The Karen Grimace

[Carpe diem]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have an serious Karen Carpenter obsession. Her musicality, beauty, persona, voice, etc. I study their video footage like JFK conspiracy theorists study the "Zapruder film".

Most of us are quite familiar with the Karen eye-roll. But what about the Karen grimace? I could be wrong, but I don't think this has ever been brought up in this forum.

Is there an explanation why she does it? Enquiring minds want to know!

Two examples (and I'm sure there are more out there);


1972 Budokan during Close To You (thank you Billy Rees) at 26:17 and 27:38. (I also love her facial expressions doing that whole flirty thing with Doug Strawn at 27:12)


By the way, did Karen's hair ever look more beautiful/spectacular than during this concert? I don't think so.

1974 Budokan during Jambalaya at at 0:28 and 1:39



Please feel free to add more Karen "grimaces" as you find them...

 

[Kaisu]

3:50 am, I'm awake and thinking about where is that video where Karen plays the drums and gives quick vexed look to her right side. And I wonder who she was eying. Wasn't it her habit to scold the other band members if they played wrong or something? And now I'm annoyed for not knowing what video that was or have I just been making things up?? Time to go to sleep I guess! Soon...

4:23 am: Tried to find the video to no avail. I ended up looking many others Carpenters videos though!

 

[Martin Medrano]

is it the 1974 budokan concert where she says careful

 

[ullalume]

I was always aware of something that occurred during her drum solo at the new london theatre in 76. It occurs near the end of the piece when Karen's at a set of drums to the left of the stage and she and cubby are trading off each other.

At one point cubby picks up the pace...intended as a good natured, I presume, challenge for her to keep up. She clearly realizes and shouts to him "hey" then uses her sticks to try to slow down the timing. Cubby ignores her and for a few moments shes slightly behind ....but then she pulls out all the stops and gets it bang on....

Challenge accepted and met. Go karen.

 

[Martin Medrano]

I was always aware of something that occurred during her drum solo at the new london theatre in 76. It occurs near the end of the piece when Karen's at a set of drums to the left of the stage and she and cubby are trading off each other.

At one point cubby picks up the pace...intended as a good natured, I presume, challenge for her to keep up. She clearly realizes and shouts to him "hey" then uses her sticks to try to slow down the timing. Cubby ignores her and for a few moments shes slightly behind ....but then she pulls out all the stops and gets it bang on....

Challenge accepted and met. Go karen.

@16:04 is when she says hey. Make sure to use headphones listen closely.

 

[David A]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have an serious Karen Carpenter obsession. Her musicality, beauty, persona, voice, etc. I study their video footage like JFK conspiracy theorists study the "Zapruder film".

Most of us are quite familiar with the Karen eye-roll. But what about the Karen grimace? I could be wrong, but I don't think this has ever been brought up in this forum.

Is there an explanation why she does it? Enquiring minds want to know!

Two examples (and I'm sure there are more out there);


1972 Budokan during Close To You (thank you Billy Rees) at 26:17 and 27:38. (I also love her facial expressions doing that whole flirty thing with Doug Strawn at 27:12)


By the way, did Karen's hair ever look more beautiful/spectacular than during this concert? I don't think so.

1974 Budokan during Jambalaya at at 0:28 and 1:39



Please feel free to add more Karen "grimaces" as you find them...

If I see what I think you mean, I think that's a natural facial expression for her, she makes, not sure if it's only when she sings. She makes that same kind of "grimace" several times in the video for All You Get From Love is a Love Song. I actually think it's cute as heck, but then, I'm biased (Hah!).

At the 0.45 - 0.47 mark, and then again several times later:

 

[Martin Medrano]

I noticed that and i found it very cute. It might just be a natural expression. Things aside i like what she is wearing in the video.

 

[Sabar]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have an serious Karen Carpenter obsession. Her musicality, beauty, persona, voice, etc. I study their video footage like JFK conspiracy theorists study the "Zapruder film".

Most of us are quite familiar with the Karen eye-roll. But what about the Karen grimace? I could be wrong, but I don't think this has ever been brought up in this forum.

Is there an explanation why she does it? Enquiring minds want to know!

Two examples (and I'm sure there are more out there);


1972 Budokan during Close To You (thank you Billy Rees) at 26:17 and 27:38. (I also love her facial expressions doing that whole flirty thing with Doug Strawn at 27:12)


By the way, did Karen's hair ever look more beautiful/spectacular than during this concert? I don't think so.

1974 Budokan during Jambalaya at at 0:28 and 1:39



Please feel free to add more Karen "grimaces" as you find them...

One grimace looks like an effort to concentrate, another looks like she is using her mouth to shape the sound of a note.

 

[Kaisu]

3:50 am, I'm awake and thinking about where is that video where Karen plays the drums and gives quick vexed look to her right side. And I wonder who she was eying. Wasn't it her habit to scold the other band members if they played wrong or something? And now I'm annoyed for not knowing what video that was or have I just been making things up?? Time to go to sleep I guess! Soon...

4:23 am: Tried to find the video to no avail. I ended up looking many others Carpenters videos though!

I remembered it before I went to sleep Here it is @ 0:22:

 

[David A]

I remembered it before I went to sleep Here it is @ 0:22:

Maybe it's just me but that moment - 0.22-024 - looks like there's a video edit?

 

[The OED Loves Me Not]

By the way, did Karen's hair ever look more beautiful/spectacular than during this concert? I don't think so.

1974 Budokan during Jambalaya at at 0:28 and 1:39

To me, the most gorgeous hairstyle Karen ever wore is this from the 1980 Music, Music, Music:





Look at the footage at 0m35s. This hairdo, which matches her face, always breaks my heart. I hear people saying that she looks gaunt and ill there, but to me, no one can't ever look as gorgeous as she did here. Almost heavenly. But of course I like the way she looked in the early 1970s as well.

 

[Jorge]

If I see what I think you mean, I think that's a natural facial expression for her, she makes, not sure if it's only when she sings. She makes that same kind of "grimace" several times in the video for All You Get From Love is a Love Song. I actually think it's cute as heck, but then, I'm biased (Hah!).

At the 0.45 - 0.47 mark, and then again several times later:

Likely my favourite video from YOM compilation. There's such a positive vibe on it, and Karen looks stunning.

 

[Reason to believe]

is it the 1974 budokan concert where she says careful

Thanks Martin-I never could make out what she said in that clip