Your favorite Karen Carpenter vocal performance

[Vinylalbumcovers]

i think id have to pick solitaire, major chill factor.
or make believe its your first time from karens solo lp

I'm with you on "Make Believe..." from her solo record. Bob James arrangement is just perfect and Karen's reading of it just murders what she did on "Voice...".

Ed

 

[BarryT60]

One song.... hmmmm For years I would have said Solitaire. I too love You're The One.... and I'm also partial to I Just Fall In Love Again.... and like others, Make It Easy On Yourself from the MMM special... The one caveat to my choice is that Karen didn't love Solitaire... but with those low rich notes, particularly, the last note of the song, it is hard to not choose this as an all time favorite.... Yup - as I am typing this... I hear that phrase, 'who would command the hand he's playing' and that clinched it. Sorry Karen! Solitaire it is.

 

[cam89]

For me it would have to be SOLITAIRE. When I first heard that song in Summer of 1988...I hated SOLITAIRE soooo boring...but of course as years pass, and I started listening to it...I loved her range, the low notes, her intimate reading....everything...a scorcher of a song! I wonder what Neil Sedaka has said about her version....

 

[byline]

My favorite varies from day to day. Too many standouts to chose from, as others have noted. Today my favorite would be a more obscure pick: "Crescent Noon" from the "Close to You" album. She has so much depth and expression in her delivery, especially at such a young age. Honorable mentions go to "Baby It's You" and "A Song for You."

 

[Graeme]

I'd have to flip a coin to decide between Desperado and Tryin' to Get The Feeling (the latter introduced me to the Carpenters back in 1994). Karen at her smoothest but also showcasing what she could do when she let go.

If we're going for chill factor, spine tingling vocal moments I'd have to go with that final 'Alleluia" in Christ is Born and perhaps the final note of 'Love Me For What I Am' (one of those "I could swear she was in the room moments"). Oddly, another such moment for me would be Karen's final sigh towards the end of 'Boat to Sail'.

Chill factor, spine tingling instrumental moments - the end of I Can't Make Music.

 

[Dave60640]

There's possibly a good idea for another thread Richards most spine-tingling arrangement moments...

 

[motownboy]

My favorite is a toss up between "When It's Gone" from "Made In America" and "Now" from "Voice of the Heart."

 

[BarryT60]

one more honorable mention to throw out... This is not one of my favorite songs altogether - but i felt Karen's delivery on the verses of The Uninvited Guest was spell-binding. As initmate as it gets... It really is a mature, "telling" lyric of the hurt and desperation that goes with the territiry of a third party in a relationship - and Karen's meloncholy delivery is perfectly spot-on....

 

[aaflyer98]

I agree, Barry, The Uninvited Guest is an amazing stellar performance by Karen and a haunting spine chilling arrangement by Richard.

 

[A&M Retro]

This is a really tough question, but here goes....
Favorite Karen performances:

#1) Make It Easy On Yourself and Baby It's You from "live" at Riviera, 1974----mind boggling vocals.

Close behind:

Two Sides (the final 'goodbye' is unmatchable)
Crescent Noon (the richness of Karen's deep, early alto voice is incredible)
Another Song
Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore
Two Lives ("Truth or consequences....which one will it be?" High chill factor).
Hurting Each Other
I Can't Make Music (captures Karen at her best --save for the 'Waltons' harmonica ending)
Solitaire
Desperado (my favorite line of ANY Carpenters track: "You're losin' all your highs and lows")
Make Believe It's Your First Time (understated, much more effective solo version)
You're The One
Merry Christmas Darling (1970 version)
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Karen's vocals)

 

[song4u]

#1) Make It Easy On Yourself and Baby It's You from "live" at Riviera, 1974----mind boggling vocals.

I couldn't find this on You Tube. Do you have links for them?

 

[Mark-T]

"#1) Make It Easy On Yourself and Baby It's You from "live" at Riviera, 1974----mind boggling vocals."

What this ever put out somewhere? I'd LOVE to hear it!

 

[Harry]

I couldn't find this on You Tube. Do you have links for them?

"#1) Make It Easy On Yourself and Baby It's You from "live" at Riviera, 1974----mind boggling vocals."
What this ever put out somewhere? I'd LOVE to hear it!

Guys: ANTHOLOGY (89 or 97) from Japan or READER'S DIGEST THEIR GREATEST HITS AND FINEST PERFORMANCES, contained within the Live "Bacharach-David Medley".

The longer medley was recorded at the Riviera in Las Vegas in 1974, but when pulled for inclusion on ANTHOLOGY in 1989, Richard found that the bass, kick drum and male backing vocalist tracks were missing, so as he'd done with so many remixes, he used the studio to add those parts, creating a hybrid mix of a live/studio recording. The medley is the full version that they'd done in concert, not the shortened, speedy version that appeared on the tan album. Since Richard did all the backing vocals, these sound more like full studio recordings with a live ambiance.

If you haven't heard this version, then seek out either of the two ANTHOLOGY 4-disc releases from Japan or the READER'S DIGEST 3-disc set released in the US. Both are out of print and somewhat difficult to find, and both are usually pricey because of their multi-disc configuration. Or - it IS on YouTube:



Harry

 

[newvillefan]

Thanks for the link Harry.

I often wondered why they did these long, extended stories around the recordings when doing Japanese concerts. It's nice to hear them now, but surely the Japanese audiences in those days wouldn't have a clue what they were saying? Or were the Japanese always very fluent in English from an early age? I hope that doesn't come across as ignorant, it's just that I actually don't know. Maybe Sakura can enlighten us.

This is probably Karen at her live best. It sounds just great. Even though Richard's vocals are all overdubbed, you definitely get a great idea how fabulous they sounded live and with Karen's vocals right up front in the mix.

 

[Harry]

I often wondered why they did these long, extended stories around the recordings when doing Japanese concerts.

Of course you realize that the linked "Bacharach David Medley" was recorded at the Riviera in Las Vegas. It had its first recorded release on Japan's ANTHOLOGY, but it's a US concert that it hails from.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I bought the Readers collection when it was first promoted, I remember calling Readers to order it over the phone, it was really exciting. I remember hearing the Medley for the first time and playing it over and over just to hear Karen talk gave me goosebumps. I feel this is such a great collection not only for the Medley piece but because of the Oldies Medley and how they flow without the DJ stuff (which I tire of) I also like how they lumped the Christmas tracks at the end instead of in between the songs thoughout.

There are also some cuts that don't usually make it on compilations such as One More Time, Argentina and Look to your Dreams. I think there are a few other things different on this but I can't think of them at the moment. It's a keeper!!

 

[song4u]

I have the Reader's Digest collection. I didn't realize that was the recording you were referring to. Yes, it's wonderfully done!

 

[Dave60640]

I am glad to see some VOTH tracks because the ones listed always tugged at me too. Yeah, the first release after that day but still... And as my signature line gives away, Look To Your Dreams was and is one of my favorite KC readings