Covers that do justice to the Carpenters

[Tapdancer]

Often I hear artists (and this includes accomplished performers) attempting songs that the Carpenters made famous, only to fall well short of the very high benchmark that was set. So it's nice - once in a blue moon - to come across a rendition that is the exception......

 

[ScottyB]

Even tho the Carpenters covered it and even tho Alabama took "Touch Me When We're Dancing" to the top of the country charts, I still consider this song an original Carpenters song that Alabama covered.

 

[tomswift2002]

I was just listening to the Air Supply: The Christmas Album and their cover of "Sleigh Ride" I would say would be right up there with the Carpenters version. Both are done very well, but both have their differences that you can not mistake the one for the other.

 

[Toney03]

Often I hear artists (and this includes accomplished performers) attempting songs that the Carpenters made famous, only to fall well short of the very high benchmark that was set. So it's nice - once in a blue moon - to come across a rendition that is the exception......

Well Tapdancer, this remarkable Australian singer (Dami Im) also did another faithful cover of a great Carpenters song in a live performance of "Rainy Days and Mondays" at a charity benefit concert in Melbourne (October 2015), and I think it is another exceptionally good rendition

 

[GaryAlan]

I don't know about justice, but, here is (a link to)
Johnny Mathis'
Goodbye To Love:
Cover versions of Goodbye to Love by Johnny Mathis | SecondHandSongs »

 

[GaryAlan]

I rather enjoy this Cover :
Yesterday once more (Filipino Reggae)

 

[GaryAlan]

Another, Yesterday Once More/I Won't Last A Day....Donnie and Marie....

 

[Toney03]

Often I hear artists (and this includes accomplished performers) attempting songs that the Carpenters made famous, only to fall well short of the very high benchmark that was set. So it's nice - once in a blue moon - to come across a rendition that is the exception......

Tapdancer - the wonderful Dami Im has done it again and taken the Carpenters "Close To You" to China and performed it live at the BTV Spring Festival Global Gala event in Beijing and televised all over China to more than 200 Million viewers for the Lunar New Year celebrations this month - a simply beautiful performance live:

 

[GaryAlan]

Perry Como sings Sing !
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyOk-GMYsCU

 

[Jamesj75]

One of my favorite singer/songwriters is Marc Cohn whose signature song is "Walking in Memphis." That song (and eponymous album) proved to be his greatest success. In 1991, he won the Grammy for Best New Artist amid other nominations. That entire debut album is outstanding! His "True Companion" has often been used at weddings.

He has released a handful of albums over the years. In 2010, he released a CD entitled Listening Booth: 1970, wherein he covers songs from that golden year (1970, not 2010 ), including "The Tears of a Clown," "Make It With You," and "The Only Living Boy in New York." A bonus track was featured in the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition: "Close to You!" Try as I might, I was unable to find a video of that particular track, so unfortunately I am unable to post a link here. However, I bought the exclusive edition with the bonus track, and I can testify that, although different, it's a great, distinctive (almost acoustic) cover of "Close to You." If I can provide further information, feel free to reply or message me.

I will add that Marc is an extremely talented musician (primarily piano and guitar), gifted songwriter, with a soulful voice. I have had the pleasure of seeing him in concert in recent years, smaller venues where he graciously does a meet-and-greet afterward. He affably poses for pictures and signs albums/CDs. He is on tour now, and I saw him just last month. He puts on a fantastic concert, even takes requests. You can tell that he thoroughly enjoys performing and talking about his music. It's comforting to me that he has covered an iconic song made famous by Carpenters.

 

[Harry]

I love "Walking In Memphis". It's one of those songs I can't play loud enough.

 

[tomswift2002]

I just picked up Michael Bolton's new "Songs Of Cinema", and he does a cover of "As Time Goes By", which Karen sang in the Karen/Ella Fitzgerald medley on "As Time Goes By".

 

[Carpe diem]

I heard a pretty good rendition of A Song For You performed live by Donna Summer on 1977 Mac Davis "Sounds Like Home" TV special on GetTV a couple of weeks ago. She sings it "bluesy" but worth checking out. She doesn't top Karen's version IMHO, but a nice rendition anyway. This is an interesting special because the show is recorded on a "western-style" set with cactus and huge boulders everywhere and the audience doesn't even look like they are in the same room and always at the performer's backs. Very strange...They are suppose to replay this special all month. Worth a look...

 

[AM Matt]

I could hear Karen doing the remake of OneRepublic 2007 song "Apoligize" Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Mark-T]

Me too

 

[NowhereMan]

Lately, I've been enjoying this version of "Rainy Days and Mondays" by pianist Roger Williams. If you listen carefully at the end you will hear him quote the opening line from "Singin' in the Rain."

 

[tomswift2002]

I was just watching Family Feud on CBS62 WWJ Detroit. One of the contestants, Langston Ballard, gave a really good performance of the chorus for Superstar. But he never mentioned the Carpenters, since he said that he was a backup singer for Paul Simon.