Richard, if you read this, your talent changed the world and made it a better place for so many people. What a remarkable gift, truly. Thank you for everything ❤️
She was just a decade too early from being saved. They didn't know how to save her due to lack of knowledge. Such a shame, a true iconic voice recorded now for many generations to hear. Imagine in a hundred years time for people to listen to her for the first time and get the same warm feeling her voice gave to us now. Will there ever be another voice like her in the future?
I actually don't think so. I think she was a "one of a kind", regardless of what century. But, anything could happen I guess, with each generation of kids born. But at my age I'll probably not be around to hear it. 😉
There are some truly great female voices: Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff, kd laing, Diana Krall...a few of my favorites, but Karen is unmatched and will remain so, because it was coupled and boosted by the most sensitive and wonderful arrangements from Richard. He knew how to magnify her talent, and we are all the better for it.
Not sure that HOF has any credibility. Perhaps more of an honor to be snubbed. Anyone that loves real music appreciated The Carpenters greatness, that’s all that really matters.👍
If future generations have any taste at all, they will listen and appreciate Karen as much as we do. She could have been trapped in the 1970s like other acts of the day. But I don't think her singular talent would have ever let that happen: timeless and bringing joy even now.
As the great Paul Williams said, people may call the Carpenters "vanilla" but what a sensational flavor vanilla is! Those two suburban kids from Downey, California made some of the most beautiful music in history as far as I'm concerned.
I can still hear the pain in Richard's voice at the losing his sister at such an early age, but also great pride at their fantastic songs and what they achieved. Carpenters worked so hard, that schedule, back to back concerts on stage was grueling, but they clearly loved what they did and their fans and audience. I hope they remember the greater good, lovely comments and not the other negative rubbish. Bless them both 💖
Richard is so talented and so often over the years under appreciated for his creative genius. It was the combination of the two of them, that made them the enormous success that they became.
Exactly. She was the face and the voice of the Carpenters but he was the genius behind the music. Also wrote Top Of The World and Yesterday Once More. Just an incredible combination.
Richard is still not at peace with Karen's death. You can tell it still hurts him greatly ... perhaps that brig brother couldn't protect his younger sister.
How true, how true. Kind of like going to a fine restaurant - you have the elegance and beauty and location of the place, but you also have the chef who prepares the wonderful meal.😋
Karen and Richard were so talented. Richard was a great pianist, arranger and composer, and Karen was a talented drummer and one of the greatest female vocalist of all time.
It seems to me she could have been successful as a drummer, alone. I've seen some footage recently that blew me away. I never knew she was so powerfully good. But, thanks to Richard's arranging and producing, coming up with the sound that wrapped around the magnificent voice, we'll always have the Carpenters. Just can't get enough...
@@randygerdes Yes she could have, and she was, in the Dick Carpenter Trio and the Hollywood Battle of the Bands. However, being a successful drummer leads to stardom in only a very few cases. Krupa, Rich, Starr, Bonham, and that's it. Thanks to Krupa, drummer are a dime a dozen, whereas good singers are rare and highly valuable. Any drummer can work with a band. Take The Beatles, Pete Best and 222 other drummers can play "Love Me Do" and it will still be a hit.....who cares. However lose the singer and the band is toast.
I’m a Marine, retired LE Officer and grew up with The Carpenters. To this day, through all the stresses I’ve lived through and carry if one of their songs are within earshot I naturally take a deep sigh and a calm falls over me. It’s Angelic
So well said and so true.A fan since day one and every single time I put on one of their songs a calm still comes over me too! Yes it is angelic! Nobody like them.
Her spirit, her soul, whatever was in that beautiful voice of hers was minted one of a kind. Her expression of the lyrics were flawless. Hard to believe age 20 and 23 they could make something so timeless. True musicianship and talent
I was in my early teenage years during the early 70's when soft pop was very popular on the radio with the Carpenters, John Denver, and Carole King. These artists and the calm loving songs are still my favorites.
Me too...and " Close To You" will always hold special memories for me because of the special someone who meant so much to me back then. Each time I hear those opening notes, I'm brought right back to that magical time ... and those days WERE, indeed, magic...sad how times, and teens, have changed...
Even though I was born in 1965, I had a sister 12 years older than me who turned me onto John Denver and The Carpenters. And even though I listen from everything from Alice Cooper to Zepplin, John and Karen are on my IPod as well!
Indeed so for me...awesome to hear from Richard the added beginning & changes of arrangement brilliance he created with Karen on 'Close to you' - always a favourite even now starting from my mid teans in '70s!!! Brilliant talents each thank you for the music!
@@toddsubjent7142 The Carpenters truly provided those of us who came of age in the early-mid 70's with the soundtrack to our lives. The world lost both an amazing soul and a timeless voice the day Karen left us. She is still so dearly missed...
Yes, Richard is a musical genius. But so is Karen. Karen's interpretation of music and lyrics is also brilliant. And she was a world class drummer as other outstanding musicians have assessed.
Damn right she has a timeless voice! RIP Karen and thanks Richard for all the hard work you put in over the years in making one of the greatest singing duos of all-time!
The great irony is that those who were quick to diss the Carpenters back in the day have come forward 30, 40, 50 years later, only to say they've now come to appreciate their music. Me, as a 10 year old, transistor glued to my ear when 'Close To You' hit the airwaves, took just one listen to recognise the unquestionable genius of Richard and Karen Carpenter. God bless these good people for the joy they have given to so many.
Nice to see Richard getting the credit he deserves. So many RU-vid commenters give the lion's share of the credit to Karen for the Carpenters' success. But just like Richard said, the arranger is the unsung hero. When I listen to Carpenters' music and get past Karen's incredible voice, the arrangements are masterpieces in themselves. Still the gold standard!
One of the most remarkable examples of Richards arrangement talent is "Christmas Portrait". That, along with Karen's indescribable voice, the backup singers and orchestra, are truly a treat for the ears.
Maybe the reason people give Karen credit is due to their mother Agnes, who saw Richard as the genius and Karen as an afterthought. And the negative impact it had on Karen and the fact that Richard and the family downplay the family dynamic on Karen's health.
Richard got a lot of credit especially from their mother which made Karen feel insecure which led to the problems that killed her. Their mother credited all of their success to Richard. Of course,we know who the real singer was between the two of them.
Karen did get proper treatment from Dr. Steven Levenkron, one of the leading specialists in treating patients with anorexia nervosa. From a strictly medical perspective, the many years of abusing laxatives and extreme dieting severely weakened Karen's heart. By the time she reached out to Dr. Levenkron for treatment in early 1982, the damage was done. Richard has never fully grasped the reality that anorexia nervosa is a complex mental disorder. When the doctor confronted Richard and the parents with the reality of Karen's mental condition, they immediately dismissed him as a "quack" and told Karen she was being duped by the doctor. Richard has never missed an opportunity to wrongly accuse Dr. Levenkron of malpractice. It's sad Richard has never accepted the reality of Karen's disorder.
Great segment. Richard talks about how mean the media was to them about their image… Then that guy at the end: “Looks like they came out of a purity cult!” What an arrogant jerk.
Bill Bush Yeah. Very rude. Ignorant buffoon didn't even have enough gumption to realize he had just said and done the very thing Richard was talking about. How dumb can one be? And again, the label execs were the ones making them dress that way. Richard has gone off in many interviews through the years about the idiotic covers. They both hated most of the covers. They liked "Passage" okay, which doesn't even have a picture of them. "Close To You", horrendous. "Offering", not much better. "Carpenters", no picture at all on the cover. Richard has gone off about the insert though, making them look like a couple similar to "Close To You". "A Song For You", another one Richard has complained about. "Now & Then" comes with the famous story of the photographer having Richard drive back & forth in front of their house to get a picture of the house in the background while they're in his sports car. Lol! No wonder he was angry. Best-selling artists for A&M, but yeah. For the next album we want you to drive back and forth in front of your house. 🙄 "Horizon", the photographer had them looking sad and long-faced. "A Kind of Hush", ahh, okay. Better than what had come before, maybe. "Passage" no cover picture again. "Christmas album" was better, maybe, with the Norman Rockwell cover. "Made In America" was not even a photo of them. And all of these cheesy, boring, couple-ish album covers, basically throughout their career, was on the label execs. A&M was about to go under before signing them. Their music saved A&M yet they were given such bad, and a few horrendous album covers. They sold millions of records in spite of their management, art department and etc. So this rude goof in this video is so ignorant he thinks that was Karen and Richard's decision. Nope. The media imagery was on the label execs and "professional" photographers totally. 🙄
Purity cult? I've always liked nice decent ppl and I still do.I finally learned ppl that make fun of nice decent ppl really always wished they could of been like them.
Absolutely, they should be included. Many fans have continued to write to the R&R HOF about this. I love Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks and others of their generation of music who have been inducted into the club. It's ridiculous that Karen & Richard have not. They deserve it, too! Especially with that first rocking solo guitar riff in a ballad song in "Goodbye To Love", 1972. That was the first of its kind, a Power Ballad was born with that song. Time for the R&R HOF to honor them, too!
The Carpenter's have been eligible for induction into the R&R HOF since 1995..for going on 28 years and never once have they even been nominated which seems to me as the greatest snub of any musical act in popular music history.. After all the Carpenter's were the number one selling American musical act of the 1970's, and one of the world's all time selling musical acts.. Not to mention that Karen was the very first stand out female drummer in pop music history as well.. And they introduced us to the very first fuzz guitar power ballad on Goodbye To Love.. I have written to the R&R HOF official website for years... and The excuse I have always heard is that the Carpenter's just weren't R&R enough.. That excuse is pure BS! The Carpenter's are considered easy listening soft rock . but isn't soft rock a part of R&R ? James Taylor and Carole King were considered soft rock and they were inducted into the R&R HOF.. and the number one selling soft rock act of alltime the Carpenter's are not ..Just why not? Beats the hell out of me ?????
Richard's face speaks louder than his words (or the words he couldn't come up with) when asked if he had made peace with Karen's death. I don't blame him. I have several deaths of young people that I haven't made peace with, and my heart goes out to Richard. Karen's voice was so beautiful. I think I have all of their albums but my albums are all tucked away.
The weight of my world changed when. Karen Carpenter passed away. The voice of an angel as is Music itself the voice of Love, her musicianship, together with her brother Richard's innate ability to see through the page of any score but to reveal its essence, has seen them survive any trend, a vital presence in the world of Music. Not that Richard would remember, but as a child, I met him and his sister Karen here in Sydney. The meeting was only brief - very brief - and weeks later, I received from them an inscribed photograph which to this day - so many decades later - remains a permanent treasure in my life., I cannot begin to tell you! Richard, if you happen to read this, for what it means to you, your sister is very rarely far from my thoughts and prayers and neither are you! God bless you!
The Carpenters are from my home town of Downey CA. I actually had the opportunity of meeting both Richard and Karen in the early seventies at a church located on Reves and close to Downey high school. Two of the nicest singers you ever would want to meet. Both so talented and golden
@@NYVoice I don’t know what you mean by this comment, they’re from Connecticut but they lived in Downey California at least that’s where I met them. As I said they were very nice brother and sister singing group Karen Carpenter’s voice is gold into my ears
I have always Loved the Carpenters from the moment i heard them. Im 58 years old an just cant get enough of them. Her voice and his ability to change the format of the song is incredible. I actually tear up🥺every time I listen to them. Her voice lives on FOREVER. I've watched everything that was ever put out about them Richard reminds me of Desi Arnaz they both were incredible behind the scenes. Thank you for the story and i have to run out to buy the book.
Rainy days andMondays always get me down! That’s song is my mantra as a kid and 57 years old! Their music is genius and hauntingly honest- pure- stands the test of time. Karen’s voice has been studied and has been labeled as one of the most perfect pitch and beautiful ever. She and her brother were talented kids- who succomed to the pressures of fame with mismanagement! Thank you for all the wonderful memories❤️
@D P As young adults in their twenties, and "from the suburbs" as Richard says, they would have had very little autonomy with their manager and record label. The machine of the US music business was probably at it's peak in the early seventies. No record executive's family was worked to the bone like this. Same as the movie industry - never held to account for their mistreatment and endless greed. Hate the f**ks.
I really LOVE to hear Karen Carpenter sing💐💐 and Richard was also very talented😃😃. And I think it is disgusting that they were criticized for being good people!! Even if they were part of a "purity cult", so what? What is wrong with being a good person, NOTHING!! And I would tell Richard Carpenter not to take it personally, whoever said nasty things probably were jealous of His and Karen's talents as well as their successes. Jerks are not worth taking it personally!!! In fact, I would say that I wish I could have met Karen Carpenter, who was performing before If was born and when I was a very small Child. Karen Carpenter had a good heart along with her musical talents😊😊💖💖💖💖💖!!
They weren't criticized for being good people. They were criticized because critics felt their music was too saccharine and formulaic. It has been over time that there has been a reexamining of their brilliance as singer and arranger.
I totally agree! the part about purity cult on the anchor's part was out of line, regardless if that is how some people feel, it is something that should be looked at and celebrated, Thank God, the good thing is their music and her voice still stands the test of time.
It all happened with such sacrifice for both of them. I saw other documentaries where no one knew she could sing, she never took vocal lessons yet her voice was from the gods, angels and answered our inner beings. She was awesome and Richard was the maestro with his beautiful musical knowledge and ear for .....everything. love them so much
Dusty also sang with the Pet Shop Boys that year with the song What have I done to deserve this, which was a top 40 hit for them. It was a revival yr for Dusty.
The Carpenters were all over AM radio in the early seventies. I saw them in concert at East Carolina University in 1971-72 to a packed out crowd. I was a 19 year old freshman and was so enthralled by the music and captivated by Karen’s wholesome beauty. I wore out the grooves on their first album. They were a special duo and that was a special time. Thank you Richard Carpenter for submitting to this interview. You are a prince of a man!
Arranger is so understated. His wisdom, he caught a sound out of the wind, very complex and put those pieces together. He is most impressive to do all that whist the photographer, record companies and the representatives of the album covers let them down. His musicality made them successful. It was Richard and Karen's undeniable gifts that made them successful in spite of those who flourished financially yet failed them. Richard is a musical genius. Karen, awe that lovely lonely angel. ❤❤ brought so much to a world in need of their beautiful gifts.🙏
WATCHING THIS VIDEO, MAKES ME CRY ALL THE TIME .......THANK YOU THANK YOU, MR CARPENTER, FOR YOUR BEAUTIFULL MUSIC, WHICH ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY, MORE SO SINCE THE BIRTH OF MY PRECIOUS BABIES BORN 23 YEARS AGO, MR CARPENTER AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL SISTER, WILL ALWAYS WILL BE A PART OF MY LOVE YOU XOXOXO💖💖💖💖💖💖💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Only learnt recently that their father's side of the family are British . As a Brit, I can claim them as ours as well. They are a great group, one of the best.
@@renarga6886 Their father, Harold Bertram Carpenter (1908-1988), was born in Wuzhou, China, moving to Britain in 1917, and the US in 1921. He was age 9 through 13 when he was in the UK.
@@lamarravery4094 just surprised to learn that Karen and Richard have close British roots. Usually Americans have British roots that go back to a much earlier time.
A voice that helped define my youth. In the mid 80's Linda Ronstadt did a couple of albums of standards with Nelson Riddle. They were glorious. I often wonder what Karen might have done with the same material, some of the greatest music ever written. RIP Karen. I will always remember you fondly, but with some sadness.
Karen gets all the praise because of her wonderful extraordinary vocals but without Richard's song arrangements many of these songs would not be hits. He certainly deserves equal praise
I actually think the arrangements date this music. I listened to Karen with just the bass background and preferred it. Richard overdubbed the vocals too much.
Não acho que sem os arranjos dele ela não faria sucesso acho que a voz dela que que fez com que ele tivesse sucesso hj, outros arranjos de outras pessoas poderiam dar sucesso a ela , se ele está onde esta deve agradecer a irmã.
Karen Carpenter did not know how... or to the great extent she had to defend herself. She was gifted with amazing timing and rhythm. When they wouldn't let her stay behind the drums, they we're slowly killing her for money. The greater the artist, the more vulnerable they are. This needs to be understood, and they need to be protected. In memory of Karen Carpenter, Michael Jackson, Prince, Jimmy Hendrix, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Curtis Cobain, John Belushi, Elvis, Mark Rothko, Van Gogh, John Lennon, etc....
The story of how We Have Only Just Begun came about is one of the great stories of music history. And the fact that many in Southern California heard it like he did, on television in a bank commercial, and didn’t hear what he heard, which is, “This is a hit!”. It also shortened the time that their longest chart topping hit They Long To Be Close To You, stayed on the charts. The stories of how the songs came about are the best part of the book.
That is another amazing story of Richard Carpenter hearing something and realizing it’s possible potential and developing it into a great hit song. I bet Paul Williams is grateful to him for his ability to do this because he collected the Royalties afterwards as the Songwriter. Carpenter expanded and extended the song into a single. Brilliant idea! I think I read that he encouraged Williams to write more verses to complete the song. The rest is history! Amazing that it started off as a jingle for a commercial and then the Carpenters turned it into their second big hit. Great story and I like it when creative ideas pay off like that! Wonderful! And the song is still good and truthful. People can still relate to it. Rainy days and Mondays always bring me down. That’s still true! 👏🏻
There will never be another Karen carpenter or for that matter the carpenter's they were just absolutely fabulous, I heard they lost there lead guitarist Tony peluso back in 2010 from heart failure, getting back to the carpenter's there music still lives on till this day, thank you Richard & Karen for the great music in the 1970's may Karen R.I.P. God bless her soul.
Richard we are for sure aware of The Carpenters longevity.Forever grateful to the both of you for sharing your amazing talents.I feel sorry for some that can't understand good ppl.Since day one you guys have taken me to a place where there's no space or time.No other singer, group or duo can or has done that for me.We know how hard you and Karen worked and we Thank You so very much. Love You Richard! Karen Thank You for taking every note and making it count.Love You since day one when this kid saw your loving and expressive smile and eyes.Miss You beyond words.
Oh my GOD!!!...What can be said about this amazing, groundbreaking duo that hasn't been said before...Now I'm no professional music critic by any stretch of the imagination but in my humble estimation "KAREN CARPENTER" is and always be the greatest most talented female singing artist of all time...Just listening to that golden voice of hers literally sends chills down my spine...And to find out what this young talented woman had no vocal training at all makes it even more amazing...This is why I can as sure as hell say that there will never ever be a female singing artist that will match let alone even surpassed KAREN CARPENTER as the greatest female singing of all time...R.I.P. KAREN...🙏🙏🙏...😭😭😭...👏👏👏
There is not a day that I don’t listen to one of their songs. Karen’s melodic voice and heart are interwoven into pop culture and into Christmas forever. Richard is indeed talented and his drive is at the center of their story.
It still amazes me how great they were ( and are, their music is timeless) as a duo, but also with their own personal talents. I will love to hear more from Richard on how the songs came about. I own a lot of music, but for me, after all these years, they have the number one spot there🎹
Having lost a sister, it's pure anguish and my heart goes out to Richard Carpenter. As for their style, I was 10 in 1971. Yes, my cohort thought they were a) grown-ups and b) indeed, square...although obviously most of us who are musically attuned wised up to what an extraordinary pair The Carpenters were -- are. Their recordings are always close to the top of my record heap.
I love all their songs, still listening to the music. Such a Great, Great loss. They were beautiful together and will always be in everyones hearts forever!
The Carpenters made beautiful well constructed masterpieces of music, sadly no one today knows how to make music like this anymore and it’s truly missed. Karen’s voice is one of the best voices of all time, smooth dynamic, so clean and clear. Sadly taken from the world too soon, I wish so much she hadn’t died. I hope Richard and Karen Carpenters music lives on and future music listeners appreciate it and embrace it. I love their sound so much ❤️❤️
The best thing I've discovered myself in terms of good music has been this group called The Carpenters and Karen's voice is unique and incomparable, it's so melodious that I fell in love at first sight. It would be wonderful if she was still with us and sharing her experiences with her brother Richard,but she departed very soon from this world.
Just bought the book on Amazon. Love the Carpenters since 1983. The day Karen died the radio played all their tunes and I didn't realize I knew so many from childhood.
I got a cassette player for Christmas one year when I was around 11 years old and the Carpenters first album to go with it. That was the first music I ever owned. I still LOVE it! (though I had to replace it on CD.) Karen's voice has a musical purity that will never be matched.
The first album I ever bough back in 1971 was the Carpenters. I think it's wonderful and a blessing Richard has been able to nurture their catalog & legacy in Karen's absence. Thank you for the music Richard, long may you live!
Karen was amazing. Pitch perfect & clear (w/o auto tune.) Beautiful, rich tone. 3-octave range. Incredible breath control. Impeccable diction. Seamless transition between her upper & lower registers. And she makes you FEEL every word!! Richard knew how to make the arrangements - instrumentation, timing, etc. - that fit them perfectly. Add their tight harmonies and… pure PERFECTION!
Karen Carpenter you are forever missed!! Richard Carpenter you are a musical genius, thank you Carpenters for all the great music that will live on for generations to come.
I grew up listening to The Carpenters. My mom had all their albums. I listened over and over & memorized all the words. I remember them to this day. I loved her voice and control of it. I’m going to read this, for sure. ♥️♥️
Stunningly talented folks! WOW! Millions of us love their tunes! The music endures. Lyrical interpretation = Masterful! Thanks to Anthony Mason for the profile! * Cav *
I have this ritual every year that I don’t start the Christmas holiday without My Karen Carpenter Christmas song. Her voice moves me, it always has. And if anyone ever asked me to choose one artists music that I could only listen to, it would be Karen Carpenter. I can only imagine the songs we would all have if we had only had her longer.
My favorite musicians ever! I’m a Downey girl and still remember mom and I seeing her at Gemco in the jewelry dept one happy day. Love Love Love she and Richard. They’ve given me so many happy musical hours.
