CraigGA
Well-Known Member
In an effort not to resurrect an old thread, I listened to the Holland ‘76 concert today as I made ribs for the Fourth of July. In the Carpenters medley that year there was Please Mr. Postman creatively altered for a live presentation. It was just as contagious as the 45 rpm single when I first heard it in November 1974. Richard’s arrangement just put a slice of creativity in that arrangement that made it click in both settings, live and recorded as a single. Then add Karen’s vocals, who was almost born to sing oldies as well as ballads, and the song is just full of energy that bears repetitive listening. If you take the song apart, piece by piece, it is easy to dismiss the song as 60’s nostalgia. But when you put it all together with the guitar and saxophone voicing then add drums, bass, and then Karen in the background and lead vocals, the sing becomes something of its own as a deluxe cake from egg, flour, sugar and chocolate. The song writers need credit too, for they made a song that can be successful by a Motown group (the Marvelettes), a British group (the Beatles) and a soft pop group, the Carpenters. And the Carpenters version rivals the others. For a song about almost nothing meaningful it becomes a gem of a song that just can’t stop!
Craig
Craig