Karen was kind enough to write me while I was in Vietnam in response to a letter I wrote her. We continued to correspond until her death I think of her often and will always love her. 54 years later I still have her letters.

@michaelasay8587

10 күн бұрын

Tell me more! How did this come about??!!!

@michaelschmidt1952

10 күн бұрын

I was in Vietnam at base camp and listening to the Carpenters, I told a buddy I would love to write her. He bet me if I did I wouldn’t hear back from her and that’s how the whole thing started. It really got personal, Karen would share with me how unhappy she was at times and the pressures that were put on her. After her death I had heard her mother handled the correspondence but the way my letters were written didn’t seem to be responses from a third person so I contacted Richard’s agent and sent some copies of my letters (not all) . Richard reached out to me and told me they were authentic and also that his sister had mentioned she was writing a marine. I’m 72 now and still in love with her, been married 48 years to a wonderful woman who knows about the letters, they are in our safe and will be cremated with me and will never be shared with anyone.

@Fritzw75

9 күн бұрын

@@michaelschmidt1952 great story, sounds like you had two wives...

@cliftonjarvis8010

7 күн бұрын

That’s great.

@OldTrucker958

6 күн бұрын

Wow! That is an incredible story. She’s going to be way for you in heaven buddy and you can continue your conversations. She is certainly up there singing because I think she was an angel on earth so I’m sure she is in heaven

Not only did she have a great voice, she also was an accomplished drummer..

Arguably the most perfect female voice of all time. RIP Karen 💔

@wendyhodges7172

52 минут бұрын

Totally agree!!

Karen was the GOAT! Technically PERFECT but, her real superpower was how she could make you FEEL every song!

@Kevin6059

11 күн бұрын

I was of the age that I didn't "want" to like something this mellow, but even I knew on some level this was special. Of course now I'm older than dirt so I really like it.

“Rainy Days and Mondays” is a life experience; a perfectly written, perfectly arranged, perfectly sung song.

@quixote6942

13 күн бұрын

Paul Williams wrote the song about his dealing with deep Depression. The First Song Karen ever did of his was "We've only just Begun", which was being used as a Jingle for a Commercial.

Karen Carpenter was lightning in a bottle. While it was sad of her passing so young she remains young to all of us.

@mr.2cents.846

14 күн бұрын

And she died in such a stupid and senseless way. Bullemy.

You've just listened to the most hauntingly beautiful voice you'll ever hear. I've always been a rocker, but when Karen came on the radio, I couldn't change the station. Her voice just wraps around your soul. She was gone way too soon. "Solitaire," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Yesterday Once More," and "This Masquerade" are songs worth checking out. Love your videos, young lady. RIP Karen 💚

@waynefanton3130

14 күн бұрын

You certainly nailed it with those suggestions, especially Solitaire, Rainy Days and Masquerade. When she delivers in that low register, melancholy minor key, she completely draws you in. Beautiful.

@catherder78

14 күн бұрын

@@waynefanton3130 Let's not forget We've Only Just Begun...

@MarcVanLaere-zr5im

14 күн бұрын

A metalhead sinds 77-78, but i always loved her voice. ❤👍

@chrisalldis3375

13 күн бұрын

Why does no one list "Calling Occupants of inter planetary craft"

@scottchapin2323

13 күн бұрын

I feel the same, she could rock too

Karen's voice is timeless. Whenever I hear her, it's like listening to an old friend. RIP Karen, gone far too soon.

Her voice was and never will be matched. And her perfect pitch earned her the name "one take Karen" in the recording studio, she was known to never make a mistake. And she could do all that while drumming with equal talent. Unfortunately, when the world discovered her voice she was pressured to get out from behind her beloved drums and take front and center stage, which made her incredibly self-conscious. That combined with feeling like she had little control over her own career, she developed a severe eating disorder. At one point she starved herself down well below 90 lbs (40.8 kg). Everyone around her could see that she had a severe problem but her family was helpless to know what to do.. the average person had never heard of Anorexia Nervosa before. Even doctors had little knowledge in treating it.. they used IV nutrition to make her gain 30 lbs in a matter of weeks, further straining her already severely damaged heart. So it (her heart) just stopped one day. She was only 32. When she died, awareness was brought to eating disorders for the first time.

Carpenters - flowed like liquid gold. RIP Karen Carpenter.

"If Honey Could Sing , It Would Sound Just Like Karen Carpenter." ~ anon

There are no words on how to express the beautiful gorgeous, humble voice of the legendary Karen Carpenter.

"A Song For You" (studio version so you don't miss the sax solo) "Close to You" "Rainy Days and Mondays" " We've Only Just Begun" "Top of the World"

She was someone that was always on the radio growing up . I was part of a group of about 15 metal heads at a large graduation party . I just remember the Carpenters only just begun being played and someone tried to switch The cassette . The loudest people yelling was the metal heads . From the back came the words “ put Karen back on Or I will personally stamp expired on your birth certificate “. After he carpenters start and the whole party cheered I realized how almost protective they were of Karen Carpenter.

Wow, this is a massive box to open-the carpenters are on another level

Karen had such a beautiful and soothing voice. You should do Rainy Days & Mondays, We've only just Begun & Close to You

I grew up with her voice and if someone told me I could only listen to one female singer for the rest of my life I wouldn't even have to think about the answer. How this 5ft 4in tomboy drummer girl was somehow equipped with the greatest female contralto voice in the history of popular music I'll never know. There are plenty of wonderful female vocalists out there who have made careers out of belting at their audience. But when Karen sang she made each and every member of her audience feel that she was singing straight to them. For me she was the unbeatable sound of intimacy, comfort and home. She was pure magic and you're going to ❤ exploring the Carpenters catalogue.

Karen Carpenter had one of the most amazing pure voices..when I hear her sing I get overwhelmed and a little emotional I can't really explain it but I close my eyes when I hear her sing its beautiful .. but knowing how she passed and .. I feel for her family may she RIP..😔🙏

The Carpenters 'We've Only Just Begun' is my fav recording of all-time.

@You_Dont_Like_My_Music

14 күн бұрын

Can you please review/ react to 'Life in a Northern Town' by Dream Academy? It's beautiful.

@RalphKeim

13 күн бұрын

......or Love Parade by The Dream Academy.

I'm so happy that you are reacting and checking out the Carpenters... Karen Carpenter's voice is like a warm consoling hug that wipes your eyes and loves you unconditionally. She's a divine piece of inspiration and heartbreaking cautionary story to anyone whose lives have been touched by hers and brother Richard's art.... Rest easy, "Kace." Love you forever... ❤️🌹🥁

@normankennith7919

14 күн бұрын

THIS IS THE SANITISED VERSION OF THE LEON RUSSELL SONG BY THE MAGNIFICENT KAREN CARPENTER!!

Sorely missed...."THAT VOICE"never forgotten.

Isn't that the most beautiful voice you've ever heard...so relaxing

As a metal fan, I like to listen to stuff like this every once in a while, just to relax and bring my stress levels down and reset. What a beautiful voice she had.

She was one of the greatest sadly missed had a beautiful voice a real star superstar ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️❤️❤️

Velvet dipped in butter... Hauntingly beautiful...

One of The Best Voices Ever

She can do this and drum like a jazz pro at the same time. An extraordinary talent and a terrible loss.

Was able to see the Carpenters live at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe in the late 1960s. An amazing show.

@fredinaz

14 күн бұрын

I’m so jealous! I bet that was amazing!

It’s been said 1 million times but there’ll never be another Karen Carpenter

@wendyhodges7172

51 минут бұрын

Agree!

As much as I love Karen (she's my favorite female vocalist), I sometimes think Richard Carpenter doesn't get enough credit. He was the one who truly understood her gift. He found and/or wrote the songs, arranged and produced the records. He definitely was a force behind the scenes.

The Carpenters were so absolutely amazing.

This is coming from a lifelong metal head. Karens voice was silk, hauntingly beautiful, to me she has the greatest voice of all. I think her story adds to it also. Also, she was an awesome drummer.

@vicprovost2561

13 күн бұрын

Me too, Sabbath from day 1 But her voice and their talent for what they did was undeniably great. Still is 50+ years later. Totally different music to what I usually listen to but once again, 70s music has an incredible quality that holds up over time.

Karen Carpenter was an amazing talent, not just voice, she actually claimed herself a drummer first... And she's a great drummer. We've only just begun will give you a better gauge on her range and her voice quality.

"We've Only Just Begun" -- THE Wedding song of the 70s.

She had a booming and yet soothing voice, one of the best ever. She unfortunately passed away in 1983 at 32 from an eating disorder that's easily treatable today. Karen Carpenter is sorely missed to this day.

@kirksmith2051

14 күн бұрын

Karen Carpenter's voice was soothing, but "booming"? Never.

@kennethlavalle1608

14 күн бұрын

@@kirksmith2051 by that I meant powerful. It was a compliment to her.

Beautiful voice of Karen Carpenter ❤ written by Leon Russell.

@rogerdaly6326

14 күн бұрын

And Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney & Bonnie. They sang the original version titled Groupie (Superstar).

I grew up with the Carpenters. I love their music. A hundred years ago when I was a kid I sang in the choir in junior high. We sang a few of their songs, so good. I still to this day miss her voice and music. I was so bummed when she passed away (I guess I still am.)

Reading the lyrics off a napkin, and recorded in one take! Karen Carpenter only 21 years old at the time! The song reached #2 on the charts in 1971. While recorded by countless other singers, the Carpenter's version remains the staple and best version according to the writers of the song. The Carpenters were the top U.S. hitmakers of the 1970's with 12 top 10 all time pop classics and many more songs that charted in the top 40 and top 100.

She was an amazing drummer as well as vocalist.

I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO START MY WEEKEND MORNING THAN WITH A AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN AND HER BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND REACTIONS COWBOYS ❤❤❤❤❤️

lyrics are top class also, innuendos galore but yes she had the laser voice perfection

Aileen thank you for this classic song. She is considered to have one of the most beautiful and controlling voices in music. Her range is spectacular. She also was a terrific drummer too. Thank you for listening to this legendary song. Love what you are doing keep up the spectacular work ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I've read where ppl close to her have said that away from the microphone, if Karen started singing, you could barely hear her. It's also amazing that Karen's main focus when she was younger was getting on those drums and staying in the background, not becoming the lead singer. (The Carpenters before they were "The Carpenters", had formed other bands such as "The Richard Carpenter Trio", a jazz-oriented band where there was no lead singer, and Karen was the drummer) That haunting voice that we know that is Karen's was discovered somewhat by accident during rehearsals. Karen in the beginning was singing at a higher octave. Once Karen's lower register was discovered, Richard's arrangements were geared to accommodate that phenomenal voice

“Goodbye to Love” - the birth of the power ballad And “I Need to be in Love” - Karen’s favorite

One of the best female singers of all time period

@Sam-lx9sc

14 күн бұрын

The best. Great ones out there but Karen had a haunting voice that captures something inside.

@Spo-Dee-O-Dee

14 күн бұрын

Certainly in the top thousand.

@michaelasay8587

10 күн бұрын

The best!!

Karens. Voice is just so good, impossible to not love it!

Absolutely fantastic voice. Personally I think the greatest and a great drummer also...what is not to love about her talent..wow.

Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, and so many more.

Possibly the most beautiful voice ever. RIP Karen😢

Her Vocal Control was phenomenal 🎤 She played jazz drums too. Karen Carpenter 1050-83 Beautiful Life cut Tragically Short 😔

Beautiful. Thanks!

Karen Carpenter is also an excellent drummer. They had so may songs before she passed. It kind of defined a 70's groove that was emerging back in my very younger rears. It is easy to get lost in the Carpenters.

One of my favorite and one of the best singers in history, in my opinion.

You said it so well. We all got whisked away and experienced something ethereal. Thanks for the excellent review, love you love you.

Always thought Karen’s voice was one of the best ever in pop music! The warm alto tone, spectacular breath control and ability to convey the emotion of the song are amazing. As close as you can get to perfect pitch. Her brother was a remarkable arranger. This is a great rabbit hole to explore!

Was lucky enough to see her in concert , what a voice

One of the great voices of the late 60s and 70s. She and her brother Richard created some of the memorable tunes from back then. They have stood the test of time. Sadly, I remember the day she passed away. I was working KYW-TV's Evening Magazine in Philadelphia. When the executive producer walked into our production office from the newsroom, she immediately called us into her office and told us that Karen Carpentar has died. We had to scrap the planned show and put together a whole new show centered around her career. Later we found out that she had battled eating disorders during her career.

I saw the Carpenters in 1972 and was blown away. Karen was a Singer /Drummer who did both at an extremely high level. To check out her singing /drumming, check out her doing a cover of the Beatles Help here on KZread -or Dancing in the Streets. When I saw them in 1972 they did a Burt Bacharach medley that was pure magic -versions of it are here on KZread. As for Karen's very best song. I would go for Trying to get the Feeling Again. This song was recorded in 1975 by Karen. Then the song was lost-for 19 years. Found by Richard Carpenter, he released it in 1994 --11 years after Karen died --it is magnificent -the audio is here on KZread.

Can’t hear this song without thinking of the movie “Tommy boy” 🤣

Wait until you see her drumming And singing

I saw a documentry on her years ago where the studio engineers and producers said even the studio monitors loved her voice!

I melt every time

cant believe you never heard of the carpenters before. so many good songs to hear. i recommend 'we've only just begun', 'rainy days and mondays', and 'goodbye to love' to start with.

Check out her drum solos when you can. She is on my list of the 5 most pure voices of my era along with Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Brothers), John Denver, Linda Ronstadt and Barbra Streisand. She was so talented and her harmony with her brother was just beautiful. Thank you for such a sweet reaction to one of my favorite singers of all time.

YES! Finally you get to react to the greatest female vocalist of all time in my opinion, Aileen! Great rabbit hole to go down!! RIP Karen "Angel" Carpenter

Karen, you’re still trying to make me cry! Such a beautiful voice.

This song always touches me. Love Karen Carpenter. So glad to hear you react to her. Love your reactions.

I had such a crush on Karen when I was growing up. Such a wonderful vocalist. No voice training but had perfect pitch. Always had it in one take. Great drummer as well. Gave such beauty to the world but never knew true love. Died so young while she had so much more to give.

@Spo-Dee-O-Dee

14 күн бұрын

She sang in choirs, and that is where pitch sense is developed. We teach a lot of basic musicianship there.

Karen had the most beautiful 'Contralto' voice I've ever heard. The young man on the keyboard is her older brother Richard. He arranged nearly all of their songs. Loved watching your expression. It was like I was hearing it all over for the first time. Please watch the 1989 movie 'The Karen Carpenter Story' If not for her disorder I believe she would have had crossover hits in nearly all genres of music!

Very mellow and soothing

Good reaction. Herb Alpert heard Karen's voice on a demo in 1969 and signed her brother, Richard, and her to A&M records. Karen received 3 or 4 Grammys in the 70s and sold over 80 million records by 1982. She was 1975 rock drummer of the year according to Playboy. Perhaps THE best female vocalist-ever, because she commands you to listen as she sings in perfect pitch TO you, not at you, with emotion and enunciation. No auto-tune or gimmicks. No professional voice or drum instruction. She was known by the studios as 'one take'. She rarely, if ever, did more than one take of any song. She was also the ONLY female harmony/background voice in all her songs. She was truly born with an incredible singing talent. Documentaries point out the accolades to her voice, such as, Paul McCartney said she had the most angelic voice after hearing her sing 'Ticket To Ride'. John Lennon ran into her at an LA restaurant and told her "you have a fabulous voice, luv". Supposedly Frank Sinatra stated that Karen was the only singer he'd pay to hear. I recommend songs such as, Yesterday Once More, Solitaire, This Masquerade, Need To Be In Love, Hurting Each Other, Only Yesterday, I Can Dream Cant I, Crescent Noon, Ordinary Fool, Rainy Days and Mondays, Close To You, etc. KC never knew true love. One of her few friends included Dionne Warwick and Petula Clark. 5'3" KC really lost weight, due to anorexia, in earnest beginning in 1975. She died in Feb 1983 at age 32 due to heart complications from anorexia.

Rainy days and Mondays is a must hear. She's even playing the drums in that one... 😊

Karen Carpenter's singing is so personal. She gives the feeling that you're alone with her and she's singing softly directly in your ear. It's such a warm and deep personal connection.

She is a very good drum player too.

She had the greatest voice ever and created the most beautiful music.. RIP Karen.

Carpenters!!!!😱

Hi Aileen, I grew up with Carpenters and OG fan if you will I was 14 in 1970 and was there for the run. I see the Army is here filling you with ideas. So, I will go in a different but similar direction. This past week was the 55th Anniversary of the Carpenters. I went to the 4 day event in Downey, CA. It was a lot of Carpenters, even the hotel hosting the event had Carpenters music playing non-stop. They also had some guest singers, which is where I’m going. One of the invited singers was Tori Holub. She’s a 20 year old singer from Minneapolis. She has a velvet smooth voice and is making a mark. At this event what everyone who follows Tori has asked a question, which was answered. Making an unannounced appearance was Richard Carpenter and he met with Tori as well as other special people at the event. Tori was an arrangement meeting though. Richard has known about Tori since late last year. I’d like you to see why she’s special. Last month she and her collaborator Jim Wilkas released on Karen’s birthday in heaven, a cover of We’ve Only Just Begun. I don’t know if you’ve seen the original Carpenters video, I would advise doing that first. So you can appreciate Tori. Also there is no autotune or pitch correction. Wings of Pegasus analyzed this song and Tori. What I’m telling you is Tori is in the same class as Karen was 50 years ago. While not identical, no one can be, she’s at that level with a tone all her own. So, I’d ask that you be familiar with the Carpenters version and then see how Tori and Jim make it happen. Jim’s video creation is quite unique, also. This is the real deal. And Richard Carpenter approved. Few can say that. Joe kzread.info/dash/bejne/fG1pzsiDodKfhrw.htmlsi=nsIVFH_c1434XtJn .

We’ve only just begun. Karen had the voice of an angel.

The band was her brother's band and her parents told her to help him and she became the drummer of his band. Then she sang some and they made her the lead singer and her brother was backup. He is the Guy playing the piano with blonde hair. So the band became known as the CARPENTERS which is their last name. Karen was one of the world's most amazing singers in history. It is said that she sounded better live than recorded. We lost such a wonderful soul and a true loving spirit when she died far to soon. She was also a very good drummer. She had such a terrible life when it came to relationships, she was so emotionally deep and caring. She never found someone to return her love equally. I wish I had been born sooner and had the blessing of knowing her. I would love to meet a woman with a loving heart like hers. She struggled with depression, loneliness, bad self image and anorexia. She basically wasted away and you could say she died of a broken heart.

I remember hearing her voice on the radio a lot as a little kid (early 70s). I was completely mesmerized every time a song would play. This was definitely one of those tunes. 👍

Karen’s drumming skills were insane. You should check out some of her playing. She was amazingly talented but such a tragic figure. The industry really took its toll on her

Instant flashback here! Thank you for that, A.S. 😊😊😊

She has the voice of an angel and it never fails to give me goosebumps whenever I hear her sing 🫶🏼

Best pure voice ever! We've Only Just Begun was played at many many weddings, and you will why when you listen to it. Also if you want to see her great smile watch one of the videos of just her drumming, which was her first love. Also Close To You and Rainy Days And Mondays.

I think you will like the group Skylark with their song "Wildflower" . It's a 70's song that has been with me since I was a teenager, and still makes sense 45 years later

@Littlebigbot

14 күн бұрын

I love that song but it's sad.

Thus was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett.

She was only 20 years old when Superstar was released in 1971 she had an amazing voice that remains timeless

This song has all the hallmarks of a 70's pop song. A very different time and songs like these mark the era as a beautiful testament to a time when the world moved at a much slower pace.~Terry

One of the purest and most amazing vocals I've ever heard 🦋🦋🦋🦋

such an amazing song! ♥

They have a catalogue of great songs. I love them all. My personal favourite is goodbye to love. Karen was a once in a lifetime talent.

Aileen, I enjoy your reactions and just subscribed. And I thoughly your reaction to the Carpenters and your comments. My wife and I love them and our favourite song is We've Only Just Begun. It came out a few days after we were married and it became our song. We even got a chance to see them live a couple of years later and it was amazing! Besides being a phenomenal vocalist, Karen was an excellent drummer. We have the album Close to You which has 'our song' on it and play it every Anniversary. Looking forward to more Carpenters! Thanks for your beautiful reactions!

Another very popular song of theirs is ‘Goodbye to Love’. I think you’d really enjoy it ❤ By the way, she also plays the drums while singing on many of her songs!

What a great loss to have lost her- a voice sent from heaven!

Only Yesterday, Ordinary Fool, One More Time, and Solitaire are all beautiful, too.

When I watch Karen Carpenter singing, I am sad and comfort at the same time. Comfort buy her beautiful voice sad because we lost her way too soon.Who knows how many beautiful songs we're to come if we haven't passed so young,

Hi Aileen 😊 Wonderfully awesome reaction to the Carpenters' Superstar 😊👍 I agree with everybody in the comments about her singing voice and her ability as a drummer 😊 All of the songs recommendations are wonderful and I look forward to you reacting to more Carpenters music 😊 Have a great day you and Arya😊👍

Your right her voice heals and sooths your soul

Karen & Patsy Cline….the two most pure, beautiful voices ever set to a recording imo.

One of the very special voices of our time.