SINGER SONGWRITER Reacts || THE CARPENTERS "We've Only Just Begun" Reaction

[@johnnie2638]

She's wearing the white dress because the song is about a marriage. The lyrics "White lace & promises. A kiss for luck and we're on our way" and "sharing horizons that are new to us" symbolize the innocence of a young couple just starting out.

[@Rick-m1u1u]

No one could touch her vocals today

[@mikebrock7606]

Karen was a true alto with such smoothness.......I don't see any of today's singers can even come close to this quality

[@Coowallsky]

She was a contralto.

[@bonester50]

Karen Carpenter is in a class of 1. Beautiful reaction !!! She is only 20 in this video. Karen was an influence to many singers and admired by many, Paul McCartney for one. Richard is a genius and they tore up the Billboard charts in the 70's. The number 1 selling american group in the 70's were the Carpenters.

[@ChuckHackney]

Well said, so validating to see all these young people fall in love with this angel's voice. There is Karen's voice, then all the rest. Miss you to this day, Karen!❤❤❤❤❤

[@ChuckHackney]

Drummer first, took some pushing by Richard to get her out from behind those drums. And he unleashed to the world one of the greatest voices in musical history.

[@ChuckHackney]

An angel sings. Truly, this is what God's angels sound like.

[@bonester50]

@@ChuckHackney I listen to her daily and tears just start falling. I ignored Carpenters in the 70's because I thought I was cool. What a mistake !!! Nobody like K.A.C.

[@markanderson9059]

Karen had perfect pltch and was known for recording the songs on the first take. Richard played keys and did all the arranging. Karen considered herself a drummer who sang. Santa

[@keith6485]

Damn it, I told myself I wasn't going to tear up listening to this, this time. Karen's voice was so special to the millions of us who listened to her back then. I cried when she died. I obviously still can't listen to her voice without crying.

[@MaBer-67391]

The Carpenters were VERY vanilla, but there's nothing wrong with that. Karen had a voice that was just unmatched.

[@ChuckHackney]

I happen to love vanilla, by far my favorite flavor, BTW!❤

[@ChuckHackney]

So music has to be gross, or hard edged or salacious to be good? That's what the critics thought. Good voices be damned. Well, for me, there are the Carpenters, then everybody else. Some close seconds, though...Bee Gees, love ya❤

[@MrRizzo1961]

Karen played drums at the beginning and never wanted to be up front. She liked hiding behind the drum kit. Richard played keyboard/piano and did most of their arrangements/engineering of their music and wrote a little.R.I.P. Karen Carpenter ✌️❤️🙏🙏

[@thomastimlin1724]

Hardly hiding behind the drum kit, she played the hell of them when doing jazz, and was praised by the world famous Buddy Rich

[@patcurrie9888]

Imagine the time, early 70s.being young and planning your wedding. This was the go to wedding song. This performance was for a TV show.

[@ruthlafler5622]

The Carpenters sound was all about the harmonies. Richard was a genius arranger, and their harmonies were overdubbed multiple times. There's a video where a woman pulls apart the tracks on this song. There are about 30 tracks. There are six vocal tracks: the main vocal, a doubling of the main vocal in some places, and four tracks of Richard and Karen harmonizing together.

[@victorsixtythree]

This song has a fun history - it was originally composed for a television commercial for a local California bank showing a young newlywed couple starting their new life together.

[@Lijie]

Ahhhh that makes so much sense!! I can visualize the commercial with this music playing. Thanks for sharing this info Victor!

[@victorsixtythree]

@@Lijie I just ran across this recent interview with one of the song writers Paul Williams talking about the origins of the song and how the Carpenters heard it and then wanted to do a version. Paul Williams himself didn't think the song was particularly special...until Karen Carpenter (he calls her an angel) go a hold of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGKUkIp3idmhpcksi=Vf-CQ21wyuf2J_Qs

[@b1bmsgt]

To get really blown away, listen to their version of Superstar…

[@raybernal6829]

Karen was amazing.... Richard was the writer(though they did release remakes as well)and played keyboards. Richard is still alive.... I grew up in the 70s and everyone loved their music. Another note is Karen was an amazing drummer even topping a list of best drummers in 1975... ❤

[@scottgorski7931]

Probably the most played song at weddings during the 70's. The song was originally for a bank commercial catering to young couples. Richard heard it and arranged it for the group.

[@floydlawson3765]

I believe Paul Williams wrote the song for Crocker bank.

[@keith6485]

It was THE wedding song of the 70s. It was played for the first dance at mine in 1978. It didn't help. 😝 It fell out of favor after her death. It just wasn't uplifting anymore.

[@David-wn4pi]

Great reaction to The Carpenters. Classic music from that time. Pure talent for all to see and hear.

[@dazedandconfusedconfused9500]

Loved this reaction. I like how you give a little more depth to your reactions other than "It was a great song" or "I really enjoyed this song", like I see other reactors do.

[@chrisharris5497]

I think the dress was a choice on the theme of the song. The song is about 2 people getting married and starting their lives together, "white lace and promises, a kiss for luck and we're on our way". I believe the dress choice was to subtly emphasise the meaning of the song. Richard played the keyboards.

[@MichaelAndrews-uy1gl]

Richard was a virtuoso on piano and keyboard...an excellent music arranger and composer.

[@LarryLewis-nz1oy]

I think the dress is more related to a wedding dress and song is about a newlywed couple

[@marknicholes8559]

Richard - her brother - played piano 🙂

[@johnstanton8308]

Hi Lijie, You are correct, today's music relies too much on technology, and not so much on the skills and talent that were required back in the 70s. Since this song was about a couple starting life together (it was originally written for a bank commercial that targeted newlyweds), the motif for the music video including clothing that depicted a wedding, and not an attempt to market Karen in a particular light. Karen was known to have perfect pitch with a three octave range, and would often nail her recordings on the first take (she was known as a one-take wonder). She had such a unique tone and timbre to her voice (particularly in her lower register) that even 50 years later, it is instantly recognizable. As you mentioned, she was also an extremely accomplished drummer who had no problem singing and drumming at the same time. Richard was a musical genius in his own right. A keyboard prodigy, who selected and/or wrote all of their music to specifically take advantage of Karen's voice. He also was an extremely gifted arranger and producer. They would often spend months in the studio to create their albums, with their signature overdubbed harmonies. In short, Karen's story is a tragic one, but they left us with such a rich legacy of music (12 albums of original material over a 14 year career). I highly recommend watching the documentary: "Karen Carpenter, Starving for Perfection". It's safe to say there will never be another more beautiful voice than Karen Carpenter.

[@Lijie]

John hi! Thank you for sharing this info, I had no idea they released so many albums, incredible!!! ❤️ Yes, Karen’s voice is so unique and recognizable, may she rest in peace 🙏

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

In the 1970s most of the female entertainers did not have to be half naked to keep the audience's attention. They did it with talent. Except for ABBA they had the talent but were also sexy.

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

This song was written and used as a commercial for a bank (sang by Paul one of the writers) Karen was 19 when they recorded it. From 1965 to 1969 they played in a jazz band (Dick Carpenter Trio) in jazz clubs around Los Angeles with a short break in an easy listening band (Spectrum) which played at the Whisky A-GO-GO sometimes. Karen was 15 (in 65) and did not sing she was the drummer and one that would make you take notice. Richard (Dick) wrote part of the music they did and played keyboards Wes Jacobs (for the pre Spectrum) and Bill Sissoyev for the after Spectrum trio provide the bass. They won the Hollywood Bowl battle of the Bands in 1966 and Your all America Collage Show tn 1968. Karen and Richard signed with A&M (Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss) in 69 and A&M let them do about what they wanted. On their albums (except 1) the singing is all Karen and Richard. They recorded the harmonies on from 3 to 30 tracks then put them on the master (a trick Richard had gleaned from Les Paul and Mary Ford) Most of the time getting Karen was done in one take then to get the harmonies like I said from 3 o 30 times singing it. Richard also wrote a number of the songs they did and did all the arranging. If you would like to hear their jazz do a search on Hollywood Bowl battle of the Bands in 1966 or Your all America Collage Show 1968 Karen was singing on it. When they did the recordings, Karen was known as one take Karen she seldom had to do a retake.

[@JohnnyHector17]

Roger Nichols wrote the music

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

@@JohnnyHector17 Richard had nothing to do with writing this song. It was written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). Richard Carpenter and John Bettis wrote most of the Carpenter written songs Merry Christmas, Darling was lyrics by Frank Pooler (their collage music professor) music by Richard. for the Dick Carpenters Trio Richard wrote alone.

[@jzeb5314]

She is 20 there!! beautiful is all one can say about her!!

[@scottroloff7391]

It's about two people getting married, go listen to the first two lines. Bride wears white lace, make CV promises, then kiss after the ceremony...

[@patcurrie9888]

And her white dress signifies a bridal gown.

[@ToxicMascGuy]

The Carpenters were a pioneer in vocal overdubbing. Also remember, this was a time way way before auto tune. That voice and those harmonies are pure.

[@joetallon4968]

Karen had the voice of an angel!

[@FavoriteMovieDate]

Granny dresses were in fashion back then, although they did market them as wholesome, which they were! The record company did a really bad job marketing them because they didn’t know what to do to market decent people.

[@dougellis8904]

The lyrics tell us that a couple has just gotten married and they are anticipating their future together.

[@jonathanmaunder1637]

The writer of this song (Paul Williams) also co-wrote another great hit of theirs called "Rainy Days and Mondays", and I'd really like to see and hear you react to that sometime please.

[@craigreid7178]

And with siblings there is often a very similar vocal quality that lends itself to a perfect blend in harmonies.

[@Lijie]

That is a GREAT observation!

[@fionnmaccumhaill3257]

​@Lijie I remember living this time back then, and it was normal for women to wear dresses 👗 then. In school and at work dresses would still be frequently mandated dress attire. This was the time when this was ending. It's too bad as it marked the time of America becoming less wholesome. By the 80's America, America celebrated decadence and debauchery. While it was a very fun time to live, in the long run, it wasn't what was best for the country or the world. 🌎

[@keithbrown7685]

I imagine that Karen and Richard and the other personnel with them in the studio, they worked very long and hard.. I can imagine lots of rehearsing, lots of fatigue, lots of retakes to get things just so, lots of late hours, all for our sakes in a way. Karen already had that angelic voice, but still the hours and hours spent creating songs like this one... it would have to have been draining at times. It's almost as though, the only time Karen would have had to breathe, was when she sang. And oh she sang, that beautiful woman.

[@frederickc591]

Great reaction! Karen was the master technician of sad music. This song is somewhat more hopeful than much of her repertoire. Superstar is her best performance. It’s a great song but very sad. Worth a listen.

[@brucethrasher8551]

I dont understand why no reactor has picked up on the meaning of the first two lines of the song. Its their wedding. White lace is obviously the bridal gown. A kiss for luck is the kiss after the pronoucement of man and wife. To me its obvious, though ive not seen a single reactor get it. The Crocker Bank Commercial from which the song was taken, showed a just married couple exiting the church, getting into their limousine and starting their married life together. The song was written by the amazing Paul Williams. 9:32

[@MartinMcMartin]

Key changes, pretty rare these days.

[@russhudson7362]

Paul Williams wrote this song for a commercial for Crockett Bank, to promote mortgage loans. Richard Carpenter saw the commercial and thought the song would be a hit for the Carpenters.

[@leonardshevlin7260]

Yes, and Williams had already written a complete song and it had already been recorded and released.

[@Susan-pq5rx]

Lijie, thank you for your elegant expert analysis of this timeless performance by the legendary Carpenters. Regarding Karen's dress, I think it suggests a wedding dress. "We've Only Just Begun" is about two people starting their lives together. This classic ballad was played at many weddings. Believe it or not, this song was originally written for a bank commercial. Richard Carpenter heard it and thought it was perfect for Karen. He contacted the composers. They lengthened the song. The Carpenters recorded it, and it became one of their many mega hits.

[@mykecoburn9974]

Richard was the mastermind of their sound. He didn't write every song but he arranged all of them.

[@Perfect_Blend]

Those were "granny" dresses back then and I believe her mom actually suggested those when they first started performing. Yes, they were marketed as "squeaky clean, all american kids next door". They commented in interviews how that image just wasn't easy to live up to. They were just regular people with normal wants and dreams. Karen idolized her brother Richard. He played keyboards, background harmonies, arranged and co wrote(with John Bettis) many of their hit songs. Karen just never accepted how darn good she really was, even when John Lennon in passing told her he loved her voice, she didn't really believe he meant it. These tv shows back then were usually the studio track and they lip synched to it. I saw them live many times in the 70's and they were always true to the studio recording. R.I.P. Karen.

[@Lijie]

Thank you for sharing this…I wish the voice in her head had been kinder, what a unique legend she was and always will be 🙏

[@christianlink7287]

Burt Bacharach Who wrote this song wrote a lot of songs for Movies you can ask google, And google all the songs he wrote! He’s My Favorite writer/Composer!!

[@chrisholland6052]

Another voice I think you would truly enjoy is John Denver. Described as warm chocolate surrounding you. Check out Annie's Song.

[@jbs256]

Hi Lijie, Beautiful reaction and please talk all you want, you did great on this. There’s so much and I have a surprise for you, your mom and teacher if you share to them what’s to come. After you see it of course. First the RPO version of the song dates to a reissue Richard made in 2018. This song started life as a Crocker Bank commercial where Richard saw it on TV. Paul and Roger were working on the A&M lot so he got in touch and here we have their second hit at #2. The dress was intentional for the white lace line. The song became THE wedding song of the 70’s. The drums you commented on were by Hal Blaine. Their primary studio drummer and founder of The Wrecking Crew. Karen by this album was a secondary drummer. She was also 20 in this video. You are getting wonderful suggestions in the comments so I’m going to where I want to surprise you, mom and teacher. On March 2nd of this year, on Karen’s birthday, 54 years later, a cover of We’ve Only Just Begun was released. As you mentioned modern music can be autotuned and technologied to a mass of mush. Well, this song wasn’t. Some things had to give, reel to reel recorders are scarce. But you can use real instruments, real singers and not pitch correct anything! That’s what James Wilkas did in crafting this song with musicians from around the world. Then serendipity happened and KZbin did its thing and introduced Jim to a voice. She’s 20 year old (there’s that number again) Tori Holub (Ha Lubb) to him. He saw some of her videos and reached out to her. He even took a song she made and modified it to add himself for more backup vocals. She loved what he did and agreed to sing on his project. You see, Tori is a Carpenters superfan. She loves singing Carpenters songs and other songs from the 60’s to 80’s. Karen is her hero. There’s something else but you’re going to need to react to the video I’ve linked below. Then you will know why you have to show it to mom and your teacher. There’s more but I’m not going any farther. I hope you are intrigued. It’s hard to spring a total surprise like I could earlier. The song has 400K+ views. Soooooo 🤷🏻‍♂️. I’ve subscribed and am really curious as to what you and the others will think. Have fun! Joe We’ve Only Just Begun (Cover) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGqYnZmAptRsjLssi=RxLPEga6jbLS3vb- .

[@Perfect_Blend]

Hiya Joe.

[@jbs256]

@@Perfect_Blend Hey PB! ❤

[@ralphgomez6251]

Check out "Close To You "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@atomreader8162]

I really enjoyed your song at the end. I love the use of orchestral instruments in modern songwriting. Great arrangement. Check out the Moody Blues if you are not already familiar with them. Days of Future Passed (album) is one of the best examples of pop orchestral music.

[@sheilah8516]

This was THE wedding song in the 70s. And Karen was very young in this video, around 20 or so. She was unfortunately only in her early 30s when she passed. She thought of herself as a drummer who sang. And Richard was a very talented arranger, sound engineer, etc. He also chose most of their songs.

[@genetaylor9737]

Hi Lijie, missed ya, i don,t know why my first comment didn,t go through. Now i have to start over. Wow this song brings back memories. So sad she is no longer with us, no doubt she would still be a SUPERSTAR. she did have a wonderful voice. She and her brother use to harmonize beautifully. They had alot of good songs. I like the fact she use to play the drums also very cool. I think they were trying to market them as a wholesome pair or duo. Not your typical rock or pop group. And Paul Williams wrote alot of songs for other artist also. Not to mention for himself. He also played or acted in the movie Planet of the apes. Have you ever watched that movie or movies? It was so nice to see you and watch your reaction video. Bye for now, keep up your music making you have a beautiful voice. LOVE YA❤

[@Lijie]

Gene hi!!! It’s always great to see your name here!! I’m not familiar with Paul Williams, I’ve seen the remake of Planet of the Apes but not the original… It is rare for a least singer to be a drummer, Karen was special like that, such a star 🤩🙏

[@genetaylor9737]

Paul actually played or acted in some other movies also, I can,t remember what they were off hand. Yeah I really liked that Karen played drums I think she inspired alot of girl drummers, thanks for responding to my comment it,s always a pleasure to hear from you. LOVE YA, GENE❤

[@zigman8550]

Karen Carpenter was and still is the best and most talented female "pop" vocalist and drummer in the world. Nobody else even comes close!

[@dougramsey1012]

Their branding (they were once described as "goody four shoes"did prove to be problematic in terms of their critical reputation. The record company pushed the "virginal suburban girl" image in a deliberate contrast to the prevailing hippie aesthetic of the time. By the way, Karen was 21 when this was filmed; grown but very young.

[@IAMisLove]

👍Beautiful performance and song. Great reaction. 🖖❤

[@Lijie]

Thank you so much, God bless you!! 🙏

[@leonardshevlin7260]

I don't know of another song with this theme and I'm moved every time I hear it. I don't think many young couples begin their lives together with these feelings in the West in the 21st century.

[@christianlink7287]

Im Listening to the carpenter’s CHRISTMAS C. D. You should Listen to Karen’s version of The Rainbow 🌈 Connection! I listened From 1974 - 1983. I Cried when she Died! Thanks So Much for Keeping all these Great songs Alive!!❤

[@jamesdunn1641]

This was probably the number one marriage song of the 70s.

[@yellowbeardjamesgibson9297]

Hello 👋 from the Sunshine ☀ State of Florida !!!! Karen truly had a Uniqe Voice 👍 for soft Rock !!! Yet I would offer you Dulce Pontes singing ( Your Love ) from the Movie once upon a time in the west with full lyrics yet there are Many different interpretations of this song with & Without Lyrics covered by many Artists !!! Karen's brother usually plays the piano 😊 like button 🔳 has been Illuminated ☀ 😎

[@curtbarron3054]

Love the Carpenters. If you like good harmonies, I recommend the Bee Gees. Their harmonies were renowned over a career that spanned over 35 years. "Too Much Heaven" is a classic in falsetto harmony.

[@alexcerdan4500]

Great singing at the end.

[@Calamity_Jack]

Thanks! Love the Carpenters. It's interesting that this song was originally written as a two-verse commercial jingle for a California bank, and the lyricist (a future famous performing artist and songwriter himself, Paul Williams) was the singer. Richard Carpenter heard it and liked it. The song was expanded and the Carpenters got rights to sing it. And they did it so well!

[@christianlink7287]

Paul Williams wrote the Rainbow connection.

[@sam21462]

Once an angel fell from heaven. Though she was called home far too quickly she left us all with an amazing gift. Because of her, we know what angels sound like.

[@cliffordlowerre1381]

Nice reaction. Richard and Karen were a very talented musical duo. Richard a child prodigy on the keys and musical genius. Karen a SUPERB drummer and so happy behind a kit. An ANGELIC voice that's unmatched. Still brings a tear to my eye after all these years. This song was called the wedding song when I was young because so many couples played it at their weddings. A good example of Richards genius is where he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and added it to one of Karen's performances of "Superstar" after her death. Check it out. A masterpiece. Rest In Peace Karen.

[@somayort]

So many people used this song at their wedding.

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

The correct name of the brother and sister duo is "Carpenters", not "The Carpenters". “We’ve Only Just Begun”; It Was Written to Sell Mortgages, But Became the Wedding Song for a Generation. It had been written to be a wedding song of sorts, although not for any particular event. It was created to be part of an ad campaign. Hal Riney was an advertising executive from San Francisco, California. Crocker Bank hired him to develop a new campaign. The bank was concerned its core customers were older, and thus dying-and they weren’t reaching out to younger customers to take their place. Riney convinced the bank president to invest in paying some songwriters to come up with a song that spoke to the young people and their changing lives. In explaining his vision to a bank executive, Riney said in the documentary Art and Copy that he told him, “I can’t tell you what the song is because I’m not a songwriter, and I can’t even tell you what the commercials are because I can’t tell you that until we hear the song. He said, ‘Well, that’s pretty vague.’” Songwriter Roger Nichols told the KZbin interview show The Paul Leslie Hour, “Paul (Williams) and I got this request from Crocker Bank in California to write a song for a wedding ceremony. So, we wrote “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Just the first two verses… Crocker Bank came back and said, ‘We want a full song to give to our clientele,’ so, in the meantime, Paul and I had written the bridge and the last verse.” The ad was a big success, and the bank saw immediate results. The brother/sister soft rock outfit the Carpenters were experiencing the success of their own breakout hit, “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” The song won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus in 1971. Richard Carpenter was looking for a song to record as the follow-up to their massive hit. He had worked with Paul Williams as they were both working for A&M Records. Williams would sometimes drop by Carpenters rehearsals and sing with them. Carpenter knew it was Williams immediately, which meant it had to be a Nichols/Williams song. He knew it was a hit, and approached Williams to see if the song had more than just a couple verses. It did. “We’ve Only Just Begun” became the wedding song for a generation, as well. The advertising campaign had expanded to include other themes, such as starting a new job or buying a new home. The ads were having the exact effect the bank wanted. The fact that the ad’s music became a smash hit and was getting radio airplay all over the world? Huge bonus for the Crocker Bank. They could never have predicted such an outcome: young customers were indeed coming to the bank. People who were just starting out. These were people who didn’t have any collateral for loans, however. So the ad campaign was suspended and eventually franchised to other banks. Riney, the ad exec who conceived of the Crocker Bank promotion, went on to be involved with and provide a pivotal ad for Ronald Reagan’s presidential re-election campaign. Some people say it was ads like his famous “It’s morning again in America” spot that were responsible for Reagan’s 1984 landslide victory over Walter Mondale. Riney narrated that ad.

[@golfr-kg9ss]

This was a very popular wedding song in the early 1970s.

[@george217]

Hard to believe that this song started out as a jingle for Crocker Bank.

[@jamesmcclain5005]

We listened to rock music, and pop music from the 1970's.

[@vernhoke7730]

It's such a sad story. Karen really didn't enjoy being out front when she and her brother performed. Her happy place was behind her drum kit. Unfortunately she had such a beautiful voice their manager wanted her out front. You should check out one of her performances playing the drums.

[@ariyanto4617]

My beauty karen...miss her bariton voice

[@Itsnotyourfault2024]

FUN REACTION!! ❤❤❤

[@Lijie]

Thanks Jeff!! Hope the healing is going well, you are missed!!! 🙏❤️

[@Itsnotyourfault2024]

@@Lijie its a slow process, staples came out today, ugh. I didn't have your email here at home ,only on my work PC, but I was hoping you would respond so I could THANK YOU for the awesome gift, you are a phenomenal person. Luv ya!

[@Lijie]

@@Itsnotyourfault2024 You got it!! Does it look fabulous on??!

[@Itsnotyourfault2024]

@@Lijie ITS DIVINE!! Like you🤗💓🤗

[@jamesmcclain5005]

She was an absolute angel! 🥺😢

[@foodforthoughtwithfestus7666]

Thank you 🙏🏻 for your reaction to this Carpenters song. I hope you would also react to a lesser known song by them called A Place To Hideaway. Thank you 🎉

[@george217]

Cute little anklebiter at the end. You have a great voice of your own young lady.

[@miitheweirdartist6794]

How can anyone look at the visuals...hear the word s...and not know right away. this is about the beginning of marriage...how can a song writer miss the obvious...🙄..

[@markcarbaugh5416]

This song was written by Paul Williams and his partner for Crocker Bank in California to market to newlyweds.Richard heard it and arranged its full length story.

[@j.whisper2379]

It's a wedding type song!

[@VIDSTORAGE]

They did a great cover of Delaney and Bonnie / Groupie Superstar ...

[@marcuswood5975]

I want some of whatever that tombow players heaven you're right she's a wicked drummer

[@Sherman1fan]

Please react to Mari Hamada, Japanese metal queen since the 80's, her younger sister Eri backs her vocals live, both have tremendous range and power. Stay Gold (Live) is a good start.

[@George50809]

In their early songs she played the drums. Later on she just sang.

[@marcuswood5975]

Believe it or not I watched that special when it first came out

[@disfunktionalguns2235]

70’s wedding listen to wirds a marriage begins we’ve only just begun I sound like it ever

[@StevesFunhouse]

Richard Carpenter (guy next to her) was a pianist, and arranged everything. Karen was known as "One-Take Karen" because she DIDN'T need to do a song over and over again to get it right. It was a gift, for and by both of them. She started out as a drummer, and he convinced her to sing, and then the step out in front of the drums to become primarily a singer ... probably didn't help her mental issues ... taking away her first love. Yes, this the studio recording used in the video, but they DO sound exactly the same when doing actual live stuff, another rarity in music. All of this is most likely why your coach/instructor/etc. loves Karen's voice so much. She was just perfect and did NOT have to work at it. Update: I forgot to mention that Richard developed the method of overdubbing known as "The Carpenter Sound" ... a testament to his genius.

[@SanJoseBob]

Her brother Richard played Keyboard and did all the arrangements. He was famous for his arranging and the Harmonies are killer! Karen considered herself a Drummer who could sing. If you wanted to know how Angels sounds, this is it!…..SanJoséBob

[@Lijie]

The voice of an angel…! 🪽

[@jamesmcclain5005]

😂😂😂 we were listening to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and this, all together we had diversity in music that is uncommon today.

[@zzz987654321]

in the late 1960s and early 1970s Karen's dress was pro quo for that era - many girls dressed like that then not part of branding.

[@impudentdomain]

Karen always performed in a classy feminine gown of some sort. I was in Jr high at this time and had quite a crush on her.

[@TJHolloway-c8l]

Karen was regarded as one of the world's best jazz drummers and Richard's keyboard and arrangements were ahead of his time. He was the first to come up with the multiple overlaying of his and Karen's voices as the harmonizing backing vocals. He was also very aware of just how good his sister's voice was. She recommended everything in one take. Perfect pitch, check out Solitaire. She didn't like the song but I think it was her contralto at its best. Love you Karen!

[@MichaelAndrews-uy1gl]

Correction...Richard still IS...sorry about the "was".

[@warriorpitbull1170]

They weren't really marketing her in any direction. Music was much different and diverse back then. Everyone loved Karen. Her dark background was kept out of the spotlight but no one - as I remember ( and was around back then) - tried to make anything out of her other than a highly talented musician and singer. This song is about marriage and hence the lyrics of 'white lace and promises'. I believe the white dress was just for the sake of blending to the feeling of the song.

[@botwitaprice]

WEVE ONLY JUST BEGUN. THE SONG STARTED A BANK COMMERCIAL

[@rudedogmat]

The song was about a marriage.We've only just Begun,white lace and promises.We start out walking and began to run.We've only just begun

[@BenjWarrant]

You're right about the repressive approach that their management, their parents, TV companies and so forth put them through. She never wanted to come out from behind the drums - she was perfectly capable of singing just as well while she was drumming as well - but pressure was put on Karen to take the spotlight as a solo singer, the 'front man' of the musicians. I have no doubt that this contributed to her mental discomfort that she dealt with by starving herself to retake control, the anorexia that killed her.

[@matthewcostello3530]

aka The Wedding Song

[@matthewcostello3530]

they weren't marketing her any way, it was in keeping with the wedding sentiment of the song

[@THEPATRIOT1000]

Fantastic. Try some Barbara Streisand , Memory. Also Celine Dion, Whitney Houston

[@christianlink7287]

Close to you Burt Bacharach.

[@michaelasay8587]

You dont know her by now?? Well get goin girl😢😢😢

[@marcuswood5975]

I'm sure she would agree she's glad to get out of that era as far as what she's wearing

[@markgallemore8856]

Commercialization they’re gonna feed you garbage because you’re buying

[@davidscroggins7728]

Thats Karen on the drums. More please . You must react to Lara Fabian from her 1999 concert.

[@THEPATRIOT1000]

ABBA, Queen, Elvis, Journey, BeeGees.... more views

[@oltyret]

The marketing angle was "wholesome". They wanted Karen to be wholesome to contrast with the increasing sexuality in music and I don't think she liked it. Especially since the Seventies version of being clean and wholesome was to wear a prairie dress. Karen preferred contemporary styles.

[@scottroloff7391]

-CV