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The soaring vocal harmonies in "The warmth of you had gone" (from "Another Song" on Close to You ... one of the reasons why I still rank that album No. 1 among the Carpenters' studio albums).
Thanks for all the replies. They prompted me to listen to songs I haven't in a while, to hear what little hooks others find captivating. As GaryAlan mentioned, the endings of "Two Sides" and "Little Altar Boy" are two outstanding examples, both of which I have played a bazillion times. The three wistful wordless phrases that Karen sings at the end of "Two Sides" are among my favorite sounds that ever came from her mouth. The harmonies on "You", as Harry mentioned, get repeated repeats when I play that song. But another snippet of "You" that I just love is the almost imperceptible harpsichord around the 2.45 mark. I don't know why but it grabs me. Similarly, the chorus of "Sandy" and those gorgeous harmonies transport me to another place. I usually find myself paying particular attention to the phrase "you know how rainy weather", especially Karen's lower harmony part on the word "weather". In fact, just now, as I sit here in a little coffeeshop in Nashville before heading to work I've played that part of "Sandy" another five or six times! I'm glad to know I'm not all that weird for doing so.
I also love that part - & also on that song... the second time we hear You are my heart and my soul... my inspiration...The song, "You" - the phrase, "...beyond your eyes..." in the backing vocals.
Harry
I bet that if we had the chance to hear some of the isolated vocals from their vocally harmonized chords you'd hear notes in there you wouldn't recognize or think to be in there. It's my guess that they've done some complicated melody lines within their songs. Not just the lead, but also when those backing vocals come in.
I remember the time I watched a mini-doc "Inside the Rhapsody", Brian May was at the control board and he isolated overdubbed vocal from a chord Freddie Mercury did on "Bohemian Rhapsody". It sounded rather funny on it's own.
Wouldn't that be cool to hear from Carpenters? I only try to pick out the different notes within something like the intro to "Without a song", but my ears aren't that good. hahaha Obviously comes into full effect when it's all put together. Just out of interest it would be fascinating to hear the different isolated elements in the block harmonies.
One More Time: The seemingly impossible breath behind the line "...of folks and friends who lie back home, where things are slow and easy going."
that same line live can be lovely also... she takes a small melodic vocal liberty with the I Knew You Well line... that is always nifty to hear...There is something about the way Karen sings the second verse of "For All We Know" that always gives me goosebumps, especially when she goes into "Let's take a lifetime to say..." and does that cool little melisma on "for only time."
I'm goin' way down south to Baton Rouge... is a beautiful line also...This one resonated with me the first time I ever heard it and every time since. Definitely a chill factor moment!