Karen Carpenter

Great Thread Mary. Also one of my influences and a great drummer. I also agree with the comment about her vocals. Clean, perfect pitch, controlled and just right for the music. What a loss.
 
MaryO said:
31 years ago today we lost one of my greatest influences: Karen Carpenter. Gone way too soon. RIP Karen...you are missed.
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During the last 3 months of 1973 I was on a sound company crew (roadie) that did a Carpenter's tour throughout the Southeast USA. At that time there was no evidence of her secret -- she was not as thin then as she is in this video.
 
MasterCylinder said:
During the last 3 months of 1973 I was on a sound company crew (roadie) that did a Carpenter's tour throughout the Southeast USA. At that time there was no evidence of her secret -- she was not as thin then as she is in this video.
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I think this video was around 1980 so only about 3 years prior to her death. I'm not sure when it became a real problem but I don't think it was until her later years. Still a shame.
 
If I recall correctly, the autopsy revealed abuse of ipecac.
This abuse over many years will affect the muscles and heart.
Sounds like a horrible way to go...........
 
I read that the autopsy showed heart failure first, secondary to complications of the anorexia. Either way, it's a sad statement that she felt the pressure of what she felt society needed her to be. One day we will teach our girls to love WHO they are and embrace their physical idiosyncrasies.

But then I digress and preach....I'm sure these are not the things she would want to be remembered for.
 
I recall in VH1 Behind the Music on Karen had an interview with her former fiancee or husband (?).. Some real jerk who non-chalantly said there was nothing he could do for her that he felt sorry for her blah blah. Like it was not his fault or his problem. A real piece of crap who seems like he was the problem. If anyone recalls who this jerk was please let us know.

Anyway, long live Karen :)
 
On the tour I worked (1973), she was very private and insecure.
Her brother, Richard was the exact opposite.

Karen was not yet married at that time.
 
She didn't marry until 1980 and it didn't last because he lied to her about having a vasectomy. Here's what Wikipedia says :

Carpenter dated a number of well-known men, including Mike Curb, Tony Danza, Terry Ellis, Mark Harmon, Steve Martin and Alan Osmond.[3] After a whirlwind romance, she married real-estate developer Thomas James Burris on August 31, 1980, in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Burris, divorced with an 18-year-old son, was nine years her senior. A new song performed by Carpenter at the ceremony, "Because We Are in Love", was released in 1981. Burris concealed from Carpenter, who desperately wanted children, the fact that he had undergone a vasectomy. Their marriage did not survive the deceit and ended after 14 months.[17]
 
MaryO said:
She didn't marry until 1980 and it didn't last because he lied to her about having a vasectomy. Here's what Wikipedia says :

Carpenter dated a number of well-known men, including Mike Curb, Tony Danza, Terry Ellis, Mark Harmon, Steve Martin and Alan Osmond.[3] After a whirlwind romance, she married real-estate developer Thomas James Burris on August 31, 1980, in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Burris, divorced with an 18-year-old son, was nine years her senior. A new song performed by Carpenter at the ceremony, "Because We Are in Love", was released in 1981. Burris concealed from Carpenter, who desperately wanted children, the fact that he had undergone a vasectomy. Their marriage did not survive the deceit and ended after 14 months.[17]
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Thanks Mary. I think the developer guy was the culprit. Sounds like a real class act, huh? Here's an old thread that confirms my suspicions. The guy needed hit butt kicked. So it turned out the one guy Karen finally felt she could trust and take the leap with was a liar. Oh well. Again a great talent Karen was. Thanks for the reminder Mary.

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/threads/why-hasnt-tom-burris-ever-spoken-about-karen-carpenter.1859/
 
Karen Carpenter Award Upsets John Bonham

SKF NOTE: Flipping through this 35-year old magazine yesterday, I stopped to read something in a news article I had underscored in red ink said by John Bonham. It had me laughing, so I decided to share it.

152308_zeppelin_magazine.jpg


“I’d like to have it publicized that I came in after Karen Carpenter in the Playboy drummer poll,” roars Bonzo as I entered the dressing room at the Chicago Stadium. “She couldn’t last ten minutes with a Zeppelin number,” he sneers.

Source: Led Zeppelin Dances on Air, by Lisa Robinson, Led Zeppelin CREEM Special Edition, Winter 1980


Scott K Fish Blog: Life Beyond the Cymbals
 
He'd have had a point if it was Meg White but Karen Carpenter had some chops.

Just a shame the music they made never really warranted them although the groove in 'We've only just begun' is really good.
 
mikyok said:
He'd have had a point if it was Meg White but Karen Carpenter had some chops.

Just a shame the music they made never really warranted them although the groove in 'We've only just begun' is really good.
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Hal Blaine played drums are that song.

I could see where JB would get p!ssed considering what most people heard wasn't even Karen.
 
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pgm554 said:
Hal Blaine played drums are that song.
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My bad should have known after watching the wrecking crew thing and muscle shoals which blew my mind.

It begs the question though, why didn't she drum on the recording when she was easily good enough?
 
mikyok said:
It begs the question though, why didn't she drum on the recording when she was easily good enough?
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Given enough time, she probably could have played her own songs as good as if not better than Hal. But she was not an experienced session player, she would need to do a few rehearsal takes to get used to the studio environment, and meanwhile the engineer and backing musicians were on the clock and other artists were waiting to come in. Hal Blaine could knock out a hit record in 1 or 2 takes without any rehearsal, that was his bread and butter.
 
Playboy drummer poll??? Obviously it's excited men voting, so yeah, I'd say Karen would win.

JB was clearly joking around, that's my take.
 
I think he's probably right.. Bonzo smacked the heck out of his kit.. and she was anorexic (which sadly led to her demise).. and probably would have passed out tying to match his power on the kit.. not to mention his technical chops.

but she was a much better singer than the mighty Bonham! ( and an accomplished drummer as well).. but polls are often nutty in any case.
 
As far as Bonzo was concerned I believe he really didn't care about KC, or any Playboy award.

To put Bonzo (and LZ) into perspective, for those who weren't of age in the 70's 'every' band, literally every band lived in the shadow of Zeppelin, and practically the whole decade, there was no bigger band as the 70's got larger. There were bigger, better drummers, but in the roll of drummer and his band Bonzo was at the top.
 
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