I am in my middle 60's and she is the only singer that can bring me to tears with almost every performance. She was a treasure. She is now a treasure lost.

@patches1589

Жыл бұрын

She did a cover of the late, great Leon Russell song "This Masquerade " before George Benson made it popular. She sang it so beautifully.

@harveyjones1955

Жыл бұрын

@@patches1589 It is a beautiful version of that great song.

@thomastimlin1724

Жыл бұрын

I second that. Same age group here.

@AugieDoggyDoo

Жыл бұрын

💯 I just said that too, lol. I am a 56 year old man and have no problem admitting it now, lol. Not when I was young though...

@bonsaibobby1

Жыл бұрын

Me to Harvey...also brought me to tears...She was my favorite of all time....I'm an old guy too...Oct,1954

STILL the most angelic voice ever!

You immediately know the angelic voice of Karen Carpenter. Not only was she a fantastic vocalist, she was an excellent drummer. I remember when I heard that she had passed. Soooo sad. 💔

@dennytaylor1005

Жыл бұрын

I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was in HS, and there was a HS fair. Someone mentioned her passing on the overhead speaker. The whole place got quiet for a moment. Everyone was stunned. I know I was. She was such an incredible musician and singer.

@dorindacunningham9452

Жыл бұрын

This song was a bank commercial that Paul Williams wrote. Richard loved it and twéeked it.

She had a perfect voice.

I listened to this song as a teenager back in the 70's and just thought that all good music was supposed to sound this good. As I've gotten older, I now realize that not many could work magic like Karen carpenter and her brother.

@HalStargazer

Жыл бұрын

all this applies to me too 100% we didn't realise just how lucky we were at the time

@AugieDoggyDoo

Жыл бұрын

Agreed! She can bring me to tears in a heartbeat. Been listening to her almost all of my life, and I am 56.

@matrox

11 ай бұрын

Yep...the 1950s-1970s we had such good music, it was hard to pinpoint the best. But even back then as a teen I knew KC had a special and unique voice. When I heard their first hit, Close to You, I kept my transistor radio on all day waiting for the song to recirculate on the top 40 play list.

Chod, I can see your feelings coming thru your eyes. I feel the same way. Her voice was so angelic 😢

I'm a 62 year old guy. I started listening to the Carpenters when I was 12 or so. There have been moments in my life that are carved indelibly into my memory. I was delivering bread in Stoughton Wisconsin when I heard Karen had passed away. I had to go out to my truck and sob. I never met her. I had no other reason to feel such grief and loss other than I felt the world had lost someone irreplaceable. She just made the world a better place. I still tear up thinking about it. I'm not really a very emotional guy but she was truly a treasure. Thank you so much for your reaction. It is such a tribute to that sweet soul that young people like you can see, hear and feel what made her so special. May she rest in peace.❤️

I'm basically a classic rock guy, and I have Carpenter's albums, remember hiding them from my close minded friends!🤣 There is a live performance by them, about an hour and something long from Japan, very impressive and worth a watch. Karen was a once in a lifetime talent and gone way too soon.

@thomastimlin1724

Жыл бұрын

You got class and an open mind.

@GinMae

Жыл бұрын

Cool, Bill - good for you to have such an open mind...

@AugieDoggyDoo

Жыл бұрын

LOL, I always say she was one of those artists that we sang at the top of our lungs, only by ourselves, haha. Older now, I can admit that I have always loved her.

Glad to see you are experiencing Karen Carpenter's silky, angelic voice. One of a kind and never to be duplicated.

@jimspears5423

Жыл бұрын

This lady gets pretty close. kzread.info/dash/bejne/iYuey6iGfpveXdI.html&start_radio=1&ab_channel=MortadelloII

AHHH, he has a heart!!!! I can lose it anytime on a Carpenters song!

Her voice is stunning.

@johnb.2518

Жыл бұрын

That's putting it mildly - I like to say it's incomparable!

Biggest wedding song ever and for good reason. Great musical duo, still and forever. 🎵🎤🎶

"Goodbye To Love", "For All We Know", "Sing", more wonderful songs from them!

As a child, I couldn't listen to her without crying. She still grabs me once in a while, esp the memories of the time it came out

It was one of THE biggest wedding songs in the 70s

This song was a huge High School graduation theme song in the 70s!

the UNIQUENESS of her voice always amazes me--who else ever had such incredible INFLECTION???????? And to DRUM superbly as well? She is the QUEEN of POP and Elvis remains the KING!!!!!!!!

Thanks you two for sharing Karen Carpenter has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.

Chod, this was very, very early in their career, before the anorexia, so no, that's not what she was singing about. It's just a song about a relationship fairly early on. It's often played at weddings or wedding receptions.

Karen is timeless, brilliant, and unequaled.

Shout out to Herb Alpert for signing these guys to A&M Records and bringing their music to the masses.

@mocrg

Жыл бұрын

A&M ‘s old headquarters is not home to Jim Henson studios. It was originally Charlie Chaplin studios.

@thomastimlin1724

Жыл бұрын

When his partner at A and M and others wanted to drop the Carpenters when their first album failed to chart ca. 1968 or 9, Herb Alpert said NO. Smart man. He knew how much talent they had, and A &M made a lot of money for them. the others would have dropped them and pissed it away they were so stupid. That's because Herb Alpert was a musician and not tone deaf like other short sighted record execs [jerks]. He was a visionary... he had everybody from the Carpenters to Procol Harum, Joe Cocker, Brazil 66, Tijuana Brass, Dionne Warwick, so many others on his lable.

@TerrySleuth

3 ай бұрын

Jerry Moss is the M in A&M records. He owned the famous racehorse Zenyatta named after the Police album

Chod and Dee, my wife and I absolutely love this song. It came out a few days after we got married and holds a special meaning for us. We got to see them live a couple of years later. It was a wonderful performance and Karen was playing the drums too. We'll be celebrating our 52nd anniversary this month and still enjoy listening to The Carpenters albums. Really enjoyed your comments as well! Thanks for reacting to this beautiful classic!

The Perfect Voice 🥰 Angelic In Nature. She's Home 🏡 In Heaven.

The only singer that can make me cry every damn time. Her voice was perfection. Awesome drummer too.

The 70s were a confusing time for a 7th grader. The Carpenters provided some calm and peace in chaotic times! This was written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols for a Crocker bank commercial.Thx y’all!

@anthonypallen7919

Жыл бұрын

This was a jingle ?

@t.r.1708

Жыл бұрын

A portion was a jingle!

@t.r.1708

Жыл бұрын

m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/a2uMm8quqZrWeLQ.html

An early incomplete version was used by the Crocker Bank of California for it's TV commercial. When it came out, it was immediately a favorite of my older sister and her friends. :)

@ToeTag1968

Жыл бұрын

This is true, it was written by Paul Williams. Richard Carpenter asked Paul if there was a complete version of the song. There was a bridge and extra verse so Richard asked if he and Karen could record it. They definitely made the song what it is today. Karen's crystal clear voice and those little vocal fry moments are signature Karen. They really evoke your emotions!

THE wedding song back in the day.

I know what that means when you start shakin' that head back and forth. You are diggin' it. Of course. One of the best vocalists ever. Of course that is not wasted on you. Thanks for great channel. stay cool

Most of the Carpenters music was written for them. Paul Williams, those types. Though Richard Carpenter (the brother) did write a handful. Some if the hits also. It was common for the Carpenters to be made fun of back in the days of the heavy metal/rock n roll anti-establishment days. But those who werent too cool to be cool knew rhis woman had a special voice and probably many of the cool kids liked the group secretly. As a choral vocalist Karen Carpenter was like an untouchable singing godess to me. Still is. Her eating disorder had alot to do with her family. I never have gotten the idea that she was singing through the song about that. She also had relationship difficulties. She was married but I dont think that worked out very well. Eating disorders are very difficult to pin down as to the sources sometimes.

KC without peer - stunning

I read somewhere that Richard saw a bank commercial on TV in which they played the basic ditty for this song. He bought the rights to the ditty and used it to write the full song.

One thing I notice from watching this video over and over is how Karen keeps moving her arms as if she is involuntarily drumming, and then stops herself.

Another great from Carpenters, and great reaction; thanks!

I love Carpenters! Karen's voice is like butter, and Richard's voice complemented hers so well and he was a great arranger. This song is so gorgeous, and has some of the most beautiful moments in music history. I love it! Did you know that the band released a Prog song in '77? Carpenters covered a popular song from '76 by the band Klaatu, which the public suspected were The Beatles reunited. They weren't. However, they created the bizarre, yet fun, classic "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," which Carpenters covered and put their own twist to the song. The song is both awesome and horrible at the same time. It is like a car crash you can't look away from, but you leave the scene in awe instead of horror. The song is great, but so peculiar that you are left scratching your head, with a smile on your face. I think you'll love it.

The voice of an Angel! 😇 I’m sure it was very hard for her to perform but this probably brought her the most happiness at the same time.

Karen is the GREATEST vocalist/drummer of all-time! Again, how lucky I grew up in the 70s experiencing the Carpenters and the other great groups/duos...

"I'm Really A Drummer That Can Just Sing A Little" Karen Carpenter

I love your reaction she's always in my heart and it's in your hearts love the Carpenters music it always makes me choke up listening to The Carpenters 2022 their music is timeless Karen's angelic voice and Richard Carpenter arrangements rest in peace Karen Carpenter

This was originally the theme for a bank commercial written by Paul Williams (wrote many hits, he was also Little Eanus in Smokey & the Bandit) Richard Carpenter heard it, got permission to use it, re-arranged it and recorded it Big hit for them! Here is the original commercial kzread.info/dash/bejne/a2uMm8quqZrWeLQ.html

I was about 3 or 4 years old when it came out . My family still talks about my reaction to this song when this would come on the radio I would immediately sit down and look at the speaker smiling. To this day I still get a calming feeling when I hear it.😀

Dee, you just heard the voice of an Angel!! Great reaction you guys, keep it going...listen to her sing the song named, Solitaire!! 💖💖💖💖

Karen still has my favorite voice after all these years....gone way too soon ..she didn't see herself the way we do....RIP

Can't hear this song without thinking of Chubbs. RIP Mr. Peterson, hope you're in your happy place.

Such a beautiful voice 😍

You guys really need to watch the made for TV movie "The Karen Carpenter Story". It's not easy to find a good copy but you will really enjoy it and it will help you understand her better. She mostly didn't believe that she even had an eating disorder, and at the time very little was even known about the disease. But she was truly a treasure that we enjoyed, if even for only a short time. RIP Karen!

One of the most beautiful calming voices.

Karen's voice is just too good. "A sweet spirit." Yeah its hard to wrap your head around her success against her personal life. Probably a curse to have her golden voice and in showbiz at that age, particularly because she was a killer drummer and the biz just said "Sing."

Greatest female artist ever she only had 13 years and did so much and so young freaky talent

Knowing What Karen Was Going Through,, The Song That Hits Me The Hardest Is "Rainy Days & Monday's"

For me personally…if I had to pick only one female singer (records, CDs, tapes) to listen 🎧 to on a deserted 🏝 island for say, 5 years..it would be all of Karen Carpenter’s music she ever made (batteries included) Portland Oregon USA 🇺🇸

Great drums and percussion on this song, especially in the turnaround, funky drummer.

Yes Please do SING A SONG LIVE IN Japan and FOR ALL WE KNOW ,,,also song called HIDEAWAY w/ video by the CARPENTERS also check out TOP OF THE WORLD Live at the WHITE HOUSE, great preformance.

Great Song Karen’s Voice is My Guilty Pleasure. Absolutely Amazing Voice. Angelic. And yes her story hurts my soul when I hear this Song and a few other Carpenters Songs 😢😢😢

You continue to impress me. You show me the real you with your reactions. You seem to understand and feel for Karen. People and the media were cruel to her. She definitely was blessed with that beautiful voice and spirit. You’re right, can you imagine how much more music she could have shared? We’re blessed to have what she left. For me, it touches my heart that people in 2022 are discovering Karen Carpenter!!!

Do you know how many weddings this song was performed in during the '70's? Karen's voice was so smooth, angelic, with such a range and ease. Arguably the best female voice of her time - as recognized by Paul McCartney and Frank Sinatra. She was a natural. Heaven's Choir is so enriched with her voice added. RIP Karen.

Voice of an angel

There's no one who can say anything negative about Karen Carpenter's voice, she's always been known as "one take Karen." for a reason. There's a unique song, titled "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft", it came out in 1976, you might like it and if you haven"t already, you might check out "Super Star", there's a live performance of it and Karen really puts her emotion into it. It's hard not to feel emotional when you listen to Karen, knowing the way she passed. Thanks so much for this reaction!

This started out as a TV commercial! And morphed into a slice of heaven. Are humans amazing or what.

The song was written for a bank commercial that her brother heard and liked. He tracked down Paul Williams and asked if he had a completed song. The rest is history.

Her inner strength, was like no other & this is noted on her last recording of "NOW"

Listen to Yesterday Once More and Superstar

This song was featured in the movie "1401"!!!!!!!!!!

Written by the great Paul Williams.

there are lots of gems from her still to listen to, and most are beautiful

Tragic. RIP Karen.

40 YEARS NEXT YEAR GUYS! 🙃🙃🙃 IT'S JUST A VERY SAD TRAGIC STORY BUT YOU JUST TRY TO TAKE THE BEST FROM HER AND ENJOY IT WHILE YOU CAN 😊MORE KAREN : SOLITAIRE, THIS MASQUERADE, TOP OF THE WORLD, GOODBYE TO LOVE SO THERE'S SOME CHOD AND DEE 😊

With much of the music industry scraping the dregs out of the bottom of the barrel nowadays, it is so beautiful and inspiring to see many of the younger generation rediscovering so many incredible artists, beautiful melodies, and meaningful lyrics of my younger days! Thank you, KZread, and thank you, WILBURN REACTIONS!

well known song writer Paul Willams, and this was one of her first songs, so wasn't battling anorexia yet. Her favorite song she sang was "I know I need to be in love" kzread.info/dash/bejne/n4iK0rCRd5rPcs4.html

This song was written by composer, singer ,song writter Paul Williams. Richard heard it on a TV commercial, he found out would the written was and ask if it had more than one verse and Paul Williams said yes. Richard took the song rearranged for Karen and the group and the rest is history as they say.

You can have something going on inside of you that you are completely unaware of and one of her songs can find it and bring it right out... I could write for hours about her. I did love her, very much. She was amazing.

You sir are a true music lover !!!

There's Karen Carpenter, then there's everybody else! Ever the "Drummer who can sing a little", notice she drums even without a kit! Purest voice ever~

hi kids ,this was basically a one minute crocker bank commercial song in the early 70's,written by paul williams , richard carpenter heard it and asked if there was a full song, asked paul williams if he could expand on it,low and behold richard carpenter put an amazing arrangement together and we only just begun became a massive hit,the song is mainly about the beginning of marriage ....bill

Love the Carpenters. You have to check out another artist by the name of Eva Cassidy - one of the few female singers I think is near Karen level. She also passed away in her early 30s. Some of her covers: "Over the Rainbow", "Fields of Gold", and "Danny Boy".

@kenrk

Жыл бұрын

@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee You're entitled to your opinion, but to me Karen is by no means in the back half of the top 100 singers. She will always be number one in my book. As for Eva, she stayed true to her artistic vision, and didn't sell out for fast money. There's no telling how far she could have gone if she hadn't lost her battle to cancer.

It hits me when I hear their song "Goodbye to Love". Because I know what her struggles were. The lyrics were pretty heavy "no one ever cared if I should live or die". And then shortly thereafter. .

Another female performer who passed too soon you may enjoy is Eva Cassidy, her cover of Sting's Fields of Gold and Over the Rainbow will amaze you. Her voice is without peer.

Karen,is my favorite female vocalist of all time...Probably,in part,the reason I'm in tears right now...

Love Hal Blaine and Joe Osborn's work on this song too.

Thank you guys for apricating an artist that ment so much to a generation of young people. I was one of those that grew up listening and admiring Karen. Thank you for the post and reaction guys loved it and thanks for the memories. As always stay safe and much Love guys ( i know a lot of thank yous but i meant it lol)

Just a PERFECT VOICE

Such a beautiful voice.

Karen's emotional spiral downwards was predicated by a comment that she was overweight...the song was one of their first hits..very popular wedding song...lots of hits, overwhelmed by all the pressures that smother you brought them down to the darkest of places...even her brother got into drugs...this was a very sad story ending... particularly for Karen .... They had the world at their feet, and tragic that a comment found it's way to a small fracture in her self confidence that grew into a chasm she was never able to climb out from.... So sad, such a loss...

Around the time that Star Wars came out and then Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Carpenters did a cover of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." It's an interesting little song. It has hints of hope. The next song I would play is Crystal Gayle's "We Must Believe In Magic."

I know what you mean. When I see her I want to somehow go back in time and tell her how terrific she was.

Karen is now teaching the angels how to sing.

Her brother composed the songs they performed. She was recovering from anorexia, but her heart was too weak from the years of malnutrition that she passed from heart failure. She was a drummer first, but with that voice the record producers wanted her to focus on just singing.

They played this at every wedding back in the day - Bossman, Karen wants us to ENJOY not be sad when we hear their music : )

Makes you fill nice and calm in todays world, just like the 70s did back then.

I get the same feeling and thoughts when I listen to them🙏💙 Willie's getting up there also.

Phil Collins is 71 years young! His daughter is actress Lily Collins.

"We've Only Just Begun" was written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics).

Haunting lyrics: “so much of life ahead, we'll find a place where there's room to grow and yes, we've just begun” 😢🙏🏻

The perfect wedding song.

This song was THE "Wedding Song" of the 70's.

This song started out as a commercial for a bank

I agree, it really is so difficult not to get emotional listening to The Carpenters. If I remember correctly Paul Williams wrote the song. It originally was a bank or credit union commercial jingle. The Carpenters saw the commercial and fell in love with the jingle. They found out Williams wrote it and brought him in to write an entire song around the original jingle.

@thomasbrow744

Жыл бұрын

Here's the original commercial. There's some history in the comments: kzread.info/dash/bejne/a2uMm8quqZrWeLQ.html

This was an early hit after Close To You. She’s pretty good here but there are songs (Only Yesterday) where she’s so damn thin. I feel you Chad. They were my first “adult” band. When Karen died in 1983 I couldn’t listen to their music for decades. It hurt too much. Sure a song here or there was in the ether but my vinyl laid dormant the few CDs I had stayed on the shelf. It was recently and reactors like you have pulled me out of the funk and I’m bathing in Karen and Richard again. I love seeing young folks who have no idea and took a recommendation. Then Karen starts to sing and the eyes lock, the harmonies kick in and the mouth falls open, Karen starts to drum and the confusion sets in. It all made my heart heal. Thank you, you too. I know the pain, some who have passed in their 80s 90s they had a decent time. Karen at 32 no too damn soon and they hardly knew what was going on. She kinda gave her life to teach others. Plane crashes, Buddy Holly, Jim Croce, John Denver and so many more, Heck, The Day The Music Died with Buddy. So many artists died from drugs or other diseases. It all hurts but it hurts so much when it’s someone you admire personally. Jim Croce devastated me, Harry Chapin who I saw before Cats in The Cradle, hurt so much. I’ve learned (I’m 67 it took time) to just appreciate what we have. We do have a lot of Karen left to enjoy, I still only heard Now once, still painful. The Carpenter rabbit hole is a warm wonderful place with a full helping of sadness. It’s kind of a balance of life. Nothing is perfect and people die. People we love people we admire. As a teen I’d argue with my mom. I’d isolate to my room and play Carpenters and let Karen heal me. When she died she couldn’t heal me for a long time, now I found this here and she’s healing me again. Thankfully Richard is still alive and producing, he did that RPO album with Karen’s vocals, he has all the tapes. It’s a special joy. I wonder if because you’re a drummer you felt a special bond to Karen and when you learned the full story that was too devastating? I’ve been watching this young woman, Sina. She does drum covers and also plays bass guitar. Karen played both but I don’t think I’ve seen her play the bass. I wonder if she knows about Karen and that she basically opened the door for young women after her. There really were few female drummers or even bass player, Carol Kaye is a rare example form that early era. Keep playing Karen, the hurt subsides and the joy takes it’s place more and more. It took me a very long time but I’m happy to be able to enjoy them again.

Thanks, kids! Gotta comment on that guy on the tambourine in the foreground.. he is going NUTS! lol.. Karen's voice is the most awesome thing, though... (Brother Richard's harmonies are also great) -- appreciate you doing this reaction!

@Wilburn: I believe Paul Williams wrote the song. It was first used (in part) in a commercial for a small bank (Yeah, huh...). Then I think Richard heard it and begged Paul that there were more lyrics. Turned out... there were. The rest is history.

That was actually shot for a tv series called Make Your Own Kind Of Music in 1971. It's not a music video like the ones from 1981 MTV through today.