Karen Carpenters Solo "Its' Really You"

[winnertakesall1980bo]

I had only ever heard the Barbara Dickson version of this, this is my first time hearing it by Karen, and its stunning.

The same song but 2 different moods from 2 different artists.

[mrshinyshoes]

Such a difficult song to sing, and Karen carried it off so well, so beautifully.

[Tracevidence1]

I LOVE this photo of Karen... I feel like she is looking into my soul. Her eyes were so beautiful.

[Tracevidence1]

There is something on my mind... This song needs to be released on a 2nd Karen Carpenter solo album.

[abachunky]

was this finished? or wasn't it? its seems like it missing a verse near the end or chorus

[improvguru]

I changed my mind on my earlier post. I now LOVE this song.

[Tracevidence1]

I LOVE ALL OF HER SOLO SONGS!!

[improvguru]

Karen made her OWN decisions as to which songs were on her album and which were not. This was not; she knew good from bad.

[ignominni]

I'm glad she was born then and not now because if she was born this era, they would dress her up like a slut and make her sing with rappers. :-( :-)

[RickHenry]

@ignominni Not necessarily... that hasn't been done to Norah Jones, Diana Krall... they're both from this era and have achieved huge success in the past ten years and have remained classy women.

[namsak]

God this is crap. No wonder it was never released.

[CarpentersFanForLife]

@namsak ITS AMAZING.

[DancesWithJoy]

I love that pic of her!!! I had the same hairdo and almost the same colour in the same year although I'm about 10 years younger than she. I love her voice.

[improvguru]

Karen had complete creative control over her album. SHE chose the songs, even turning down some (which later became hits for Michael Jackson). This project was HERS, her coming out period as a woman and individual. Her dear brother and A&M rejected it before they even heard it, out of jealousy and fear. After reading "Little Girl Blue," I know that Karen did NOT need Richard to be a success. She was always driven. Her album is superior to the overblown junk Richard put out later.

[mnlght0snt]

Karen, It's Really YOU :)!!!!

[gladieola]

unreleasable ...BS ..i think some EGOS came into play with this one

[lcd2201]

@barriobajaj this wasnt on her solo album .

[kcrcbest]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH WOOOOOOOOOOOW SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL, KAREN IS THE BEST OF THE BEST : ) THANX

[mnlght0snt]

I Love this song!!!! but I can't find it anywhere in the net :( to everyone-please send me a copy my e-mail add is mnlght_snt@yahoo.com

thanks

[lcd2201]

@mnlght0snt lol just download the song from here

[NostalgiaBob]

Karen did the album for her AND Richard. It was as far as 'treason' as you can get!!!!

[threehuskies]

sweet , soft and clear vocal by karen...just like we like it.

[philochs]

Can't find the lyrics anywhere. Do I have to transcribe them myself?

[philochs]

This may be her best song ever. I used this song in my Donna Reed Ultimate video tribute, the best Donna Reed tribute ever. This song will never get old, except like fine way, it get's better with age.

The only thing I don't understand about Karen, is why she has yet to pop into a dream to say hello.

I love you Karen. Let me dream about you babe!

[Huayjazz]

This may sound dumb. I love Karen so much that when I saw that she had a solo album that didn't make that much of an impact, I said: "I wanna get that album!"

Anybody know the name of the album? Year? I know it was produced by Phil Ramone but nohing else I know. Thank you! Karen sounds awesome here and always!

God blesses your soul, Karen. We love you!

[philochs]

The band on the solo stuff was Billy Joel's back up band. They kicked ass together, the solo stuff is incredible, when they dissed the record and shelved it, that was some serious bullshit. This is the best song ever!

[musictranscription]

I have this sheet music

[maleficentdiva]

I love this picture of her,  I just wish I could bring the picture to life and give her a hug, I am 26 years old and a gay man, and I am in love with her! her eyes are so moving, you can feel the love and emotion just from looking in her eyes! KAREN I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE BEST FEMALE SINGER IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION!

[Huayjazz]

Amen to that. man! I'm also in love with Karen Carpenter. She's, without a doubt, the best! She is angel lent by God to grace us with her talent.

Rest in peace in our hearts, Karen!

[skuttytip]

Just a bad song. Karen's vocals in this higher register are meant to "spice" a song, not carry it.

[GoodaGangeeThegre8]

karen or rihanna ? which one?

[Gozzmanator]

@GoodaGangeeThegre8

Karen is the greatest, rihanna never has been or could even come close to her vocal

[MrSiegaar]

Das Lied passte nicht ganz zu Ihr. Trotzdem gab sie sich alle Mühe!

[Rollnout]

The song is not good, her voice is not in sync with the beat of the music, this is error on the produvers part, her voice is lacking in range, but her voice is nonetheless Karen and is pleasant in tone and melodic. Her voice is incomparable, the music on the other hand is stale and lacking of substance.

[vonKyle777]

i think shelving the album was a wise decision. I don't think it will be as commercially as successful as her other albums with Richard. For me, many of the songs doesn't suit her and so different from what she used to do. If she will sing different styles she should do it gradually. Public acceptance should be considered. But i think releasing "I guess i lost my head" then, as a single will do her fine.

[Jenot59]

When reading the biography by R. Coleman, it 's clear how Karen really respected and loved her older brother. She owed her succes to him, she always wanted to be the drummer-singer rather than only the singer. What I understood from this Carpentersstory . F.I, Richard told Karen :"Never do disco!" She was in the studio in NY and what did she sing to? !Disco!, so thát shows Karen had a mind of her own and it can't have been genuin for her to agree on shelving the Solo album!

It is very woman!!

[miigelitoco]

His heart was unique. That´s why she is and will ever be. So human, so tender...

[BUAYAIPOH]

evergreen is the best

from malaya jambalaya

[greenez62]

her voice is truly a gift, we should all treasure it

[earcandy2008]

'solidified' my bad I didn't use spell check...

[earcandy2008]

Many of the unreleased tracks are in their first stage as karen and the band learned the material. I know that many songs Karen would do in one take. This solo material is a bit different, and Miss Carpenter was in new surroundings. Each song would have solidifeid and been gold once the time was invested in my opinion.

[greg8698]

I don't care what Richard and the Executives at A&M records said, I think this song would have peaked in the top 20 in 1980.

[oakdude1]

Well, there are a few reasons why this album wasn't released. From what I heard, out of respect for Richard, she wished for the album to be shelved since this project was done without him.

[greg8698]

That is totally not true. She wanted to release the album but Richard who had taken the year off to get over an addiction to quaaludes was furious with Karon for cutting an album without him. So, he nit picked every song finally conviencing Karen that the album was not that good. She in turn shelved the album. Karen needed Richards approval for just about everything she did and when he did not support her she had a tendency to just drop the subject.

[greg8698]

Karen fed off of Richards approval and when she didn't get it on this album she shelved it. Richard had way more control over Karen than lots of people believe. Had Richard encouraged Karen to release the album even without his input, Karen might very well be alive today. Richard just couldn't swallow his pride and admit his sister was capable of cutting an album without him.

[oakdude1]

I believe this to be true. I know that Richard controlled everything and from what I have heard, there was a lot more going on in that family than anyone realizes. I know that she wanted to release her solo album....she shelved it because Richard didn't want her doing anything without him....at least, that is what I have heard. I will admit that Richard was a brilliant artist, but Karen was very capable of performing on her own without his input.

[greg8698]

@Nixe1007, Oh come on! Karen carried Richard for over 10 years. Was Richard singing an number 1 hits? Was Richard winning any Grammys by himself? The answer is no, not a single song. Without Karen, time has shown that Richard is a nobody. so, please get real on your void comments.

[mrshinyshoes]

@greg8698 The Carpenters' success really did hinge on Karen's unique and beautiful voice. I suspect that's one of the reasons why Richard was so against the release of Karen's solo album. To Richard's credit, however, he was one helluva of an arranger and musician. And he did write some of The Carpenters' most successful hits like "Top of the World" and "Yesterday Once More". Also, Richard understood Karen's unique rich voice, and he selected the right songs for her to sing.

[Mickagume]

@mrshinyshoes You are right. As a composer/arranger I can tell you that Richard Carpenter is one of the greatest arrangers ever! Period!

[ssoko]

@greg8698: Karen probably would not have won any Grammy without Richard behind her. She was so unsure of herself that she hadn't dared to sing professionally.

[burpo]

@greg8698 Whoa. You need some info. Richard wrote much of, arranged all of and scouted all of the Carpenters' material. He knew Karen's vocal strengths and tailored all of their studio work AROUND her strengths. She was in the spotlight, but that's like being the cheerleader who tops the pyramid. You can't do that alone.

[Izzymoggington]

@greg8698 i agree 100%

[waduxis]

Será que um dia voltaremos a ser felizes?

[almodovare1]

Why she died so quick?... Life is very unfair!

Thanks Karen for giving us hapiness through your songs!

[g4gammon]

Georgous Song !! Simple.. articulate & KAREN !!  What else could a die hard fan want?? These are just the most amazing finds & a follow up ?? so sad they were cut short.. our loss R.I.P Kazz we love U !! xoxoxox

[hot99roy]

Love you Karen!

[rouselonline]

this picture speaks...I really love this pic...

love this song too! love you KC!

[harding46]

秘蔵の歌があったなんて、大感激ものです。ＣＤになればいいのに­！！

[haseilblue]

This is indeed awesome!!!..She's the best!!!

[greg8698]

There is not another voice like this anywhere in the world today and probably never will be. Absolutely incredible!

[oakdude1]

I totally agree. There will never be another KC...her voice is simply unique and can't be matched by ANYONE today.

[defsght]

what is her song tht goes lalalalalala lalalalalalalala

[ChoirgirlHotel08]

Sing ...

[dumplingeater]

GOD DAMN IS THIS GREAT ! AWESOME ~ !! She brings tears to my eyes...... so beautiful !

[okrabay]

it has that empty 80's sound.

[eclecticfire73]

I cant see why KC wanted to dilute her talent to sound like Olivia Newton John..Jeez.i know they were friends & ONJ and Donna Summer were popular & ground-breaking & had good hits, but songstresses they aint. i think kc should have been singing more jazz inflected stuff like pheobe snows Poetry Man...i think later the anorexia lowered her self-esteem and deviated her judgement...i didnt like richards obsession with light opera ballads either. kc had a really jazzy/mellow voice, why not use it?

[MonaHere28]

Did you listen to the words ofd this song??? She always sang from her heart. Mona

[kshaligin]

Pure jazz she couldn't sing because in 70's it wasn't popular anymore, like in 40's-50's. But many of their songs indeed were jazz influenced.

[tomli513]

she is beautiful.

[71dogface]

Oh Yeah !! Face, voice, on and on.--DF

[bubblesandpickles]

I read all the comments egarding this song because first I am very impressed with it and intrigued by all the unrealeased Karen solos. As a hard core Carpenters fan like many others, I would love a CD with these songs but I also respect Richard's decision to keep Karen's legacy pure and simple - much like their music. It's a tough choice for him to make. Thanks for posting this and by the way, di you choose your name from "What's Up Doc?"

[LeadBrother]

Big thanks to LHB for posting this and how the hell did you get it??? :)

It is so 70s and I love it especially Karens vocals. Did Richard play Piano?

I also love the hard cut sound of this song as it gives it character, but if it were put through the wash and released Im sure it would be a hit. I also thought this was the original version when I first heard the song :D

[LoveHowardBanister]

I got it through another YouTube user, he gave me the downloads.

[BestKacFan]

@LeadBrother - Hi actually Richard had nothing to do with the original version of Karen's solo sessions. It was Billy Joel's band and some other back-up vocals. He did have a hand in it when he decided to release it in 1996. It shows another "Grown-up" side of Karen we never really got to see. Peace

BestKACFan

[fangornderent]

hey - thank you for posting this. i love the karen solo-performances very much.

PLUS i am very surprised that she covers this song by barbara dickson, another great singer and songwriter (she starred in the o.s.t. to CHESS, EVITA, just to mention a few).

karen's version is completely different from barbara's recording.

very interesting.

[crescentn00n]

I'm just speculating here, but I think Karen never really had any real sense of identity and certainly was never perceived as any type of sex symbol and spent the last years of her life searching for herself and trying out different sounds/styles. (Isn't it obvious she was trying to sound like Olivia Newton John?)

I think Richard had to basically direct her every move and breath in order to get the Carpenters sound and without him she didn't even really know how to use her own voice.

[eclecticfire73]

yes this solo stuff sounds thinner than Richards sound, yet he claims tho he picked songs etc and was a stickler 4 the sound, he never instucted kc how to sing or interptret the words.(he says"i just picked a pretty song & let karen sing"..its odd) But i agree with steveat, this voice is no way the same quality as on Ticket To Ride which was full and throaty..but then dont forget she was emaciated in '79..I mean it must weaken your voice to sing for monthes on end on an empty stomack..poor love

[mdmphd]

Just amazing to run across something I don't know by her. The Carpenters were my secret pleasure all the way through school. I was working a graveyard radio shift in Nebraska the night she passed, and I was so moved, every third song I played was a Carpenters song(which my boss, Rick Alloway, was quick to point out that as sad as it was, it MAY have been overkill:> I'd take another Xmas cd of theirs...Thanks for the many unknown posts!!

[castingtherunes]

First I want to mention how stupid computers are. They never recognize correct passwords to refresh the comment screen. Stupid computers and stupid programmers.

Second, Karen's photo is hypnotizing me. I wish I could go back to the 70s so I could fall in love with her all over again. :)

[cd23nr]

Lovely song and I love the photos. Reading the comments made it sounds a case of someone admitting Karen would have made it on her own but would they have.

[DURound]

I think that Richard might be right to avoid release. In the higher registers, she does not sound so good. Perhaps her illness had affected her voice to a degree. Also her phrasing is not perfect as it is in her hits.

[steveatl40]

I'm a complete Carpenters fan. However, I'm so glad you posted this. I swear she sounded weird to me in her later years. I mean, she's only 29 here, but what happened to that wonderful, deep voice 1969-1975?

[RockDoctorLV]

@DURound I got the impression that she was struggling with the high notes that were clearly above her best median range (50% above, 50% below). A soprano she was not. Nobody should have expected her to be one. Her best sung songs were filled with legato phrasing which revealed the richness of her REAL range.

[DURound]

@RockDoctorLV She described those lower notes as her "basement" and knew that was a key to her success. But she wanted to explore her higher voice. I have heard some songs in that higher voice that worked, but this one does not give the impression of complete quality up there.

[dumplingeater]

I think at this point........ WE FANS......would settle for KAREN gurgling her mouthwash in the morning and spitting it out in the sink..... EVERY THING IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR US - It's CENSORSHIP to hold back unreleased material. Richard is afraid of being MORE MARGINALIZED perhaps? Ok... we get it !

[FearlessDotty]

hehe

[schellenberg69]

can not understand this work never released

[calmemaggie]

she died before it was released

[cortina80]

Absolutely love this song!! Please release!

[roscoegino]

Nice song.  Fits the picture of her too.

[schlurchi1964]

LHB-Judy.You can surprise and bring fun to us fans more and more.Go on with your sweet surprises.Big kiss,hug and greetings from Germany,Michael.

[LoveHowardBanister]

Thank you, Michael! :D

[tullyallen]

yhank you ;-)

[tullyallen]

Really like this mr bannister we gotta get Richard to realese these.Love to see a video to it too..Thank you

[LoveHowardBanister]

You're welcome. My name is Judy, and I'll ask Robs if she can request for Richard to release the songs.

[stillgotit01]

LoveHowardBanister, please ask Richard to release Karen's songs. There isn't anything she sang I won't listen to myself. I wish they had released her solo album, such a stupid decision. I think Karen was really disappointed too and it affected her self-esteem. People with anorexia have a problem with their self-worth.

[LoveHowardBanister]

Hi! I have asked Robin, who is a personal friend of Richard's, to release the songs. She said that she would, but Rich might not do it because he wants to keep Karen's legacy where it is today, he doesn't want to release any material that may in any way hurt her legacy, and some of the unreleased songs he feels aren't good enough to release to the public.

[cortina80]

This is a really, really good song. I've been listening to some of the other songs off this unreleased album and they are all good, particularly Lovelines. This album would have been a hit if it had been released in 1980 and I am sure it would still be now. All the songs want doing to them is perhaps digitally remastering. These are really good songs, too good to be left unreleased. Make so many people happy and please release this album.

[BestKacFan]

So True Judy. When I sat with Rich we Touched on the subject of releasing some of the older songs and these unreleased version. He felt they were not up to THE CARPENTER sound and he really has tapped the vaults - NOTHING is left! He would love to release more material but over 25 years he has really done everything. He hinted to a Christmas album possibly this year (2008)

he said the only thing left is her Legacy.

[amc84morales]

From all the vids you have posted this is the best, really like her picture, Karen was a beautiful woman, and this tune is her best from her solo album, so thx for posting this.

[LoveHowardBanister]

You are so welcome, and so correct on your comment. Karen was one of the most beautiful women, not only because of her voice, but because of her heart. She was wonderful

[drbcook]

Oh this brings back memories 30 years ago Delora would sing Karens songs and sound so much like her miss them both !

[fashionista1988]

omigod!  i love this! how did you get your hands on it??

[LoveHowardBanister]

A user on here, brancan619, has a website and you can download all of Karen's unreleased solo songs there.

[LoveHowardBanister]

I'm sorry, that user is branvan619. I spelled it wrong before.

[melismit123]

As a very long time Karen Carpenter fan, I cannot believe I have not heard this song. Thank you so much for introducing me to another lovely Karen song!

[BestKacFan]

RC And EVERYONE else had so much criticism about Karen's SOLO album. What a True Gift it would be if he decided to release all these songs and out-takes she recorded. I just love hearing anything Karen sang. Bravo!! I Want More!

Thanks you for posting these! You are a Gem!

[LoveHowardBanister]

Thank you very much! I love hearing every Karen sang, too.

[tonnebol]

wow what a beautifull song from Karen i never hear it but i love it

[carpentersfan1992]

I love this song! Thanks for posting.

[LoveHowardBanister]

Sure thing!!

[626075]

Wow this is lovely, I think its my favourite out take that I've heard. I read that there was one called something missing in my life. Have you heard it?

[LoveHowardBanister]

Yes, I uploaded it already. It's simply stunning. It doesn't have a video to go along with it, though. I can send it to you if you'd like.

[BestKacFan]

If you had the video...that would be great!!! Thanks to you

LOVE HowardBanister...

Best,

Robin (BestKACFan)

[AKindOfHush76]

Ta for posting LHB. AKOH76 x

[kcrcbest]

Thanx again and again soooooo beautiful thanx