Your favorite Karen Carpenter vocal performance

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The "masterpiece" seemed fairly easy for everyone. Let's make this a little harder. Come up with just one absolute favorite vocal performance by Karen. It can be from Carpenters' records or from her solo album.

I apologize in advance for how difficult this'll be for some...:wink:

Ed
 
I had to think about this for a while (thanks Ed! lol), but if I had to pick just one song, it would be 'You're The One'. That is such a difficult song to perform (I don't think I've ever heard another artist perform it), but Karen makes a difficult track sound absolutely effortless. Added to the fact that the track is so sparse right til the bridge, so we hear Karen's every breath and get to hear her voice in all its glory and beauty, like she's singing right into your ear. Flawless.
 
Off the top of my head- "Desperado". It covers her range- contains both highs and lows. Almost whispery at parts to powerful delivery.

You know, once I submit this, I'll think of 20 others! (OH, THAT VOICE!)
 
I don't know about "best" but I think my favorite single song would have to be "Close To You." It's pretty hard to top as a combination of song, arrangement and performance. "Yesterday Once More" would be a good second choice (the original album mix, please).

I'm not thinking of technical achievement here, just how much I like'em. :)
 
I'm tempted to say 'Desperado' too, but I always come back to 'Ordinary Fool' - even though there's one note in there that sounds slightly flat to my ears, the emotion is unsurpassable.


x
 
We've had this discussion before, and my answer remains the same:

"Little Altar Boy"

To me, that one just blows every other vocal performance out of the water.

The 1980 medley from MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC is a pretty darned close second. Karen's readings of "Knowing When to Leave" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" are just perfect.

"You" would probably be #3 in book (at least this week).

David
 
Mine of course would be SOLITAIRE. She just sings the heck out of that song...and at the end, where she sings..."He's playingggg...(Pause)...SOLITTAAAIRRREEEEE...and sings it so deep and long. Just wonderful ear candy. Many a time, I will keep playing that last phrase...it sounds so delicious. Just a true joy to listen to this depressing song...

My thoughts,
Cam
 
Sorry, Stephen...LOL! If it makes you feel any better, this one was hard for me too...:wink:

I had to take some time to think about this one. I couldn't just rattle one off. After weighing the options, my favorite is "Love Me For What I Am". I've never heard a vocal performance sound so "in your lap" as that one does. The lyric is wonderful and she puts it all out there. That final "I must be free" resonates long after the song has finished playing. "You're The One" is a close second and "Ordinary Fool" is an even closer 3rd.

Ed
 
For me, hand's down on "Have Yourself A merry Little Christmas" I always get emotional when I hear Karen deliver that one.
 
"Hurting Each Other", and because of the daunting nature of the "story-line" in the song... Who else could change the key slightly from the Ruby & The Romantics version of it, almost giving such a different angle, and such a spine-tingling good delivery...

On a much lighter scale would have to be the "Oldies Medley", which gives Richard and Karen an equal chance to show off their vocal abilities and just enough time aloted per each Classic Song, in the Medley, as well...



Dave
 
This is way too hard to narrow down to just 1, with Karen there were so many excellent vocal performances.
#1 would be Solitaire-I have a mono 45 that I swear is just shear joy to hear, placing Karen's vocal even more in the forefront well...it just doesn't get any better that this. How on earth could this song not have been a favorite of Karen's? The listener would never know by listening. Karen's reading and interpretation of this lyric is almost spell binding and is most definite mesmorizing, it almost has an addicting feel in the sense that when it builds and builds and you just get so into the song that you don't want it to end and when it does I often hit repeat to get that feeling back. Not sure if you know what I am talking about.

#2 would be the Medley from MMM ABC TV show, ever since it first appeared on the box set From the Top, I have always felt it was indeed Karen's finest vocal performance. If only there was a full version of the re-record of Someday, wow what an amazing job Karen and Richard did on this medley. Love it.

#3 would be "You're the One, a song that doesn't get alot of notice yet it is so powerful, I often feel Karen is singing to me on this one. :D :love:
 
"You're The One" - hands down. Incredible vocal - and the sparse arrangement makes it only better.

I love this song SO much it's 'immortalized' on my license plate. :)

A close second would be "Ordinary Fool"...
 
This is a very hard choice because obviously there are so many top-notch vocal performances from Karen, but yeah, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be "Little Alter Boy". I play it (and their two Christmas albums) all year...anytime.
 
"You're The One" - a flawless, emotional, chill-inducing performance makes this my #1 choice.

Getting honorable mention are "Ordinary Fool", "A Song For You", and "Christ Is Born" (the last Alleluia has possibly the greatest chill factor of all Carpenters recordings, at least for me).
 
This is intense. With most of Karen's recordings I can find something special in and of itself. Calling a fave I kinda feel like I'm betraying the rest of the songbook. But if I pull one out of my hat I'll say I'M CAUGHT BETWEEN GOODBYE AND I LOVE YOU off HORIZON. The song has the ballad thing, incredible range, phrasing, interpretation and overdubs that could find rest in a time capsule. I know this isn't a top five thing but I have to throw on CLOS2U. The first note Karen sings takes me back to a magical time when I introduced to the "sound". It is riveting to visit that memory. Equally pleasurable was hearing the song in THE SIMPSON'S MOVIE. Off topic but if RC is so tight fisted on the catalog why would he allow the song to appear in that pic?

Good topic.

Jeff
 
A couple tracks which I consider "obscure treasures" are "One Love" and "A Place To Hide Away"... Karen's vocals on those two tracks are enough that they should'a been on '45's and been as successful singles as anything more mainstream... Carpenters had nearly as much potential as A Song For You had making more of its filler available in the 7" format, obscure as it was...



Dave
 
newvillefan said:
Carpenters had nearly as much potential as A Song For You had making more of its filler available in the 7" format, obscure as it was...
Click to expand...

:?:
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-- :oops:

OK, sorry, I meant that a lot o' the filler on The Tan Album should'a made it onto '45's... Like, take "Let Me Be The One" --another "filler cut" which should'a been a single... :oops: :neutral:inkshield:



Dave

--Hoping I've clarified myself, a little here... --Oh, the Lull of Sunday Morning Listening...!!!
28_spin.gif
 
Over the years, I have had definite favorites that echo many mentioned here and can definately add a few, after all, there have been almost 40 years to dwell on. When thinking of From This Moment On, I Can Dream, Can't I, I Won't Last a Day, Make Believe it's Your First Time, For All We Know, Last One Singing the Blues, I simply cannot decide, not to mention Solitaire and Yesterday Once More, as already mentioned. Each song, not just those mentioned, but each one Karen sang has a perfect poetic balance and perfect tone, timbre and style vocalized in each selection. I cherish them all.

Craig
 
CraigGA said:
When thinking of From This Moment On, I Can Dream, Can't I, I Won't Last a Day, Make Believe it's Your First Time, For All We Know, Last One Singing the Blues, I simply cannot decide, not to mention Solitaire and Yesterday Once More, as already mentioned. Each song, not just those mentioned, but each one Karen sang has a perfect poetic balance and perfect tone, timbre and style vocalized in each selection. I cherish them all.

Craig
Click to expand...

Ditto, Craig. I agree wholeheartedly. It would simply be impossible for me to pick a single track as my all time favorite, or to qualify as a masterpiece... Just too many great songs!

I was impressed that somebody else actually picked "Last One Singing The Blues", which was one of my favorites from the solo album. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that track was actually a demo!

Also speaking of the solo album, I have to say that I prefer this version of "Make Believe It's Your First Time". Much more personal, and without all of that sappy string orchestration of the VOICE OF THE HEART version.

Finally, with all due respect to the country superstar group Alabama, every time I hear their version of "Touch Me When We're Dancing", I want to get out my Carpenters version, featuring Tom Scott's excellent saxophone solo, and crank it up as loud as I can! :)

Tony
 
with all due respect to the country superstar group Alabama, every time I hear their version of "Touch Me When We're Dancing", I want to get out my Carpenters version, featuring Tom Scott's excellent saxophone solo, and crank it up as loud as I can!
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This is actually my all time favourite song, by any artist. So when I first heard Alabama's version, I couldn't help thinking how demo-like it sounded. Their lead singer sounds so affected, the way he pronounces his 's' sounds. Almost like he was doing a parody of Curtis Steiger :laugh:
 
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