This picture is from the 1976 television special titled The Carpenters Very First Television Special. In this skit Karen dresses up in indian garb. Doesn't she look cute?
This set of photos is from the live in studio concert Carpenters did at the BBC in 1971.
Karen Carpenter always professed to not be part of the woman's liberation movement. Though in her own way Karen inspired many women in their quest for individuality. Karen was the first female lead singer/drummer. She was always confident behind her drum kit and it showed as she played her perfectly timed rhythm patterns.
The following is an excerpt from the book; The Anorexic Self: a personal, political analysis of a diagnostic discoursewritten by Paula Saukko.
In 1996 Karen Carpenter's solo album was released. The media reception of Karen Carpenter was contradictory. On one hand, the solo album which had been shelved after being produced in 1979, was framed as Karen's aborted declaration of independence. Many news reports focused on the production of the album, which was shrouded in controversy, by drawing on interviews with Phil Ramone, the producer who helped Karen to go solo, and his wife Karen Ichiuji (aka Karen Kamon). An example is the following story from the English broadsheet Observer/Guardian:
There were glam photo sessions for the album cover. Previously Carpenter had been photographed in matching outfits with her brother (her record company chose the clothes she would wear in the Carpenters photo sessions). When she saw the proofs of one shot, which showed her elegantly coiffed up, made up, and wearing an oversized white sweatshirt, she ran to Ichiuji in a rare outburst of self-worth. "Look at me Itch," she said, "I'm pretty, I'm really pretty." After four or five songs had been completed she flew back to Los Angeles, tape happily in hand. "She was so in awe of Phil and these cool, hip musicians, who were treating her like an equal," Frenda Franklin, Karen's friend says, "she wasn't used to that." Richard Carpenter told Ray Coleman (author of The Carpenters: The Untold Story) that he sometimes wouldn't even tell Karen what she was going to sing until she got to the studio. (Hoerburger 1996)
The following is an excerpt from a book titled Rock 'n' roll: Gold rush : a singles un-encyclopedia written by Maury Dean
A blues singing girl with no happy news? "American Pie" eulogized superstar Janis Joplin. Singing more suburban blues, far from the muddy Mississippi, was Karen Carpenter. Brother Richard shepherded her soft rock musical arrangements. Karen's muted stylistics caressed her songs with spirit and deep feeling. Karen Carpenter had one of the most melancholy and hauntingly beautiful voices of all-time.
Karen had a one in a billion voice. Her sweet pure alto murmurs, purrs and soothes down through the generations, tinged with a tone of eternal melancholy. No matter how happy the song, she can make it sound blue and sad. And that's truly a compliment. Bittersweet, happy-that-hurts angst. Karen's vocal genius never required screaming. A gracious gift of grief sums up her midnight blue songs.
Sadly Karen Carpenter's life was curtailed by too much love, too much affection, too much trying to please everyone but herself.
This is the SACD center channel stripped down version of "Please Mr. Postman".
Tony Peluso's excellent guitar solo is missed in this version, but it is great hearing Karen's voice front and center. Even on a poppy song as this her voice is still pure. You can really hear the joy inher voice. I wish she would have done more of these joyful sort of tunes.
Just a shout out on a few items for sale at Zazzle.com.
Fans of Karen Carpenter know her as "Lead Sister" now at Zazzle you can find a few items with the "Lead Sister" term on them.
I am most excited about the replica of the famous Lead Sister T-shirt. Karen wore a tee similar to this in her 1975-76 concert tours. Lead Sister T-Shirt: CLICK HERE
There is a new website and companion forum on the internet called Karen Carpenter Magazine. This site is set-up similar to a magazine in that it features articles written about Karen Carpenter. It also has a picture page and a discography page. The site will be updated every 2 to 3 months. It's companion forum features the same articles which are on the website.
Welcome to Karen Carpenter Avenue. A new blog dedicated to the one and only Karen Carpenter.
I don't know about you but I consider Karen to be the world finest singer to ever live. Her voice was rich, soulful, dark, cheerful, melancholy, tender, bold, expressive, deep and chillingly perfect.
She was also an outstanding drummer. Her drumming style. like her singing, was original and understated. She specialized in jazz patterns and had a perfect sense of rhythm and timing.
Please friends... join in and share a few words on your feelings about Karen Carpenter.
