It's so neat to hear how others re: KAREN

[cam83]

Hi All,
I have been out several times these past few weekends, and I will usually start talking to others about singers, which singers they like? What types of music they listen to...it's funny, but most people won't mention The Carpenters.
So I put in my two cents, and say..."Oh, well my most favorite singer of all time is from a group from the 1970's but she passed away..." and most of them know who I am talking about, adn we will start talking about Karen Carpenter and her angelic voice. And I don't even have to say too much about her. Everyone else will rave about THAT voice, and that no one could sing like her. And the songs they always will mention are...Close To You, We've Only Just Begun and Top of the World, as well as sometimes, Rainy Days and Mondays. And then we will have fun talking about her, and I will shed some facts on her that they didn't know...
Like take for example tonight, We were talking about her, and I said, she could sing anything...jazz, blues, disco, country, pop, rock, broadway, gospel, singer-songwriter...anything...and get away with it...her voice was that well suited to recording anything!! And they all agreed. Then my Mom's boyfriend Don and I sang Top of the World, and we harmonized so well...which was neat. Don is a huge fan of Karen's voice. And since I am a huge fan...way bigger than Don...I owned about 30 of her records...I love to share what I know of Karen...with others...

My thoughts,
Cameron

PS. There is so much to know about Karen besides her anorexia-related death...although that also is a huge part of her appeal...sadness/loneliness re: to her voice and music=her anorexia..which led to untimely death. I guess her music will always be tied in with her death...Rainy days and Mondays...Superstar...songs sung with such sadness and pain...and it makes you wonder what was going on in her mind and her heart...

[smoothie2]

:)hi Cam..Indeed! Carps are Universal in their appeal to all ages, some may not want to admit it or talk much about Karen because she's no longer with us and at such a young age.
I recall on one of their shows..maybe their last special or whatever and it was the first time that Karen was very noticeably very thin and didn't look well at all and yet her voice remained perfect and she still liked to perform, but she did seem tired I remember thinking. She had on a shirt that was tucked in with pants with a belt I think and the clothes just hung on her. She sang Close to you with Richard, but her usual spirit in that show ..wasn't there.
I know by that time in their careers, she probably had sung that song a billion or more times and so I know she was tired of singing those same songs and just physically tired.
My mom since has commented on the fact that Karen as well as J. Denver, sang a lot of sad songs and that even with fame and fortune, there was always unhappy feeling in songs like those.
and that's true...but that fact only enhanced the quality of those songs...oddly enough of course.
So..sounds like you have had some fun with friends and I'm glad you did. You are very blessed to be able to go out when you want and have those times.

[smoothie2]

:)I just wanted to add the thought that I recall in J. Denver's book about his life, he says that he wrote the song Sunshine on My Shoulders...on a dreary rainy day...wonder what kind of day the writer of Rainy Days and Mon...what kind of day was it..naturally I would think dreary and lonely especially the way Karen sings it...