Unexpected Carpenters Experience in Chicago

[milwaukeeburt]

Spent the New Year in Chicago-- hanging out, going to museums, shopping, eating and drinking WAY too much. While visiting Millennium Park, heard the outdoor speakers at the skating rink play Carpenters "We've Only Just Begun." What a nice surprise, definitely had goosebumps or was it the 25-degree temp? Regardless, another impressive example of how their music is ingrained in American culture. And world culture as well!

 

[goodjeans]

Wasn't Chicago the same town in which a journalist from one of the windy city newspapers wrote that chilling article about Karen's voice? I think it was even re-published the following (last) year due to such enormous response.

Still Goosebumps After All These Years

 

[A&M Retro]

Yes! I live in Chicago, and the article you mentioned was in the Chicago Sun-Times. Beautifully expressed thoughts on the Christmas album, and Karen's voice in particular. And it WAS re-printed! I corresponded with the writer of the article to thank him, and he said he had never received more letters from any other article he'd written. And the majority of those letters were very complimentary.

 

[goodjeans]

...cool, Retro...

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Any way of scaning in that article would love to read that.

 

[A&M Retro]

Hi Chris:
The article should still be posted on the richardandkarencarpenter.com site. If you can't find it, send me a message, and I'll see if I can't track it down for you.
Bob.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Found it Bob, I can't believe I never clicked on that before to read it. Nice article, good point he makes: "Carpenter sang without attitude -- but also without excessive sentiment. In other words, her voice was at once incredibly beautiful and strikingly neutral"

Me: For Karen there was no trying to be someone else, she sang and out came this beautiful instrument, naturally and effortlessly, she wasn't over the top, her deliverly of a song is what I love most about her, she didn't have to do all these runs that artist today are doing.

I like this person's response to that Chicago article:

"NAPERVILLE--For years I have argued that the best female vocalist that I had heard in my lifetime was Karen Carpenter. Had her life not been cut short, I'm certain that more people would feel this way. Her presentation was pure and effortless.

She never seemed to strain to reach a note. She didn't flaunt her talents with departures from an original composition the way that many contemporary artists do. You can keep your Barbras, your Mariahs, and your Celines. In my book, they all pale in comparison to Karen Carpenter."
John Madormo


Me: I sooo agree with this person's response.

 

[A&M Retro]

You are so right, Chris. She was the most unpretentious singer, and also the most talented around! Glad you were able to find the article.

 

[Dave60640]

When I had originally sent RC and Becky the article a year or so ago (when it was reprinted here in Chicago) the response was "humbling" and "touching."
A voice and an album that, 30 years after it's original release, can still give someone goosebumps and (at times) even make you cry, says a heck of a lot more than I ever can!

 

[Mark-T]

Yep. Karen beats Barbra and everyone else, no question. That pure and beautiful voice without the theatrics and drama. Just listened to a few of their albums today- still elegant and timeless.

 

[A&M Retro]

Thanks for making the article available to us, Dave. I missed it the first time around, and I live in Chicago myself.

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

I remember I posted the article to another forum. There were many topics about the article.


An old member told me that she remembered a month or months discussions by Carpenters fans and others at Chicago paper. Probably in the middle of '70s. Does anyone happen to remember it? She described it as a war, I think.
Does anyone have the original article that brought to long discussion?
I think it reached to Japan through U.K. article or interview. But I haven't read the original article nor Chicago paper discussion.

Thanks.

Sakura

 

[A&M Retro]

I don't know about the paper discussion, but I did read the following somewhere:
"Hurting Each Other" came in as the #1 single on the year-end 'Top100' chart. This was on a Chicago top 40 station (either WLS or WGN). When it came time to play the #1 song, the DJ said, "I don't see any reason to play that", and didn't!

 

[A&M Retro]

It's a good thing I wasn't living in Chicago at the time because I probably would have picketed the station....LOL!!

 

[goodjeans]

"I don't see any reason to play that", and didn't!

Hmmmm. Sounds like someone needs some sugar in the gas tank, or one of those infamous FYOU rings from K and R themselves...smirks at the irreverence of some...

 

[Mark-T]

^ or the music snobbishness of some!

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

I don't know about the paper discussion, but I did read the following somewhere:
"Hurting Each Other" came in as the #1 single on the year-end 'Top100' chart. This was on a Chicago top 40 station (either WLS or WGN). When it came time to play the #1 song, the DJ said, "I don't see any reason to play that", and didn't!

Thanks for the episode.

Sakura

 

[goodjeans]

...also, hopefully he or she (the DJ) is experiencing the same career longevity in life or the afterlife as our beloved Karen.

 

[Harry]

...also, hopefully he or she (the DJ) is experiencing the same career longevity in life or the afterlife as our beloved Karen.

That seems a little extreme.

Can we keep it more civil?

Harry

 

[goodjeans]

What was uncivilized about that? The point is, Karen's memory lives on and we don't even know the name of the D.J.

 

[JMAR5]

Yep. Karen beats Barbra and everyone else, no question. That pure and beautiful voice without the theatrics and drama. Just listened to a few of their albums today- still elegant and timeless.

Babs Streisand can't even compare to her. Totally different leauge all together.