Quotes about the Carpenters

[newvillefan]

I watched the 'Close To You: Remembering The Carpenters' documentary again today and was really struck by a quote from Paul Williams:

"Somebody was talking about their sound being 'vanilla' at one point and I went 'but what an exquisite flavour vanilla is'. They made great records. They took our songs and...gave them a life".

Any one else got any memorable quotes that sum up how you feel about their music?

 

[Tapdancer]

I'm glad you've brought up this topic, because there are plenty of excellent quotes succinctly summarising their music. There was one website - I can't remember which - in which someone had gone to the trouble of compiling virtually every anonymous opinion ever made about the Carpenters! Yes, it went on forever. But I think this one comment puts it perfectly:

"I know you all think I'm weird, but if you have not yet spent a season with Karen Carpenter on your car CD player, well my darlings, you have not yet lived."

 

[Must Hear This Album]

Two of my favorite quotes about Carpenters:

“At their most inspired, Carpenters seem a world unto themselves, immune to the hip upheavals around them, pursuing a sound of poignant sweetness, tinged with yearning. It’s a kind of music that’s never been duplicated and remains a pleasure to hear.” - All Music Guide

“At first [Carpenters’] songs seem banal and manipulative and overly sentimental. They gain a new kind of depth as we’ve learned how Karen Carpenter suffered. There’s a real sadness, and the voice gets all the more beautiful as you find out. You listen to it, and you can’t stop.” - Director, Todd Haynes

 

[GaryAlan]

Mentioning Karen:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-special-consensus-review-20140324,0,2564143.story

 

[ullalume]

About Karen in an interview with her from Aug 1978, journalist Nancy Naglin wrote:

". . . .she sounded like an emissary from a private world."

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Forgive me but I can't remember where I got this but I saved it as a text file on my computer. It was a question asked to Olivia Newton-John about Karen Carpenter. If anyone knows where it came from I'd be most appreciative. It sounds like an interview from Olivia's album called "Indigo Women of Song" in which she records a cover of Rainy Days and Mondays. It's not the same info from inside the lyric booklet in which she speaks about Karen and the song.

This is the info I had on my text file:

The album includes a gorgeous cover of the Carpenters "Rainy Days and Mondays" You and Karen were close friends, and it's been nearly 30 years since she passed away. What is something about her most people don't know?

"She was a very good friend. She was a lovely girl and a lot of fun. I think most people don't know how much she loved Mickey Mouse and Disneyland. She lived [nearby] and loved to go there. She had Mickey Mouses and photos of the Disney characters in her house. She wore T-shirts with Mickey's face on it. She loved all of that. She was a kid, a big kid. She was a lot of fun and had the most amazing voice. I was such a fan of hers. She was a great girl and I do miss her."

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Jann Arden also credited Karen Carpenter in several of her studio albums of which I will quote below:

"Time for Mercy" CD 1993 Special Thanks Section: "I'd especially like to thank Karen Carpenter wherever you are....."
"Uncover Me" CD 2006 Thanks Section: "I want to thank Karen Carpenter whom I still, to this day, think is the best contemporary pop singer of all time."

 

[GaryAlan]

Leon Russell:
"She was a great singer, no doubt about it. I was pleased she chose to do my song. She had such a pristine voice."

 

[GaryAlan]

Again, more recently , from Leon Russell:
LR:" Well Karen Carpenter was just a singularly amazing singer. There was just not anybody like her. I produced a gospel duet called the O'Neal Twins; they were a couple of twin brothers who were soul singers and they sang gospel songs like The Everly Brothers. I asked them one day who their favorite singer was and they both said together, "Karen Carpenter." So that's kind of amazing for me."

 

[song4u]

Sharon Corr mentioned Karen as being an influence in a recent interview in Boston (3:35ish)

 

[GaryAlan]

From the Chicago Tribune (regarding a tribute album to John Denver) :
The years have softened and erased such resistance. In some respects, Denver's legacy is similar to that of Karen Carpenter's. Her square, middle-of-the-road image in the brother-sister duo the Carpenters made her an object of derision in the 1970s. But in the ensuing years, the late Carpenter has been embraced as a gifted singer who left a number of indelible performances.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Sharon Corr mentioned Karen as being an influence in a recent interview in Boston (3:35ish)

Nice....I didn't even know Sharon has a new album due April 22....where have I been? I must pre-order this one, I like that snipet of "Take a Minute" sounds really good. I only liked about half or so of songs from her 1st album so I'm willing to give the 2nd album another chance. Sharon said she doesn't miss performing on stage with The Corrs. I guess there not even a remote possibility they will ever re-unite. I guess their careers are too far away from each other now. I always related them to Carpenters and wonder of the same would have happen to Richard and Karen much like what has happened to The Corrs. Speaking of Sharon, what happen to Andrea's career since Lifelines?

 

[Harry]

I got Sharon Corr's THE SAME SUN about a week or so ago (ordered from Amazon.co.uk, where it's been out for awhile) and I've yet to really delve into it. (A lot going on right now.) A quick perusal though has me eager to give it a listen.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I got Sharon Corr's THE SAME SUN about a week or so ago (ordered from Amazon.co.uk, where it's been out for awhile) and I've yet to really delve into it. (A lot going on right now.) A quick perusal though has me eager to give it a listen.

Harry

Harry, I am late to the game....I've had Dream of You CD for awhile now on Rhino with 12 tracks. I just realized on iTunes tonight for the same CD they have 2 more bonus tracks that I don't have, a song called "Over It" and "Jenny's Chickens" I am downloading them now to complete my CD. I had a live version of Jenny's Chicken but did not know she did a studio version. I like both of these tracks.

I see that iTunes is also selling her "The Same Sun" CD 11 tracks for $9.99, checking Amazon UK shows 3rd party only sellers so kinda leary of going that route over seas, Amazon US has it for $14.00 so I think I might opt for the download. Did your CD also have 11 tracks on her new album, are their any bonus ones your aware of?

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Harry, I just gave the Same Sun a listen and only 5 songs ended up catching my ear enough to purchase. I feel she has more control over her voice on this album (a good thing) at times she can get nasal sounding (which I don't like) of the 5 tracks I downloaded she sounds great. I really think I prefer Andrea's vocals and her sound has more edge, I really like her Lifelines album. I remember when Ten Feet High came out and I didn't like it at all and didn't purchase any...tonight I went back and listened to it on iTunes which contains 2 extra Shame On You tracks a radio edit and an acoustic and I have a different feeling about that album and ended up purchasing it...I think I'm going to like this one, well maybe not Hello Boys that one is a bit too much but liking the rest. I've come full circle on Ten Feet High.

 

[Harry]

Harry, I am late to the game....I've had Dream of You CD for awhile now on Rhino with 12 tracks. I just realized on iTunes tonight for the same CD they have 2 more bonus tracks that I don't have, a song called "Over It" and "Jenny's Chickens" I am downloading them now to complete my CD. I had a live version of Jenny's Chicken but did not know she did a studio version. I like both of these tracks.

I see that iTunes is also selling her "The Same Sun" CD 11 tracks for $9.99, checking Amazon UK shows 3rd party only sellers so kinda leary of going that route over seas, Amazon US has it for $14.00 so I think I might opt for the download. Did your CD also have 11 tracks on her new album, are their any bonus ones your aware of?

I bought the DREAM OF YOU CD with 12 tracks when it first came out. Because I'm on some kind of Sharon Corr mailing list, I got two more acoustic songs to download, "Six Train" and "Dreams". Both sound like they were recorded at home without professional equipment, just Sharon on piano and singing all into one microphone. Never heard of "Over It" or "Jenny's Chickens."

I gave a listen to THE SAME SUN yesterday, and I think it's one of those albums that are not as impressive on first listen, but sneak up on you. There were times when she sounded VERY much like Andrea, but other times when her Irish accent kind of mushed up the lyrics. I'll give it a few more listens.

There were a couple of songs on TEN FEET HIGH that I really liked: the title track and "Champagne From A Straw". Both of those rank up there with some of the better Corrs songs IMHO. Unfortunately it was mastered so darned loud that it actually distorts on the loud passages. A bonus track called "Amazing" was included on the Japanese release of the album.

Harry

 

[song4u]

I bought the DREAM OF YOU CD with 12 tracks when it first came out. Because I'm on some kind of Sharon Corr mailing list, I got two more acoustic songs to download, "Six Train" and "Dreams". Both sound like they were recorded at home without professional equipment, just Sharon on piano and singing all into one microphone. Never heard of "Over It" or "Jenny's Chickens."

I gave a listen to THE SAME SUN yesterday, and I think it's one of those albums that are not as impressive on first listen, but sneak up on you. There were times when she sounded VERY much like Andrea, but other times when her Irish accent kind of mushed up the lyrics. I'll give it a few more listens.

There were a couple of songs on TEN FEET HIGH that I really liked: the title track and "Champagne From A Straw". Both of those rank up there with some of the better Corrs songs IMHO. Unfortunately it was mastered so darned loud that it actually distorts on the loud passages. A bonus track called "Amazing" was included on the Japanese release of the album.

Harry

I am really enjoying THE SAME SUN. Probably more so because I saw Sharon in concert and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Off Andrea's first album, I thought 24 hours was the more radio friendly, but I too like Champagne from a Straw.

Part 2 of a great interview with Sharon Corr . . .
http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/swang1/sharoncorr.html

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Those are the exact ones I liked (the title cut and Champagne) when pre-viewing the album again last night. It's funny how I didn't like it at first but now I am hearing it differently. I also really like 24 hours it has a real radio feel when she repeats it reminds me of her singing into one of those old radio mic's. I also really like Stupidest Girl In the World and the drums and instrument used during the chorus. I actually went to CDJapan to see if there was any bonus stuff on her Ten Feet High but I don't even see they are selling any of her CD's now.

 

[song4u]

Those are the exact ones I liked (the title cut and Champagne) when pre-viewing the album again last night. It's funny how I didn't like it at first but now I am hearing it differently. I also really like 24 hours it has a real radio feel when she repeats it reminds me of her singing into one of those old radio mic's. I also really like Stupidest Girl In the World and the drums and instrument used during the chorus. I actually went to CDJapan to see if there was any bonus stuff on her Ten Feet High but I don't even see they are selling any of her CD's now.

I prefer Andrea's first album's songs live. Sorry, we went off topic here.

 

[Harry]

Regarding the Sharon Corr interview posted above, she was asked how long it had been since she'd performed in Boston, and it was ten years ago. I know - I was there then!

I got to attend the group's pre-show sound setup and afterward we got to take some pictures with them. This was the full shot with a group of about eight fans and three Corrs:


Corrs pre-show, Boston 2004

That's me and my wife on the left of the picture, so I put Photoshop to work to eliminate the rest of the group:


Corrs pre-show, Boston 2004, cropped

You can kind-of tell how hot it was by Andrea's stray hairs falling in front of her face. It was a boiling August day up there in something like 97° heat.

At the concert that evening, members of The Corrs' crew took some photos backstage and later posted them on their website. In this shot, if you look carefully, you can see the two of us in the front row:


Corrs concert, Boston 2004

That's me in the black shirt (dumb choice for a hot day!).

Caroline wasn't present at this show. She was home with her first pregnancy, sort of the beginning of the end of the group.

Anyway - just some personal tidbits.

Harry

 

[song4u]

Thanks for the pictures Harry! I was looking on Youtube for any clips from that show but couldn't find any. Looks like it was one of Andrea's barefoot shows.

 

[Harry]

Looks like it was one of Andrea's barefoot shows.

They were pretty much ALL barefoot shows! I saw The Corrs in New York on the Today Show, in concert in Sydney, Australia, and in Melbourne, Australia a week later, and then up in Boston in 2004. Only outside in New York did she wear shoes!


Corrs, Today Show, September 2000


Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wow...seeing this for the first time tonight...nice live version of Ten Feet High.



...catching up with Andrea Corr....

 

[GaryAlan]

Paul Williams being asked about "We've Only Just Begun" :
"In an afternoon, Roger and I wrote the first two verses. He wrote the music, I wrote the words, and we slapped it out there and finished it. I don’t know if we finished it because Richard [Carpenter] called and said, “Is there a full-length version of it?” or if we had already finished it, just in case we got a call. But we did get a call from Richard Carpenter saying he’d like to have a copy of the song. There was no way in the world that was ever going to be a hit song; it was this very sentimental, sweet little wedding song, and I think the No. 1 album at the time or around then was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. So bizarre that all of a sudden Karen [Carpenter] sings it, and it’s a whole new ballgame. As time passes, whenever I hear her sing, it’s just really—what an amazing gift it was, for me and for the world, that she was around to sing.
She just— took it to a whole new level once she sang it."

 

[GaryAlan]

This one is news to me, rather interesting.
From an interview (Paul Freeman 2011) with
The Bangles' drummer (debbi peterson):
PF:
There were so few when you were starting out. Were there female inspirations for you?
PETERSON:
Well, like songwriting-wise, like Carole King and Joni Mitchell. We liked Linda Ronstadt. And I liked Karen Carpenter. She had an amazing voice. And she was a drummer. That was very inspirational. But, for me, as a drummer, it was mostly men.