SHE WAS SO NICE AND NORMAL so SO SO TALENTED. I miss you Karen. Thank you RIchard for keeping her voice with us for nearly 30 years since she passed. And to see her singing this live, even though she is nervous about public performances, well it's just wonderful to see it really turn out so well. I was very young back then so I didn't know what i was watching. Thanks to who ever posted this clip . WOnderful
@roscoegino Yesterday--By The Beatles/1965........and.....As Tears Go Bye-The Rolling Stones/1966 were the first real rock ballads,check 'em out......
@frankty67 but Goodbye came out a yr. before Dream On. No one had ever introduced hard rock guitar to a ballad before Goodbye to Love. And then years later, groups like Journey made a fortune off of them! LOL!!
I never knew there was a difference between like Early Beatles rock ballads and the later 'rock GUITAR ballads'. But I think you're right. Because Im 55 yrs old I always thought those early Beatles songs were rock ballads.So the real rock guitar ballads really took off in the early 80s with the REO-Hi Infidelity singles, and like Journey hits? And then every other 'Hair Band" had to have they're own personal little rock ballad.... Isn't rock and roll great!!??!!
@tubiebrother The Mickey Mouse show was pretty much over during my youth. I was very happy to see her on the drums in part 3. Karen was a pretty good drummer, but is far more known for her beautiful voice.
@christo930 It was over during mine too but i saw some reruns for a little while. Karen was a great singer and a great drummer. Very very talented person. One of my all time favorite voices, if not the favorite. I'm glad I could direct you to the number with her on drums.
Absolutely pure golden voice and talent that we so rarely see in a lifetime, she could sing anything! Truly one of the greatest voices of the twentieth century!
Karen has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, bar none. It is such a shame that she had to die of anorexia. She ranks right up there with all of the true greats. Better by far than any performer today. She had grace, style, and talent.... F T REST.
Is she so polite and sweet she vows everytime the audience applauded her song to begin with...great entertainer GOD must be glad to be her among his angels...
they wanted to put out a "squeeky clean" and wholesome image in contrast to
other artists of the day ... i agree with everyone her voice has a beautiful quality.
but with the appealing to middle america combined with a bit of tendency to lounge music tastes... they come of a bit saccharine and cheesy.
one wonders if karen had subscribed a bit more to the ideals of that era (authenticity, feminism, revolution) perhaps she might not have killed herself in pursuit of conservative ideas of beauty
@sqweezel now now why can't we appreciate both? Does one type of music have to be an enemy of the other? LOL with the dead examples you cited tho.....
@sqweezel now now why can't we appreciate both? Does one type of music have to be an enemy of the other? LOL with the dead examples you cited tho.....uh but then Karen died too so not philosphically sure what to think.
her way of singing should be studied by today's music "divas".they all oversung, sustaining notes and doing unjustified, un-called for and un-necessary vocal runs every time a line's sung.
What a shame - she had a one in a billion voice and was pretty but they were packaged so wrong. But then again this was the early 70s, which was an odd time.
@SandyInOhio1000 so true, but kids today would call it oldies or disco and so on. music like this doesn't exists anymore (except on CD's or Youtube) unless someone decides to try it again and see what happens.
I have every record they made. I loved the Carpenters and still do.
Always fun to watch Cubby O'Brien on the drums too... Little bit hyper on the kick drum here, but a treat nevertheless... Insert as many Karen superlatives here as you wish, she was a timeless and incredible talent. Wish we still had her...
When you think of the book Little Girl Blue & the emphasis to make Richard Carpenter look like the bad guy, isen't it sad what the world has come to... Have you, or me not made mistakes in Life, or said if I knew then, what I know now. The most important think that I could share that I'm most certain about is that Richard Loved Karen more than anything on earth. Many don't respect the book, but it doesn't mean were going to put Randy Schmidt's home address on You Tube even thought we have it.
When it came time for Tony Peluso's famous guitar solo, Karen purposely stepped out of the camera's range so the focus would go to Tony. The cameraman didn't know what to do and zoomed in to Richard!!
He finally gave us a small glimpse of the solo being played.
@philipcarol - It was probably the director in the booth that didn't get it right. The director sees all the camera inputs on various screens in the booth and directs the switch operator as to which shot to put on the air or on tape.The director is also responsible for telling the camera operators what shot to take for future selection. Most likely there was a camera on Tony at the time and another one on Richard. The director chose Richard's camera instead of Tony's. I hate that too.
@philipcarol Good catch lol. She knew to slide off to the side. Good job Karen, too bad the camera man was asleep at the wheel. Guy was a good guitarist, a little slice of the Carpenters Rockin Out.
@philipcarol actually, the director of the show calls the shots. 3 studio cameras cover all angles and the director relays his choice of shots to the technical director controlling the switcher board. If it's anyone's responsibility, it's the director's.
@philipcarol It wasn't the cameraman who blew it -- it was the director who called the wrong shot. Or at least didn't have a camera directed at Tony. ...Rowby
Jesus.. She's singing live here.. Karen makes it look so effortless.. Amazing talent... Can't believe 28 years ago the world was preparing to say its final goodbye to her and her voice... I want to go to Karen's tomb on the 30th's annerversary if nothing else to finally pay my respects to her..."
Freedom of choice, baby. It's our own self-destructive behaviors, towards ourselves or others, that causes world-wide pain. We can chose to do it, or chose not to.
Thanks for posting this piece of history. Karen's pristine voice is a gift from God to be sure, but I think few people give due credit to Richard Carpenter for his writing and arrangement skills, and the lush, complex background vocals he composed and sang.
@davefarrar, If this is a gift from God and God decided to take it away, then God's an asshole.
I think these are artists who worked long & hard to create beautiful music. This is the result of hard work. Why do people give credit to an invisible man when it suits them and don't give credit to the invisible man when he allows genocide, starvation and terrible atrocities happening now & historically.
@casyatbat God has His reasons for all He does, and all those terrible things will be made right...but only in His timing. Meantime, He did let me know that Karen is alive in Heaven, and she knows shes loved. :) Wait for the Resurrection, she may sing for us again!
@MasterAceman123456, Maybe, what about the other things that God allows like genocide, starvation and terrible atrocities.
You seem well meaning & respectful so I'll say I am one of those who had was religious as a child. But as I see the world today it appears to be that there is no God or he doesn't mind seeing man suffering.
You can count on one hand the number of American singers who have such a distinctive voice you know them immediately when you hear them. Karen Carpenter is one of them.
I love seeing Karen & Richard with their band as you really see their pure joy of singing, performing and playing their instruments - like a rock group! It's like a jam sesssion, instead of just KC & RC, themselves, as we mostly see in most of their music videos. They rock!
As you can tell from my username............. I am a HUGE fan of CHARICE from the Philippines. She is an unbelievable talent...I mean beyond anything EVER for her or the generation before her.
However, there has NEVER..............nor shall there EVER be a voice like Karen Carpenter's. She was "one of a kind".
I had a crush on her.. I was just a boy in the 70's when I watched her on TV.
NOW I know why!!!
Karen....................my GOD what a voice, U will always be my angel.
My older brother was a huge fan back in the 70's (he's 10 years older than me) but I never appreciated them. Looking back, I missed out. Her voice is pristine.. Beautiful.. And the songs so heartbreaking.. Miss you Karen..
I'm 66, been a musician all my life... I sing gritty to bel canto, and play a few instruments. I never appreciated her at the time when she was with us. She sings so beautifully... interpretation and all that. When she hits those low contralto notes out of nowhere... aren't we grateful we still have some of her.
Another one of Gods one time only gifts to us, what can you say about that voice, its milky smooth. God Bless you karen, we miss you very much, heaven must have needed a voice in their choir.
12 days later they were in Nashville, Tennessee in concert and I had 3rd row center tickets! Was 13 years old and will never forget the anticipation of that evening.... or the depression afterwards that ot was over... I always had looked forward to the next time I would see them live - an event that sadly, would never occur....
Confession: When I was a teenager, and these two were becoming famous, I thought they were NOT cool. Typical teenage arrogance-what an idiot.
Now I'm weeping at the beauty of their talent. I wish I could see what she would have been doing if still alive. What a crime! She would have been 60 by now.
@M0ofi32012 Yes, you've become smarter and wiser. But you could see it in another way. They weren't cool--they were extremely talented, legendary musicians. The term "cool" is simply beneath The Carpenters, and youth can't often grasp such concepts because the young tend to live just for the moment. "Youth is wasted on the young." It takes some level of maturity to appreciate the unadulterated beauty of The Carpenters' music.
This was back in the days when you could either do it or you couldnt'. No technology like Pro Tools and Auto-tune to fabricate mediocre talent into superstars, like there is today. Karen was the real deal. Richard, too.
This is a live performance. How many of today's 'talent' would risk their manufactured image on national TV???
The first time I heard this song was in 1972 I was stationed on Guam it was the theme of a prom dance I was invited to.. man it was heaven beautiful ladies and listening to music like this... what happened to the world.....they say everything goes in a circle...can't wait till it gets back to this music.....thanks for posting this treasure..
If it's a consolation to anybody (as it was to me), there was never and has never been any article written anywhere which described Karen as "fat," "chubby," or any thing else of the sort. No manager, critic, agent, etc. ever called her that either. It's become an urban myth which has become the "truth." Her disorder primarily was the result of her removal from behind the drums.
Karen doesn't just sing these songs: the expression in her voice seems to perfectly interpret them, as well. Don't you feel like she is feeling every word she sings?
Sometimes I feel like she had heartache deep in her soul and that's why she sings them so well. Kind of sad....
I love how Karen leaves the scene to let the band play. I noticed that nowadays there's no solos in songs. In "Masquerade" there was a flute and piano solo and saxophone solo. Nowadays I don't hear a small guitar break in any song or a piano break, sad.
Great session. They were a fantastic group who worked so hard for perfection. They achieved it on so many levels. Karen's singing was always spot on. Thanks for the memories.
And Richard's genius made all this possible. More #1 hits in a row than Elvis and the Beatles. Can you imagine Michael Jackson and Carpenters collaborating?
Cubby was a real hotdog on the drums. He added too many extra snare shots on the upbeats and extra cymbal crashes. I guess Richard and Karen approved of his style. I much rather have Karen's jazzy style on drums.
@roscoegino - Sorry I don't agree. Take the first song here, "Superstar" - the recording is the first take, and the first time, Karen sang it, from a lead sheet. That kind of talent doesn't need a hand....(and she was a musician herself, playing the drums, so she had her own instincts and relationship with music aside from singing...) What' you are hearing, is a gift....and those kind don't come often enough.
@Alvin4NY Of course it'sundeniably KC's rich alto. But it was Richard who told her she could sing. She did not know until age 16 or thereabouts. She just started off playing drums, didn't sing until Richard asked her. Then he and co-writer John Bettis would fit songs to her vocal range. It might be KC singing but both needed each other 100% per cent.
Contrary to what many people think, The Carpenters were perhaps one of the coolest bands back in those days. Their music was never contrived, it was timeless, in a class by itself. Musically they were so gifted. Quality is everything. Quality is always cool, and The Carpenters were the epitome of quality music.
@mrshinyshoes I am a fan of the carpenters, but to call them "cool" in any sense is silly. They were adult contemporary and not popular at all with the youth of the time.
@christo930 after all of these years, if my friends would look at my albums and see a carpenters album in my collection, I would say it was my sister's but now I'll admit they were mine. I loved them then and I love them now!
check it out at 4.26-4.40, the players were changing instruments. Besides Karen & Richard, the other players are also very talented musicians. Impressive.
The Carpenters' music will last because of the pathos in Karen's voice and in her life, like Judy Garland. Richard's amazing musicianship are the perfect frame for it. And the weird Young Republican/Wedding Singer look they presented adds a surreal eerieness.
"It's nice to know somebody loves me" - who couldn't? What a sweetheart! I can't imagine being the happenstance audience on the Tonight Show that night, when, "oh, by the way, musical guests tonight are The Carpenters!"
The timbre in her voice is astounding...really, when i was a teenager i secretly loved the Carpenters, but couldn't tell anyone cause Zeppelin and Sabbath were top of my list back then. But her voice always sent shivers up my spine in a beautiful sort of way...
Funny, I actually have the album, Johnny was holding in his hand--it was the first viynl record I ever bought. I became an immediate fan of The Carpenters after listening to their "greatest hits."
@earcandy2008 true. not many would notice that. what's great is that toward the end of tony's playing, still off to the side, k grabs a tambourine and at 7:55 hits that little syncopated percussive accent on the upbeat along with mr. plaid jacket who adds a leg kick for emphasis. if they had just let her do her thing behind the drums she'd still be w/ us today.
Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Both have great voices and always put so much feeling into whatever they are singing whether it's one of their songs or somebody elses. Ann reminds me a lot of Karen especially when singing something soft with a harmony from Nancy. I would have loved to see Karen try her hand at a good rock song like Quarterflashs Harden My Heart or Melissa Etheridges I'm The Only One or a good Pat Benatar song that would have been awesome.
anybody recognize the drummer on this video? Give up? Why its little "cubby" from the original Mickey Mouse club. I think his real name was Carl O'brien. I'm glad these 70's videos can still be seen--they bring back sweet memories.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Gee. Karen actually looks a little "chubby." Maybe, it's her outfit. But her face also looks kinda chubby, too -- ironic, considering the way she died.
Actually, it was around now that someone made a comment like (his chubby little sister...) that set her on her way to the weightloss and tragic loss of life. And NO she doesnt look chubby at all here. she looks very normal. She doesnt even have a waist when she turns to her side. She is a women with hips! But not cubby at all!!!
It's amazing such great female singers are no longer around and that we are saddled with these Hacks that people are calling superstars. Esp when they Gypt the audiences with their lip synching. PPL Pay for concerts to see these fools Lipsync and they cannot even do that. Karen was a gem
there will never be another Karen...her voice is so distinctive and beautiful...brings bk so many memories! My favorite Christmas song is "Merry Christmas Darling" I still have all my Carpenter albums
a funny moment w/the drummer @ 5:53, hard to tell but I think he loses hold of a stick. Then in the next shot you can kind of hear the drums fade out and then back in as Richard looks over w/a confused look for a sec. But in no time the music is back to sounding good. What pros!
Wow, Karen was totally hot here. I think it was the next year that her weight really started to drop. But she was 5'4 and I would estimate her weight here at 115. Perfect.
What a WONDERFUL and natural talent they both had! I miss her so. I was first awakened to their music in the era of "Top Of The World"...remember it vividly. "A Star On Earth - A Star In Heaven"
I get a little emotional hearing her sing these songs. They may be melancholy but they are great songs. She was such a great talent. I don't think she ever was ever comfortable in her own skin and with her talent; of course had anorexia nervosa. My high school girlfriend, late 1970's, had a sister who was like this. I remember how deathly skinny her sister was. Makes me sad. RIP Karen Carpenter.
Saw Karen and Richard with my aunt back in 75 at the Sahara hotel here in Las Vegas... flawless voice, sounded just like her records. Standing ovation at the end of the show!
Dress? What does dress have to do with anything when you have a crystal voice like her's? She worried too much about how she looked and ended up losing her life over it. Society is crazy when it comes to how performers "should" look. There are plenty of great looking females making millions "singing" that can't hold a candle to that voice. It's a dirty rotten shame.
The first power balad.
JBHouston11 1 month ago
Amazing... no lip sinking!! pure, WOW!!!
eddy909100 1 month ago
Love the hair, Karen.
emilytripp 1 month ago
I love you Karen. This was your greatest moment. Beautiful.
davidhwalton 1 month ago
Well ... first pop vocal ballad to use rock guitar ;-)
roscoegino 2 months ago
Pure unadultered talent without all the bullcrap that is around today!!
watertonrivers 2 months ago
Beautiful voice!
thomtlc2 2 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
I LOVE KAREN CARPENTER, GOOD MUSIC FIRST AND GOOD TIMES... A DIFFERENT WORLD... LOVE KAREN!!
MANUELFARINELLI 2 months ago
SHE WAS SO NICE AND NORMAL so SO SO TALENTED. I miss you Karen. Thank you RIchard for keeping her voice with us for nearly 30 years since she passed. And to see her singing this live, even though she is nervous about public performances, well it's just wonderful to see it really turn out so well. I was very young back then so I didn't know what i was watching. Thanks to who ever posted this clip . WOnderful
ahfaxthis 2 months ago
Nixon music
juventus0830 3 months ago in playlist juventus0830's favorites
Wow! Richard had an ARP Odyssey? That's a new one on me!
covenstead 3 months ago
Goodbye to Love = 1st ever rock ballad
roscoegino 4 months ago
@roscoegino Yesterday--By The Beatles/1965........and.....As Tears Go Bye-The Rolling Stones/1966 were the first real rock ballads,check 'em out......
frankty67 3 months ago in playlist carpenters
@frankty67 those were regular ballads in the genre of rock n roll. i meant rock ballads as in ones with rock guitar.
roscoegino 3 months ago
@roscoegino
Its confusing i guess---Would 'Dream On' 1973 be considered one of the first real ballads?
frankty67 3 months ago
@frankty67 but Goodbye came out a yr. before Dream On. No one had ever introduced hard rock guitar to a ballad before Goodbye to Love. And then years later, groups like Journey made a fortune off of them! LOL!!
roscoegino 3 months ago
@roscoegino
I never knew there was a difference between like Early Beatles rock ballads and the later 'rock GUITAR ballads'. But I think you're right. Because Im 55 yrs old I always thought those early Beatles songs were rock ballads.So the real rock guitar ballads really took off in the early 80s with the REO-Hi Infidelity singles, and like Journey hits? And then every other 'Hair Band" had to have they're own personal little rock ballad.... Isn't rock and roll great!!??!!
frankty67 3 months ago
@roscoegino The solos and structure of Goodbye to Love have always reminded me of McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed (1970).
Vericacious 2 months ago
5:54 Karen even point out Tony at his solo part. I love Karen, she was and still is the best singer ever!!!
NncyRmr19 4 months ago
I'll bet she was pissed that she didn't get to drum and they had that awful looking drummer.
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 that's Cubbie from the Mickey Mouse Club all grown up on drums. Check out Part 3 of this where Karen drums
tubiebrother 5 months ago
@tubiebrother The Mickey Mouse show was pretty much over during my youth. I was very happy to see her on the drums in part 3. Karen was a pretty good drummer, but is far more known for her beautiful voice.
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 It was over during mine too but i saw some reruns for a little while. Karen was a great singer and a great drummer. Very very talented person. One of my all time favorite voices, if not the favorite. I'm glad I could direct you to the number with her on drums.
tubiebrother 5 months ago
@tubiebrother I had already seen it by the time you replied, but I still appreciate that you did it, thanks!
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 You're welcome!
tubiebrother 5 months ago
Such a rich and pure voice, unmatched.
jlee3212001 5 months ago
Absolutely pure golden voice and talent that we so rarely see in a lifetime, she could sing anything! Truly one of the greatest voices of the twentieth century!
nohairman1 5 months ago
Karen has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, bar none. It is such a shame that she had to die of anorexia. She ranks right up there with all of the true greats. Better by far than any performer today. She had grace, style, and talent.... F T REST.
1968markking 5 months ago
Goodbye to Love -- what a jam!!
Chsrles62 7 months ago
Is she so polite and sweet she vows everytime the audience applauded her song to begin with...great entertainer GOD must be glad to be her among his angels...
2009exider 7 months ago
they wanted to put out a "squeeky clean" and wholesome image in contrast to
other artists of the day ... i agree with everyone her voice has a beautiful quality.
but with the appealing to middle america combined with a bit of tendency to lounge music tastes... they come of a bit saccharine and cheesy.
one wonders if karen had subscribed a bit more to the ideals of that era (authenticity, feminism, revolution) perhaps she might not have killed herself in pursuit of conservative ideas of beauty
PlaneEater 7 months ago
@PlaneEater funny comment .......it's simple ,they were ahead of their time
HackerGuitarist 7 months ago
@PlaneEater Too many bong hits dude? Fuck your hippie idealism. Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin were great examples, eh?
sqweezel 6 months ago
@sqweezel now now why can't we appreciate both? Does one type of music have to be an enemy of the other? LOL with the dead examples you cited tho.....
KSitz77 5 months ago
@sqweezel now now why can't we appreciate both? Does one type of music have to be an enemy of the other? LOL with the dead examples you cited tho.....uh but then Karen died too so not philosphically sure what to think.
KSitz77 5 months ago
her way of singing should be studied by today's music "divas".they all oversung, sustaining notes and doing unjustified, un-called for and un-necessary vocal runs every time a line's sung.
AORMETALGORE 8 months ago 2
I don't think she had her 23rd birthday yet that year, and her voice was so full and mature even by then; always astounds me.
cosg9531 8 months ago
Probably the best act ever on Johnny Carson...
thomtlc2 8 months ago
What a shame - she had a one in a billion voice and was pretty but they were packaged so wrong. But then again this was the early 70s, which was an odd time.
steveatl40 8 months ago
This is a good song,they sure do not play music like this any more
SandyInOhio1000 9 months ago 6
@SandyInOhio1000 so true, but kids today would call it oldies or disco and so on. music like this doesn't exists anymore (except on CD's or Youtube) unless someone decides to try it again and see what happens.
I have every record they made. I loved the Carpenters and still do.
Hochichin 4 weeks ago
the purest voice. brings a calm to my heart when i hear her voice. Gone too soon
kupie6767 9 months ago
AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
simalak 9 months ago
Always fun to watch Cubby O'Brien on the drums too... Little bit hyper on the kick drum here, but a treat nevertheless... Insert as many Karen superlatives here as you wish, she was a timeless and incredible talent. Wish we still had her...
Llarion 10 months ago
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When you think of the book Little Girl Blue & the emphasis to make Richard Carpenter look like the bad guy, isen't it sad what the world has come to... Have you, or me not made mistakes in Life, or said if I knew then, what I know now. The most important think that I could share that I'm most certain about is that Richard Loved Karen more than anything on earth. Many don't respect the book, but it doesn't mean were going to put Randy Schmidt's home address on You Tube even thought we have it.
vmuto1 10 months ago
Great voice, Great band, Great medley !!!
smichaelsmusic 10 months ago
Quite a rockin' group!
YouMuseMe 10 months ago
get a load of the Kustom amps on the back! hahaha!
surveyordave 11 months ago
check out that vinyl LP
RampChick 11 months ago
23 years old and every square inch of her is GORGEOUS!
LashBridges 11 months ago
I OBJECT!!!
The cameraman totally blew this one!
When it came time for Tony Peluso's famous guitar solo, Karen purposely stepped out of the camera's range so the focus would go to Tony. The cameraman didn't know what to do and zoomed in to Richard!!
He finally gave us a small glimpse of the solo being played.
RIP Karen.
RIP Tony.
philipcarol 11 months ago 13
@philipcarol - It was probably the director in the booth that didn't get it right. The director sees all the camera inputs on various screens in the booth and directs the switch operator as to which shot to put on the air or on tape.The director is also responsible for telling the camera operators what shot to take for future selection. Most likely there was a camera on Tony at the time and another one on Richard. The director chose Richard's camera instead of Tony's. I hate that too.
smichaelsmusic 10 months ago
@philipcarol Good catch lol. She knew to slide off to the side. Good job Karen, too bad the camera man was asleep at the wheel. Guy was a good guitarist, a little slice of the Carpenters Rockin Out.
Waszma 5 months ago
@philipcarol actually, the director of the show calls the shots. 3 studio cameras cover all angles and the director relays his choice of shots to the technical director controlling the switcher board. If it's anyone's responsibility, it's the director's.
Flexicon9 3 months ago
@philipcarol That was a great solo too!
myjazzvibes 3 months ago
@philipcarol It wasn't the cameraman who blew it -- it was the director who called the wrong shot. Or at least didn't have a camera directed at Tony. ...Rowby
rowbyrowby 2 months ago
so sad I am crying as I watch this
ELOSHAZZY 11 months ago
I dont think i ever heard her miss a beat or a note. Greatness.
MasterAceman123456 11 months ago
One of the prettiest and most natural singing voices I've ever heard. She is sorely missed, today's music is garbage.
DA90027 11 months ago
WOW!!! how can something I've heard many times still leave me speechless?? Man I miss her!
porcaro4ever 1 year ago
Jesus.. She's singing live here.. Karen makes it look so effortless.. Amazing talent... Can't believe 28 years ago the world was preparing to say its final goodbye to her and her voice... I want to go to Karen's tomb on the 30th's annerversary if nothing else to finally pay my respects to her..."
Carpentersfan2003 1 year ago
Freedom of choice, baby. It's our own self-destructive behaviors, towards ourselves or others, that causes world-wide pain. We can chose to do it, or chose not to.
afretired04 1 year ago
wow i love watching this
iiAngelic 1 year ago
Thanks for posting this piece of history. Karen's pristine voice is a gift from God to be sure, but I think few people give due credit to Richard Carpenter for his writing and arrangement skills, and the lush, complex background vocals he composed and sang.
davefarrar 1 year ago
@davefarrar, If this is a gift from God and God decided to take it away, then God's an asshole.
I think these are artists who worked long & hard to create beautiful music. This is the result of hard work. Why do people give credit to an invisible man when it suits them and don't give credit to the invisible man when he allows genocide, starvation and terrible atrocities happening now & historically.
casyatbat 1 year ago
@casyatbat God has His reasons for all He does, and all those terrible things will be made right...but only in His timing. Meantime, He did let me know that Karen is alive in Heaven, and she knows shes loved. :) Wait for the Resurrection, she may sing for us again!
MasterAceman123456 11 months ago
@MasterAceman123456, Maybe, what about the other things that God allows like genocide, starvation and terrible atrocities.
You seem well meaning & respectful so I'll say I am one of those who had was religious as a child. But as I see the world today it appears to be that there is no God or he doesn't mind seeing man suffering.
casyatbat 11 months ago
@MasterAceman123456 Keep telling yourself that....
ritter89 10 months ago
You just can't beat that awesome medley. Oh, for what might have been...
howzitgoin1970 1 year ago
You can count on one hand the number of American singers who have such a distinctive voice you know them immediately when you hear them. Karen Carpenter is one of them.
benho6251 1 year ago
I love seeing Karen & Richard with their band as you really see their pure joy of singing, performing and playing their instruments - like a rock group! It's like a jam sesssion, instead of just KC & RC, themselves, as we mostly see in most of their music videos. They rock!
devydu 1 year ago
As you can tell from my username............. I am a HUGE fan of CHARICE from the Philippines. She is an unbelievable talent...I mean beyond anything EVER for her or the generation before her.
However, there has NEVER..............nor shall there EVER be a voice like Karen Carpenter's. She was "one of a kind".
I had a crush on her.. I was just a boy in the 70's when I watched her on TV.
NOW I know why!!!
Karen....................my GOD what a voice, U will always be my angel.
I LOVE YOU.
ILChariceFan1 1 year ago
My older brother was a huge fan back in the 70's (he's 10 years older than me) but I never appreciated them. Looking back, I missed out. Her voice is pristine.. Beautiful.. And the songs so heartbreaking.. Miss you Karen..
voicedood 1 year ago
I'm 66, been a musician all my life... I sing gritty to bel canto, and play a few instruments. I never appreciated her at the time when she was with us. She sings so beautifully... interpretation and all that. When she hits those low contralto notes out of nowhere... aren't we grateful we still have some of her.
checagou1340 1 year ago
@checagou1340 ditto that - I'm 63 - so hip back then! No time for pop sugary group like the Carpenters. How great they were.
meemo1947 1 year ago
Miss her
gbeggs2978 1 year ago
Karen live in our memory,for ever.
draguir 1 year ago
Karen live in our memory,for ever
draguir 1 year ago
Another one of Gods one time only gifts to us, what can you say about that voice, its milky smooth. God Bless you karen, we miss you very much, heaven must have needed a voice in their choir.
yambo59 1 year ago
12 days later they were in Nashville, Tennessee in concert and I had 3rd row center tickets! Was 13 years old and will never forget the anticipation of that evening.... or the depression afterwards that ot was over... I always had looked forward to the next time I would see them live - an event that sadly, would never occur....
barryt60 1 year ago
Confession: When I was a teenager, and these two were becoming famous, I thought they were NOT cool. Typical teenage arrogance-what an idiot.
Now I'm weeping at the beauty of their talent. I wish I could see what she would have been doing if still alive. What a crime! She would have been 60 by now.
Gosh! Have I changed?
M0ofi32012 1 year ago
@M0ofi32012 Yes, you've become smarter and wiser. But you could see it in another way. They weren't cool--they were extremely talented, legendary musicians. The term "cool" is simply beneath The Carpenters, and youth can't often grasp such concepts because the young tend to live just for the moment. "Youth is wasted on the young." It takes some level of maturity to appreciate the unadulterated beauty of The Carpenters' music.
mdmann 1 year ago
This was back in the days when you could either do it or you couldnt'. No technology like Pro Tools and Auto-tune to fabricate mediocre talent into superstars, like there is today. Karen was the real deal. Richard, too.
This is a live performance. How many of today's 'talent' would risk their manufactured image on national TV???
danhughart 1 year ago
The first time I heard this song was in 1972 I was stationed on Guam it was the theme of a prom dance I was invited to.. man it was heaven beautiful ladies and listening to music like this... what happened to the world.....they say everything goes in a circle...can't wait till it gets back to this music.....thanks for posting this treasure..
Barry
roanokebarry 1 year ago
Fucking blinding performance and great lead guitar at the end too.
Ahzdiosh 1 year ago
If it's a consolation to anybody (as it was to me), there was never and has never been any article written anywhere which described Karen as "fat," "chubby," or any thing else of the sort. No manager, critic, agent, etc. ever called her that either. It's become an urban myth which has become the "truth." Her disorder primarily was the result of her removal from behind the drums.
improvguru 1 year ago
rRichard was so young and cute!
: )
He orchestrated it all! He's so talented.
stevenwildwood1 1 year ago
Karen doesn't just sing these songs: the expression in her voice seems to perfectly interpret them, as well. Don't you feel like she is feeling every word she sings?
Sometimes I feel like she had heartache deep in her soul and that's why she sings them so well. Kind of sad....
karenaperville 1 year ago
@karenaperville She died from anorexia, so I have no doubt that she had some skeletons in her closet and was able to put that in her singing.
Felicity1247 8 months ago
This is one of the most haunting songs ever written. I can't imagine anyone but Karen Carpenter singing it, either.
karenaperville 1 year ago
God - what a voice!!!!
rbennet4 1 year ago
I love how Karen leaves the scene to let the band play. I noticed that nowadays there's no solos in songs. In "Masquerade" there was a flute and piano solo and saxophone solo. Nowadays I don't hear a small guitar break in any song or a piano break, sad.
bsbncandey 1 year ago
omg what a voice!
parachuteboi 1 year ago
Comment removed
catholicpriest1 1 year ago
@catholicpriest1 , you are fucked up, your the one that needs to go on a diet, hope it kills you.
CMCHRYSLERVALIANT 1 year ago
Great session. They were a fantastic group who worked so hard for perfection. They achieved it on so many levels. Karen's singing was always spot on. Thanks for the memories.
coronet72 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Somebody wrote a story and said Karen was "chubby". That is what started her obsession with her weight. She was never chubby at all, IMO.
KarenSuperstar1978 1 year ago
Really, just superb...I don't know what else to say.
kangfesher 1 year ago
Karen's voice never gets old..it's perfection in its purest form
MarkBearTN 1 year ago 22
And Richard's genius made all this possible. More #1 hits in a row than Elvis and the Beatles. Can you imagine Michael Jackson and Carpenters collaborating?
georgemcclurelive 1 year ago
@georgemcclurelive It was Karen, not Richard, who was the star of the group. And Richard and their mom resented it.
fkd1963 1 year ago
[Karen Carpenter] She was a bright star who graced our shores for a short time. Now she has returned to the stars from whence she came.
Her voice was so perfect that I never thought there was a real person who created it. Now I see her fragile frame failed her and I'm heartbroken. - gm
georgemcclurelive 1 year ago
Karen YOU are that SUPERSTAR you talked about when you were on the radio and I am that helpless fan!!
MANUELFARINELLI 1 year ago
Cubby was a real hotdog on the drums. He added too many extra snare shots on the upbeats and extra cymbal crashes. I guess Richard and Karen approved of his style. I much rather have Karen's jazzy style on drums.
mochichi7 1 year ago 2
The great thing about KC is that her "live" voice improved as she got older.
roscoegino 1 year ago
Can't help it. Every time I hear Karen sing I get choked up.
LAT3628 1 year ago
What amazing talent, a voice you can listen to forever. Who didn't love Karen
pesojoe 1 year ago
RIP Tony Peluso.
roscoegino 1 year ago
Never had seen that before...love her so much. Goodbye to Love, indeed.
Alvin4NY 1 year ago
richard doesn't get enough credit for guiding karen's voice. he really sheparded her talent.
roscoegino 1 year ago
@roscoegino - Sorry I don't agree. Take the first song here, "Superstar" - the recording is the first take, and the first time, Karen sang it, from a lead sheet. That kind of talent doesn't need a hand....(and she was a musician herself, playing the drums, so she had her own instincts and relationship with music aside from singing...) What' you are hearing, is a gift....and those kind don't come often enough.
Alvin4NY 1 year ago
@Alvin4NY Of course it'sundeniably KC's rich alto. But it was Richard who told her she could sing. She did not know until age 16 or thereabouts. She just started off playing drums, didn't sing until Richard asked her. Then he and co-writer John Bettis would fit songs to her vocal range. It might be KC singing but both needed each other 100% per cent.
roscoegino 1 year ago
Nothing but beauty .... A treasure
kat5ft2 1 year ago 2
Contrary to what many people think, The Carpenters were perhaps one of the coolest bands back in those days. Their music was never contrived, it was timeless, in a class by itself. Musically they were so gifted. Quality is everything. Quality is always cool, and The Carpenters were the epitome of quality music.
mrshinyshoes 1 year ago 30
@mrshinyshoes I am a fan of the carpenters, but to call them "cool" in any sense is silly. They were adult contemporary and not popular at all with the youth of the time.
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 Yes, but they were definitely "cool" with the adult crowd! ;)
mrshinyshoes 5 months ago
@mrshinyshoes To the extent that any adult can be cool:)
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 Hey, you're talking to one!
mrshinyshoes 5 months ago
@christo930 They didn't bother to cater to the youth of the era. They did their own music on their own terms. To me, that's what "cool" is.
Rudy61287 5 months ago
@Rudy61287 Fair enough. I lost my ability to be cool a long time ago. Once you pass 30, it's all over.
christo930 5 months ago
@christo930 after all of these years, if my friends would look at my albums and see a carpenters album in my collection, I would say it was my sister's but now I'll admit they were mine. I loved them then and I love them now!
kentaappel 5 months ago
RIP the excellent Tony Peluso -- Karen now has some of her old musical company up there to jam with. They really rocked the Tonight Show together.
Iwakuni8 1 year ago
@Iwakuni8 they sure did.
roscoegino 1 year ago
@Iwakuni8 What? When did Tony die?
bsbncandey 1 year ago
@bsbncandey Two or three months ago. Great loss to music world, superb lead guitar, and, as far as I could tell, a very nice man as well.
Iwakuni8 1 year ago
@Iwakuni8 I know Richard must have been really sad about that.
bsbncandey 1 year ago
I had this album! I was in 7th grade and 13 yrs old!
RalphVasquez49 1 year ago
tony peluso you rock!!!!!!!
dlevita 1 year ago
Great performance. Really builds at the end. How often do you see that kind of spontaneity in seasoned pros like they were?
frereslumiere 1 year ago
check it out at 4.26-4.40, the players were changing instruments. Besides Karen & Richard, the other players are also very talented musicians. Impressive.
vaduzcrew 1 year ago
Camel Toe at 1:44!
jupitermoon10011 1 year ago
@jupitermoon10011 Idiot!
mylittlebuckaroo 1 year ago
The Carpenters' music will last because of the pathos in Karen's voice and in her life, like Judy Garland. Richard's amazing musicianship are the perfect frame for it. And the weird Young Republican/Wedding Singer look they presented adds a surreal eerieness.
funboy7979 1 year ago
"It's nice to know somebody loves me" - who couldn't? What a sweetheart! I can't imagine being the happenstance audience on the Tonight Show that night, when, "oh, by the way, musical guests tonight are The Carpenters!"
greenwich1754 1 year ago
The timbre in her voice is astounding...really, when i was a teenager i secretly loved the Carpenters, but couldn't tell anyone cause Zeppelin and Sabbath were top of my list back then. But her voice always sent shivers up my spine in a beautiful sort of way...
kjgoya777 1 year ago
Funny, I actually have the album, Johnny was holding in his hand--it was the first viynl record I ever bought. I became an immediate fan of The Carpenters after listening to their "greatest hits."
iboudiop 1 year ago
Ok I have to admit it. Love her performance. love, really love her voice... but hate her hair style.
ssoko 1 year ago
Love her hairstyle. And yes, she was a real lady. R.I.P. KC!
desiderium81 1 year ago 3
I love her modest bow to acknowledge the applause. No showing off, no grandstanding. Lovely, lovely lady. And she was a lady.
improvguru 1 year ago 3
...and Karen all but disappears from the stage for Tony's guitar playing. What a beautiful class act she was.
earcandy2008 1 year ago 2
@earcandy2008 true. not many would notice that. what's great is that toward the end of tony's playing, still off to the side, k grabs a tambourine and at 7:55 hits that little syncopated percussive accent on the upbeat along with mr. plaid jacket who adds a leg kick for emphasis. if they had just let her do her thing behind the drums she'd still be w/ us today.
turquoise770 1 year ago 2
nobody has anything close in her sound...it's timeless and totally original (too bad that's not happening much today)
BCraingirl 1 year ago 4
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!
ABAYCITYROLLERMANIAC 1 year ago
great songwriting, arranging, and great vocals made the Carpenters unbeatable.
repentorburnbaby 1 year ago
I love the growl in her voice when she hits lower notes. She is the best alto singer in the world. Karen marry me in heaven. I love you.
repentorburnbaby 1 year ago 2
Karen's voice was amazing! That was back in the day when singer's actually sang LIVE! It's ashame she's gone.
jermar79 1 year ago
This is a ridiculously good live performance. The change-ups are so slick and Richard's backing vocals blend perfectly.
nothingsfree 2 years ago 5
Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Both have great voices and always put so much feeling into whatever they are singing whether it's one of their songs or somebody elses. Ann reminds me a lot of Karen especially when singing something soft with a harmony from Nancy. I would have loved to see Karen try her hand at a good rock song like Quarterflashs Harden My Heart or Melissa Etheridges I'm The Only One or a good Pat Benatar song that would have been awesome.
TheGunslinger5854 2 years ago 2
Karen had a beautiful and elegant alto voice. The Carpenters was excellent 70s pop!
Neptuneman07 2 years ago 2
They had a kick-ass lead guitarist too.
Ahzdiosh 2 years ago 3
@Ahzdiosh your rite
bihlbrot 2 years ago
anybody recognize the drummer on this video? Give up? Why its little "cubby" from the original Mickey Mouse club. I think his real name was Carl O'brien. I'm glad these 70's videos can still be seen--they bring back sweet memories.
tambourmn 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Gee. Karen actually looks a little "chubby." Maybe, it's her outfit. But her face also looks kinda chubby, too -- ironic, considering the way she died.
Pmfried 2 years ago
Actually, it was around now that someone made a comment like (his chubby little sister...) that set her on her way to the weightloss and tragic loss of life. And NO she doesnt look chubby at all here. she looks very normal. She doesnt even have a waist when she turns to her side. She is a women with hips! But not cubby at all!!!
dabebe39 2 years ago 4
It's amazing such great female singers are no longer around and that we are saddled with these Hacks that people are calling superstars. Esp when they Gypt the audiences with their lip synching. PPL Pay for concerts to see these fools Lipsync and they cannot even do that. Karen was a gem
NFitalianGuy 2 years ago
she nailed to the wall every time what a beautiful voice !!! the voice of an angel !!!
khrisfran 2 years ago 5
there will never be another Karen...her voice is so distinctive and beautiful...brings bk so many memories! My favorite Christmas song is "Merry Christmas Darling" I still have all my Carpenter albums
akfriend 2 years ago 21
Right!
Krichardvn94 2 years ago
J Coleman I am so with you.
It made me feel better listening to Close To You and Johnny was a wonderful and brilliant host. Simplicity is greatness.
I could just listen to Karen forever.
anongoingseries13 2 years ago
a funny moment w/the drummer @ 5:53, hard to tell but I think he loses hold of a stick. Then in the next shot you can kind of hear the drums fade out and then back in as Richard looks over w/a confused look for a sec. But in no time the music is back to sounding good. What pros!
mgperc 2 years ago
her figure was so good her...
rouselonline 2 years ago
Agreed, Karen had the finest voice ever recorded.
Anyone else here think she wanted to let loose a bit? Can you imagine her in a Dio type of band...just sayin lol.
dwimmer13 2 years ago 4
Hands down my favorite female singer. Karen put so much into it. I'll never forget how "Close to you"
made me feel better when I was a little kid.
I love Johnny Carson what a great host!
jcoleman200439 2 years ago 6
I wonder how many people in that studio audience realized that they were in the presence of the greatest female vocalist in history?
JP5466 2 years ago 17
@JP5466 amen to that! THE GREATEST.
GREENROOMMUSICAL 1 year ago
@JP5466 Exactly. None of us really knew how good we had it back then. What a time!
oneputtsteven 1 year ago
Wow, Karen was totally hot here. I think it was the next year that her weight really started to drop. But she was 5'4 and I would estimate her weight here at 115. Perfect.
jeffw1267 2 years ago
What a WONDERFUL and natural talent they both had! I miss her so. I was first awakened to their music in the era of "Top Of The World"...remember it vividly. "A Star On Earth - A Star In Heaven"
richfincm 2 years ago
Oh my goodness, how majestic a performer...gone way too soon. RIP KC...we miss u.
porkernomore 2 years ago 2
I get a little emotional hearing her sing these songs. They may be melancholy but they are great songs. She was such a great talent. I don't think she ever was ever comfortable in her own skin and with her talent; of course had anorexia nervosa. My high school girlfriend, late 1970's, had a sister who was like this. I remember how deathly skinny her sister was. Makes me sad. RIP Karen Carpenter.
gmcjetpilot 2 years ago 2
I had such a crush on this lady. Her, Olivia NJ, and Linda Ronstadt!
She was so flawless in my eyes.
lovemaster1958 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Too fat.
cathoderoy 2 years ago
Saw Karen and Richard with my aunt back in 75 at the Sahara hotel here in Las Vegas... flawless voice, sounded just like her records. Standing ovation at the end of the show!
vegas787 2 years ago
One for the ages.
VitruvianMan1452 2 years ago 2
12 days later, I saw them in concert.... Nashville Tennessee.
A highlight oi my then 13 years....
barryt60 2 years ago
what's wrong with her dress. She's beautiful.
txlastrebel 2 years ago
Dress? What does dress have to do with anything when you have a crystal voice like her's? She worried too much about how she looked and ended up losing her life over it. Society is crazy when it comes to how performers "should" look. There are plenty of great looking females making millions "singing" that can't hold a candle to that voice. It's a dirty rotten shame.
jfenimorecooper 2 years ago 5