Far and away my favorite TV moment from Carpenters, and definitely one of their all-time best. I also agree that it showcases both Karen and Richard's talents in every possible way. The vocals and harmonies are classic Carpenters.
I also remember watching 'Music, Music, Music' when it first aired, and taping the audio off the TV. Unfortunately, I realized after the show was over that my tape recorder stopped working properly just before this medley started! It felt like I'd been shot when I thought it was gone forever. LOL>> Little did I know one day I'd be able to watch it anytime I liked....and in even better quality thanks to motownboy than ever before.
Regarding the comments about 'Now' and 'You're Enough':
I really think this is a case of 'hindsight is 20/20'. People will pay extra close attention to these vocals in particular based on what we know now about Karen's condition at the time. I think if we listened to those songs WITHOUT knowing that, we might not even notice anything different. I still maintain she sounds better on those two songs than she does on anything from "Made In America" (not counting 'I Believe You' from '78). Her voice is upfront where it belongs, and she's singing in the old style. She sounds slightly strained on 'Now', but I also think it's because she was singing in a higher register than usual.
The same thing applies to casual viewers on You Tube when it comes to the video clips. People often comment on an early clip from 'The Carol Burnett Show' or 'Make Your Own Kind of Music', and they'll say something like, "She's so thin! Poor thing". Of course, diehards know Karen was in the best of health during the early part of their career, but people are LOOKING for it. If they weren't looking for it, it wouldn't even be mentioned.
I also remember watching 'Music, Music, Music' when it first aired, and taping the audio off the TV. Unfortunately, I realized after the show was over that my tape recorder stopped working properly just before this medley started! It felt like I'd been shot when I thought it was gone forever. LOL>> Little did I know one day I'd be able to watch it anytime I liked....and in even better quality thanks to motownboy than ever before.
Regarding the comments about 'Now' and 'You're Enough':
I really think this is a case of 'hindsight is 20/20'. People will pay extra close attention to these vocals in particular based on what we know now about Karen's condition at the time. I think if we listened to those songs WITHOUT knowing that, we might not even notice anything different. I still maintain she sounds better on those two songs than she does on anything from "Made In America" (not counting 'I Believe You' from '78). Her voice is upfront where it belongs, and she's singing in the old style. She sounds slightly strained on 'Now', but I also think it's because she was singing in a higher register than usual.
The same thing applies to casual viewers on You Tube when it comes to the video clips. People often comment on an early clip from 'The Carol Burnett Show' or 'Make Your Own Kind of Music', and they'll say something like, "She's so thin! Poor thing". Of course, diehards know Karen was in the best of health during the early part of their career, but people are LOOKING for it. If they weren't looking for it, it wouldn't even be mentioned.