Quotes of Praise for Richard

Mark-T

Well-Known Member
Many famous folks have spoken abut their loves for Karen's gifts. What about Richard? He is immensely talented! A great producer, arranger, song writer etc.
What quotes from famous people have you read about him?
 
They're out there. Don't have them at the tip of my fingers; however, I do remember reading many statement from some (particularly Herb Alpert comes to mind) about Richard's "genius," expertise, knowledge and musicianship. I think Paul Williams, for example, has some quotes about Richard out there as do others.
 
Like Karen, I believe he has a deeper part of his soul that he was privately in touch with but only publicly displayed through his music. The feelings in his soul become translated somehow to his mind (one of life's spiritual mysteries) which sparked an innate genius for creating music, aural human feeling, that framed Karen's ethereal voice. He was a different person than Karen but he understood the pathos and drama of her voice and how to draw it out and arrange the music for maximum effect. His instinctive understanding of her aural melancholy tones indicates, I think, that he was an old soul too. There are people twice his age when they started that wouldn't be able to grasp the feeling.

I do have very mixed feelings about him personally and his non musical relationship with Karen but that's another story.
 
"All Richard needs is a good wife and a good secretary, that's all." - Karen Carpenter

This quote was read to Richard by an interviewer in the UK in Oct. '83 and Richard seemed touched and surprised. "Karen said that?" he reponded.
 
"All Richard needs is a good wife and a good secretary, that's all." - Karen Carpenter

This quote was read to Richard by an interviewer in the UK in Oct. '83 and Richard seemed touched and surprised. "Karen said that?" he reponded.

What interview was that Neil, radio or TV?
 
I'm sure there are things said about his genius by Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick, and Dusty Springfield. I just have yet to find them. Probably others too.
 
What interview was that Neil, radio or TV?

It was a TV interview on Pebble Mill. The interviewer was a Scottish guy, I think Paul Coia was his name. . .I've never seen it once surface on Youtube. He also talks about Karen's marriage. . ."Karen and Tom were from two different worlds and that became apparent soon after the marriage."
 
It was a TV interview on Pebble Mill. The interviewer was a Scottish guy, I think Paul Coia was his name. . .I've never seen it once surface on Youtube. He also talks about Karen's marriage. . ."Karen and Tom were from two different worlds and that became apparent soon after the marriage."

Ah thanks Neil, I actually remember downloading that years ago (back in the day when file sharing was legal). It was a nice interview! Wish I'd kept it.
 
I'm sure we can add Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert too. I wish I'd collected these quotes when they were on line.
 
Richard was a genius. Just like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, he had that talent to make it all come together in the studio. Richard has a reputation of being an "ass"; difficult to work with, interview, etc. But if you see any documentaries or interviews since Karen's passing, the guy just seems sad...lost, what have you. There is no person on this planet that has taken Karen Carpenter's death a hard as Richard. Lets face it, most of us adore Karen, but we should honor him as well.
 
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