Karen's voice didn't popularize Richard's efforts-Richard's efforts popularized Karen's voice.It's a well-accepted fact in the music industry that Karen wouldn't have been famous or successful in any sense without Richard's producing,arranging & songwriting skills. The greatest voices in the world still need the right producer & arranger to make them sound good.
And Richard's producing, arranging, and songwriting skills would not have made a dent if Karen wasn't presenting them. It was a classic symbiotic relationship which in the end did not serve Karen well.
The saddest thing about Karen's "solo" effort being shelved is that the message was sent that not only this album wasn't going to be released, but perhaps dashed any hope of her EVER having a "solo" album. Heady stuff for the greatest singer of a generation who would not live to see her name on an album.
While it takes many talents to produce a great record, a great voice sounds good in its own right. Let's give Karen at least that much.