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Randy Schmidt
I changed the subject only because the thread had changed. The topic had moved to Sandi Patty -- her first LP had a misprint on the cover... her family name was Patty but they printed "Patti" -- instead of reprinting them all, Sandi took the alternate spelling as her "stage name" I guess you'd say. A lot of people thought it was her middle name since she was listed in songwriting credits as Sandi Patti Helvering (her married name). Anyhow, I remember people calling her "the lady with two first names".
As someone who has recently become very interested in the recordings and performances of Sandi Patty, I'd just like to comment on her link to the Carpenters. As a young girl in the early 1970s, Sandi listened to Carpenters records and nothing else. She tried to emulate Karen's voice, copy her phrasing, delivery, etc. As she grew her interests went beyond the Carpenters but she always is still quick to name them as one of her biggest early influences.
Today, while her voice is nowhere near being what you call "similar" to Karen's, the influences of listening to KC are most definitely there. Few singers aside from Karen have made me think "wow -- what a phrase!" Sounds silly, I know, but Karen just knew how to sing a phrase like no one else. Her tone and delivery were always so conversational. These are the ways that Sandi and Karen are very much alike. Both of them have incredible ranges (although different, of course), but the emotion and conversational style of singing is what they have in common.
As for her impersonation of Karen, she does this in her live shows, even recently I have heard. It is one of the better "impersonations" of Karen I have heard, emphasizing Karen's "o" vowels and the "vocal fry" sound. It's really a neat little medley she does, singing "Jesus Loves Me" in the style of her influences, from Karen to Streisand to opera!
I saw Sandi Patty in concert last year and again just a few months ago. She is so incredibly talented and really underrated -- probably due to her own personal issues in the early 1990s, which caused her to material to be pulled from many Christian music outlets. In my opinion, Sandi's is one of the great voices of our time. If you haven't listened to Sandi Patty, I highly recommend any of her more recent albums. The big albums from the 1980s are a little "overwhelming" if you aren't into that, but for a good dose of Sandi's emotional, from the heart singing listen to her "Artist Of My Soul" CD. Incredible!
Randy
As someone who has recently become very interested in the recordings and performances of Sandi Patty, I'd just like to comment on her link to the Carpenters. As a young girl in the early 1970s, Sandi listened to Carpenters records and nothing else. She tried to emulate Karen's voice, copy her phrasing, delivery, etc. As she grew her interests went beyond the Carpenters but she always is still quick to name them as one of her biggest early influences.
Today, while her voice is nowhere near being what you call "similar" to Karen's, the influences of listening to KC are most definitely there. Few singers aside from Karen have made me think "wow -- what a phrase!" Sounds silly, I know, but Karen just knew how to sing a phrase like no one else. Her tone and delivery were always so conversational. These are the ways that Sandi and Karen are very much alike. Both of them have incredible ranges (although different, of course), but the emotion and conversational style of singing is what they have in common.
As for her impersonation of Karen, she does this in her live shows, even recently I have heard. It is one of the better "impersonations" of Karen I have heard, emphasizing Karen's "o" vowels and the "vocal fry" sound. It's really a neat little medley she does, singing "Jesus Loves Me" in the style of her influences, from Karen to Streisand to opera!
I saw Sandi Patty in concert last year and again just a few months ago. She is so incredibly talented and really underrated -- probably due to her own personal issues in the early 1990s, which caused her to material to be pulled from many Christian music outlets. In my opinion, Sandi's is one of the great voices of our time. If you haven't listened to Sandi Patty, I highly recommend any of her more recent albums. The big albums from the 1980s are a little "overwhelming" if you aren't into that, but for a good dose of Sandi's emotional, from the heart singing listen to her "Artist Of My Soul" CD. Incredible!
Randy
But, then somebody had to bring up the singer SANDI PATTY and I could NOT let this one go by without my two cents! First off, I am 39 and have LOVED the voice of Karen and music of the Carpenters since I was old enough to play a record on my first record player (about 10 years old in 1973). Have followed them since. Have all the 8-tracks, LPs, cassettes, CDs and posters, concert programs, etc. Karen was and is the BEST. In college, I also fell for Barbra Streisand. Although I could listen to ANY Streisand album and enjoy it, her early stuff was especially good. Classic pop treasures, no doubt. About that time in my life, a friend had me listen to Sandi Patty's live album where she speaks fondly of these two famous singers. Well, over time, I grew to LOVE Sandi's sweet voice just as much. Don't consider myself extremely religous and it still makes no difference. PATTY has had some of the finest recordings!!! They are full of beautiful, positive songs. Her voice is so pure and the way she phrases a lyric is incredible. ANY of her 12 or so albums I would highly recommend. (She has won 6 Grammy awards to boot!) She has a range that is beyond compare with Karen OR Barbra. An impressive, soaring High-C that is not at all painful but gives one goosebumps! And, can go as LOW as Karen (Listen to the first line of the classic Christmas Song on her O Holy Night! Christmas album) Working with the BEST arrangers and backup, she really hammers the power pop (Christain) stuff and also delivers chilling, intimate quite numbers with such control and grace. Yes, I realize this forum is about the CARPENTERS. But, like me, I just felt like more of Karen's fans would and should fall in love with PATTY's voice if they took a listen! Thanks again everyone for such a fun, interesting website. —Michael in Tampa, Florida 
