Favorite Live Performances:

[CarpentersFan]

Hey Folks:
A recent reply from Song4You in a separate post, revealed a live performance of 'Rainy Days & Mondays, (a version I had never seen), which prompted an idea for a thread featuring our favorite 'live' recordings...
I have a few... but I'll start with this gem... Not one of my very favorite singles - but one that certainly ranks as a fave - in terms of live performances.... Enjoy! & I look forward to seeing and hearing yours!

She sings with such passion here and you know it's straight from the heart! A beautiful live performance!

 

[BarryT60]

This is a long addition to this thread... so forgive me.... I'm a huge Youtube fan - and located this retrospecitve which - in one hour - I think does the best job in summarizing almost everything...

Some excellent live clips throughout... If you've seen it / forgive the redundancy... If you haven't... I know you'll love it....



Ciao!

 

[theninjarabbit]

This is my favorite "live" performance for some reason - "Help" and the Bacharach Medley are lip-synced (you can tell because Richard's got that goofy grin the whole time), but other than those, I believe it's live. On "Sometimes", Karen's singing and Richard's piano work knock me out every time.

 

[Guitarmutt]

I don't know if it's exactly live, but they are different and lively: Your Navy Presents! If you isolate the performances from the banter as I've done, they are vibrant! This is a band in full flight! Plus, I love the Bacharach/David Medley from Australia. Plus, "And When He Smiles" and I Fell In Love With You" from BBC.

 

[MissK]

This is my favorite "live" performance for some reason - "Help" and the Bacharach Medley are lip-synced (you can tell because Richard's got that goofy grin the whole time), but other than those, I believe it's live. On "Sometimes", Karen's singing and Richard's piano work knock me out every time.

This looks like three different concerts to me -three different sets and three different costumes for K&R.

 

[Chris Mills]

This performance has grown on me with the years, Karen is definitely having a good time during the interview , and although she is singing in a slightly higher pitch than most of us are used to hearing from her, Karen pulls off this live performance with confidence.

 

[newvillefan]

This performance has grown on me with the years, Karen is definitely having a good time during the interview , and although she is singing in a slightly higher pitch than most of us are used to hearing from her, Karen pulls off this live performance with confidence.

There are a few things that really jar with me about this appearance. For one, Karen comes across as really affected during the performance of Thank You For The Music to the point that I actually don't enjoy watching it. Secondly, the song was a really poor choice for them, it sounds really bare without the multi-layered harmonies of the ABBA original and doesn't suit her at all. If the recorded version is anything like this, I'm glad Richard chose never to release it. And thirdly, what is she wearing? Awful.

 

[Chris Mills]

I would have agreed with on all points, but as I said, my opinion has changed the more that I have watched it. I don't think the track was pre-recorded, I maybe wrong, but I get the impression that Karen is actually singing live at that moment in the TV studio........... listen to that last note she sings, it goes on for ever. As far as live performances go, this is one of Karen's best ones.

 

[song4u]

And thirdly, what is she wearing? Awful.

Hey, she was stylin' for that time. I really think it's her over-thinness that doesn't pull it off. Didn't she wear this outfit with a hat in one of specials?

 

[GaryAlan]

Song4u,
that could be the same outfit Karen wears on the opening of Space Encounters, where she is singing Sweet, Sweet Smile.
I have this performance of Thank You For The Music on one of the unauthorized Live discs.
And, listened to it yesterday. It sounded great. (The television spot does not do it justice.)
Also, since I was familiar with Abba's version first, I was immediately biased toward the Abba rendition.
But, I believe Carpenters recorded the song before Abba recorded theirs. (?)
So, if a Carpenters studio version exists, with a proper arrangement and backing vocals, I think the song could be a real winner.
It is a great song, so I wonder why it was not given even more consideration in 1978.
Is there more here than meets the eye (and ear?).
Why perform the song Live in the first instance without plans of a release?

 

[newvillefan]

I believe Carpenters recorded the song before Abba recorded theirs. (?)

That's not actually the case GaryAlan - the Carpenters recorded their version after hearing ABBA perform the song on the same show they were appearing on in 1978 - Germany's Starparade show. They actually talk about this during the interview segment posted above. Also, it's impossible that they would have recorded their version before ABBA, simply because Benny and Bjorn wrote it specifically for ABBA's 1977 release 'The Album'.

 

[GaryAlan]

Yes, Stephen, thanks for keeping me straight on this song !
I am glad you pointed out to me the 1977 date. And, of course, you are right.
Carpenters' May Newsletter has the duo on StarParade in May 10,11,12, 1978;and,
the July Newsletter already mentions the June 27th "last minute decision" to appear on the Tonight Show --
performing Thank You For The Music, as a song " they had discovered on their recent trip to Europe."
("This song is also being incorporated in their new road show." July 1978 #60).
Thus, I still question Why the song, after all, was not released as a single.
It appears as if the duo quite liked the song !

 

[Panda]

Richard loved the song and had recorded it with Karen back in 1978. The reason why the song was shelved and never released probably because he thought ABBA's arrangement had given the song to its best and he couldn't add anything new to it.

As Richard's answer to a fan's question about TYFTM in the Q&A of the official Carpenters website:

"A terrific song and even better record, but, of course, nobody does ABBA like ABBA. I was really taken with that song. We first heard them perform it on a highly popular music program in Europe called " Starparade" on which we were both performing in Bremen, Germany, 1978.We laid down a track, but the more I thought about it, I realized that, as usual, Benny and Björn had done the definitive arrangement and all I'd be doing was copying it; something I just don't do, of course. It's an outtake, never completed and in storage with the rest of the stuff in Pennsylvania."

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Is anyone else besides me just a little curious how this outtake of TYFTM sounds compared to the live version they performed on the Tonight Show? So was this part of what was lost in the fire?

 

[Mark-T]

^^ Yes- and wondering if there is a longer version of Dancing in the Street than we what got on As Time Goes By.

 

[GaryAlan]

Peripherally:
Veronique's One Of Us,
is also an Abba song,
produced and arranged by Richard Carpenter (?).
Thus, I am baffled as to the non-release of Carpenters Thank You For The Music--assuming a studio performance exists.
The 1978's Dancing In The Street would be a great addition, although I believe Richard Carpenter did not arrange
the version we hear on the Space Encounters Program. (Correct me on any misconceptions!).

 

[ullalume]

what is she wearing? Awful.

It's funny, Stephen, I always really liked her outfit here, and how she did her hair. . .I think it's quite timeless.

 

[BarryT60]

It's funny, Stephen, I always really liked her outfit here, and how she did her hair. . .I think it's quite timeless.

ITA - I liked it - and loved the hair. Finally - she was getting away from all that satin. I think satin returned for a Christmas special... but I liked this look.

 

[BarryT60]

This performance has grown on me with the years, Karen is definitely having a good time during the interview , and although she is singing in a slightly higher pitch than most of us are used to hearing from her, Karen pulls off this live performance with confidence.

Ahh - this clip... Was so thankful for YouTube when I first found it a while back....

I remember the initial performance, but more profoundly, I recall late the night of February 3rd, 1983 - possibly midnight the 4th, Linda Ellerbee - covering Karen's death and playing the last bit of this song... I remember them freeze-framing the clip about the 4:35 mark - and remembering that desperate feeling of wishing I could turn back time... Linda Ellerbee quipped some meaningful statement ripe with irony and sadness as only she could do - and I was left feeling so miserable in the middle of the night, wishing for at least more of that clip....
Who knew there would be this and so many more to enjoy once again....?

Pretty amazing - when you think about it....

 

[BarryT60]

This is my favorite "live" performance for some reason - "Help" and the Bacharach Medley are lip-synced (you can tell because Richard's got that goofy grin the whole time), but other than those, I believe it's live. On "Sometimes", Karen's singing and Richard's piano work knock me out every time.

Thanks so much for posting this one... I never saw it before... I agree that Sometimes is a knock-out! Interestingly, this was the "Song For You" hair, so it had to be right around the time Karen was doing more solo work without the drums... She looked like she was 'taking to it' pretty well...

 

[GaryAlan]

The Netherlands (1973 performance?)
Top Of The World Live:

 

[70sFan]

Thank you so much Barry, these are simply amazing.

p.s. I love the "Happy Christmas, Brucie" ending!

 

[newvillefan]

The Netherlands (1973 performance?)
Top Of The World Live:

WOW! This is the first time I've seen video footage of Karen in this outfit...I'd only ever seen stills like the one below and to see her in concert is amazing. Thank you!

 

[Walkinat9]

The Netherlands (1973 performance?)
Top Of The World Live:

Oh wow, I didn't think I would ever see any footage of this concert! This is the day after the Grand Gala Du Disque Populaire 1974 (as was the full name of this almost 5-hour event with many Dutch and international performers). On Saturday February 16 the Carpenters gave 2 concerts at the same venue in Amsterdam as the Grand Gala Du Disque, one at 20:00 and the next at 22:30. Fifty minutes of the concert(s) aired on Dutch TV in March 1974 and now at long last we get to see a little bit of it (yaay!). Thanks for spotting and sharing this GaryAlan!

Greg

 

[newvillefan]

On Saturday February 16 the Carpenters gave 2 concerts at the same venue in Amsterdam as the Grand Gala Du Disque, one at 20:00 and the next at 22:30.

I still find it amazing they kept up such a punishing schedule. Two shows in one night? They must have had nothing more than a 15-30 minute break after the first show before going out and doing it all again. Unheard of for big recording stars nowadays.