain mixed with a warm brandy.
If you really want to hear Carpenters with a country feel, react to Sweet Sweet Smile. It was written by Juice Newton and Otha Young for Juice but her record company didn’t like it for the album she was working on. Karen visited Juice’s manager and he played a demo of the song and she fell in love with the song. She took it to Richard and he did what he always did and made it a Carpenters song. It made it to number 8 on the country chart in 1978. Please react to this song, you will not be disappointed!
Funny that she mentioned wanting to hear Karen singing country. One of my favorite Carpenters songs is their cover of Jambalaya originally sung and recorded by the great Hank Williams. It's a really fun song!
Karen's voice really was everything.
I agree with you Burch, perhaps the best female vocalist ever. Plus there was no auto tune then and the technology of microphones was just amplified voice. There was nothing but voice, no tricks
One note and you know who it is. That's more than talent. That's a gift.
Growing up it wasn’t cool to like what was called “easy listening,” but as I’ve grown older I’ve really grown to appreciate The Carpenters. I normally don’t like perfect music, I like flaws, but The Carpenters are truly flawless, there’s no mistakes in their music, everything is right on the money, and the craftsmanship is remarkable. Karen Carpenter couldn’t hit a bad note if she tried, and she was a very rare talent, may she Rest In Peace
Karen Carpenter's voice was liquid gold. So smooth and talented
Karen had the voice of an angel
Rock In Peace Karen Carpenter.
Her voice always gives me goosebumps every single time, she didn't like being forced from the drums and placed in front.
Hard to deny Karen Carpenter's musical genius. Her voice was so pure and her drumming so good!
Karen was everyone's sister. We loved her and still do! Great voice, great timing (One take Karen)! True pitch, true tone! She is missed but still with us!
Just the most beautiful voice ever. She was one in a million. She is missed terribly
My mum loved the carpenters she passed away 2 years ago always listen to this one my mum's favourite ❤❤
Karen's voice was perfection. It never gets old.
I can see Burch's reaction watching...with mixed emotions. Like me, I can only smile and cry at the same time experiencing Karen and the Carpenters back in the GREATEST decade of music! How they were able to leave a HUGE impact on my youth and today's youth! Karen's voice and Richard's arrangements were a PERFECT match!!
The purity and tone and her lower register make her for me the finest singer, certainly female, of all time. She doesn't need to do runs or go for broke on her high notes. She sings from her soul and her heart, simply luscious and sweet and calming.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love that she never engaged in vocal gymnastics and didn't "SHOW OFF" her incredible talent like so many singers do. Humility personified. She didn't know how good she really was.
Still my favorite singer after all these years.
The Carpenters have so many great songs, but this has always been my favorite song. ✌️
To sing that magnificently beautifully while simultaneously playing the drums superbly is absolutely incredible! People don't really understand and appreciate just how difficult that really is!
Karen Carpenter could sing the phone book and be fantastic the Carpenters music is timeless rest in peace Karen Carpenter
I thought that too. I'd hear other singers do her songs and never thought they sounded as good.
I saw the Carpenters when I was a kid. She sounds as good live as she does on the records. Such an amazing voice.
I break down and cry every time I see someone react to her. To see her talent and her sweetness, and know what she went through. Breaks my heart all these years later.
I first saw them in a band called Spectrum at the Whisky-A-GO-GO in Los Angeles in 1966 or 67. You seldom saw a female drummer back then so they stuck in my mind. Did not normally go to the Whisky as Shelly’s Man-Hole (a jazz club owned by Shelly Mann) was more to my liking. The next time I saw them their band had broken up and Richard had formed a 3 piece Jazz band he on keyboards or piano and Karen on the drums with Wes Jacobs on bass. She was an accomplished jazz drummer one of her idols was Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck's drummer). By 16 she had a drum set like Morello’s and could play “Take 5”. By 19 (when signed with A&M) she had a 3 octave contralto (B2 to B5sharp) voice the angels were jealous of . Richard had numerous roles in Carpenters, including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals. Herp Alpert heard one of their demo tapes and signed them with A&M records in 1969 and let them do their own thing. Their first album "Offering" did not do to well but the second (1970) "Close To You" went to #1 and won them a Grammy for best duo album beating the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel with several of the singles going to 1 or 2 and everything after was pure gold (they also renamed "Offering" "Ticket To Ride" and it did better). Their career ended in 1983 when Karen died at 32 of complications from anorexia. Would recommend “Rainy Days and Mondays” or “(groupies) Superstar” or “Goodbye to Love” it was the first power ballad with Toni Peluso on the fuzzy guitar or “Ticket to Ride” a Beatles cover which Lennon when ask about it said how can you complain when an angel takes one of you song and makes it hers? Many of her fans were entertainers themselves Sinatra said the only one he would pay to see was Karen Carpenter. Both McCarthy and Lenon complimented her Lenon was ask what he thought of them covering "Ticket To Ride" his reply if an angel sings your song how can you complain? I am getting really long winded so will stop.
PS Whitney Houston had a range from G2 to G#5, (almost 3 octaves) with the ability to belt up to C6. No one knows what Karen could belt to as she never belted. She let the music softly flow like honey on velvet.
Karen's voice is like a warm blanket on a cold night. Soothing, warm and heartwarming.
I grew up listening to my parents' Carpenters albums. A once in a generation voice.
Karen Carpenter’s voice was absolute perfection.❤ Her death was heartbreaking. I wish she had been able to realize how incredible she was and how she is loved to this day.
Haunting. Tragic. Karen was the voice of the 1970s, and my childhood.
Superstar really shows her range but everything she did was incredible no one like Karen carpenter 💔💔💔 truly missed
"Yesterday Once More" is probably my favorite of their fantastic catalogue.
Hands down the most beautiful singing voice I've ever heard and I'm 63 y/o so that's lots n lots n lots of singers.
Like Burch, I also grew up hearing Karen Carpenter on the radio. She had such an incredible voice. I'm glad you were able to share this reaction with us. Keep up the great work!
I concur she is the best singer I ever heard.
When I hear Karen's voice I think of a broken hearted angel. So beautiful and yet so sad. Did not know whether to smile or weep when I hear her sing.
I describe her voice as angelic..... ❤
Even if she never sang and just did drums she would still be one of the greats!!
My dad is the one that got me into The Carpenters......and Karen Carpenter is astounding.......sufering from Depression myself this song rings so true........absolutely love this one!!!!!!! thank you for this one
I love “Superstar” and “Goodbye to Love”. Those are great songs.
It can be difficult to see the video to this song. Seeing how beautiful she was and amazing she was singing and drumming can just choke me up even today. My first exposure to the Carpenters was on the school bus when the girls in the choir would sing their songs, and of course they were everywhere on the radio. When she died it just seemed unreal and you thought it couldn't be so.
This song is one of my earliest memories. My grand parents would play this record all the time.
A lot of fans look back on their favorite singers form "Back in the day" and realize just how good they really were. Kind of hindsight. We who grew up listening to the Carpenters knew what we had. We knew from the first note we ever heard Karen sing that we were witnessing something special. We loved her, and we were devastated at the loss of her.
I loved Karen and every time I hear her voice I love it but cry like a baby. So thank you for making me cry !!
She was a drummer that could sing. Which is what she wanted. Everyone else pushed her to be a singer that could drum. She didn't want the spotlight.
Solitaire, Top of the World, Mr Postman are all good songs.
Don't forget her brother Richard on the piano!! Been a huge fan for over 50 years now!! Wow time flies!! There's not one bad Carpenter's song!!❤❤ Love, your channel❤ Keep great music 🎶 alive.
I totally agree. Karen Carpenter is worthy to be considered the best female singer of all time. However, the world would never have had Karen Carpenter, were it not for her big brother, Richard. Together, this sibling duo WAS The Carpenters. Early on, Richard was ONLY TRUE music talent in their family. By the age of 13, Richard was dubbed by his Yale music instructor as a music prodigy. Richard IS the OTHER HALF of The Carpenters. He is a highly talented pianist & composer, he sang backup, & arranged ALL The Carpenters' songs. Karen looked up to her big brother's musical talent & was her major influence in wanting to get involved with music. Their EQUALLY COMBINED musical talents created The Carpenters & made them music LEGENDS. If not for Richard & their STRONG brother/sister relationship, we would never have had Karen Carpenter to APPRECIATE for ETERNITY. I enjoy your reactions and your channel. Thank you!
Born in Connecticut and then they moved the California....she truly was the voice
love this song, love karen's voice. great reaction. thank you.
Her voice is amazing but the sadness in her eyes is haunting
Desde Chile recordando a los Carpenter. Todos los dias escucho sus canciones. Un fan de estos 2 hermanos que me transportan al cielo.
In their recordings, Richard and Karen covered each part themselves...a virtual Carpenter choir. Groundbreaking at the time.
Incredible singing ability !! Her pitch, tone, vibrato and control are exceptional .. but...... the emotion in her voice gets me every time. I think the emotion is coming from a real place in her. That is why Rainy Days and Mondays can still bring emotion to me.
The Carpenters and being a fan, were never "cool" back in the day - but that somehow never prevented them from being consistently near the top of charts - or so widely loved and respected even to this day ;)
❤
1st timers reactions to Karen always get me
As a 63 yo hardcore Rush fan, I believe my first vinyl album purchase what the Carpenter's greatest hits. :)
Same here. 65 years old and RUSH is my world.
Karen had the most angelic voice I have ever heard.
Same here 67, Close To You. First album. I just got a new player that wouldn’t rip apart my vinyl.
There was so much great music made in the 1970s that we didn't consider the Carpenter's music "cool". However, no matter what kind of music you liked, when Karen's voice came on the radio everyone listened. We all knew how special she was. The sad thing is that she really didn't know how loved she was. When I heard she had passed away, it felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.
I remember the first time I heard her voice back in the 70's. I was hooked. I'm still hooked.
Reliving my childhood here.
My favorite, of theirs, has always been "For All We Know." Slower, and, in my humble opinion, more beautiful singing from her, than their others.
If you've ever seen those TV commercials advertising some brand of chocolate truffles...and a French chef looking dude is stirring melted chocolate...that silky smooth liquid chocolate... that's Karen Carpenter's voice.
A reviewer from Rolling Stone magazine once said, "Karen's voice is like the sound of a lover whispering in your ear." Truer words were never spoken.
OMG !?! WOW !!! That is exactly it!😮😮😮😊❤
Karen and Richard the best ever.No one comes close.
EXCELLENT reaction!!! Yes, her Vibrato is insane. Absolutely incredible. There will never be another Karen Carpenter. She's out of reach. You should react to "Superstar." Great song, amongst MANY others they have
Karen Carpenter has the voice of an angel. To Burch, everyone has the best voice and tone.
Karen is the best. RIP.
Karen Carpenter had a voice of an Angel, she was perfect
Arguably one of the best female Alto singers ever, and that's in an amazing field of Stevie Nicks, Annie Lenox, Sade, and Norah Jones to name just a handful. But as a note, Hal Blaine actually played the drums on the album recording. The song was written by Paul Williams, who also wrote "We've Only Just Begun" and other huge hits like "Rainbow Connection", "Evergreen, etc. It was recorded while she was 20 years old.
Just to make something clear... to the best of my knowledge, the recordings have such gorgeous expanded harmonies because Richard and Karen were singing ALL the parts and overdubbing them to the record. Saw them twice in concert and they had great musicians who doubled as the background singers, but a brother/sister duo covering all the parts is pretty hard to beat !! Their lush sound was one of the first things that grabbed me when I chanced to hear their version of "Ticket to Ride".
She did one take recordings most of the time. Superstar was a song that really showed her voice off. She was pretty amazing.
My dad had the Carpenters in his 70 Chevelle 8-track on a rotation. Vividly recall that as a kid. Didn't really give it much thought til i was older, then realized how good she was. Very few can match Karen's pure vocal pitch/tone. When i think of the best female vocalists, Karen, Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee & Judy Garland come immediately to mind.
One of the best singers ever. She always said she was a drummer first. I never saw her play anything else. Richard was a classic trained pianist.
I played drums guitar and with the help of youtube i now play piano But what you cant learn here is how to sing like her I would give up every instrument to sing half as good as her
The voice of an angel!
Karen Carpenter, Juice Newton and Emmylou Harris are my favorite female singers. Thanks for the reaction!!
Hi was really fortunate to see them live in 1970
When I get to heaven, the first thing I am gonna do is go hear KC in concert! Absolute vocal perfection and gorgeous to boot.
Saw Karen sing and drum in 1972 .Karen was up there with Phil Collins and Levon Helm as a drummer/singer .Her best songs --Trying to get the Feeling Again ,Solitaire ,the song Aplace to Hideaway ,a Burt Bacharach Medley (check the one in black and white in Australia 1972 ).Best duets --with Ella Fitzgerald,John Denver and Perry Como. For singing and drumming check out he cover of the Beatles Help the Carpenters do.
I've been saying for decades that Karen was my favorite singer though I'm more of a rock guy. It's been interesting recently to hear people more in the know than me say how really special and unique she was.
Her brother, Richard, is an impressive talent as well. He wrote the arrangements to many of their songs.
Karen's voice is just mesmerizing!
My two favorite female vocalists of all time...Karen Carpenter and Ann Wilson...As a life long drummer/percussionist,I can state with some authority that Karen's skill on the drum kit was also remarkable....4 way limb independence plus vocals,is 5 way independence and such a spot on sense of rhythm,vocal pitch and just a beautiful,pure voice...
I'm 61 now and did like them when they were at the height of their career, even though it was tough to admit to my buddies LOL. My favorite thing to do is to put on a good pair of headsets and listen to Karen through them, it is a glorious sound in my opinion. Timeless!