Ranges of Certain Songs

[ringves]

I recently sat down at the piano to determine the ranges of certain songs:

I Need to Be in Love

Solitaire

I Can Dream Can't I

The End of the World

Two Sides


I selected these songs because I thought they were "rangy" (to use one of Richard's coined words).

I always thought that Solitaire had such dramatic sweep that it must be the most "rangy" of the group. BUT ... in fact, I Need to Be in Love actually beats it out by a whole tone.

I Need to Be in Love: Low Note is E above middle C
High Note is B in the 2nd octave above middle C

Solitaire: Loe Note is E above middle C
High Note is A in the 2nd octave above middle C


On the other songs, I found that I Can Dream, Can't I goes down as low as E flat, a half tone lower than The End of the World (which I thought would have contained the lowest note).

As for high notes, I thought that the end note on Two Sides would have been higher than it is. It turns out to be an A. I think it's the same A as the high note in Solitaire. Could it be an octave higher? I don't think so, but perhaps someone who is a musician can confirm this.

I'd be interested in hearing from others on Karen's high and low notes in the Carpenters various recordings.

 

[Rudy]

I Need to Be in Love: Low Note is E above middle C
High Note is B in the 2nd octave above middle C

In my head I'm hearing an F# below middle C on this one. In the first couple of verses before the chorus.

 

[CraigGA]

It had been a while since I listened to it, but I thought I Heard the Bells on Chirstmas Day went to a Dflat.

Craig

 

[engineer]

I Need to Be in Love: Low Note is E above middle C
High Note is B in the 2nd octave above middle C

I'm sorry, but your piano must be REALLY out of tune! Karen never came close to a B in the 2nd octave above middle C. That's a note for a really high soprano... which Karen definitely wasn't!

Seriously, you're off by an octave. She sings from the E below middle C to the B above middle C in "I Need to Be In Love."

Dan

 

[newvillefan]

Hi guys

An interesting topic that's had good coverage before elsewhere.

Has anyone ever listened to the backing harmonies that Karen sings in B'Wana She No Home, they must beat almost anything else she has sung in terms of her range.

Listen to the jazzy instrumental break about mid way through the song (sorry I don't have a timing for you to pin this down)...

...it's the bit where she and Richard intersect this instrumental, as it comes to a halt temporarily they sing 'oooh aahhhhh', before the song resumes. On that last note one of Karen's harmonies is unbelievably high (for her usual voice anyway.)

Does anyone else hear this? Can anyone think of any other extremes?

Stephen