Karen (AI) on "In Love Alone"

[Kyle Thomas]

I've seen floating around YouTube various experiments substituting an AI version of one singer's voice over the arrangement of another. Michael Jackson singing the final Carpenters song "Now," for example. Or an AI version of Whitney Houston singing Mariah Carey's "My All."

I've not been impressed by these AI versions. There are moments when I think, That sounds close to real... but then something in the voice or the arrangement tips me off that it's far from the real singer.

HOWEVER...

I've always imagined what Karen would have sounded like singing "In Love Alone," on Richard's album "Time," which John Bettis had written for Karen, and which was sung by Dionne Warwick. The arrangement sounds exactly like what we might have expected from the Carpenters in 1984-1985 had Karen lived -- perfectly suited for Karen's voice (especially those opening notes).

If anyone has experience with these apps and would want to try out an experiment of an AI version of Karen's voice (circa Horizon years) instead of Dionne's, I'd be fascinated to hear if it sounds anything like what I've imagined.

That's probably beyond anyone's capabilities, but the strange YouTube AI experiments popping up has made me curious...

 

[FineArts03]

Would be awesome to hear. I’ve heard many with the likes of Freddie Mercury and Paul McCartney already. But no Karen yet.

 

[JuanDela]

Well, I couldn't find "In Love Alone" on YouTube but I gave it a shot with "Something In Your Eyes"

Here's a sample

I know it's not perfect, but so far it's the only Karen Carpenter AI voice model out there, and Dusty Springfield's voice isn't too compatible with hers.
I'm also sorry for the music being a little louder, I'm still an amateur with Audacity

 

[FineArts03]

Well, I couldn't find "In Love Alone" on YouTube but I gave it a shot with "Something In Your Eyes"

Here's a sample

I know it's not perfect, but so far it's the only Karen Carpenter AI voice model out there, and Dusty Springfield's voice isn't too compatible with hers.
I'm also sorry for the music being a little louder, I'm still an amateur with Audacity

Not bad, It's clearly meant to be Karen.

 

[Kyle Thomas]

That's interesting to hear. Almost a mashup of both Karen and Dusty there... where it's clearly not either, but there are echoes of how Karen might have sung it.

 

[Kyle Thomas]

I've also wondered what Karen might have sounded like had she done some songs that seemed perfect for her range and style. "Still the One" from Shania Twain comes to mind.

Are there other songs anyone has thought of like that?

 

[Portlander]

"We're All Alone" by Rita Coolidge.

 

[tomswift2002]

I've also wondered what Karen might have sounded like had she done some songs that seemed perfect for her range and style. "Still the One" from Shania Twain comes to mind.

Are there other songs anyone has thought of like that?

“I’ve had The Time of My Life”.

 

[AM Matt]

Shania Twain "From This Moment On" should have also!!

 

[ars nova]

Well, I couldn't find "In Love Alone" on YouTube but I gave it a shot with "Something In Your Eyes"

Here's a sample

I know it's not perfect, but so far it's the only Karen Carpenter AI voice model out there, and Dusty Springfield's voice isn't too compatible with hers.
I'm also sorry for the music being a little louder, I'm still an amateur with Audacity

the first time i heard SIYE, i almost passed out when ms springfield sang the word " framed ". i yelled, " that's karen's note "!!

 

[hh77]

"We're All Alone" by Rita Coolidge.

Oddly, I just started typing "We're All Alone" into Google to see a list of artists who recorded it (I knew Frankie Valli did before Rita Coolidge), and one of the Google suggestions that came up was "we're all alone karen carpenter." No AI version of her doing it though.
So far I am not really sold on AI versions--as someone already posted, they often sound like mashups. But the AI version of "Brian Wilson" singing "Be My Baby" is incredible--to me that one really sounds as if it could be a "lost" recording.
Plus in Karen's case, AI versions pegged to someone else's recording (unless it's a recording arranged by Richard) don't account for how he might have arranged it.

 

[JohnFB]

...

If anyone has experience with these apps and would want to try out an experiment of an AI version of Karen's voice (circa Horizon years) instead of Dionne's, I'd be fascinated to hear if it sounds anything like what I've imagined.

No, don't need no stinkin' AI version of Karen singing anything, including an old phone book or rifle cleaning manual or the solfege scale (do, rey, mi...). If she didn't record it live in her lifetime I have no interest in it and will not listen to it - this would be almost a sacrilege...

If someone wants to give us something new and incredibly exciting involving Karen it could be only Richard - he should take every recording where he used that insidious "double-tracking" technique on her lead vocal and strip off the second, distorting voice...how wonderful that would be to hear her real, beautiful, natural voice on all those recordings - why did he insist on doing this so often? Better question: why did she allow it? It's a serious mistake that could be rectified...what the hell is he doing? Love to have the chance to ask him about this...