Will you look at the fucking ad that pops up when you come to this song!! 1-800-Get Thin!!! I've seen some classless shit in my time, but this come close to the top of the list.
You can tell that Karen here was too physically weak to perform because she was starving herself and I can see it in her eyes, but at the same time it's surprising how she can still manage to get up onstage to perform, even though she was very ill. It makes me sad that she was hurting herself by starving, and yet she was very energetic and forced herself to sing for her fans. We love you Karen. You're an angel with a beautiful voice. RIP.
such a loss I cannot believe her mother was the cause of her eating problems what a terrible woman to put son first over her daughter and to favour one child over another I had no idea this was why, then all her other problems followed after that but her mother was the main reason and when her mum talks about how she found Karen on the floor she has no feelings I cried my heart out after I saw that I wanted to smack her mother so hard!! A very wicked lady she was poor Karen :(
This music is timeless, and to have lost her at such an early age was really sad. I was in fourth grade when she passed away, I remember when my Dad bought the "last album" which the only new song on it was "Now", Richard did a great job though of making the rest of the album flow with finishing the other tracks, Voice Of The Heart is still my favorite albums.
oh my GOD I NEVER SAW THIS VIDEO she was pure bones sadly she was awesome singer im s singer myself and im not skinny i love eat and i will eat forever i dotn care the kind of top modells shiti hate anorex i will never will be
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Too bad John never thanked Karen & Richard for the movie Grease, The Carpenters did a small skit on stage for a while, once again Richards creativity.Now Travolta makes all these demands before he goes on a set to do a movie. You can however thank The Carpenters for Grease.
The quality of her voice. Her amazing vocal range. She was able to sing both high and low notes equally well. Many people like Olivia Newton-John, but I've always found her voice "tinny" and hollow compared to Karen's. Karen's voice was so rich, so smooth. Quality is everything.
Beautiful personality, beautiful singing, and beautiful person. Shame on anyone who ever made her feel overweight. She was so beautiful when she first started her career. You can slowly see her losing weight over the years. I think Karen made everyone see just how serious this awful disease was. Will always love her music. Best voice ever.
Hey ladies put attention, when you are thin and see yourself fat in the mirror, get help immediately cuz your brain is playin tricks on you. Realized that you have a mental problem and need help, don't let it luck cuz you'll be gone in a blink of an eye.
she had every intention of living and getting well but during a medical intervention earlier she had gained back 30 lbs in way too short a time which weakened her heart to critical levels and was contributory to her passing.
If you look back to 1980 interviews and apperances you can see the dramatic toll her anorexia sickness has taken on her looks and appearance. She is from this 81 period, gaunt, sick and malnourished looking. A similar look in the face to views you see of malnourished children in African countries, very sad
karen carpentesr was afraid of becoming fat she suffered from annoreoxia and this ilness killed her in 1983 exately two years later after this intervew you can see that she ie very thin becouse of this illness any way we miss her somehow unfortunately she ended up like this it's shame we almost cried
This is so sad because you can see Karen is starting to look like the skeleton of death, from her disease Anorexia. You can see how she is starving her body to death. Anorexia is a psychological disorder, which the person self-induces the body to starvation, without being conscience of the seriousness of the situation, believing that food, which to an Anorexic, is a symbol Fatness and thus ugliness, thus unhappiness, which is her enemy. It's just so sad, but so preventable.!!!
the voice! notice how at the end of this song, you hear ole olivia hooting and hollering for karen! olivia had to know (as everyone else then and now) she couldn't hold a candle to karen's voice! no offense to oliva since no female singer can!
olivia in her mini-skirt sold her sexuality karen her talent! and i dare say karen was an attractive woman, she just didn't or couldn't feel it! also in this video you can tell karen was so much fun! karen's talent, looks, personality over olivia!
@padude64 I couldn't agree with you more my friend but unfortunately karen carpenters is death but her voice will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts and memoris
She's so thin here (1981?) that it's really painful just to watch this video. I also don't like how they sounded at this point. It's like she's whispering the tune in a little girl voice. And why they avoided performing live is beyond me, as Karen sounded great live.
@steveatl40 I think it's just the way Richard chose to mix the vocals. But (despite what Richard says) I think that her voice sounded less full and resonant during this time (maybe due to her illness or maybe due to the fact that many female singers' voices tend to deteriorate over time with overuse-considering their crazy touring schedule in the 70s I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case).
I saw the Carpenter's television special sometime in the seventies when they made a hit of the Klattu track, "Calling Occupants (an interplanetary craft) and Karen came out singing "Sweet Sweet Smile" with a lot of little alien backup dancers in big blue overalls.
I remember as a kid knowing, KNOWING this woman wasn't "right". She was literally a human skeleton on that special, and the overalls they put her in to hide the obvious only served to make her even thinner looking.
I wasn't alive, but I'm curious as to how the public responded to her appearance? Did anyone comment in the media? I know that in the 1975 there were rumors that Karen had cancer, which the fan club quickly silenced by saying that Karen had "colitis".
I really love this song! OMG its great! I love that color Karen has on, purple was always a great color for her! Karen is PURE MAGIC, so timeless and classy, new singers will come and go, but Karen will outshine them all for EVER, nobody will ever match her! POINT BLANK!
Wow that is Ronnie. Good eye. According to his bio he did play with the Carpenters. He plays with Elvis for years and he dies then he joins the Carpenters and Karen dies, talk about bad luck.
When we talk about music, people don't look at the physical appearance. We listen to the song, the melody and the great voice. If she had had problems brewing already, her performance was great as we didn't notice a bit of it in her. Very professional. RIP Karen!
Maybe back in the 70s we really didn't have access to how the musicians looked that often, but today it's harder for these celebrities to hide from the public.
What a great voice and great storyteller! She should have been in movies. I remember John Wayne wanted her to try out for True Grit, but alas, Kim Darby got it. That fork in the path of life. I got goose pimples watching this. The first song I remember by them (I was 5) was "Top Of The World"...and I haven't looked back. :)
Compared to their many hits, this song is just horrible. 80's cliche and they seemed to trying too hard to be current. I love Karen's voice but they should have stayed with their own sound.
This should have been a big hit, but it just wasn't cool to like the Carpenters when this song came out. Notice that They are introduced as "Friends" of Olivia Newton John.
Ppl keep saying how thin and unattractive she looks on here, but although she´s a bit skinnier than she used to in earlier years she still looks hot, she seems another person even her face looks different but she was a beautiful woman even that thin.
This tune will remain a favorite of mine forever! "Made in America" was fairly different for K&R at the time, and Karen was singing in a quieter style, but she still had that trademark voice that will live on forever.
As my grandpa says, only the good die young. In this case, she had one of the best voices of all time and died earlier than she should have. Way too early.
This album was such a disappointment. It just lacked any emotion behind it. Karen sounds tired and flat, she looks horrible. Gone is that deep, longing, strong sound she had through the mid 70s.
As a die hard fan of the Carpenters since I was about 12 in the late sixties I bought all of their albums when I could afford it. I felt like someone punched me in the gut when I later saw a picture of Karen in the late 70's on one of their albums. I couldn't process what happened in those 10-12 years. Bulimia and anorexia were medical problems that did not mean anything to me until it killed her.
But she still makes me smile when I hear her voice today.
she has that deranged, hungry look in her eyes at this point. i don't understand how she was able to get dressed in this state, let alone get on stage and perform for an audience. she was hanging by a thread and it finally snapped.
Yes, she died of anorexia at last. But i think the whole thing started when the media said she was fat, and she tried to reduce weight and finally died of anorexia.
To Uskyld "How could such a beautiful, intellegent, and talented person let her body suffer like this?" In Russia some people say that such person "has been cursed". Sometimes I begin to believe in that. Only good psychiatrist could help her. But nobody cared. I wonder why the family did nothing?
Oh yeah- that's what a talented female vocalist sounds like. I'd kind of forgotten and thought that they were required to wear skimpy dresses and sing a chorus with a made-up word-ia in it.
I miss Karen. I cry for her all the time.I wish there were such a thing as reincarnation. Karen should the first one brought back to life.If that happens, I want to see her in concert.
It makes me ill to my stomach to see Karen like this. How could such a beautiful, intellegent, and talented person let her body suffer like this? I don't think it's her fault at all though, back then nobody had any idea about annorexia, let alone die from it. It's just a shame, she is easily the most talented musician I've ever seen.
@Uskyld she was so skinny and so sick you can tell that she was very sick the song was a lipsync because she probably couldnt have sang it live I love Karen Carpenter alot I wish she was still alive
read Don't laugh at this! Just do it Start thinking something you really really want cause this is astounding the person that sent this to me said their wish came true 10 mins after they read the mail so I thought what the heck You have just been visited by DrSuess's Cat in the Hat. He will grant you one wish Make your wish when the count down is over 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 MAKE A WISH Send this to 10 videos within the hour you read this. If you do, your wish will come true
Ella es y sera una magnifica mujer y artista.Alegro mi infancia y fue una de las responsables de mi inclinacion musical en esta vida.Gracias, que Dios te proteja por siempre.
She died of recovering from Anorexia. She put weight on too quickly. She was 5'4" and went from 78 lbs to 108 lbs in 6 weeks. She had been starving herself for nearly 10 years. Of course she was gonna get a heart attack. If the doctors had let her gain the 30 lbs more slowly like in 6 months-a year,she'd probably still be around. For the record, anorexia is an addiction, but an illness at the same time. So she died because the doctors killed her. She got help. It wasn't her fault she was sick.
It makes me wonder if theres somthing to be learned about Docters...
I know I have problems with being Over weight about 150 lbs to be more exact can't walk very much yet but I'll get there I am taking COQ10 and yes I still eat beans not much into Fast Food anymore and I identifie all to well with Karen exapt I don't see being Anoreexic as a strength or a cure for Belimia partially becouse I saw what it did to Karren but oh my God my God my oldre Sister does!
I think that what it is is that all of us includeing my Mother and Father are very Gifted and Artistic People with a great Spiritual Hunger who have been living in a world that seems to be Spiritually lacking. As for my Older Sister She is a Great Singer tha at her peak had mor than a 3 Octive Range and Sang Metzo Saprano she was caught once throwing up her lunch at High School by her Vocal Coach he told her it would wreck her Vocal Cord so she stopped doing it.
You think she stopped doing it. But you can never be completely sure. My parents think I stopped binging and purging months ago. When in reality I just did it today. My throat was bleeding a little. But I don't care because binging and purging brings me so much comfort.
shoponline831- Are you seeking counseling or medical help? You have to. Please don't end up like our dear, sweet Karen. Don't you miss her too? Stay with us, please.
There's a lot of things that can help you get comfort. You might have a serotonin issue, and that's why the binging then purging takes away stress and anxiety. I'm thinking of you.... please get better for all of us and for yourself. *hugs*
I know, they should have kept her there longer at the hospital and have had her put on weight more slowly so her heart wouldn't be strained. I think it's so sad that she was on her way to recovery (even though she said her anoreix was cured) and she died of an heart attack.
I also hate it how people just recognize KC for her ana. and not for her actual music. All of us have problems. Shoponline831, I wish you good luck with getting help with your bulimia if you want it.
I dont think people recognize her for her anorexia. they are just saddened how anorexia robbed her of a long health life, and tragically took her so young.
I don't think it was only the rapid weight gain. Phoebe Snow said that Karen told her she had been taking thyroid pills to speed up her metabolism (even though her thyroid was normal!). This was when Karen was recording her aborted solo album in the late 70s, and when she saw her therapist in NY in the early 80s she was still taking them! Add to this the cumulative effects of laxative abuse and ipecac.
I'm just surfing old videos&can see Ms. Carpenter was extremely thin. She was beyond normal skinny. OK. Point? Dr reports, media crap, sources..LOOK AT HER. We know she doesn't look well. Can't believe there is a blog about Dr. records. Do we need to debate her illness-if she truly had one? Isn't it sad enough that a great musician died? Your medical is private. Shouldn't her's be as well?
This really makes me sick. I can't watch her like this! She was so pretty back in the seventies.. I rather watch those earlier videos. But don't get me wrong, I just can't watch her, because she is so skinny in this interview.
fantastic performance to watch.really swings, cool band , great arrangement. karen really nails the rythmic feel of the song visually. i guess that's because she was a fine drummer.
They were really pushing this song at Richard's insistence. If you want to hear what Karen really wanted to do at this time, look for, "Keep My Lovelight Burning." Too bad Richard had so much control over her. She would still be alive today if she had been able to release the solo album she wanted to in 1980. Once "the family" rejected it, she had no reason to go on. Sad. (This is not just an opinion; I knew her and know this for a fact.)
Wow.......this is so sad.....brings tears to my eyes and is totally believable. :( I can relate to SOME of her frustrations...families can be so destructive...esp to the gifted ones. :)
chuckmall, family businesses are often like that, you have to go along with the plan. I don't know what the real story was behind why "they" wouldn't release her solo album she did while Richard was away in rehab. I think that was a real disappointment to her that surely didn't help her condition any.
Did you see the TV movie about them, which was guided by Richard? The original plan was for RICHARD to be famous. Karen's voice was so incredible she stole the limelight--though didn't want to. Richard's contributions were immeasurable, as he knew exactly how to use her voice. But going to another producer (Phil Ramone) bothered him.
I don't think this necessarily added to her "condition"--she was so far gone at that point, using thyroid medicine to speed up her metabolism, that her heart was probably damaged beyond repair. It's very hard for anorexics to "heal."
As I recall, it was early into Karen's sessions with her psychologist in NYC that he stopped her use of the thyroid medicine. I hope she really stopped.... Anyway, her heart was strong enough then for her to walk 19 blocks every weekday to her appointments to see him for most of a year.
Karen's primary cause of death was EMETINE CARDIOTOXICITY. Emetine is the main ingredient in Ipecac syrup. She abused it was well as the thyroid medicine. Anorexia was the secondary cause of death. Ipecac abuse causes PERMANENT heart muscle damage, ie. the heart attack Karen suffered. And a main misconception that Karen was underweight at her death is WRONG. She was 104-108lbs at the time of her death.
Karen's family has maintained that she didn't abuse Ipecac, believing it would harm her voice. She told Cherry Boone O'Neill that she "couldn't do that." How do you account for her being able to do all of that walking if her heart was so weak? I can believe that anorexia could cause all sorts of unseen damage and I marvel that Karen lived as long as she did. Richard has guessed that she became anorexic in 1975.
No1, well, I have seen the first page of her Autopsy report, & it states her primary cause of death as Emetine Cardiotoxicity. Unless the thyroid meds she is supposedly to have abused contain that same ingredient, then, I believe she didnt use it. But, if Synthoid does NOT contain Emetine, then it was Ipecac. So, I'm only going by what the first sheet of the autopsy said.
In Ray Coleman's book, "The Carpenters," he deals extensively with the question of emetine cardiotoxicity on pages 21-24. He took Karen's postmortem and analytical papers to Dr. Allister Vale, an eminent British toxicologist and head of the National Poisons Information Service in Birmingham, who said there was none of the heart tissue damage which emetine would cause. Dr. Vale concluded that "There is no evidence at all that emetine was involved in her death."
No1, hmm, interesting. And weird, since, everywhere else I have read (though Ray Coleman's book is one that I have NOT read) it talks about her abuse of Syhtoid AND Ipecac, BUT, her voice, as you said was so golden and pure, that it seems highly doubtful. But, on the E True Hollywood Story, it shows that cause of death. And, I have not heard anything different until now. Odd. If it's NOT the cause of death, why is it stated as such on her autopsy report? Odd.
Someone who had no reason to go on would not have undergone a year's worth of counseling sessions in NYC at the rate of 5 hourly sessions per week trying to recover from anorexia nervosa.
If you go to the search bar on youtube and write the words " no telethon karen " and watch the second part, you will find that karen is caught doing lip-synch on stage and gets angry.
She doesn't seem very angry to me. I agree that she's lip-syncing and I'm guessing that she was frustrated by a technical break- down which stopped the play-back on the music.
This is a nice song but they did have to lip-synch it for this show because of Karen being thin and not feeling well. (You can tell it's a lip-synch not only because it sounds exactly like the recording, but by Bob Messinger's sax solo--he looks different when he's actually playing the sax). A nice video from their later years.
If you go to the search bar on youtube and write the words " no telethon karen " and watch the second part, you will find that karen is caught doing lip-synch on stage and gets angry.
Karen and Richard often lipsynched for television, except in most live concerts. Richard just thought their sound was so much better in the recording studio, they could use the overdubbed harmonies, etc. However, I happen to love watching the few live concerts that have been made available through youtube. They are just so real!
I dont care how many times I post here! I miss Karen as I grew up to her music! I am 43 and every time I hear her music, it brings back great memories!
Her voice is mesmorizing and I lost my sister to anorexia nervosa so I know what it is like to go through it!
Mick, you should be more respectfull of peoples' memories. The sickness she suffered was because of people making continued comments about her "weight." People that micr-manage greatness are destined for atrophy in their puny lives. Just listen to the music and enjoy the gift she left for us all.
to all karen fans,please dont mention b spears in the same light a karen,all spears is good at is opening her legs,since when she opens her mouth nothing revelant comes out
morik1...agree wid u....ifs n buts wudnt bring her bak....just njoy d greatness of d voice...my v fav singer karen carpenter...just close ur eyes n hear her sing...ull go into a trance.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
During the interview, somebody please shut her up. That must have been the most boring story ever on the Merv Griffin show. Merv must have been wishing somebody kill him, or her (Karen). The funny thing is she actually thought it was an interesting story. Its painful just to listen to it, also to look at her, a living skelton.
(3)He seemed to want everything perfect, in fact perfectionism seemed to run in the family. Karen wasn't that way but I think she was a victim of it. Just look and listen to her here, she's so real, down to earth and candid. Richard has a hard time getting any words out, it seems he is trying to be perfect and pick and choose what he says where Karen just talks normally and naturally. Albeit, together they were great and there will never be another singing duo like the Carpenters.
(2)They didn't know much about how to treat Karen's condition in the early 1980's. Some of you seem to be enjoying and joking about her condition, that's mean spirited. She doesn't look that bad in this video, besides her voice always overshadowed any physical appearance anyway. About the lipsync, I don't see what the big deal is if they were doing it. If they were it would be because Richard wanted it that way.
(1)What's with the ridiculous comments about Karen going to McDonald's or Kentucky Fried? I don't think so, it's unhealthy food, too much saturated fat. Anyway, why do you people come on this site and spew your vulgar comments? Karen was ill yes but she was trying to lead a normal life by continuing to make appearances and entertain.
please allow mobile view
Timberextra 2 months ago
When she rolls her eyes it's frightening. It's like there's an elephant in the room and nobody's saying anything.
Rudy61287 3 months ago
I love Karen, I love the Carpenters. I always have, I always will
justTrinidad 3 months ago
I miss you so much, Karen.
takumainc 4 months ago
Will you look at the fucking ad that pops up when you come to this song!! 1-800-Get Thin!!! I've seen some classless shit in my time, but this come close to the top of the list.
smokiebird06 4 months ago
You can tell that Karen here was too physically weak to perform because she was starving herself and I can see it in her eyes, but at the same time it's surprising how she can still manage to get up onstage to perform, even though she was very ill. It makes me sad that she was hurting herself by starving, and yet she was very energetic and forced herself to sing for her fans. We love you Karen. You're an angel with a beautiful voice. RIP.
clover220 5 months ago
she looks like a cadaver.poor girl,guess nobody could help her
abbycici 6 months ago
such a loss I cannot believe her mother was the cause of her eating problems what a terrible woman to put son first over her daughter and to favour one child over another I had no idea this was why, then all her other problems followed after that but her mother was the main reason and when her mum talks about how she found Karen on the floor she has no feelings I cried my heart out after I saw that I wanted to smack her mother so hard!! A very wicked lady she was poor Karen :(
TheEchovoices 6 months ago
This music is timeless, and to have lost her at such an early age was really sad. I was in fourth grade when she passed away, I remember when my Dad bought the "last album" which the only new song on it was "Now", Richard did a great job though of making the rest of the album flow with finishing the other tracks, Voice Of The Heart is still my favorite albums.
72ScottHohl 7 months ago
oh my GOD I NEVER SAW THIS VIDEO she was pure bones sadly she was awesome singer im s singer myself and im not skinny i love eat and i will eat forever i dotn care the kind of top modells shiti hate anorex i will never will be
Raveness25 7 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Good god... Karen looks scary as hell, and this is a total lip-sync disaster. Very sad, but great in historical context. Good song, too.
Vidiot2005 8 months ago
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Too bad John never thanked Karen & Richard for the movie Grease, The Carpenters did a small skit on stage for a while, once again Richards creativity.Now Travolta makes all these demands before he goes on a set to do a movie. You can however thank The Carpenters for Grease.
vmuto1 9 months ago
@vmuto1 What years did they do the skits and what year was Grease? Just wondering...
calilammy 1 week ago
The quality of her voice. Her amazing vocal range. She was able to sing both high and low notes equally well. Many people like Olivia Newton-John, but I've always found her voice "tinny" and hollow compared to Karen's. Karen's voice was so rich, so smooth. Quality is everything.
mrshinyshoes 9 months ago 3
Almost everyone lip synced on Merv Griffin, I went to many a taping, it was a super small studio. I don't recall anyone singing live on his show.
As for Karen's family NO ONE knew much about anorexia back then. Unlike today.
DA90027 11 months ago
When I first heard this song I loved it and I still do love it and i'm only 25!!!! LOL
TheCon08 1 year ago
Beautiful personality, beautiful singing, and beautiful person. Shame on anyone who ever made her feel overweight. She was so beautiful when she first started her career. You can slowly see her losing weight over the years. I think Karen made everyone see just how serious this awful disease was. Will always love her music. Best voice ever.
anitabreakone 1 year ago
Hey ladies put attention, when you are thin and see yourself fat in the mirror, get help immediately cuz your brain is playin tricks on you. Realized that you have a mental problem and need help, don't let it luck cuz you'll be gone in a blink of an eye.
videotitan1 1 year ago
I hope Karen's family specially Tom did more effort to cure Karen's illness. :'(
carpentersforevah 1 year ago
she had every intention of living and getting well but during a medical intervention earlier she had gained back 30 lbs in way too short a time which weakened her heart to critical levels and was contributory to her passing.
muldoon55 1 year ago
If you look back to 1980 interviews and apperances you can see the dramatic toll her anorexia sickness has taken on her looks and appearance. She is from this 81 period, gaunt, sick and malnourished looking. A similar look in the face to views you see of malnourished children in African countries, very sad
justnatural 1 year ago
karen carpentesr was afraid of becoming fat she suffered from annoreoxia and this ilness killed her in 1983 exately two years later after this intervew you can see that she ie very thin becouse of this illness any way we miss her somehow unfortunately she ended up like this it's shame we almost cried
couse of her death
fstmndca 1 year ago
karan,i want you back in my life
i love every songs you sang and your sound always in my heart
hpphpp122168 1 year ago 3
she looks so thin..but the voice is still amazing..
teraniel11 1 year ago
This is so sad because you can see Karen is starting to look like the skeleton of death, from her disease Anorexia. You can see how she is starving her body to death. Anorexia is a psychological disorder, which the person self-induces the body to starvation, without being conscience of the seriousness of the situation, believing that food, which to an Anorexic, is a symbol Fatness and thus ugliness, thus unhappiness, which is her enemy. It's just so sad, but so preventable.!!!
MrSonny119 1 year ago 2
LOL @ Karen with that face she makes when telling the story about that guy from the radio show.
JuJuMJFan4life 1 year ago
the voice! notice how at the end of this song, you hear ole olivia hooting and hollering for karen! olivia had to know (as everyone else then and now) she couldn't hold a candle to karen's voice! no offense to oliva since no female singer can!
olivia in her mini-skirt sold her sexuality karen her talent! and i dare say karen was an attractive woman, she just didn't or couldn't feel it! also in this video you can tell karen was so much fun! karen's talent, looks, personality over olivia!
mbblover 1 year ago 2
Ugh, this song is horrible! Lovely voice but wretched material...
chthonic19 1 year ago
she doesnt even look like herself omg
amarie1920 1 year ago
I like this song and all of The Carpenters music! I wish I would have married her!
padude64 1 year ago 2
@padude64 I couldn't agree with you more my friend but unfortunately karen carpenters is death but her voice will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts and memoris
I love to listen to her and may she rest in piece
fstmndca 1 year ago
she's so thin here :( how I wish that this anorexia didn't get her. She's the best singer for me :)
mnlght0snt 1 year ago
que saudades...
maschion2 1 year ago
u can tell she is really sick in this video.I feel so sry for her.
valkour22 1 year ago
I just wonder if oliver ever discuss karen's illness in conversation? And i wonder what her thoughtd of karen's passing.
dezzaofoz 1 year ago
She's so thin here (1981?) that it's really painful just to watch this video. I also don't like how they sounded at this point. It's like she's whispering the tune in a little girl voice. And why they avoided performing live is beyond me, as Karen sounded great live.
steveatl40 1 year ago
@steveatl40 I think it's just the way Richard chose to mix the vocals. But (despite what Richard says) I think that her voice sounded less full and resonant during this time (maybe due to her illness or maybe due to the fact that many female singers' voices tend to deteriorate over time with overuse-considering their crazy touring schedule in the 70s I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case).
sponge2 1 year ago
I saw the Carpenter's television special sometime in the seventies when they made a hit of the Klattu track, "Calling Occupants (an interplanetary craft) and Karen came out singing "Sweet Sweet Smile" with a lot of little alien backup dancers in big blue overalls.
I remember as a kid knowing, KNOWING this woman wasn't "right". She was literally a human skeleton on that special, and the overalls they put her in to hide the obvious only served to make her even thinner looking.
broot4u 1 year ago
I wasn't alive, but I'm curious as to how the public responded to her appearance? Did anyone comment in the media? I know that in the 1975 there were rumors that Karen had cancer, which the fan club quickly silenced by saying that Karen had "colitis".
sponge2 1 year ago
poor Karen... Such a beautiful woman with such a beautiful voice... and unfortunately such a tragic end =(
coSmogonico67 1 year ago
She looks very gaunt....very sad.
marconewt 2 years ago
I really love this song! OMG its great! I love that color Karen has on, purple was always a great color for her! Karen is PURE MAGIC, so timeless and classy, new singers will come and go, but Karen will outshine them all for EVER, nobody will ever match her! POINT BLANK!
KAREN IS MY ANGEL
maleficentdiva 2 years ago 2
Wonderful!! thanks you for this video.
darkmanconclusion 2 years ago 4
Miketodd: after Carpenters, Ronnie Tutt played with Roy Orbison, and Roy died in 1988. Really Ronnie don't hav luck!
itarare 2 years ago
惜しい人を亡くしたもんだな。She, the carpenters is such a great group...
runrun543 2 years ago
Is Ronnie Tutt on drums?
itarare 2 years ago
Wow that is Ronnie. Good eye. According to his bio he did play with the Carpenters. He plays with Elvis for years and he dies then he joins the Carpenters and Karen dies, talk about bad luck.
miketodd67 2 years ago
nowadays she,d have had a better chance of help! such a great singer ,lost but not for gottenxx
thesofty2121 2 years ago
bravo,what a gorgeous sound for her
hpphpp122168 2 years ago
Britney Spears não é cantora e nunca será. Karen Carpenter sim. Uma das melhores cantoras que já ouvi.
civilandmecatronica 2 years ago
britney spears shes nothing like karen she was the best and i have all her albums......what an insult to karen
DRUNKASAMONKEY 2 years ago 6
This song is a hit to me! Even though Karen looks so bad here, she lives in my heart forever!
padude64 2 years ago 2
This sounds totally 80's!
helixjc 2 years ago 3
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Poor Karen... she looks like a skeleton! sadly she passed on within a few months of this appearance.
vegas787 2 years ago
Actually she passed on a few years later...this is 1981, she died in early 1983.
steveatl40 2 years ago 3
When we talk about music, people don't look at the physical appearance. We listen to the song, the melody and the great voice. If she had had problems brewing already, her performance was great as we didn't notice a bit of it in her. Very professional. RIP Karen!
rinarover 2 years ago
@rinarover
Maybe back in the 70s we really didn't have access to how the musicians looked that often, but today it's harder for these celebrities to hide from the public.
steveatl40 1 year ago
What a great voice and great storyteller! She should have been in movies. I remember John Wayne wanted her to try out for True Grit, but alas, Kim Darby got it. That fork in the path of life. I got goose pimples watching this. The first song I remember by them (I was 5) was "Top Of The World"...and I haven't looked back. :)
richfincm 2 years ago
i miss you karen...great voice!
maktubmaktub 2 years ago 2
She looked so stunning in '71 doing the BBC show. Here in '81, she looks so emaciated. So sad. I wonder if Karen knew how much her fans loved her.
yomama532 2 years ago 2
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vegas787 2 years ago
Compared to their many hits, this song is just horrible. 80's cliche and they seemed to trying too hard to be current. I love Karen's voice but they should have stayed with their own sound.
PsychLion 2 years ago 2
Karen Carpenter was a gem, still is a gem and will always be a gem!
padude64 2 years ago 2
holy cat! she doesnt even look like herself!
amarie1920 2 years ago 4
I am 44 years old and I wil never forget the Carpenters!
padude64 2 years ago
This should have been a big hit, but it just wasn't cool to like the Carpenters when this song came out. Notice that They are introduced as "Friends" of Olivia Newton John.
auerstadt06 2 years ago
You can see the illness in her eyes.
Olivia looks thin here but looks like she is on steroids compared to KC.
Such a shame.
frankiehearts 2 years ago
Ppl keep saying how thin and unattractive she looks on here, but although she´s a bit skinnier than she used to in earlier years she still looks hot, she seems another person even her face looks different but she was a beautiful woman even that thin.
amc84morales 2 years ago 2
This tune will remain a favorite of mine forever! "Made in America" was fairly different for K&R at the time, and Karen was singing in a quieter style, but she still had that trademark voice that will live on forever.
NostalgiaBob 2 years ago
i'll admit she looks rather thin but her voice is the main attraction here.she was blessed.brilliant song and performance.
aindriu1989 2 years ago
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That poor woman needed olive oil.
ryanman1987 2 years ago
As my grandpa says, only the good die young. In this case, she had one of the best voices of all time and died earlier than she should have. Way too early.
you65421 2 years ago 2
This album was such a disappointment. It just lacked any emotion behind it. Karen sounds tired and flat, she looks horrible. Gone is that deep, longing, strong sound she had through the mid 70s.
steveatl40 3 years ago 3
Oh come on, maybe not a masterpiece, but still great. It's The Carpenters, for crying out loud!!!
erginakif 2 years ago
As a die hard fan of the Carpenters since I was about 12 in the late sixties I bought all of their albums when I could afford it. I felt like someone punched me in the gut when I later saw a picture of Karen in the late 70's on one of their albums. I couldn't process what happened in those 10-12 years. Bulimia and anorexia were medical problems that did not mean anything to me until it killed her.
But she still makes me smile when I hear her voice today.
RKC909 3 years ago 2
Karen was still beautiful, even in the time period of this video. Clearly not doing to well,but always a beatiful soul. Mona
MonaHere28 3 years ago
she has that deranged, hungry look in her eyes at this point. i don't understand how she was able to get dressed in this state, let alone get on stage and perform for an audience. she was hanging by a thread and it finally snapped.
EyeMakeupFanatic 3 years ago
She looked so skinny. don't understand why people still call her fat...
yrqs 3 years ago
Are you kidding right? She died of anorexia!!!!
ags10ags 3 years ago 2
Yes, she died of anorexia at last. But i think the whole thing started when the media said she was fat, and she tried to reduce weight and finally died of anorexia.
yrqs 3 years ago
It was more than just silly comments about her appearance. She has low self-esteem and a bad self-image complex.
amaraca 3 years ago 2
sigh,I think most ppl have this "disease" now
yrqs 3 years ago
To Uskyld "How could such a beautiful, intellegent, and talented person let her body suffer like this?" In Russia some people say that such person "has been cursed". Sometimes I begin to believe in that. Only good psychiatrist could help her. But nobody cared. I wonder why the family did nothing?
facellina 3 years ago
One of the MOST beautifl voices was stilled WAY too soon. Can only imagine what she'd be doin today. R.I.P. Karen.
CadillacL 3 years ago 4
I suspect what she would be doing, CadillacL, is putting to shame about 98% of the so called artists of today.
Ironsiderodger 3 years ago
You KNOW she would they would be bowing to Karen.
CadillacL 3 years ago
Poor karen looked so bad back then! DAMN!!!!!!! I wish i could have helped her!
padude64 3 years ago 2
Travolta looks impatient but happy to be the meat in the lady sandwich.
Welloiledcog 3 years ago
Oh yeah- that's what a talented female vocalist sounds like. I'd kind of forgotten and thought that they were required to wear skimpy dresses and sing a chorus with a made-up word-ia in it.
Ironsiderodger 3 years ago 2
I miss Karen. I cry for her all the time.I wish there were such a thing as reincarnation. Karen should the first one brought back to life.If that happens, I want to see her in concert.
Kateyhall 3 years ago 2
I am a construction worker and cry for her!
padude64 3 years ago
Amazing she can have a voice like that and a throat/body so malnourished...
Welloiledcog 3 years ago
It makes me ill to my stomach to see Karen like this. How could such a beautiful, intellegent, and talented person let her body suffer like this? I don't think it's her fault at all though, back then nobody had any idea about annorexia, let alone die from it. It's just a shame, she is easily the most talented musician I've ever seen.
Uskyld 3 years ago 17
@Uskyld she was so skinny and so sick you can tell that she was very sick the song was a lipsync because she probably couldnt have sang it live I love Karen Carpenter alot I wish she was still alive
TheCon08 1 year ago
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asiablaze 3 years ago
Ella es y sera una magnifica mujer y artista.Alegro mi infancia y fue una de las responsables de mi inclinacion musical en esta vida.Gracias, que Dios te proteja por siempre.
francinabela 3 years ago
The Carpenters are an unknown quantity to me, as this track reveals, it is awesome.
baldgit646 3 years ago 2
Good Lord! its very difficult to see her like this! anyone with eyes should have been able to tell there was a problem! RIP Karen
mitch629 3 years ago 3
Was this lip synced?
msorn3 3 years ago
I love Karen and respect Richard. Mother Endura and here drug addictions and desire for control is what destroyed this poor young woman.
zionschurch 3 years ago
uh what?
thgil567 2 years ago
She died of recovering from Anorexia. She put weight on too quickly. She was 5'4" and went from 78 lbs to 108 lbs in 6 weeks. She had been starving herself for nearly 10 years. Of course she was gonna get a heart attack. If the doctors had let her gain the 30 lbs more slowly like in 6 months-a year,she'd probably still be around. For the record, anorexia is an addiction, but an illness at the same time. So she died because the doctors killed her. She got help. It wasn't her fault she was sick.
shoponline831 3 years ago
It makes me wonder if theres somthing to be learned about Docters...
I know I have problems with being Over weight about 150 lbs to be more exact can't walk very much yet but I'll get there I am taking COQ10 and yes I still eat beans not much into Fast Food anymore and I identifie all to well with Karen exapt I don't see being Anoreexic as a strength or a cure for Belimia partially becouse I saw what it did to Karren but oh my God my God my oldre Sister does!
starchildrebel 3 years ago
Glad to hear that you are you are trying to get healthy. As for your older sister, what do you mean? Does she have an eating disorder?
shoponline831 3 years ago
I think that what it is is that all of us includeing my Mother and Father are very Gifted and Artistic People with a great Spiritual Hunger who have been living in a world that seems to be Spiritually lacking. As for my Older Sister She is a Great Singer tha at her peak had mor than a 3 Octive Range and Sang Metzo Saprano she was caught once throwing up her lunch at High School by her Vocal Coach he told her it would wreck her Vocal Cord so she stopped doing it.
starchildrebel 3 years ago
You think she stopped doing it. But you can never be completely sure. My parents think I stopped binging and purging months ago. When in reality I just did it today. My throat was bleeding a little. But I don't care because binging and purging brings me so much comfort.
shoponline831 3 years ago
shoponline831- Are you seeking counseling or medical help? You have to. Please don't end up like our dear, sweet Karen. Don't you miss her too? Stay with us, please.
devernie1 3 years ago 2
There's a lot of things that can help you get comfort. You might have a serotonin issue, and that's why the binging then purging takes away stress and anxiety. I'm thinking of you.... please get better for all of us and for yourself. *hugs*
greeniem 3 years ago
I know, they should have kept her there longer at the hospital and have had her put on weight more slowly so her heart wouldn't be strained. I think it's so sad that she was on her way to recovery (even though she said her anoreix was cured) and she died of an heart attack.
I also hate it how people just recognize KC for her ana. and not for her actual music. All of us have problems. Shoponline831, I wish you good luck with getting help with your bulimia if you want it.
thgil567 2 years ago 2
I dont think people recognize her for her anorexia. they are just saddened how anorexia robbed her of a long health life, and tragically took her so young.
fckthssht 2 years ago 3
I should have written "when" whoops.
thgil567 2 years ago
I don't think it was only the rapid weight gain. Phoebe Snow said that Karen told her she had been taking thyroid pills to speed up her metabolism (even though her thyroid was normal!). This was when Karen was recording her aborted solo album in the late 70s, and when she saw her therapist in NY in the early 80s she was still taking them! Add to this the cumulative effects of laxative abuse and ipecac.
sponge2 1 year ago
I'm just surfing old videos&can see Ms. Carpenter was extremely thin. She was beyond normal skinny. OK. Point? Dr reports, media crap, sources..LOOK AT HER. We know she doesn't look well. Can't believe there is a blog about Dr. records. Do we need to debate her illness-if she truly had one? Isn't it sad enough that a great musician died? Your medical is private. Shouldn't her's be as well?
blowmusichard 3 years ago 3
This really makes me sick. I can't watch her like this! She was so pretty back in the seventies.. I rather watch those earlier videos. But don't get me wrong, I just can't watch her, because she is so skinny in this interview.
Plasvi 3 years ago
Who cares about all this garbage about how she died. We lost one of the greatest singers ever. Let's just enjoy the music she left us. Please!
skipper8257 3 years ago 3
fantastic performance to watch.really swings, cool band , great arrangement. karen really nails the rythmic feel of the song visually. i guess that's because she was a fine drummer.
michaelransom 3 years ago
See how skinny she was, really hurt my heart. But her voice still sound so nice
KeLynn343 3 years ago
"oh im only kidding"...thats cute!!!!lol.she can be a comedian also...love her
Supernap1 3 years ago 2
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she is as skinny as a rat ??!!!!!i eat for pigs , this lady is wrong ??
letmeinyoupig 4 years ago
to
padude64 , i think and the rest here that u are sick with your comments about the carpenters...And yes Karen is a good artist
sneyder69 4 years ago
me encanta esta cancion!!!!! y no me asombra decirlo por que siempre digo lo mismo es q todos sus canciones son excelentes!!!
florcha34 4 years ago
20 years from now, do you think you will hear Brattney Spears music? I doubt it!
padude64 4 years ago
sneyder I dont need your sick comments! karen Carpenter has a voice unlike you have never heard!
padude64 4 years ago
is there more of this interview ?
sneyder69 4 years ago
yes she did
sneyder69 4 years ago
Karen did not lip sync you idiots!
padude64 4 years ago
They were really pushing this song at Richard's insistence. If you want to hear what Karen really wanted to do at this time, look for, "Keep My Lovelight Burning." Too bad Richard had so much control over her. She would still be alive today if she had been able to release the solo album she wanted to in 1980. Once "the family" rejected it, she had no reason to go on. Sad. (This is not just an opinion; I knew her and know this for a fact.)
chuckmall 4 years ago
Wow.......this is so sad.....brings tears to my eyes and is totally believable. :( I can relate to SOME of her frustrations...families can be so destructive...esp to the gifted ones. :)
dumplingeater 4 years ago
chuckmall, family businesses are often like that, you have to go along with the plan. I don't know what the real story was behind why "they" wouldn't release her solo album she did while Richard was away in rehab. I think that was a real disappointment to her that surely didn't help her condition any.
stillgotit01 4 years ago
Did you see the TV movie about them, which was guided by Richard? The original plan was for RICHARD to be famous. Karen's voice was so incredible she stole the limelight--though didn't want to. Richard's contributions were immeasurable, as he knew exactly how to use her voice. But going to another producer (Phil Ramone) bothered him.
chuckmall 4 years ago
I don't think this necessarily added to her "condition"--she was so far gone at that point, using thyroid medicine to speed up her metabolism, that her heart was probably damaged beyond repair. It's very hard for anorexics to "heal."
chuckmall 4 years ago
As I recall, it was early into Karen's sessions with her psychologist in NYC that he stopped her use of the thyroid medicine. I hope she really stopped.... Anyway, her heart was strong enough then for her to walk 19 blocks every weekday to her appointments to see him for most of a year.
no1cfielder 4 years ago
Karen's primary cause of death was EMETINE CARDIOTOXICITY. Emetine is the main ingredient in Ipecac syrup. She abused it was well as the thyroid medicine. Anorexia was the secondary cause of death. Ipecac abuse causes PERMANENT heart muscle damage, ie. the heart attack Karen suffered. And a main misconception that Karen was underweight at her death is WRONG. She was 104-108lbs at the time of her death.
calikaren71 3 years ago
Karen's family has maintained that she didn't abuse Ipecac, believing it would harm her voice. She told Cherry Boone O'Neill that she "couldn't do that." How do you account for her being able to do all of that walking if her heart was so weak? I can believe that anorexia could cause all sorts of unseen damage and I marvel that Karen lived as long as she did. Richard has guessed that she became anorexic in 1975.
no1cfielder 3 years ago
No1, well, I have seen the first page of her Autopsy report, & it states her primary cause of death as Emetine Cardiotoxicity. Unless the thyroid meds she is supposedly to have abused contain that same ingredient, then, I believe she didnt use it. But, if Synthoid does NOT contain Emetine, then it was Ipecac. So, I'm only going by what the first sheet of the autopsy said.
calikaren71 3 years ago
In Ray Coleman's book, "The Carpenters," he deals extensively with the question of emetine cardiotoxicity on pages 21-24. He took Karen's postmortem and analytical papers to Dr. Allister Vale, an eminent British toxicologist and head of the National Poisons Information Service in Birmingham, who said there was none of the heart tissue damage which emetine would cause. Dr. Vale concluded that "There is no evidence at all that emetine was involved in her death."
no1cfielder 3 years ago
No1, hmm, interesting. And weird, since, everywhere else I have read (though Ray Coleman's book is one that I have NOT read) it talks about her abuse of Syhtoid AND Ipecac, BUT, her voice, as you said was so golden and pure, that it seems highly doubtful. But, on the E True Hollywood Story, it shows that cause of death. And, I have not heard anything different until now. Odd. If it's NOT the cause of death, why is it stated as such on her autopsy report? Odd.
calikaren71 3 years ago
Someone who had no reason to go on would not have undergone a year's worth of counseling sessions in NYC at the rate of 5 hourly sessions per week trying to recover from anorexia nervosa.
no1cfielder 4 years ago
I agree with chuckmall even tho' I do not have inside information. her solo would have changed her history i believe.
earcandy2008 3 years ago
i like this song, its sunny
sneyder69 4 years ago
to :
padude64
Karen would ignore u, and reported u to the police as a sick stalker.
sneyder69 4 years ago
My karen will never leave me! She will always be a staple in my life! That voice is so awesome!
padude64 4 years ago
Karen still has a better voice than Brattney Spears!
padude64 4 years ago
Why would you compare Karen's voice with Britney Spears's voice? No Comparison whatsoever
janamijal 4 years ago
I stick up for Karen and if you ignorant bastards dont like her then go to hell!
padude64 4 years ago
If you go to the search bar on youtube and write the words " no telethon karen " and watch the second part, you will find that karen is caught doing lip-synch on stage and gets angry.
amc84morales 4 years ago
She doesn't seem very angry to me. I agree that she's lip-syncing and I'm guessing that she was frustrated by a technical break- down which stopped the play-back on the music.
no1cfielder 4 years ago
No one could tell what was happening?
astralislux 4 years ago
This is a nice song but they did have to lip-synch it for this show because of Karen being thin and not feeling well. (You can tell it's a lip-synch not only because it sounds exactly like the recording, but by Bob Messinger's sax solo--he looks different when he's actually playing the sax). A nice video from their later years.
chuckmall 4 years ago
If you go to the search bar on youtube and write the words " no telethon karen " and watch the second part, you will find that karen is caught doing lip-synch on stage and gets angry.
amc84morales 4 years ago
Karen and Richard often lipsynched for television, except in most live concerts. Richard just thought their sound was so much better in the recording studio, they could use the overdubbed harmonies, etc. However, I happen to love watching the few live concerts that have been made available through youtube. They are just so real!
RxTechRN2b 4 years ago
I dont care how many times I post here! I miss Karen as I grew up to her music! I am 43 and every time I hear her music, it brings back great memories!
Her voice is mesmorizing and I lost my sister to anorexia nervosa so I know what it is like to go through it!
padude64 4 years ago
The Carpenters Christmas you young punks? The Best Christmas music ever!
Young punks like crack music today!
padude64 4 years ago
To those of you who donot like Karen screw you! Plain and simple!
padude64 4 years ago
YOU TELL 'EM, BUDDY!
kcro25 4 years ago
Karen was the best female vocalist unlike Brattney Speers!
padude64 4 years ago
I miss karen so much!
padude64 4 years ago
Karen was da bomb!
padude64 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Holy shit, she looks worse than a Nazi death camp survivor.
She should have just went to McDonalds and had a fuckin Big Mac.
mickster907 4 years ago
Mick, you should be more respectfull of peoples' memories. The sickness she suffered was because of people making continued comments about her "weight." People that micr-manage greatness are destined for atrophy in their puny lives. Just listen to the music and enjoy the gift she left for us all.
veronicastocking 4 years ago
to all karen fans,please dont mention b spears in the same light a karen,all spears is good at is opening her legs,since when she opens her mouth nothing revelant comes out
daninflorida 2 years ago 26
@daninflorida I hear yea. B has nothing compaired to karen. She was the all time best voice I ever heard and nothing has ever touched it since.
HoshiChun 1 year ago 3
@daninflorida
Britney could not even be Karen's back up singer...lets be real.
bigman9099 1 year ago 2
morik1...agree wid u....ifs n buts wudnt bring her bak....just njoy d greatness of d voice...my v fav singer karen carpenter...just close ur eyes n hear her sing...ull go into a trance.
ranisha29 4 years ago
A bit harsh, don't you think?? It wasn't that bad!
NostalgiaBob 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
During the interview, somebody please shut her up. That must have been the most boring story ever on the Merv Griffin show. Merv must have been wishing somebody kill him, or her (Karen). The funny thing is she actually thought it was an interesting story. Its painful just to listen to it, also to look at her, a living skelton.
thanhluu007 4 years ago
You know what, your comment is boring and so are you freaking, middle aged loser
amc84morales 4 years ago
wait a second by the age of 50 you are not even middle aged, you are an ederly mother fucker asshole
amc84morales 4 years ago
(3)He seemed to want everything perfect, in fact perfectionism seemed to run in the family. Karen wasn't that way but I think she was a victim of it. Just look and listen to her here, she's so real, down to earth and candid. Richard has a hard time getting any words out, it seems he is trying to be perfect and pick and choose what he says where Karen just talks normally and naturally. Albeit, together they were great and there will never be another singing duo like the Carpenters.
stillgotit01 4 years ago
(2)They didn't know much about how to treat Karen's condition in the early 1980's. Some of you seem to be enjoying and joking about her condition, that's mean spirited. She doesn't look that bad in this video, besides her voice always overshadowed any physical appearance anyway. About the lipsync, I don't see what the big deal is if they were doing it. If they were it would be because Richard wanted it that way.
stillgotit01 4 years ago
(1)What's with the ridiculous comments about Karen going to McDonald's or Kentucky Fried? I don't think so, it's unhealthy food, too much saturated fat. Anyway, why do you people come on this site and spew your vulgar comments? Karen was ill yes but she was trying to lead a normal life by continuing to make appearances and entertain.
stillgotit01 4 years ago
im cocerned , but look at it ? they dont want to know ?
letmeinyoupig 4 years ago
Karen meant "Freddy" Boom-Boom Cannon, right?
wildnites558 4 years ago
So what happened to Richard? Does anyone know? They are both so sweet!!! I love their music.
jewelaquarian33 4 years ago
Karen I am going to light a candle for you on Christmas! You are so sweet
padude64 4 years ago 2
I will, too! I'll go out and buy a special candle juts for you, KC!