Karen's Fantastic Drumming Style

[Rick Henry]

As much as I love Karen for her crystalline perfect voice - I also love her for her unique drumming style. As opposed to being crash and thrash (and I do like some of those crash and thrash drummers) Karen's style is reserved and refined borrowing much from the spicy drumwork of the swing era jazz styled drummers such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. As Karen was a true and pure vocalist she was also an accomplished drummer. A uniquely talented young woman.

Will come back to discuss some of the songs she plays drums on.

Any comments to add?

[wisejester7]

Karen's drumming style is extremely fluent and versatile. Richard likened her to a metronome in her rthymic sense of time. She was a fantastic drummer, a fact that is often undervalued and overlooked by people who consider the Carpenters 'just another soft group'.

Karen was a drummers drummer. Other drummers/musicians knew Karen had the chops. No, she didn't beat the living daylights outta her skins, but the finesse she possessed!! Wow!

Then take the knowledge of her fantastic drumming and pair the perfect voice with it. Either talent is amazing ... and to think she carried duel rolls at the same time!

[merlinjones]

;DI think that Karen was a very fine drummer who could have swapped over to doing pure jazz or swing with no trouble at all. She was very well versed with percussion. From what I have seen, her sense of syncopation was divine.



;DThe neatest thing I have ever seen on the youtube (which is not terribly my thing, that youtube) is a whole live performance of the Carpenters doing Mr Gruder in Belgium. You can watch that and see how wonderful a drummer Karen was. And, she looks very happy to boot!

;DI know for sure that Karen studied herself some Buddy Rich quite a bit. And, that is some hard stuff! I cannot imagine someone five foot four or so doing Buddy Rich at all! My gosh. She might not have been a Roger Taylor type of drummer or something, but she picked a very fine drummer to study and that shows her intellect if anything. Buddy Rich was to percussion what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar, you know?

So, she was a wonderful drummer and I am a total fan girl.

[Rick Henry]

Wow, some great comments here.

Wisejester7 mentioned that Karen was a drummer's drummer... this is very true. Most drummers who know of Karen's work have elevated her to the status of one of the finest of her genre.

Merlinjones said; "Buddy Rich was to percussion what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar" - this Mary is very true.

I feel the song "All I Can do" from the album "Ticket To Ride" ("Offering") is an outstanding example of Karen's talent as a fine drummer. The instrumental "Flat Baroque" is also another sogn which puts Karen's drumwork to the spotlight.

[enigma]

There is little doubt in my mind that Karen is a very accomplished and fluent drummer. Watching her drum she makes even the most difficult drum parts look easy and does it with such a fluid and graceful style I see she is a real natural. What also strikes me about Karens drumming is the fact that she leaves no doubt that she truely enjoys drumming, is in her own oasis when shes drumming and almost gets off on drumming. It seems no matter how much pain she was going through for the time she is drumming she is truely happy and at peace.

The video footage that I really like as far as showing off Karens drumming is one from the American College show when she does a fast mini solo during the Dancing in the Street number, Here A young Karens is doing alot of quick drumming so quick its difficult to follow what shes doing yet she never misses a beat, Even at such a young age Karen show she truely mastered the drums.

Another one I like was during the Oldies Medley on the Live In Japan DVD 1974 I get a kick out of Karen banging her head hair flying everywhere as she really gets into the Medley she is clearly having a ball doing this drumming as am I watching her doing it. Karen Carpenter head banging like a heavy metal drummer it gets me everytime seems so ironic and a hoot to watch.

As far as recorded songs that impress me especially there is Turn Away, Whats The Use, Another Song and the oldies Medley as well as Happy to name a few In reality I love anytime I see or hear Karen drum it attracts me to her almost as much as her singing anong many other things.

[Rick Henry]

Oh yes, Enigma, Karen does a fantastic job on "Another Song" - absolutely inspiring drumwork. Her drumming on "This Masquerade" is also fantastic - very cultured and excellent smooth jazz chops.

I also enjoy Karen's performance on the All American College Show - she did such a great job playing drums (and she really rocked out) while singing. It's no wonder The Richard Carpenter Trio ended up winning that competition - you know it was Karen who won it for them.