Anyone read this?

[GaryAlan]

February 2022 issue of Reader's Digest has an interview with Richard Carpenter:

Reader's Digest Magazine Feb 2021 Health Woes Shakin Stevens Nursing Homes for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Reader's Digest Magazine Feb 2021 Health Woes Shakin Stevens Nursing Homes at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Rachel]

Stripped down version of "We've Only Just Begun." Didn't know if audio was done by one of the gurus here at the forum.

Listen to a stripped-back version of the Carpenters song ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’

The Carpenters, stripped back.

faroutmagazine.co.uk

 

[GDBY2LV]

There’s was a whole cd out there like this a few years ago. I think the songs may be on YouTube too. I don’t care for them at all. Too much missing.

 

[Chris May]

Stripped down version of "We've Only Just Begun." Didn't know if audio was done by one of the gurus here at the forum.

Listen to a stripped-back version of the Carpenters song ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’

The Carpenters, stripped back.

faroutmagazine.co.uk

The audio was taken from the center channel stem off The Singles: 1969-1981 SACD, released in 2004.

 

[Harry]

Those kind of things are fun to listen to once, maybe, but I'll stick with the official releases the way they were meant to be heard.

 

[Mark-T]

Some folks have done a great job changing things up, and the results can be quite fun. "Collect all ten!"

 

[GaryAlan]

So, I was watching (the late) Taylor Hawkins,
Foo Fighters drummer/vocalist.

Here is an interesting quote from the band, Speaking on the Alt Nation show, Grohl said:
“All of us grew up loving rock ’n ’roll records you could bounce around to, like The Cars, or David Bowie’s Let’s Dance or The Power Station or The Stones’ Tattoo You. We’re lucky in that everybody in the band has diverse influences and everybody loves different kinds of music.” “I honestly think we are capable of doing almost anything. If we put our minds to it we can kind of chameleon and turn into a death metal band or we could be The Carpenters.
We just have to decide, come together and make the decision like, ‘Alright, which way we want to go ?…
which way are we going to turn the wheel?
Source:

Dave Grohl: ‘Foo Fighters can turn into a death metal band…or The Carpenters’

Foo Fighters tease video for Shame Shame, as Dave Grohl talks up his band’s tenth studio album, Medicine At Midnight

www.loudersound.com

More:
But it was in a separate chat with Sirius XM that Grohl dropped the nugget about Foo Fighters' capacity for death metal —
or for turning into the type of light pop practitioners helmed by Karen and Richard Carpenter in the '70s..."
Listen here:

Dave Grohl: Foo Fighters Can 'Turn Into a Death Metal Band' if So Inclined

'Or we could be the Carpenters,' the rocker adds.

loudwire.com

 

[Portlander]

Sadly, the Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away last night at age 50.

 

[A&M Retro]

Very sad news. He was an incredible talent.

 

[AM Matt]

Taylor Hawkins on the "March 2022 In Memorium" section in "The Music Forum".

 

[GaryAlan]

I found this interview with Taylor Hawkins, 2019 Drumming Masterclass, quite fascinating.
Quite a drummer (and vocalist) and an insightful fellow, may he rest in peace.

 

[GaryAlan]

10 Drummers You Didn’t Know Were Also Lead Singers:​

"For most drummers, life behind the kit means a musical life behind the rest of the band."
"Drummers are usually positioned at the back of the stage behind their scaffolding of cymbals, kick drums, floor toms, and other rhythmic accoutrements."
"However, for the rare few, to be a drummer means also to be a front person, a singer: the Voice of the Band."
"But which drummers were able to lead these kinds of dualistic musical lives? Which drummers were also capable, talented, beloved lead singers ? "
"That’s what we’ll dive into today."
---

6. Karen Carpenter​

"Born on March 2, 1950, Karen Carpenter was an American singer and drummer with her brother, Richard.
"Together, the duo performed under the band name The Carpenters. Karen, who passed away in 1983 sadly from anorexia, had a three-octave range as a vocalist. As a drummer, she began playing in high school. Initially, she was the Carpenter’s full-time drummer but later she took on the role of frontwoman."

The entire list:

10 Drummers You Didn't Know Were Also Lead Singers

For most drummers, life behind the kit means a musical life behind the rest of the band. Videos by American Songwriter Drummers are usually positioned at the back of the stage behind their scaffolding of cymbals, kick drums, floor toms, and other rhythmic accoutrements. However, for the rare...

americansongwriter.com

 

[Another Son]

Sorry - it’s another article mentioning Karen’s death .... but interesting that it’s a scientific study.

“Grammy Award-winning singer Amy Winehouse lived fast and died young.

She was 27 when she died and the media made much of her age because it put her in distinguished company.

In death she became a member of the 27 club, a tragic group of musicians who all died at the same age.

But a new study has found the fabled club is most likely the result of mere coincidence.

Adrian Barnett, Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, says lifestyle is a key theme in the 27 club.

"One of the theories behind the 27 club is famous musicians become famous in their early 20s, then the money comes in, they start to engage in risky behaviour, maybe then they need stronger drugs, more alcohol," he said.

"So by the time they're sort of in their late 20s, that's kind of when their risk taking peaks."

But Professor Barnett says the study published in the British Medical Journal suggests there is nothing meaningful behind the club.

"There was no evidence for the 27 Club being a real phenomenon. There was a small blip in the risk of death at age 27 for famous musicians but there are other similar blips at age 25 and 32," he said.

Unfortunately, this is not good news for the musically inclined. In fact, famous musicians are two to three times more likely to die in their 20s or 30s than the general population.

"One of the other peaks we noticed was a 32 club, I mean that's Karen Carpenter, Keith Moon and John Bonham, from Led Zeppelin, all died at that age," he said.

At the time of Amy Winehouse's death, British folk singer Billy Bragg said it is not age that the stars of the 27 club have in common, it is drug abuse.

Professor Barnett agrees.

Professor Barnett says the study is not definitive because it only uses one measure of fame, which is at its core, a very subjective concept.

"The way we did it, we identified everybody with a number one UK album and that started, the album chart started in 1956 and went through to 2007 but there are other definitions of fame such as the US album charts," he said.

"We could have used a number one single but we liked the UK album charts because that's a fairly stable and long-running measure of fame and that gave us over 1,000 musicians and 71 deaths, so it was a reasonable sample size."

In fact, the study's methodology actually excluded several members of the so called 27 club, because they never had a number one album.

Blues singer Robert Johnson, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin were all left out.

On the other hand, a couple of actors from the Muppets made the cut even though their names are probably far less recognisable”.

The World Today /
By Timothy McDonald
Posted Wed 21 Dec 2011 at 8:51pm.

 

[Geographer]

REELZ backs decision to explore Eddie Van Halen's death after being criticized by Valerie Bertinelli, his son

Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang and ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli slammed a REELZ documentary set to explore the final hours of the guitarist's life. Van Halen died from cancer.

www.foxnews.com

Karen gets a mention in this article.

 

[Portlander]

New Haven, CT will be installing a mural in the Chapel Street area downtown honoring Karen Carpenter as part as the city's "notables" program. Was surprised to learn that there was not a mural for Richard planned, hopefully there will be one in the future. The write up that will accompany the portrait of Karen states:

KAREN CARPENTER

Karen Carpenter was born in New Haven in 1950. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. They were the biggest selling group of the 70s. No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units. Carpenter's skills as a drummer earned admiration from her peers, although she is best known for her performances of romantic ballads.

My thoughts are that I am happy Karen is getting the deserved recognition from her hometown, am disappointed there is not one for Richard, am pleased that Richard is at least included in the narrative, I may be technically incorrect but shouldn't "The" in front of the Carpenters name be lower cased, an updated worldwide sales total instead of one from 17 years ago, would have included their 3 Grammy Awards, 8 Platinum albums in the US and I'm pretty sure the Carpenters were the biggest selling AMERICAN born group of the 70s.

 

[Harry]

^While it would be technically correct to have the "T" of the "The" in lower case, it's a battle that Richard himself admits that it's now a bit silly to attempt to correct people. He gave up the fight years ago - we know what's correct - and just be happy for any recognition these days.

As for the lack of Richard in the monument/mural, perhaps there's a rule like there is with other tributes, that the honoree must be deceased. Just a suggestion - I have no idea really.

 

[John Tkacik]

New Haven, CT will be installing a mural in the Chapel Street area downtown honoring Karen Carpenter as part as the city's "notables" program. Was surprised to learn that there was not a mural for Richard planned, hopefully there will be one in the future. The write up that will accompany the portrait of Karen states:

KAREN CARPENTER

Karen Carpenter was born in New Haven in 1950. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. They were the biggest selling group of the 70s. No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units. Carpenter's skills as a drummer earned admiration from her peers, although she is best known for her performances of romantic ballads.

My thoughts are that I am happy Karen is getting the deserved recognition from her hometown, am disappointed there is not one for Richard, am pleased that Richard is at least included in the narrative, I may be technically incorrect but shouldn't "The" in front of the Carpenters name be lower cased, an updated worldwide sales total instead of one from 17 years ago, would have included their 3 Grammy Awards, 8 Platinum albums in the US and I'm pretty sure the Carpenters were the biggest selling AMERICAN born group of the 70s.

If you Google "Karen Carpenter New Haven CT" and click on "images", you can see the banner in the 3rd row of photos. This banner has been up for several years on Chapel Street next to a banner for Robert Moses. A close-up of Karen's banner can be found several rows of photos lower.

 

[GaryAlan]

Print | Email | Facebook | Twitter NEW HAVEN​ Banner years​ A series of tributes to New Haven natives. By Caroline Lester ’14 | Jan/Feb 2020 Caroline Lester ’14 is a freelance writer and audio producer in New Haven. Kim O'Malley​ Karen Carpenter and Robert Moses, Class of 1909, Ernest Borgnine and Simeon Jocelyn are among the New Haven-connected luminaries included in the New Haven Notables series. View full image​ Kim O'Malley​ View full image​ Kim O'Malley​ View full image​ What do an Academy Award winner, the city planner who reshaped New York City, and the first Puerto Rican known to serve in the US Armed Forces have in common? They have a connection to New Haven. Those connections, says Tom Strong ’67MFA, a graphic designer active in local projects, are “something worth celebrating.” He and a few friends created a campaign to make sure New Haven-ers know they’ve got people to celebrate. Strong has spent much of the past 50 years revitalizing the neighborhood where he works. He sits on the board of commissioners for a specially designated district called Chapel West. The district incorporates Chapel Street, from York to Sherman, and most of the blocks adjoining it. Property owners in the district support Chapel West through a special 2.5 percent tax that funds services including daily sidewalk and gutter cleaning, maintaining seasonal flowers and shrubs, as well as other services intended to make the district a particularly attractive and memorable part of the city. One of those services is Strong’s campaign for the New Haven Notables." Walk down Chapel Street and you may notice a number of large banners hanging on buildings. Each banner has a large black-and-white print of a New Haven-er’s face, with a short account of what makes its owner notable and how they ended up in New Haven. The posters range from 5 to 12 feet wide. The three notables mentioned above are Meryl Streep ’75MFA, Robert Moses, Class of 1909, and Augusto Rodríguez. Some—like Streep, Karen Carpenter, and Norman Lear—are well-known names. At least 15 of the 31 honored notables have degrees from Yale, says Strong. Others were a little harder for Strong to track down. He is proud of highlighting Simeon Jocelyn, a white New Haven abolitionist who attended the Yale Divinity School. In 1831, Jocelyn announced a plan to form a “Negro College” in New Haven; in response, a white mob attacked his house. Eight years later, as a key player in what came to be known as the Amistad case, he was one of the New Haveners who helped a group of 39 enslaved Africans to lobby for their freedom and return home to Africa. Unlike the other banners, Jocelyn’s—which hangs on Howe Street between Crown and George—is simply an enlarged photo, “not changed into art,” Strong says. Among Strong’s favorite banners is the one highlighting Moses. Like most of the other banners, Moses’s features a black and white portrait. But his is overlaid on a graphic of New York City’s waterways and parks. "... Now, he says, the place has changed; for one thing, many Yale students live there. And he argues that programs like Chapel West and the New Haven Notables have helped. It costs between $400 and $700 to make a banner and $500 to hang one. In direct sunlight, banners will wear out after four years; most are now going on six. Currently, there’s no more space for new banners. Yale won’t feature any on buildings that it owns, and every other wall has been filled..." Here: Banner years A series of tributes to New Haven natives. yalealumnimagazine.org

 

[Another Son]

My thoughts are that I am happy Karen is getting the deserved recognition from her hometown, am disappointed there is not one for Richard, am pleased that Richard is at least included in the narrative, I may be technically incorrect but shouldn't "The" in front of the Carpenters name be lower cased, an updated worldwide sales total instead of one from 17 years ago, would have included their 3 Grammy Awards, 8 Platinum albums in the US and I'm pretty sure the Carpenters were the biggest selling AMERICAN born group of the 70s.

I totally agree. You’d certainly hope that Richard would get equal billing and recognition to Karen. A bit strange and unfair, if not.

According to Billboard’s 1979 / 1980 countdown of the biggest singles artists of the 1970s in the USA, if my memory serves me correctly, Number 1 was Elton John, Number 2 was Paul McCartney and Wings and Number 3 was Carpenters. I think Jackson 5 were also in the Top 5. So I think you’re probably right, Portlander, in saying that Carpenters were the biggest American-born group in the USA in the 70s, rather than the biggest group.

The Beatles with Paul McCartney, Elton John and Michael Jackson have gone on to become three of the biggest-selling artists in the world ever, whereas Carpenters are still high but down the list a bit, having had no new product since 1981, (apart from previously-shelved material - and Richard’s new solo stuff - which was still great, I might add).

 

[Chris May]

About four years I ago I was instrumental in getting Richard to agree to attend and perform at a 50th Anniversary dedication in New Haven. It wasn't long after, that he was approached by Universal Japan to participate in the Royal Philharmonic project, which ultimately led to his backing out of the event in New Haven.

The outcome of this recent dedication could possibly have something to do with it, although I've not spoken with him about it.

 

[Portlander]

Another Son, your memory serves you well with the exception of leaving out the Bee Gees. According to Billboard, the top artists of the seventies in order are: 1) Paul McCartney/Wings, 2) Elton John, 3) Bee Gees, 4) Carpenters, 5) The Jackson 5/Jacksons, 6) Stevie Wonder, 7) Chicago, Three Dog Night, 9) Olivia Newton-John, 10) Neil Diamond

 

[Harry]

It is sometimes stated that Carpenters were the number one American act of the 70s, since the others were all from the UK.

 

[GaryAlan]

Mike Gundy Riffs on The Carpenters at Big 12 Media Days​

"Of all the things that Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy could have talked about on Wednesday he ended up talking about The Carpenters."
"Gundy’s riff on the music group, fronted by the late Karen Carpenter, came late in his time with the media in the morning session at Big 12 Media Days."
"Gundy ended up quoting one of The Carpenters’ biggest hits as he was talking about, of all things, conference realignment."
“We’ve only just begun,” Gundy said, referring to The Carpenters’ hit.
At that point, the moderator of the press conference told Gundy that in his 40 years of working press conferences that he was the first coach to ever quote the Carpenters. That led to Gundy’s riff on The Carpenters and, by extension, Karen."
“I liked the Carpenters, and I heard that song the other day, and the first thing I thought about was conference realignment,” Gundy said. "

Source:

Mike Gundy Riffs on The Carpenters at Big 12 Media Days

Of all the things that Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy could have talked about on Wednesday he ended up talking about The Carpenters. Gundy’s riff on the music group, fronted by the late Karen Carpenter, came late in his time with the media in the morning session at Big 12 Media Days...

www.heartlandcollegesports.com

 

[Mark-T]

A very very slight mention of Karen before the interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/06/24/john-davidson-at-80/

 

[Mark-T]

Weird Carpenters

A blog about all things Disney - especially the parks - and beyond.

insightsandsounds.blogspot.com