Original Versions of Carpenters Covers

It is so interesting for me to hear some songs arranged so similarly, like "I Kept on Loving You," and then some that are radical departures (successfully so, imho, to Richard's credit), like "I Won't Last a Day Without You."

Thanks for sharing, all! Keep them coming! Would love to also hear some covers that may not be originals, but that you all think inspired the Carpenters' arrangement. One in my mind is "Reason to Believe" -- the line "someone like you makes it hard..." has a different cadence on the Carpenters' version than any other version I've heard. Is that a Richard Carpenter original, or did they hear it sung that way from someone else?
 
In each of the cases, Richard's arrangement and Karen's voice creates an entirely new sound. Even if the originals are good- and many of them are- there's just no comparison. The strongest example to me is B'wana. Michael Franks' version is good. BUT the Carps version is INCREDIBLE from every aspect. One of my favorite Carpenters recordings.
 
So nice to hear from Perry Como on this excellent song - I could easily hear Karen taking the part of the ladies on that - they really sounded great together on his show - their voices were at the same ultra level of clarity and appeal - would love to have an album full of their duets...
 


Did this one actually come first or did Richard's? I recall Richard's coming first but I could be dead wrong about that. I'm honestly not sure which one I like best. I do like Paul's tone. This is easily Richard's best vocal for me. It's comfortably in his range for the most part and he sounds like he's into it. The only thing I'd prefer is if Richard's weren't doubled.

Ed
 
Did this one actually come first or did Richard's? I recall Richard's coming first but I could be dead wrong about that.

It was released in (I think) 2008 on an album that contained songs Roger and Paul had written in the late sixties. I’m not sure if they were recorded in the late sixties or at the time of the album’s release. It sounds very “of the era” to me.
 
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Bama, Carpenters, then Alabama had their respective turns at Touch Me When We're Dancing.
Remembering cowriter Jerry L. Wallace (1950-2018) for Bama's Touch Me When We're Dancing (which version I do like):
 
Canadian trio The Stampeders "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" (from either 1976 or 1977) (audio only)

I find it so curious that Robert Palmer, the Stampeders, and the Carpenters all covered this song within the span of like... a year. I'm assuming probably all of these covers were recorded from '76 to early '77.
 



I'm more familiar with the version of "Love is Surrender" from "Tell It Like It Is," which I got out once through interlibrary loan. It's slightly faster, and I wonder if that's the one Richard heard through their Methodist church or something since the speed is more similar to the Carpenters' eventual version.

 
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