FIRST TIME REACTING TO | Karen Carpenter Drum Solo

[@tonycocchiola7192]

The man on the drum at the start is John Denver

[@rcinsley]

Karen was a drummer...who also sang. She was always more comfortable in the back of the band, buried in her drum set, than out front in the spotlight.

[@CharlesHoward-ud6qv]

I believe that if she stayed on the drum kit and sang from there she would still be with us. She could never get over the anxiety of fronting the band because of her insecurity of how she looked. If she only knew that she was very easy on the eyes.

[@rcinsley]

@@CharlesHoward-ud6qv Yes. I heard that a media critic made some kind of derogatory comment about Karen looking "pudgy." That's all it took to get her rattled, and anorexia took her to a tragically early death. Maybe she did know that she was the sweetheart of a generation, but mental illness warps people's perceptions of themselves.

[@kenneth2875]

The guy in the band is John Denver. Karen Carpenter is the greatest loss to the world.

[@jimcarberry8262]

Karen considered herself a drummer who sang. Her brother Richard pressured her to get out front.

[@thomas2782]

her brother was a jerk

[@ericzeichert511]

@@thomas2782 And you know this how?

[@metoo7557]

This is why everyone loves Karen. When she was doing this it wasn't about 'I'm a woman, therefore I'm the best'. She let her talent speak for her, and she kept up with the best of them.

[@jealousjelly1]

Seeing how all-out happy she was playing the drums and then thinking about how she starved herself to death brings tears to my eyes. She was a beautiful young lady and everybody knew that but her.

[@jamescofer3261]

Anxiety about her body image probably killed her.

[@LoisChisholm]

I cannot remember Karen Carpenter looking happier, ever. RIP, sweet angel.

[@scottchapin2323]

Karen was a great drummer. Great technique. If you listen closely, you will hear different styles during this solo. She was highly underrated as a drummer. There is a great story (you can find it on KZbin) about how she rated higher the John Bonham in a PLAYBOY list of top 100 drummers.

[@philosopher0076]

Right, rated tops in a major magazine...so she wasn't underrated.

[@CharlesHoward-ud6qv]

@@philosopher0076 Great point. I think a more accurate statement would be a great drummer that a lot of people didn’t know about. Her fame came from her voice and the songs she recorded and by that time she was more of a front person.

[@simgamer313]

Karen Carpenter March 2, 1950 - February 4, 1983 RIP - She had anorexia, died of a heart attack because she starved herself to death

[@ricknbacker5626]

My Top 5 list of singing drummers 5) Peter Rivera (Rare Earth) 4) Levon Helm (The Band) 3) Phil Collins (Genesis) 2) Don Henley (Eagles) and #! Karen Anne Carpenter. Karen was far more comfortable being one of the band members. She never planned or desired on being the Face and the Voice of the Carpenters. History has rendered its verdict. Karen Carpenter is a legend, a world class drummer, with the voice of an angel. RNB

[@FredtheFrisian]

You should see the video of "Wings of Pegasus" about Karen Carpenter having (one of ) the best/precise singing voices, nearly a "natural pitch corrected voice".

[@CharlesHoward-ud6qv]

Yup. She had a beautiful voice with tremendous control. Frank Sinatra, Linda Ronstadt and Paul McCartney are other artists who have near perfect pitch. That’s quite a crowd to be recognized with. Then you add that her voice also seemed to be sprinkled with magic fairy dust. Some call it the it factor that you just can’t explain.

[@Perfect_Blend]

Karen really was such FUN to watch live. She would be behind the drums for some songs, but then stood up for others. She was often silly and very spontaneously funny. She never really knew how good she was. John Lennon told her she had a lovely voice and she thought he must have been kidding. Same for the famous drummer, Buddy Rich, who said she was HIS favorite drummer. She just had that low self esteem and couldn't believe it when she got compliments from famous people. She just loved her drums before all other things and her smile is genuine. I played drums in high school because of Karen, even tho women playing drums was unusual. I loved it too.

[@theG-man-p2h]

😊your insight is spot on once again! Karen was a drummer, first and foremost, playing drums in a band during her college years. She was not eager to leave the comfort and anonymity of her drum kit, but we're so grateful that she did. 😊

[@gwyntx7620]

She just lights up when she plays her drums

[@cygnus62]

John Denver and Karen are both drumming together in heaven.

[@llanitedave]

They're harmonizing their vocals pretty well, too.

[@ericechols6056]

Karen just had a heightened gift for playing the drums, and yes, I would say she was more in her element and on this video in the happy zone playing the drums. I think Karen probably loved playing the drums more than singing. Would have loved to see Karen Carpenter and Sheila E. collaborate, in playing the drums, but unfortunately Karen passed away in 83'. Sheila E. was aware of Karen's drumming talents when she was young and considered her a childhood role model.

[@Bill-zT]

Spot on about her being happy playing the drums

[@joanmonaghan8428]

Karen was a drummer, an exceptional drummer. But she also had an incomparable voice, a once in a lifetime voice. But in her mind she was a drummer who sang.

[@denveradams4909]

I am a drummer, and a singer. However, I have not been able to both at the same time. Karen could. We lost both, Karen and John Denver in tragic circumstances, way too soon. Both were national treasures.

[@GinMae]

Thanks, Britt - this is a totally "goofy" video.. but still, it showcases her drumming talent - her first love.. and she was considered very good... (she was totally happier playing drums than singing.. she never wanted to be a singer.. but once that voice was discovered... how could they NOT use her...) Love Karen... appreciate your reaction!

[@SayItAintSo4real]

Yay! What a wonderful reaction, again, to the ever great and legendary Karen Anne Carpenter. She was incredible.

[@BrakRulesAll]

That's John Denver in the front row of the band jawing with her!

[@gingergardner4374]

She was such a talent. With an unfortunate disorder that Inevitably cut her life short.😟❤

[@pumagutten]

You are right, Britt!❤ Karen had it all: The voice , the drumming, the humor and the ability to give interesting interviews.

[@marioserrano6333]

When she was 18, she was voted best drummer in the world.

[@laurasmith2522]

I love that John Denver is in this lol soso young

[@boosuedon]

Karen has said on numerous shows that playing the drums is her passion, singing pays the bills!

[@Grumpyoldman60]

Sweet, sweet Karen was the real triple threat. She could sing and play,, and she had perfect pitch which is rare and special. she was born in March 1950 which made her 15 months older than me and I fell in love with her the first time I heard her sing `Close to You`. So ,so special!!!

[@1chound1]

You need to check out The Carpenters doing Bacharach medley live from Walter Reed Hospital around 1970 or so, doing the drumming and singing at the same time. A great performance. She is sorely missed by many.

[@s.erikschulman8487]

This woman needs to see the Cher and Jackson Five medley.

[@JamesYoung-f5h]

She was a jazz drummer with her brother before they went pop on the "A" jazz circuit.......Buddy Rich mentioned her as his favourite young drummer when she was a teenager

[@catherder78]

Karen also played the tambourine (uncredited) on virtually every Carpenters song that featured that instrument.

[@johnbattles1002]

Karen and Linda Ronstadt were both absolute killers on the tambourine.

[@jdgolf499]

Karan always considered herself a drummer more than a singer. Ad you noticed, she was truly happy when playing the drums!

[@jeffdetmer4681]

Some years back Rolling Stone (I believe) did a list of top either 50 or 100 drummers all time, and Karen was on the list. She wanted to be a drummer and not a singer, but was way too good a singer not to do that. One time in an interview after the Carpenters had performed Frank Sinatra was asked what he thought of her singing, He said I can walk into any venue anywhere, but I would pay to hear her sing.

[@robertrichardson2617]

Was the guy in the marching band John Denver?

[@johnbattles1002]

Yep, that’s a young John Denver himself! 😊

[@joanedwards-de6pl]

I feel so fortunate that I saw the Carpenters in concert in the early 1970’s.

[@t.r.1708]

Joy is contagious! Thx Brit!

[@bob_._.]

Karen was indeed happier drumming; she never would have become a singer if she and Richard hadn't been working on a demo recording for someone and the singer didn't show up. She filled in on vocals and that was that.

[@jamesrobertson2361]

Grambling State played Portland State here in a football game. I went just to see the their marching band. She was a great drummer that was also blessed with one of the greatest voices ever.

[@golfr-kg9ss]

Amazing talent.

[@johnbattles1002]

Britt, I agree with you 100% in your wish that TV and entertainment could go back to how it used to be! If you did not recognize the young “drummer”Karen was talking to in the band skit, it was none other than “Take Me Home Country Roads” John Denver! 😊

[@gingergardner4374]

The mandrell sisters were always a pleasure to watch.

[@JulieConkle]

A really good movie you can find on KZbin, The Karen Carpenter Story, with Cynthia Gibb playing Karen, tells a good accurate story of their beginnings, to her death.

[@jamesdagenais6494]

We had great entertainment verity shows back in the 70s. Throughout the decade, several singers had tv shows that lasted a couple of years .

[@CathyMckee-h4f]

I saw this when this was aired on TV. She made me tired going from drum to drums. I played French horn drums and trumpet in high school.😅

[@mitchfleming274]

In 75 she was voted the best drummer by playboy...ahead of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin

[@laurasmith2522]

Indeed I agree she looked happiest playing the drums lol love your reaction about today's entertainment as well I love you !

[@Fred-vy1hm]

Karen became a singer because she had the most beautiful voice in the world but her first love and passion was always the drums. 😊

[@stillracer2514]

THE WARNING IS MULTI TALENTED!

[@ericzeichert511]

They didn't make performers like Karen before Karen either. She was truly one of a kind.

[@supasoulproductions]

You should seek out some of the videos where she is playing and singing Carpenters hits!

[@yuppers54]

If the record label, and their manager, and Richard had left her behind the drums we might still have her today. It was the reviews that said she was chubby that pushed her into into the eating disorder that eventually caused her death.

[@llanitedave]

It was her failed marriage in 1980 that also exacerbated her condition from the emotional stress it caused her. She began undergoing treatment in late 1982 for her anorexia, but as a result of that gained weight faster than her weakened heart could handle. If Anorexia Nervosa had been as well understood at the time as it became later, partly as a result of her death, her treatment would likely have been more effective, and easier on her body.

[@SuperDusty56]

Another female drummer was Irene Mandrell in fact she was the first commercially successful female drummer

[@kitkakitteh]

My sister and I both played snare and other percussion in the school band, she did marching band, I did pep ( we got to sit😂)

[@Gotblade]

She was a jazz drummer before the Carpenters made it big.

[@marvinboswell6889]

Great reaction, to one of my all time favorite artists

[@bakercarl8518]

Such a beautiful woman.

[@Joseph-f9m7s]

We had the best bunch of variety shows in the 70's.

[@GeorgettaRoss-sg3hs]

Watch the earl videos of the Carpenters before they were huge. She was always behind the kit. Once executives heard here sing the pulled her off the kit and up front.

[@Joseph-f9m7s]

As a drummer that started playing in 1970 ar 10, then playing concert and marching and stage band HS, I can easily say that Karen was not just a good drummer, she was a great drummer. Most people don't know how hard it is to play like she did. Imagine both feet and hands all doing something different all at the same time. And making it sound great. Piano is probably the only thing harder than learning drums, at least for me.

[@marktaylor7907]

❤

[@thefoss5387]

Britt, if you want to see the Carpenters' first TV performance, with Karen behind the kit, search for The Richard Carpenter Trio, Dancing in the Street on Richard Carpenter's KZbin channel.

[@TerryYelmene]

If the powers that were... just let her be the drummer!

[@oldschoolsaint]

My understanding is that she was a drummer first and was reluctant about singing.

[@mlbw1966]

Karen loved playing the drums. She wanted to hid behind the drums because she thought she thought she thought she talented and fat... which led to her to anorexia that ended her life.. Her voice was so beautiful. She could record in one take. The voice of an Angel RIP KAREN CARPENTER WE MISS YOU ❤

[@baronofgreymatter14]

She rivaled John Bonham of Led Zepplin which was HUGE

[@JoeCruz-hs2yt]

these would freak out every one that she was a drummer besides a great singer not bad for a girl !

[@rhondaserges5136]

Karen was an award winning Jazz Drummer. Jon Bonham got very upset when Karen was named on a list of the best drummers and he wasn't. I believe she would of lived a long life if they had let her be behind her kit...

[@ericguyette5399]

Godsmack drum battle

[@elizabethfranco1284]

Let’s not forget Sheila E

[@WayneGardnerMIHS]

she did not want to sing nor be in front of the band .. she loved the drums

[@candicelitrenta8890]

She was pressured into giving up the drums and go out front because studio executives were discussing her weight and thought being behind the drum kit was causing her to gain weight. Her mother was incredibly controlling, and she felt boxed in, so she began starving herself for her weight. It finally took its toll when she passed away from it. The problem back then is that there was no knowledge of that disease and EVERYONE in entertainment was under the zoom of being attractive for the camera. Others used drugs like cocaine to control that but not her. Once she passed that disease became the focus on everyone's lips

[@gizmo5925]

It's not hard to find videos of the Carpenters where she's playing the drums.

[@kenneth2875]

The audience sees it on monitors that are above the seats

[@cspaikido]

Karen always considered herself a drummer first.

[@manonthemoog]

Karen was perfecly content being the drummer in Richard's band. Their parents felt he was the major talent in the family. Then everyone heard Karen sing. Richard was not without talent. His arranging and singing were a major part of their sound. I dont think there are many other recordings of her drumming. The wrecking crew recorded with them in the studio, and they had a full band for concerts so Karen was stuck singing most of the time. Similarly when Peter Gabriel left Genesis they auditioned 50 or more singers. Phil would sing for some of them to help with auditioning, and it gradually dawned on everyone he sang better than anyone else who tried. But he had to be dragged out from behind the kit because, as he says, the drummer is the hippest position in the band. He would continue to have a kit onstage even if he only played the instrumental parts on a few songs

[@deborahscalise3215]

Many videos of her playing drums at their live performances. Australia concert and Budokan Japan.

[@manonthemoog]

@deborahscalise3215 Did she play drums for the entire concert or just a song or two?

[@FleagleSangria]

Variety shows were big in the 50’s-early 80’s. This meant one had to be versatile. Unfortunately variety shows became passee and out of fashion never really coming back. I also think that there were not as many distractions then and people who had talent many times dedicated and absorbed themselves into many facets of the field.

[@CharlesHoward-ud6qv]

As good as this is it doesn’t even do her justice. This piece of music has a timing signature and she has to stay within it. You’ll notice that she does a series of roles then a quick break and she starts again. That’s because of the timing signature and the arrangement. I’ve heard her do solos without music and it allows her to change tempos and be more free style and much more jazz style. She was an awesome drummer. Buddy Rich, the greatest drummer of all time, was asked who was his favorite drummer and said Karen Carpenter. I believe he wasn’t being a smart a** but was being serious. Then you addd her voice that was sprinkled with fairy dust….. She was awesome but in some circles wasn’t taken seriously because of the type of songs she recorded. Her voice angelic and talent amazing and taken way to soon.

[@elizabethfranco1284]

That’s John Denver you know?

[@justabaker5609]

Want to see a woman rock a saxophone watch "Harden My Heart " by Quarterflash Rindy Ross is amazing on the sax. Any live version is better even from 2011 thirty years after the song came out.

[@markanderson4338]

On a video this old I wouldn't that copy-rite would apply.

[@sandrabutler8483]

I actually think if Karen had been allowed to stay behind the drums she might have been still around, she hated being out front and a lot of people spoke about her weight, which was more of a thing especially towards females in all walks of life, thankfully I think it's being spoken about more these days. Many from the films and then TV would be told they needed to lose weight

[@robklinky6474]

She was a great talent. Such a loss.

[@kenneth2875]

Watch Sheila E’s drum solo on David Letterman here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJqnZYaKdrqHrsksi=XQxQs7h0fA19oLLb

[@davidsuggs7491]

Love your reactions, but I have noticed you have never reacted to "Alyssa Lies" by Jason Michael Carol. I am disabled and have a limited income so sadly I'm not a patreon but I would really appreciate it if you could react to this song.

[@JulieConkle]

If they'd let her sing lead and stay behind her drums, she'd probably still be here. She felt too exposed, and due to some insensitive remarks in the papers, she became Anorexic, and it just took over. Very tragic.

[@mitchellbeston1033]

Triple threats, etc happen because of the environment. Nowadays, anyone can be a "star", even if they can't sing, hence the lack of "triple threats". Only Hugh Jackman comes to mind. The really talented are no longer sought after by those who produce music. Put it this way, in 2024, no one would be giving Janis Joplin a record deal...huh??????? Karen would have no issue in any era but would be competing with also-rans nowadays, which is sad. Credit to Carpenters...they regularly went out of their way to be entertaining, as opposed to just producing great music.

[@davemcbroom695]

Such a great drummer, and you can feed her a carrot a week.!

[@vincentverrico8954]

Stop talking 🙏

[@fiddiehacked]

Loved seeing guest John Denver with the bass drum! Karen was a masterful percussionist. I wish she had played more marimba with her brother's keyboards for accompaniment.