Marcus King - Superstar (The Carpenters Cover) 

10 seconds into the first time I heard him I knew I'd be listening to his music for the rest of my life.

Whoever came up with the idea for Markus to cover this song is genius.

Well. One good thing happened this year. Finding Marcus and Billy Strings.

Marcus King is a rare talent. He caught my ear the very first time I heard him. Impeccable guitarist and sincere, soulful voice.

It simply doesn't get any better than this.

Wow a man beyond his years was first thing I said, he's 25 with the smooth jazzy blue's soulful sounds of the 70s

Saw him this last weekend. Blown away. My daughter took me. In the audience there were many such parent/kid pairs. It was incredible. Markus has such much soul. I loved listening to him interpret songs. There were influences of jazz, George Benson, BB King, The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker and many more "old school" folks. Versatility, fine lyrics and beautiful tunes, great generosity, technical prowess and pure humble love poured out from him. Thanks Marcus and Band. I am a fan.

Karen's original vocal is simply iconic with it's orchestral arrangement backing. Marcus' stripped down take is more soulful and that guitar work of his is amazing. This is a great version of Superstar.

Talent, guts and no autotune. Classic!

Wow... I don't think I've heard anyone cover the Carpenters. I love it!

Gotta tellya mr marcus .. that is without any fear of contradiction ..the best cover verrsion of superstar i ever did dune hear ..yes siree bob .. bravo ..take a bow ..😍😎pip pips and carryon pilgrims

99% of the time I hate remakes of contemporary music (I’m a huge blues fan) but this guy really surpassed the original.

If this guy was born in the 1950's he would literally be as big as Elton John in the 70s and 80s. Top notch performance.

Marcus IS a freakin' SUPERSTAR!! Hands down!! We're watching a very young "Warren Haynes" growning in front of us!!

This kid has got it all. Great voice and sh*t hot on guitar. Quality.

This guy is a beast on the guitar and his vocals are just incredible. Thank the universe for the beautiful music that will just keep on going 🙏🙏🤘🤘🤘🤘

The way this man plays and uses nuances in his voice and guitar is so freakin unique is astounding . Pure talent. Put this on the radio! people would react. It made my wife melt

Everything he sings turns into gold

Some people just have unique musical talent. I always joke that Marcus is a same world same time reincarnation of Warren Haynes - just may be true...both bring us extraordinary music in the same way. There is an amazing collection of young “real musicians” with a lifetime ahead of them emerging - we live in good musical times if you look for it. Thanks Marcus and those who play with him!

The many sides of Marcus King 🤴

this kid is like musical wine....just gets better with time

Back I come. Once a day. It’s an addiction at this point, a good one. ☝️

I'm 3 years late 'discovering ' this. But my goodness glad I did

The Carpenters would be so very proud.

This fellow is the real deal ... what he does to this classic makes it brand new

Love to see great blues players show they can play jazz chords and progressions, tasteful!

RU-vid allows us to know about the greatest musicians on the planet, so much so that eventually we think we have seen all there is to see. Then Marcus King comes along and stands out even from the best of the best. His guitar playing alone is enough to get your attention but I just cannot think of a singer guitarist who’s voice is as jaw-droppingly good.

Sick amount of talent and soul. So rad!

I think my heart just broke a little in the best way ❤️❤️

We've been fed keyboard musicians and now this man opened the door with soul in his guitar and his true grit voice. Thank you

My newest .. favorite version of this great tune written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett .. The song we know today as “Superstar” was originally called “Groupie (Superstar)” when it first appeared on that Delaney and Bonnie B-side. As you might expect, the song was about a women who fell for a superstar passing through the town where she lived. They spent just one night together, which evidently meant a lot more to her than it did to him because she never saw him again. Now her only connection with the man she loved is when she hears one of his songs on the radio. Karen Carpenter’s voice perfectly conveys the sense of longing for the guy she only got to hold in her arms for one special night. Somehow she injects vastly more emotion into “Superstar”… Long ago, and oh, so far away I fell in love with you before the second show Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear But you’re not really here, it’s just the radio Alfred Lord Tennyson said “Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” That’s not been my experience. And from the way she sung “Superstar”, I’m not sure that was Karen Carpenter’s experience either. I could just be wildly projecting of course, but for me, even though Karen Carpenter’s voice displays all its usual immense technical quality, “Superstar” always feels to me like it’s got something a bit extra too. There’s a vulnerability in the words Karen Carpenter sings which always says to me…these aren’t just words I’m singing to the best of my ability, this song hits home with me in a way few others do. Whether that’s the case or not, the rich orchestration on this most recent version of “Superstar”, courtesy of the Royal Philharmonic, somehow emphasises that vulnerability and makes an already-emotional song into something really quite moving. Loneliness is such a sad affair And I can hardly wait to be with you again What to say to make you come again? Come back to me again and play your sad guitar I know we’re talking about one of the most exceptional singing voices of the 20th Century here, but Karen Carpenter really sells this verse. Just the way she sings the word “loneliness” makes you feel this is a path she understands all too well. Richard Carpenter does an immense job on the production for this updated version of “Superstar”. He makes it into something so much more than just the revival of some well-known tune by a long-departed artist. It remains firmly the song that showcased Karen Carpenter’s unique vocal talents back in 1971. At the same time, it’s an entirely different, more vulnerable, more emotional, more mellow, more melancholy, more richly-toned song that could easily have been recorded yesterday…not, as it is now, nearly 50 years ago. If you love the Carpenters as much as I do, you could do a lot worse than spend a few minutes in the company of this version of “Superstar”. It uses the original vocal track…which, let’s face it, would be impossible to improve on in any event…but updates the musical accompaniment with the help of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. And it’s just wonderful…from the harp that kicks the track off, to that most mournful of instruments, the oboe, for the rest of the intro, every element of the Carpenters’ version of “Superstar” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is sheer perfection from start to finish. Here’s Karen Carpenter on vocals with Richard Carpenter’s updated version of a Carpenters’ classic…Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett’s song, “Superstar”… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eGrLUavvkIA.html&feature=emb_logo

The 25 people that gave this a thumbs down, have no concept in what real music and talent sounds or looks like, met Marcus years ago and been a fan for a long time, all the way back to Greenville early times

Fantastic guy!!! Allready a Superstar!!!

Dude's the real thing. Keep it coming, Marcus King!

This Marcus is so good

There is nothing he can't sing loved it.

this young man can play any style of music. this is great

Love me some Marcus King ❤️

I've been digging Marcus for a few months now. Just fantastic

Marcus comes from a family of musicians;It's in their blood....their DNA as in so many cases.#StraightOuttaGreenvilleSC

Marcus’s style is so refreshing, such a beast on the guitar and yet so delicate. His voice is amazing and his mastery over both voice and guitar at such a young age blow me away. Imagine what he’ll be producing in the next 5-10 years! You’re the man Marcus thanks for blessing my ears with your beautiful music.

Marcus singing bluesy, soulfull music just works!!

Soooo sweet what a talent

This fellow has grabbed the torch to light the way for as long as he can!

Saw them working on this during soundcheck in December in Pittsburgh. They asked that no one take any videos during sound check bc they wanted to keep new songs they hadn't performed yet a secret. I enjoyed finally seeing it start to finish in one take, gotta say it was exponentially better with the rest of band. Missing the horns.

Absolutely beautiful

Oh Lord, have mercy! Goosebumples.....

I was looking for the Real thing .. I Found Justice to it !!!!! Well Done !

How is it I just found out about Marcus King?!?! I was looking at some old guitars in Carter Vintage Guitar videos and was blessed with some of his performances. Wow, hands down this guy should be hitting the big time.

Cant stop replaying. This man has TALENT! Hope he makes it all the way to the top, he deserves it! Hopefully see him back in the UK sometime soon!

Just discovered your music all the way up here in Canada Al Green + BB King + Ray Charles + Aretha Franklyn + Gladys Knight and you get the sounds of Marcus King

Been impressed from scratch. Now? Just WOW!

Just when I thought I could not love Marcus anymore, he covers this iconic tune. He is the KING.

All that talent and a great hat collection!

This is so good I'm speechless 👍👍✌️♥️

Really enjoy Marcus’s brand of Blues.

I've always loved the Carpenters, so to hear Marcus cover this was an unexpected pleasure! ❤️❤️

Highly recommend seeing him and the Marcus King Band live. They are one of those bands that are a perfect fit and know how to read and feed off of each other. They will melt your brain with how hard they can jam.

This guy has got in spades....wonderful.

Awesome cover love Marcus king

Didn’t know what to expect…blew me away!

I love how he introduces everyone

Those chords, especially in the verse, are pretty damn sweet. Dude gets pretty jazzy with it.

He is phenomenal. Auditory therapy

Dude is unreal. There is hope.

This is a blast from the past. I haven’t even thought of this song in 25-30 years! Nice job, Marcus!

I love this. Right here it is.

the tone on this guitar is right on!

This guy can really do it all

One of my newest finds is singing one of my oldest favourites ❤ You have to fall in love with Marcus King 👑

Got To See This Cat At The Neptune In Seattle..Just Before The Covid...And We Were Blown Away...So Versatile..Great Band

Are you friggin kidding me? Incredible.

My goodness this gets better with every listen.

The greatest piece of 'melancholia' ever written.

Killer Rendition!

Only Marcus King could make this song awesome.

Playin for the love of it.. Awesome 😎

Saw Marcus at Lake Placid last summer. Can't believe our luck to see this talent on a small outdoor amphitheater. Hoping for a covid vaccine soon so Marcus can get back on the road. I'll be first in line at the next concert.

By far best version

Pure Soul!!!

Both are fantastic.....Love this! And Billy Strings....Red Rocking Chair.....😁💕

Great cover of this Leon Russell / Bonnie Bramlett song. He is such a talented musician. Had the pleasure of seeing him at EC's Crossroads Festival in Dallas in 2019.

Wow. Amazing brothers.

Music is back the way it should be!!

Absolutely 🔥🔥🔥

The highlight of 2021 so far is finding Marcus 4 sure

not only can he play phenomenally , his soulful voice is up there with the best , a great combination

Just when I think we are heading away from this intimate style of music, something like this comes along and makes my day 😍! Such a gift to the music world! That hollow body is something too 🥵.

Just Beautiful.

Hey Marcus, now that you've done one Carpenter's tune so brilliantly, you are going to have to do another one man. So many beautiful tunes from them. Will you?

This is just perfect! I'm speechless.

Absolutely Brilliant!

Glad he did this obscure song, which I always loved. Always wonders what Jimi Hendrix, or maybe Jeff Beck would have sounded like playing it.

Excellent rendition of this beautiful classic!

Very well played / sung and that studio had a nice collection of keyboards, piano's and other gear..

My God I didn't think I could love you more... Just Wow!!!! What a great song choice!!! So well done!!

The perfect union of soul, tone and technical virtuosity, a special talent!

This young man is the true master of his generation...so clean in his execution...superb tone in his vocal and in the playing...21st century master for all to enjoy for decades to come.. Mr King is truly the best of all the " kings" I have ever heard.. history in the making here folks.

I'd put this right up there with Farley and Spade's rendition from Tommy Boy

I'm so glad to see the younger generation writing and producing good music, then occasionally someone reaches back in the file and covers a great song from my youth. Right on 💪👍