DVD of CLOSE TO YOU: REMEMBERING THE CARPENTERS.

[cam83]

Hi All,
I would recommend that this DVD is worth getting. I really enjoyed the documentary on the PBS station. I was so fascinated by the footage in it that I had never seen. Like of Karen wearing that cute white outfit, drumming on that College Show with Rich...on the Dick Carpenter Trio...and singing, "Dancing in the street." Seeing her drum and sing flawlessly was really good. No wonder they won! I also loved seeing Karen sing "Yesterday Once More" at the piano with Richard. She looked very thin, and so tired...but she sang wonderfully.
I also loved seeing them win that Grammy in 1970...cool. She and he, looked so happy...she is just giddy!
The only bad thing about this video, is that, all the songs that were on it, were clips, rather than the full video format...but at least they had the songs on it, I guess...
I also loved what people said about them. It was a classy video (thank God no Maria on there!!!!).
On the DVD...they have the photo gallery which features the song...by K and R, the song on Richard's second solo album, and the reprise on the Now and Then...
I was surprised that those 2 Sun Tory Pop commercials only featured Top of the World clip...as opposed to the Sun Tory Pop songs that R and K sang and recorded? Maybe those were just for radio.
I really adored the song FROM THE HEART...I feel bad that they didn't record a full version...Her vocals sound heavenly...a song tailor made for her voice.
I loved the footage of her singing AVE MARIA...crisp and clear. She looked wasted though...but still sang like a lark! Nice setting.
I also loved A PLACE TO HIDEAWAY...what a gorgeous song full of emotion. My favorite song on this DVD...obviously filmed for the Make Your Own Kind of Music tv summer series in 1971.
The DVD also includes them performing TOP OF THE WORLD at the White House...which is cool! Too bad there isn't a DVD of the Carpenters AT THE WHITE HOUSE!!
Near the end of the origional PBS documentary, it was sad to see the photos of Karen looking ill. Although there is one photo that angers me...the one, where Richard starts talking about Karen coming to visit her parents the day before her death, and then they show this horrible picture of her, not from 1983 as was suggested, but from 1979-1980 or 1981(after coming back from Brazil)...so that people think that is what Karen looked like after treatment. When she came back, she weighed 108 pounds...as opposed to that photo where she must weigh 80 pounds...(the jeans just hang on her...same with her sweater...only skin and bone)...so it say, "She didn't look well...and I could see it in her eyes...." So they show a photo of her eyes on the worst possible picture...to back up HIS story that she didn't look well. Well I have seen photos on Ray Coleman's book and Karen did look thin, but much more healthier...and with an extra 31 pounds added to her frame. But anyways...
I cried when she died, and they showed footage of her coffin...being carried out...and Richard looking lost...that was very sad!! My heart went out to him and his family at their loss!
But all in all, a very gorgeous video...The booklet that comes with it...is a fold out...but really nice pictures...and nice information! I have always been a fan of Karen wearing that red jacket for her solo session...by the way, was her hair highlighted at all...there seems to be streaks in it?

My jumbled thoughts,
Cameron Longo
[e-mail]

[Federico Cruz]

I own it and it's really great!

[Christian]

I agree with you Cameron, truly a great documentary and a must for us fans!
Was there another documentary where Maria(the ex-girlfriend) was interviewed? remember hearing about it some time ago. Is it available?

As for the Live At The White House concert, I remember reading that there is no complete concert available as someone forgot to switch the sound on when it was aired. It does exist but apparently it has no sound for most of the concert. But agree with you, would have been great to see.

[cam83]

Hi Christian,
I have actually seen them sing FOR ALL WE KNOW, MR GUDER, SOMETIMES, TOP OF THE WORLD, SUPERSTAR, CLOSE TO YOU, WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN, JAMBALAYA and RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS at this concert...and you could hear the sound...
Yes, there were several with Maria that were not the greatest...the E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY, the YESTERDAY ONCE MORE in UK and I think another one...where I didn't like what she had to say about Karen...because Karen was human and with that comes complexities about someone...but...it's her attitude and bitterness that I don't like about Maria...like she has some chip on her shoulder...my feeling is...if you don't have anything nice or constructive to say, don't say anything at all!! Was the way I was raised...

My jumbled thoughts,
Cameron Longo
[e-mail]

[Christian]

Thanx for the info Cameron!
Great to hear there is a complete concert from the WH as I have always believed there wasn`t. Maybe there are copies both with and without sound floating around as my source indicated several times that apparently most parts of the concert was without sound due to a technical mess up.

About Maria, I have found her sort of bitter and negative whenever I have read some of her comments and interviews. Also in the Coleman book one gets the impression that she is somewhat bitter and negative and it also goes on to say that she and Karen were not great friends but sometimes hung together on the road as they were the only women on the entourage.

Thanx again for the info!!

[Rick Henry]

I purchased my copy of the documentary first on VHS from the PBS station that aired it. I payed $85.00 for it and the next week I saw it at a music store for $20.00. It was still worth $85.00 to me anyway. when it was released on DVD I bought it right away. It's an excellent documantary.

[Laura]

Am still crying here.....................