Platinum singer and songwriter reacts to The Carpenters - A song for you FOR THE FIRST TIME

[@jamesewilliams1900]

Such a beautiful voice. What a loss.

[@bonester50]

Incomparable, indescribable, incredible Karen Carpenter! Her voice wraps you up in a warm blanket and takes you away to .magical places. "Well Karen Carpenter was just a singularly amazing singer. There was just not anybody like her. Quote "Leon Russell" who wrote this song.

[@grannylovesmusic9629]

The song was written by Leon Russell and recorded on his first solo album back in 1970. It has been recorded by several artists, including Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Donny Hathaway, and of course, The Carpenters, and many more. It's one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I read that Russell said he was trying to write a standard for Frank Sinatra and wrote this song directed to an estranged lover in about 10 minutes. He was an amazing songwriter and performer. Karen Carpenters voice sounds as if this song was written specifically for her to sing. She was truly amazing.

[@ruthlafler5622]

"When my life is over... I was singing this song for you" -- in hindsight, she was singing for us for when her life was over too soon.

[@peaches911]

Absolutely love The Carpenters!! So glad you reacted to them. Karen's voice is so beautiful and emotional. Please do Superstar, its stunning. IMO nobody can match her vocally. She left us far too soon.

[@impudentdomain]

the voice of an angel

[@lindakinninger5500]

Def must hear studio version…. Includes a killer sax solo…

[@solitarybee3714]

Karen Carpenter had such a beautiful voice she could have sung almost anything, and it would have made tons of money from her fans in the public. Her death was a terrible tragedy, all the more because it was done to her by her own mother. I find this just about the saddest story ever to happen in that era of popular music. Karen, may you rest in peace. God Bless You.

[@davidnelson9331]

"This Masquerade" is another fine song by Leon Russell also recorded by the Carpenters.

[@mike650r]

That is the song I was going to recommend. It is awesome!

[@gingers.5933]

This was a television performance that was cut to fit into the time allowed. You really should listen to the audio version, it is beautiful and contains a Sax solo.

[@jw106k]

You can never go wrong with a Carpenter song

[@MamawT65]

Leon Russell is the writer and his performance of this song is special!

[@wm8498]

She actually died of heart failure due to complications of Anorexia. She was taking a cocktail of things for years that were helping her to loose weight and at 32 years old, it finally wore her heart out. The song is actually longer but it was shortened for this particular performance. I love Donna Summer's live version of this song too...the live performance from Japan in the 70's. I love Donna anyway but, she did a great job giving it some soul. Thanks for the reaction!

[@deborahscalise3215]

The Carpenters were the top selling group of the 70;s. Donny Hathaway had recorded this song. Maybe that is who you were thinking of. The Carpenters sang the Leon Russel Trifecta. Superstar, This Masquerade, and A Song for You , all of which are excellent recordings. Karen's voice is still unmatched in clarity of pitch and tone. I grew up during their 14 year existence. I still listen to them today. Richard was a genius in arranging the songs and creating the Carpenter's sound. Thanks for reacting to them. They are a great rabbit hole to go down.

[@ruthlafler5622]

Yes, the videos are often cut short, and almost all of them are lip-synced because they couldn't replicate the harmonies live -- the amount of production Richard put into them was massive. The albums are the way to go.

[@tomfurci3701]

I'm sure I've heard this version before, but it's been awhile. Thank you for reminding me. Karen's voice on this song is beautiful...as always

[@jw106k]

What a lost of great talent and voice Pass away to young

[@LynnBartlett-un2vp]

Karen had perfect pitch. She considered herself first as a drummer who could Sing.

[@Tonidolls]

More Carpenters !!!

[@cathyhudnall6742]

The album version of the song is longer and has a sax solo in the middle. Yes, Richard Carpenter is on the piano. I heard that when they were first becoming more famous, Karen read an article about themselves that referred to her as Richard's "chubby, younger sister" that started the dieting. She started getting compliments from others as she dropped some weight but then it got out of control as, ironically, it became the one thing that she felt she could control with her mother's continual passing over her for her brother. She took many things over the course of a decade that just wore her heart down. Yes, she was a drummer. There are a few of her solo pieces on KZbin you should check out. There's my favorite of her and Miss Ella Fitzgerald singing a jazz medley on the last Carpenters special called "Music, Music, Music" from 1980 you should check out as well. I'm a huge Carpenters fan since 1973 or 74. Yes, they were huge in the 70s. Anyway, I'm enjoying your channel and I'm sorry for rambling and I hope that made sense

[@steedlee3997]

She had perfect pitch.

[@klb9142]

Whitney Houston sang it during her Welcome Home for the Troops concert. It was probably a part of her early 90’s tour as well.

[@TomLloyd-18]

this TV show performance was shortened to fit the show. Their recorded version is much longer and includes some a gr8 organ interlude

[@scottgorski7931]

The tragedy is , she really didn't need to loose weight. Peer pressure and bad advice can have terrible results.

[@stevefoulston]

Others who have recorded this Donny Hathaway, Amy Winehouse, Angelina Jordan lots of people RIP Karen beautiful voice and lady forever young. Peace out.

[@tomnewman7682]

This is the shorter version of the song , listen to the studio version !!

[@Lovejazz01]

She also became obsessed with her weight because she read a review in a magazine that called her “ chubby” , it’s said that that’s was the beginning of her wanting to get slim and stay slim.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

Ann Wilson of Heart was chubby as a teen but managed to get through her 20s and 30s on diet pills and industrial-grade corsets. Eventually she decided to sing at a more comfortable weight.

[@LoisChisholm]

"Make Believe It's Your First Time" is a good song by The Carpenters.

[@bonester50]

Karen Carpenter is considered one of if not the top female jazz drummers of all time IMHO. Buddy Rich, Hal Blaine and many others thought so.

[@sharoninglima1217]

Leon Russell’s song and he loved the way they sang it. The Carpenters had more no. 1 hits than The Beatles or Elvis. Karen’s voice was so extraordinary and rich. She’s also an award winning jazz drummer. Richard was a musical genius and great pianist. KC documentary: Starving For Perfection is a great documentary. Carpenters songs: Solitaire, Close To You, Only Yesterday, Sing, On Top of the World, Masquerade. ❤❤

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 it's very very difficult for me to listen to Karen Carpenter because we lost her way too soon and she was an amazing amazing talent and such such an unnecessary death. so heartbreaking

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

The one that always gets me is Kirsty MacColl, who at 40 threw herself between her son and the propeller of an out-of-control motorboat while snorkeling off Cozumel.

[@sandrarhodes42]

Leon Russell wrote this huge hit. Maybe some day you can check the original out. Leon Russell, Homewood Sessions in 1971.

[@lamusiclover2264]

The song was written by Leon Russel, and it just happens to be a short song. The most famous version was done by Donny Hathaway. His is beautiful too, but Karen's voice is just transformative and beautiful. In the 70's, songs were edited for radio to be 3 1/2 minutes or under, though the album versions were often longer. Some nasty music reviewer said she looked heavy....she NEVER was. She starved herself and eventually died from cardiac arrest.

[@sabrenas7895]

Willie Nelson also does a beautiful version of this imo 😁

[@johnbattles1002]

Due to time constraints of the TV show, this was a shortened version of the quite longer studio recording that Karen did.

[@pamcrumpler9169]

She read reviews in the paper every day and unfortunately 1 day a review said she looked a little heavy.

[@BrendaChilders-y2r]

Have you seen Mama Cass? She was very heavy, but boy did she have a great voice. She died young too! That was in the 70s also. Have you ever heard Janice Joplin? Great singer! Also died young!

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

We lost both Sandy Denny and Fritz Wunderlich in their 30s from falling down stairs.

[@bearfoodbuddy6841]

Helen Reddy

[@debbiegarrison1944]

One Take Karen...that's all it took for her to get it

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

She did the scratch track in one take, but nearly every time Richard had her do a couple more once the instrumentalists had gone home and he had a better idea just what sound he wanted from her.

[@AP-gb3eh]

Gorgeous voice but the music was always overproduced to me . Richard produced like it was still the 1940s. The pressure women felt to be thin was insane. As a 5 foot 6 inch woman weighing in at 128, I was told often if you could just lose 5- 8 lbs . I can’t Imagine how hard it was to be on camera. Magazines would crop photos to make like women look like Barbie dolls

[@katetailby6334]

Ray Charles covered this

[@susanworkman529]

Karen has such a beautiful voice. She always considered herself as a drummer, not a singer. She was both. Check out her drum solo video. She was an old school drummer. Show business was tough on women back in the day. Karen was good she was too heavy, when she wasn't The same thing happened to the singer/actress Judy Garland. ( as well as others I'm sure). However In Judy's and Karen's cases, it lead to their deaths.