Karen Carpenter

[Insidious Von]

Karen Carpenter had perfect pitch.

Singing was natural to her, she never had to embellish. So why did she die so horribly? Had she lived, she would be 69 this year.

This is a beautiful song but it has dark undertones. This is not the song of a sexually active woman.

 

[Insidious Von]

She was an extremely sensitive woman brought up in a strict religious household. Her religion caused her not to see the talent in others only the image. And she didn't like it.

 

[Insidious Von]

Why bring this up now? It's been 35 years since she passed away so horrendously.

 

[J.A. Prufrock]

Was reminded of Karen Carpenter a few years ago at my daughter’s graduation when they played “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

Also remember when she died, I think in 1983, after battling anorexia.

 

[Insidious Von]

She was hypersensitive, everything stuck to her. She didn't approve of Ziggy Stardust and Alice Cooper and made her views known. That got her more abuse than she could handle from their fans. Perhaps what angered her the most is what was happening when Close to You went to No. 1.

 

[GameBoy27]

Did you know she was also a very talented drummer?

 

[unassuming]

I grew up on "Carpenters" music , Karen Carpenter is my favourite female singer of all time. Her voice is sooooo addictive and perfect....she was a great drummer to boot!

I'm no vocal expert, but I believe that "her range " is wider than Houston, Dion and Carey....Karen can hit those low notes that the others can't.
Her voice instantly recognizable when hitting that first note.

There are a lot of youtube videos where her voice is just about isolated on its own (near acapella). If these songs were released with her voice alone, they still would have been hits.

Her live concert vocals sounded like studio recordings.

 

[unassuming]

 

[unassuming]

 

[Insidious Von]

That's wonderful unassuming.

Perfect pitch cannot be taught, it's God given. Why do singers with perfect pitch have to go insane.

Here's another....

 

[Darts]

The Carpenters -- they broke the mold when they made those two.

When it comes to vocal -- I think Judy Collins is also right up there with the best. Just listen to her sing "Amazing Grace" with no instrument backup.

 

[whiteshaft]

Karen Carpenter had perfect pitch.

Singing was natural to her, she never had to embellish. So why did she die so horribly? Had she lived, she would be 69 this year.

This is a beautiful song but it has dark undertones. This is not the song of a sexually active woman.

I grew up when her songs were very popular! She got a very nice voice.

 

[shack]

The Carpenters -- they broke the mold when they made those two.

When it comes to vocal -- I think Judy Collins is also right up there with the best. Just listen to her sing "Amazing Grace" with no instrument backup.

Linda Ronstadt had a great voice.

 

[shack]

 

[Darts]

Linda Ronstadt had a great voice.

You get no argument from me. There's another singer who's name escapes me at the moment, a European, who also has/had great vocal.

 

[unassuming]

I'm not a big fan of female singers that do vocal acrobatics, runs etc...

I can't stand Whitney Houston's singing and others like her.


Our own Anne Murray comes very close to Karen Carpenter, perfect pitch with ease of singing.

other vocalists with I admire: Carly Simon, Judith Durham, Agnetha Falkstog

 

[Insidious Von]

I had to make time for the drumming video, Karen Carpenter and Neil Peart have something in common. They were both rained as jazz drummers.

Perfect pitch is rare, as good as some of the singers are they don't have it but they do sing naturally. I'm very fond of Anne Murray's Rubber Soul cover, John Lennon said it was one of the best.

Chicago as a back up band - that's respect!

 

[Insidious Von]

 

[Insidious Von]

Another singer who had perfect pitch was Greg Lake.

He wasn't necessarily a good composer, he had others do it for him, but he could work out how the vocals should sound in a matter of minutes.

You wanna fuck yourself up, try singing this in karaoke.

 

[spraggamuffin]

Her expectations (as exhibited by her Love songs) of humans as far as their brand of lust perped as love was too much.
She was obviously disappointed that what she sang in her songs and what was in many songs of that era, were simply not true.
She took it personally and fell for the illusion of thinking that being something she was not, would make things better but only made it worse.