🎶CLOSE TO YOU - COVER ft. Tori Holub & James Wilkas | + BONUS | 2025 MUSIC REACTION🎶

[@tazzznphilly]

I hope 2025 is BETTER for you all. One 💙. 🤘😏 ~ Tazzz ~ Thank you RON R. for your Patreon Paypal donation. Anyone, tell me one thing that you liked about this song?

[@bruschmidt9943]

Hi'ya. One thing I'd like to point out is how the instrumentalists all played Richard's Arrangements to a T. That in addition to Tori's amazing vocals, made it magnificent 😇

[@tazzznphilly]

@@bruschmidt9943 Hi there, Bru. That is wonderful to know. I myself had no clue, but I am sure my resident, RonR, knew that. It was all, as you said, "magnificent".

[@clintonshepard6107]

Karen's voice is magical, and Tori sounds so much like her I love it! Thanks Tazzz and Ron.

[@tazzznphilly]

I am happy you got to watch and appreciate both worlds of an iconic song. It was lovely to experience. Such soothing voices from both of them.

[@mstewart109]

Close to you by the Carpenters is amazing

[@jbs256]

Great reaction and side by side, Tazzz. The Ed Sullivan Show version didn’t have the Whaaaas. Neither had the coda of the repeat Whaaaaas. That said both were awesome. Karen miming Hal on the drums and Tori taking a piece of the song and “owning” it. Putting her signature long held note (Youuuuuuuu) ending with an uplifting vibrato. Karen ended that part with a soft landing. James doing his magic with all the instruments and the musicians involved and putting it all together. He’s a magician I tellz ya. Thanks and I’ll check with Ron for the follow up. I have some songs for you, too. BTW the next one from Jim and Tori (other than the one you’ve yet to see) isn’t a Carpenters cover! Happy New Year my friend and for Philly too! Joe

[@tazzznphilly]

Thank you, Joe. 😏 Very happy you enjoyed it all. Tori is a time traveler. That reminiscing 80s vibe I felt. Hope 2025 is good for us all.

[@A-whiter-shade-of-pale]

Karen did not mime Hal on the drums! She was an accomplished jazz drummer by the time she was 15 (1965) when she was the drummer (did not sing yet) for The Dick Carpenter Trio which performed in mostly jazz clubs around Los Angeles. Richard wrote part of the music they did Played keyboard and arranged all of it. In 1966 they won The Hollywood Bowl Battel Of The Bands with two song "Iced Tea" a jazz song Richard wrote, and "Girl from Ipanema" a Jazzed up Bosa nova Wes Jacobs on bass or tuba for that. In 67 they were in a sextet called SPECTRUM with Richard on Keyboard Karin on drums and Bettis on guitar, who began writing lyrics to Richard's songs, guitarist Gary Sims, bassist Dan Woodhams, and vocalist Leslie "Toots" Johnston. Saw them at the Whisky A Go Go. in 1968 the Dick Carpenter Trio was back and won Your All American College Show with Richard on Keyboard Karen on drums and singing and Bill Sissoyev on bass. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXTdZ2OkfMaipq8 If you would like to hear pre 1969 music by them try kzbin.info/aero/PLA3id59yQgEra6kOn1qSV-ZPQRR6kvw8q There are 5 song with Karen as the drummer did not need Hal.

[@jbs256]

@@tazzznphilly she’s been accused of being a Time Traveling Vocal Cord Thief. Who am I to say? 😊

[@tazzznphilly]

@jbs256 Haha! Musical Thief in the night.

[@jbs256]

@@A-whiter-shade-of-pale it’s the album track, you can’t tell? In studio artists mimed/lip-synced to album tracks. The B/D Medley they did at Walter Reed was live to tape. That was Karen drumming. The Tonight Show 1973, Mr. Guder was live to tape, Karen drumming. You, as obviously in my age range, maybe a tad older, should know the difference.

[@ronraskind]

Thanks Tazzz, Happy New Year and thanks for getting this out. There are several more. Hope you had a nice holiday season and that the coming year is fruitful for your channel. I always love your comments and your analysis and I think you were right on! Be well then thanks for all you do.

[@tazzznphilly]

THERE U R! 😏 Truly very kind and meaningful words. You are very welcome. I am happy you appreciated the authenticity and honesty I bring to the channel. It has been also wonderful learning about these Musicians, from within the comments themselves. Hope 2025 is better for all of us, Ron. 😏

[@jbs256]

Great request my friend! And Tazzz killed it with the total reaction/analysis.

[@tazzznphilly]

@@jbs256 Appreciate you very much, Joe. Happy Viewers = Happy Tazzz.

[@johnfranklin5277]

Very nice. But doesn't really sound like Karen.

[@A-whiter-shade-of-pale]

The first version of this song was done by Richard Chamberlain listen to it, it will make your ears bleed Richard Carpenter (completely changed it for Karen. All the covers including Help, Ticket to ride, Superstar went through Richards Carpenters magic touch which made the song theirs. Tori (on all of the songs I have heard her do) is copping Richard's arranging and Karen's voice The song still belongs to the carpenters who first imagined it and put it out. If she wants to show her talent let her do a version of it that is not a copy of the Carpenters. We have already had the carpenter and do not need copies!

[@ronraskind]

My guess is you don't fully understand Tori's intent. Firstly this production, and a few others like it are produced and arranged by Jim Wilkas. He is doing vocals, playing multiple instruments, and is the genius audio engineer that put this together. I listen to a lot of music as well and I tend to put cover songs into two categories. There are those that can be altered or enhanced in unique ways to make them the singer's own. There are other songs that should never be changed and songs from the Carpenters for me fall into that category. Tori has stated explicitly that she does not want to copy or be Karen Carpenter. Her voice just happens to be naturally in that tone and style. She covers some other artists, and she has a few originals. But the Carpenters are a passion of hers, and these productions with Jim Wilkas are intended to be an honorable tribute to Karen and Richard. And I know that Karen and Richard would be proud of what she and Jim are doing. I think it is difficult to make another's song your own. And it is even more difficult to reincarnate it in a way that pays tribute. Happy New Year.

[@jbs256]

@@ronraskind very well said!

[@ericzeichert511]

Try checking out Tori's website...she has original material, covers other artists, and some other stuff. Carpenter's covers are not her only talent, just one of her strengths. Try Impossible, a Karen tribute with Dan Wesley, of the famous Perry Como song. Karen sang one verse of it on Perry's TV special, and Tori imagined what it would have sounded like as a complete song. Or something in your eyes, which Karen was unable to perform.

[@jbs256]

@@ericzeichert511have you seen the recent At 17 (Janice Ian), oh my. 😊

[@ericzeichert511]

@@jbs256 I am very familiar with the original, and I look forwarrd to Tori's take on it, because the vocal range is in her wheelhouse for sure.