Anyone read this?

Millions were attracted to the Carpenters largely BECAUSE of their (well, mainly Karen's) warm and friendly image. Then they stuck with them because of the fabulous music.

Good points, Yamaguchi.

As a boy, I idolised Richard. Even with no TV in my life and no access to music magazines, I was well aware that he was the songwriter, arranger, producer and keyboardist, (I read every word on the record covers, jackets and labels), and admired him greatly for his talents.

However, I also idolised Karen. I loved the fact that she played the drums and had heard on the radio that she was a
'Tom-boy', as they put it, which I liked. I liked the fact that Richard and Karen were close as brother and sister.

The over-riding thing that drew me in, though, was their sound. I loved their harmonies, Richard's classically-influenced arrangements, his focus on the keyboards and, more than anything , Karen's voice. My fascination with their sound built up hearing them on the radio when I was seven, eight and nine and at the age of ten, I asked my Mum if she could buy my first Carpenters single for Christmas.
 
I grew up the middle child in a family of five kids, plus mom and dad. Like millions of other "large" families, my siblings and I were naturally attracted to other "family" groups and TV shows of that era because we felt we "related" to them. Musically speaking, we "dug" the Osmonds, the Partridges, the Jacksons and, of course, the Carpenters!
 
A nod to Karen Carpenter....
Do Rainy Days Really Get You Down?
"If you've ever been moved by the late Karen Carpenter's plaintive vocal in the Carpenters' "Rainy Days and Mondays,"
it may have something to do with the powerful association in our collective imagination between rainfall and melancholy. Dark, cloudy skies and the drumbeat of raindrops on our windows tend to make people feel sad and forlorn, or at least that's what we have come to assume. The only consolation is that the sun will come out again and lift our bleak mood."

Source:
Do Rainy Days Really Get You Down?
 
Paul Williams:
"I would often write for specific artists," recalls Paul, "but the songs didn't always end up where I intended.
For example, I originally wrote 'Old Fashioned Love Song' for the Carpenters.
It poured out of me in about 20 minutes, and I raced over to play it for Richard.
But he didn't even listen to it all the way through before saying, 'nope, not interested,'
so it wound up being a hit for Three Dog Night."
Source:
PAUL WILLIAMS - OF CARPENTERS, COUNTRY AND KERMIT
 
Paul Williams:
"I would often write for specific artists," recalls Paul, "but the songs didn't always end up where I intended.
For example, I originally wrote 'Old Fashioned Love Song' for the Carpenters.
It poured out of me in about 20 minutes, and I raced over to play it for Richard.
But he didn't even listen to it all the way through before saying, 'nope, not interested,'
so it wound up being a hit for Three Dog Night."
Source:
PAUL WILLIAMS - OF CARPENTERS, COUNTRY AND KERMIT

Interesting...You have two mega hits written by this songwriter that brings you another song written with you in mind, and suddenly you turn him down. You would think he would've been grateful (Richard) and recorded it just out of respect. Strange dynamic.
 
I noticed The Carpenters' page on Wikipedia was "corrected" to read: "They have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time." For a long time, I think it had read, "more than 100 million records". Does anyone know which is more accurate or why the text was corrected?
 
^^There is only one problem with the quote from Universal Music Group.
It is revisionist in its outlook.
As of March 1981: " Carpenters had sold 79 million records..."

Now, as of 2018, obviously that number approaches the quoted figure of 150 million,
but, the "era" (punk, prog rock, heavy metal) of which the Universal Article
specifically mentions does not extend from 1970 to 2018.....

Still, I would not argue against the term "musical mavericks,"
they were definitely--as Paul Williams notes--against the grain, in their own day.
 
Billboard Magazine,9/20/2008, page 16:
"The definitive list of the Hot 100's top 100 artists,
based on all charting titles from....
August 1958 through July 2008."
#31 , THE CARPENTERS
 
Billboard Magazine,9/20/2008, page 16:
"The definitive list of the Hot 100's top 100 artists,
based on all charting titles from....
August 1958 through July 2008."
#31 , THE CARPENTERS
Although most here would say (like me) that the C's rate higher than that in terms of sheer musical quality, that #31 rating (presumably for sales) is really quite impressive and favorable, -- especially when one considers that 1958 thru 2008 was a period of enormous pop/rock musical giants and geniuses, like Beatles, Stones, Elton, Elvis, Beegees, etc., plus none of them had to succeed against the enormous headwinds of perverse bias and ill-founded critical attacks that burdened the Carpenters. I think they belong in the Top 10 for quality and international impact for that period (their impact in East Asia was especially enormous), but taste and personal preference make it very subjective.
 
On a different thread this morning, Mama Mia 2 was brought up. I just saw this clip the other day (I know it has been out since January). There are a lot of ABBA fans in this forum. In the upcoming Mama Mia 2, Cher will make an appearance as Meryl Streep's mother? I guess anything is possible in Hollywood. But ABBA fans cannot be happy with Cher's apparent butchering of the song Fernando. A brief glimpse:



 
I know this is a "Carpenters" thread and I don't want to get too far of topic, but I think this could be of interest since "The Beach Boys" were such a huge influence on the Carpenter's sound. They will be appearing on PBS tomorrow night. Strange, no mention of Brian Wilson in this squib. I wonder if he will make an appearance?

The Beach Boys To Be Honored On July 4th
 
Gary says: #15....Are you kidding me ! ?

The 20 best musical duos — including Hall & Oates, Outkast
and 36 other people
By Kevin Coffey / World-Herald staff writer
  • Jul 12, 2018
15. The Carpenters
When rock 'n' roll was amping up, Karen Carpenter and her brother, Richard, dialed things back.
The Carpenters created a string of soft, warm, golden melodies in songs
such as "Top of the World" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You."

Source:
The 20 best musical duos — including Hall & Oates, Outkast and 36 other people
 
Not sure what logic was used to determine this ranking, but I would put Hall & Oates in the top spot followed by The Everly Brothers, Carpenters, Simon & Garfunkel, Air Supply, Eurythmics, and Captain & Tennille. Sonny and Cher, England Dan & John Ford Coley and Donnie and Marie would be in the honorable mention category!
 
"Each of the 60 cars in the show is unique, but one, in particular, has a famous background."
"Brian Bailey was searching for a 1957 Dodge Corvette when he found a car that was owned by Richard Carpenter of the famous 70's band The Carpenters."
View clip:
"Cruise-In" brings the community to downtown
It’s interesting how there is a shot of the UK “Treasures” cover in the video. There’s one rare cover.
 
"Each of the 60 cars in the show is unique, but one, in particular, has a famous background."
"Brian Bailey was searching for a 1957 Dodge Corvette when he found a car that was owned by Richard Carpenter of the famous 70's band The Carpenters."
View clip:
"Cruise-In" brings the community to downtown

Why does Richard persist in spending a fortune on restoring these cars over decades, only to sell them and then try to buy them back later?
 
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