I've noticed over the years that there are short segments of Carpenters songs that I play over and over just because I like something about it. Maybe it’s the way Karen sings a word, forms a phrase, or shapes a note; maybe something about the arrangement grabs me and won’t let go. Whatever it is, I find myself listening to that portion of the song again and again, without playing the rest of it.
Let me give you a couple of examples. One of my favorites comes around the 2.45 mark of “Close to You" when Karen echoes herself and sings “just like me” in the background. There’s something about the timbre of that phrase that simply captivates me. I can play that part by itself ten times in a row and never tire of it. (The funny things is that I didn’t really notice it until I heard the official karaoke version of the song many years later. After that I was hooked.)
Another short section that I’ve played lots of times can be found near the end of “When it’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)”. Around the 4.26 mark, just before the song fades to a close, there are a series of six bell-like notes. I don’t know what instrument is playing them, but they always give me a sense of closure and resolution when I hear them. I don’t have the musical vocabulary to tell you why; I just know I feel that way. And whenever I play that song I typically play that part of it four or five times.
I could offer lots more examples, but I'm wondering if any of you have favorite snippets of Carpenters songs that you return to and play repeatedly. Or am I the only weird one?
Let me give you a couple of examples. One of my favorites comes around the 2.45 mark of “Close to You" when Karen echoes herself and sings “just like me” in the background. There’s something about the timbre of that phrase that simply captivates me. I can play that part by itself ten times in a row and never tire of it. (The funny things is that I didn’t really notice it until I heard the official karaoke version of the song many years later. After that I was hooked.)
Another short section that I’ve played lots of times can be found near the end of “When it’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)”. Around the 4.26 mark, just before the song fades to a close, there are a series of six bell-like notes. I don’t know what instrument is playing them, but they always give me a sense of closure and resolution when I hear them. I don’t have the musical vocabulary to tell you why; I just know I feel that way. And whenever I play that song I typically play that part of it four or five times.
I could offer lots more examples, but I'm wondering if any of you have favorite snippets of Carpenters songs that you return to and play repeatedly. Or am I the only weird one?