Posted on 12/12/2015 7:03:46 PM PST by Fai Mao
I learned a little about the recording industry over several months, not enough to truly understand it but to appreciate all the work it takes to put out a single, let alone an album.
In one video which I won't remember, Richard talked about his development as a pianist, composer and arranger.
He started piano lessons in New Haven according to the classic technique. It followed him when he went with his parents to California, but playing according to the classical style (as his talented paternal grandparents had done), was not what he was after only he didn't know how to do things he'd heard on his father's record collection and didn't know what to ask for in the way of lessons; he went to college for a couple years and seems to have been self taught after he discovered where he wanted to go with his music.
First, he discovered the chord and improvisation method, fortunately for what followed in his career, and became brilliant at making even a Bacharach sheet music transform from ho hum to brilliant. Late I learned about improvisation, have listened to some who play that way, by ear and adding chords and fills, it appears effortless and, for them, it becomes that, but not for me. Richard was just as talented of the two as Karen but she always outshone him.
The other intriguing lesson I learned was when Richard discovered dubbing while listening to a Les Paul and Mary Ford record, Les on guitar, and Mary on guitar and vocal. It is recorded as a single melody voice note one time. Then it is re-recorded to add a complementary vocal note, and so on until there were what I think are called "voices", all Mary harmonizing herself. Richard said Karen couldn't do that, but it didn't matter.
Self voicing or however you put it makes a song so much richer if not overdone. I got in a discussion about how Skeeter Davis harmonized with herself in part of one of her songs. I never understood that effect before but knew what my ears heard.
I wanted to try improvising with my keyboard and Garage Band, I have a fine full keyboard with weighted keys, but it doesn't have a compatible interface with anything on the computer because it is too out-dated. I made one video using iPhoto, fun, and used apple music but yt called me on a copyright violation so I just took it down. Then I occasionally opened iMovie, but it is way too complicated for me, will leave it to the pros, will have to learn it if I want to advance.
There is a tribute Richard wrote for Karen, piano only, a lovely piece with photos called Karen's Theme. Look for one that sounds like Richard playing.
On talk radio recently, the host used to be a DJ and mentioned how he hated having to play over and over Mr. Postman. I don't care much for it either, but I was disappointed to hear him say that because Karen left a legacy of many fine albums, live, and so many photos. How lucky we are to have all that.
I will listen to her Christmas music, but I like her medleys, two in London, one in a large studio with full orchestra, and the performance in Budoken (sp?) Japan. How I wish I could have seen one of her live performances.
Karen Carpenter did not have any children, The link you provided is ti a Pakistani born British singer Rumer, She has a nice voice though
Thanks for the correction. I don’t remember where I got that information, but I have seen it from several sources.
Thank you SO MUCH for posting the links to the two videos. Remembered watching the Christmas specials as a kid and enjoyed them even MORE watching them as an adult. :-) FReegards.
It was finally released a few years ago. I can’t comment on it because I haven’t heard it, but I understand it was completely different from the kind of music her brother was assembling for her.
“Richard was just as talented of the two as Karen but she always outshone him.”
I’ve wondered if that was part of Karen’s problem that led to her anorexia...my impression is that they were a tight family (perhaps to the point of being controlling) and Richard had always been “favored” to be the star. And then suddenly Karen was the great talent instead...that had to have caused problems.
I met and had dinner with Karen and Richard in Jan 1970 at a wedding rehearsal dinner, sat right across from her. She was a cousin to the grooms 1st wife that died giving birth to his 3rd child (caught something in hospital, her mom also caught it visiting her and died). She sang “Ava Maria” at the wedding. That was just before they made it, the only chart song they had at that time was a remake of “Ticket To Ride”. Richard was talking about just meeting with Bert Bacharach who heard them somewhere and liked the sound. Even then she seemed very high strung, not as ease, was constantly tapping the table or moving. After a few beers and wine she did seem to relax. I may have had a few too many because I suggested to Karen and the wedding party that Karen should sing “Ticket to Ride” instead of “Ava Maria” at the wedding the next day. If I recall correctly all laughed except the bride.
Yes, I think it was simply called “Karen Carpenter”. For some reason, Richard was unavailable.
I think I’ve seen it.
I’m not much for Freud, but I do tend to be a Jungian.
Another one who was the child of a classical musician was Darryl Dragon, the Captain of Captain and Tenille. His father was the conductor of the Glendale (CA) Symphony Orchestra.
One of the classic cases of dubbing is Barry Manilow’s “One Voice”. All 40 of those voices are Manilow himself.
They took “Ticket to Ride”, slowed it down, and made it a ballad. Very pretty.
It’s said that when John Lennon heard the Carpenters version, he said, “Now, why didn’t we think of that?”
Neither could have been what they were without the other. I know when they were abroad, Richard was the one who checked back home. Karen checked Richard into a hospital for his Quaalude addiction, but no one was there for her when she was being treated in NY and also making a recording.
But when things got more serious, some of her family went out, the doctor confronted the mother, and Karen burst into tears. She felt terrible and that she had been the cause of it. After a hospitalization and she gained 15 pounds, she abruptly terminated treatment and returned to CA, still sick.
It seemed she wanted to try her wings and venture into music styles that weren't their trademark of all American clean wholesome. Richard didn't want to publish it but did later. What I heard of it, I didn't care for.
It was the autopsy report that was so shocking; it's on yt. She just wasn't anorexic; she was taking several other drugs, one or two prescription only, and she didn't need them. But she never used street drugs ever, I'm sure. Or drink and, of course, not smoke.
I read a lot of other things and have some thoughts, but I guess I want to remember Karen when she was at their zenith. She wanted so badly to please, her family, her brother, her fans.
In the end there was a serious flare up with Richard who grew so concerned about her and said she just didn't look well. I think it was ten days later and she was dead. The internal damage had been done, and I rather doubt if she could have recovered, but I'm not a medical expert.
Richard went on and married and had five children. I guess I can let myself mention a couple more things. Karen had a terrific constitution but I don't think they were prepared for burnout; they worked at such a frenetic pace. I could say Richard had more stamina, but he fell into the Quaaludes. To his credit as far as we know, he overcame that.
Karen was so terrific at the drums. And she didn't like being put out on stage but seemed to get more comfortable with that. Richard in all his accompaniments, never drowned her out with his music, he let her have the spotlight.
Like you said, Karen's unsuspected meteoric rise might have thrown the family dynamics off balance. But most of her life, she adored her older brother, maybe it was only he who could make his music bring out what we have all come to admire so much about her, that irreplaceable voice. There will never be another one like it.
I forgot her marriage. It was a disaster, and I blame Tom Burris for using her. Richard must have cut some kind of deal with him to never publicize anything about Karen. So he went into the shadows, probably with a lot of Karen's money.
I wish she could have been made well again; we can only hope she is now and found the true happiness that eluded her on earth. I never heard of her doing or saying a mean thing to anyone.
I'm kind of a ditz when it comes to performers. They either come to my attention and captivate me, or I don't bother with many of them that were hugely popular.
I heard of Captain and Tenile but not Darryl Dragon and don't know a thing about them.
As to Jung, I did find him more interesting, but he seemed to be an occultist. I do believe in the concept of the collective unconsciousness but don't know if it is valid. This could be ridiculous, but I believe Christians if they have reached a certain level of spirituality, not that they have worked for it, are freed from being entrapped in that. For God's purposes, He most certainly could impart whatever knowledge, gift or sensing to a soul He wished.
The reason I came to believe he may have tapped into the occult is t hat he had an OBE where he describes himself as halfway to the moon at an incredible speed.
I tend to have a habit of trying to simplify philosophical concepts that are hard to understand and I might be more open if it hadn't been for the nihilists and what followed.
“One Voice” is a grear choral number.
My wife and I have seen Barry Manilow in concert numerous times. He has the most eclectic fan base of any performer I’ve seen.
Darryl Dragon is The Captain.
“Love Will Keep Us Together” is one Captain and Tenille song you might have heard. Perhaps “Muskrat Love” or “We Never Really Say Goodbye”.
I would not describe Jung as an occultist, and the collective unconscious is something in which I strongly believe. It’s also something that changes with our thoughts and activities. It’s simply the subconsciously accepted beliefs of the human race that we mostly take for granted and act on without being aware of them.
Interestingly, I dated a girl in college for a while who was a psych major and she was always telling me abotu her lab rats. (She tended to behaviorism.) I kept saying, “OK, but people are not lab rats.” We had some very interesting discussions.
I've heard Love will keep us Together, can't quite get the melody, will try to find a version when it's not so late.
Jung, I shouldn't talk about him. It was too long ago, and there was something about psychology that made me feel empty. Nobody really got healed, maybe a few. Then I turned to religion, investigated all the Christian and quasi-Christian ones I could find.
Also Theosophy, de Chardin, lots of occult influences, Edgar Cayce. Sometimes I wonder if the global warming people stole their ideas from Cayce. He predicted rising seas; Nebraska would be beach property. But I think his teaching was that the earth would suddenly turn, the north pole going 90 degrees upsetting everything. He talked about Atlantis, reincarnation, healing, Akashic records.
I don't read many books any more. The last ones, I bought about 7 used books written by two Orthodox Jewish women about "little miracles". I couldn't put them down until I'd read them all.
I don't know if I'm older and wiser or not but I'm tired of therapists. It's all talk therapy now, maybe some behavior modification. Some finally got well and got off their medicine. It was rare. Most never did. Healing is now the medicine works. It's true when the medicine works, some people get their lives back; it's amazing.
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