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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> |
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| name = Karen Carpenter |
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| image = Karen Carpenter in 1972 White House.png |
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| caption = At the [[White House]], August 1972 |
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| background = solo_singer |
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| birth_name = Karen Anne Carpenter |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1950|03|2}}<ref name=rollingstone/> |
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| birth_place = [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Connecticut]], United States |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1983|2|4|1950|3|2}}<ref name=rollingstone/> |
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<!--| death_cause = [[Anorexia]]<ref name=Guardian>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/24/karen-carpenter-anorexia-book-extract |title=Karen Carpenter's tragic story |author=Randy Schmidt |date=October 24, 2010 |publisher=''[[The Guardian]]'' |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref>--> |
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| origin = [[Downey, California|Downey]], [[California]], United States |
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| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[easy listening]], [[soft rock]], [[jazz]] |
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| instrument = Vocals, drums<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument---> |
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| occupation = Musician, singer |
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| years_active = 1965–1983 |
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| label = [[A&M Records|A&M]] |
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| associated_acts = [[The Carpenters]], [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard Carpenter]] |
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| website = {{url|richardandkarencarpenter.com}} |
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|death_place = [[Downey Regional Medical Center|Downey Community Hospital]], [[Downey, California]] |
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}} |
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'''Karen Anne Carpenter''' (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, and part of the duo [[the Carpenters]] with her brother [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard]]. She was critically acclaimed for her [[contralto]] vocals, and her drumming was praised by contemporary musicians and peers. |
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Carpenter was born in [[New Haven]], [[Connecticut]], and moved to [[Downey, California|Downey]], [[California]], in 1963 with her family. She began to study the drums in high school, and upon graduation, joined the [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]] choir. After several years of touring and recording, the Carpenters were signed in 1969 and achieved commercial and critical success throughout the 1970s. Initially, Carpenter was the band's full-time drummer, but gradually took the role of frontwoman as drumming was reduced to a handful of live showcases or tracks on albums. While the Carpenters were on hiatus in the late 1970s, she recorded a solo album, which was never released during her lifetime. |
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Carpenter had the eating disorder [[anorexia nervosa]], which was little known at the time, and was briefly married in the early 1980s. She died at age 32 from [[heart failure]] caused by complications related to her illness, and her death led to increased visibility and awareness of eating disorders. Her work continues to attract praise, including being listed in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 100 greatest singers of all time. |
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==Early life== |
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Karen Anne Carpenter was born on March 2, 1950 in [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Connecticut]], the daughter of Agnes Reuwer (née Tatum, March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988).{{sfn|Coleman|1994|pp=29–33}} Harold had been born in [[Wuzhou]], [[China]], where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in [[England]], before working in the printing business.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=11, 26}} |
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Carpenter's elder brother [[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard]] developed an interest in music at an early age, becoming a piano [[Child prodigy|prodigy]]. Karen's first words were "bye-bye" and "stop it", the latter in response to Richard. She enjoyed dancing and by age four was enrolled in tap dancing and ballet classes.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=15–17}} When she was young, she enjoyed playing baseball with other children on the street, and was picked before her brother in sandlot games.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1899}} She studied baseball statistics carefully and became a fan of the [[New York Yankees]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=17}} In the early 1970s she would become the pitcher on the Carpenters' official softball team.<ref name=baseball>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13934143/the_central_new_jersey_home_news/|title=Carpenters Hammer Bouton to Nail Celebrities|last=Economopolous|first=Lou|date=July 20, 1973|work=The Central New Jersey Home News|access-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref> The family moved in June 1963 to the [[Los Angeles]] suburb of [[Downey, California|Downey]] after Harold had been offered a job there by a former business associate.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1900}} |
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Carpenter entered [[Downey High School]] in 1964 aged 14, and was a year younger than her classmates.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=24}} She joined the school band, initially to avoid gym classes. Bruce Gifford, the conductor (who had previously taught her older brother) gave her the [[glockenspiel]], an instrument she disliked, and after admiring the performance of her friend and drummer Frankie Chavez (who had been playing from an early age and idolized jazz drummer [[Buddy Rich]]), she asked if she could play those instead.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=21}} Carpenter wanted a [[Ludwig Drums|Ludwig]] set, because it was used by her favorite drummers, [[Joe Morello]] and [[Ringo Starr]]. Chavez persuaded her family to buy her a $300 (${{inflation|US|300|1964|fmt=c|r=-2}} as of {{inflation-year|US}}) Ludwig kit, and he began to teach her drums.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=42}} She was always enthusiastic about drumming and taught herself how to play complicated lines, and studied the difference between [[traditional grip|traditional]] and [[matched grip]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=41}} Within a year she could play in complex time signatures, such as the [[Quintuple meter|{{music|time|5|4}}]] in [[Dave Brubeck]]'s "[[Take Five]]".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1944}} |
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Carpenter was initially nervous about performing in public, but said she "was too involved in the music to worry about it".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1901}} She graduated from Downey High School in the spring of 1967, receiving the [[John Philip Sousa]] Band Award, and enrolled as a music major at [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]], performing in the college choir with Richard. The choir's director, [[Frank Pooler]], said that Karen had a good voice that was particularly suited to pop, and gave her lessons in order for her to develop a three-octave range.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=22}}{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=30, 37, 47}} |
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==Career== |
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===The Carpenters=== |
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{{main|The Carpenters}} |
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[[File:Karen Carpenter on drumkit.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Drumming on stage]] |
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Carpenter's first band was Two Plus Two, an all-girl trio formed with two friends from Downey High. They split up after she suggested her brother Richard join the group.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=43–44}} In 1965, Karen, Richard, and his college friend Wes Jacobs, a [[bassist]] and [[tuba]] player, formed the Richard Carpenter Trio.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=45}} The band rehearsed daily and played jazz at numerous nightclubs and also appeared on the TV talent show ''Your All-American College Show''.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=21}} Richard was immediately impressed with his sister's musical talent, saying she would "speedily maneuver the sticks as if she had been born in a drum factory".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1902}} She did not sing at this point; instead, singer Margaret Shanor guested on some numbers.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=45}} The trio signed a contract with [[RCA Records]] and recorded two instrumentals, but they were not released.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1902}} |
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In April 1966, the Carpenters were invited to audition at a session with bassist [[Joe Osborn]], well known for being part of the studio collective [[The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew]]. Though she was initially expected to just be the drummer, Karen tried singing, and impressed everyone there with her distinctive voice.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=49}} Osborn signed a recording contract with her for his label, Magic Lamp Records; he was not particularly interested in Richard's involvement.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=50}} |
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In 1967, Jacobs left the trio to study at the [[Juilliard School]], and the Carpenter siblings were keen to try out other musical styles.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=42}} Along with other musicians, including Gary Sims and [[John Bettis]], the siblings formed the group Spectrum, which focused on a harmonious vocal sound and recorded many demo tapes in Osborn's garage studio, working out how to overdub voices onto multitrack tape. Many of those tapes were rejected by record companies.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|pp=1902–1903}}{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=62}} The group found difficulty attracting a live following, as their sound was too dissimilar from the [[hard rock]] and [[psychedelic rock]] then popular in clubs.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=47}}{{efn|The tapes of the original sessions were lost in a fire at Joe Osborn's house and the surviving versions of those early songs exist only as fragile acetate reference discs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2017/aug/02/the-carpenters-10-of-the-best|title=The Carpenters – 10 of the best|newspaper=The Guardian|date=August 2, 2017|accessdate=October 2, 2017}}</ref>}} |
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[[File:Karen Carpenter 1973.png|thumb|upright|In 1973]] |
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[[A&M Records]] finally signed the Carpenters to a recording contract in 1969.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1903}} Karen sang most of the songs on the band's first album, ''Offering'' (later retitled ''[[Ticket to Ride (album)|Ticket to Ride]]''), and her brother wrote 10 out of the album's 13 songs and sang 5 of them while the opening and concluding tracks were sung by both siblings in unison. As well as drumming, she played [[bass guitar]] on two songs, "All of My Life" and "Eve", under Osborn's guidance.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=75–76}}{{efn|Although Karen's bass playing is heard on the original album, Richard remixed both songs (as he has done with almost every Carpenters song), and Joe Osborn's bass playing was substituted on later "greatest hits" releases.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=75–76}}{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=80}}}} On "All I Can Do", she played in 5/4 time, while "Your Wonderful Parade" featured multiple snare and bass drum overdubs to emulate the sound of a [[marching band]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1944}} The issued single (later the title track), which was a cover of a [[The Beatles|Beatles]] song, became their first single; it reached #54 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=78}} Their next album, 1970's ''[[Close to You (The Carpenters album)|Close to You]]'', featured two hit singles: "[[(They Long to Be) Close to You]]" and "[[We've Only Just Begun]]". They peaked at #1 and #2, respectively, on the Hot 100.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=89–90}} |
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Carpenter started out as both the group's drummer and lead singer, and she originally sang all her vocals from behind the drum set. Because she was just {{convert|5|ft|4|in|m}} tall, it was difficult for people in the audience to see her behind her drum kit.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=111}} After reviews complained the group had no focal point in live shows, Richard and manager Sherwin Bash persuaded her to stand at the microphone to sing the band's hits, while another musician played the drums (former Disney [[The Mickey Mouse Club|Mouseketeer]] [[Cubby O'Brien]] served as the band's other drummer for many years).<ref name=md/>{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=111}} She initially struggled in live performances singing solo, as she felt more secure behind a drum kit.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=85}} After the release of ''Now & Then'' in 1973, the albums tended to have Carpenter singing more and drumming less, and she became the focal point of all records and live performances; Bash later said "she was the one that people watched".{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=87}} Many of the duo's hits prominently feature her [[contralto]] singing, leading her to quip, "The money’s in the basement".<ref name=md/> During the 1970s live shows, she would perform a showcase where she moved around the stage playing various configurations of drums.{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1945}} |
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Carpenter always considered herself a "drummer who sang".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1946}} She preferred [[Ludwig-Musser|Ludwig Drums]], including the Ludwig SuperSensitive [[snare drum]], which she favored greatly.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=43}} Despite this, she was not often featured as a drummer on the Carpenters' albums{{according to whom|date=January 2018}}; she was the only drummer on ''Ticket to Ride'' and on ''[[Now & Then (The Carpenters album)|Now & Then]]'' except for "[[Jambalaya (On the Bayou)|Jambalaya]]".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1944}}{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1946}} According to [[Hal Blaine]], Karen played on most of the album cuts<ref name=md/> and he played on most of the Carpenters' studio sessions where she did not play drums herself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/Album_Carpenters.htm |title=Carpenters Album |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref> Though she was a competent drummer, the duo were happy for Blaine to take the role in the studio as he was a respected session musician and it was easier to record Carpenter's [[guide vocal]] without it [[spill (audio)|spilling]] onto the drum mics.<ref name=md/> On ''[[Made in America (The Carpenters album)|Made in America]]'', Karen provided percussion on "[[Those Good Old Dreams]]" in tandem with [[Paulinho da Costa]] and made a final return to playing drums on the song "When it's Gone (It's Just Gone)" in unison with [[Larrie Londin]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Made In America|publisher=A&M Records|id=SP-3723|year=1981}}</ref> |
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In the mid-1970s, Richard developed an addiction to [[Methaqualone|Quaaludes]]. The Carpenters frequently cancelled tour dates, and they stopped touring altogether after their September 4, 1978, concert at the [[Bally's Las Vegas|MGM Grand]] in [[Las Vegas]]. In 1980, she performed a medley of standards in a duet with [[Ella Fitzgerald]] on the Carpenters' television program ''Music, Music, Music''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13951601/music_music_music/ |title=Spotlight |publisher=Fort Lauderdale News|page=47 TV Book |date=May 11, 1980 |accessdate=September 23, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> In 1981, after the release of ''Made in America'' album (which turned out to be their last), the Carpenters returned to the stage and did some promotional tours, including an appearance for the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Nationwide (TV programme)|Nationwide]]''.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=241}}<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/stream/cashbox40unse_33#page/30/mode/2up/search/karen+carpenter|title=International Dateline|work=Cash Box|publisher=Cash Box|date=January 13, 1979|page=30|issn=0008-7289|accessdate=October 10, 2017}}</ref> |
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"Now" was the last song Carpenter recorded in April 1982. The session took place during a two-week break in her anorexia therapy with [[psychotherapist]] [[Steven Levenkron]] in [[New York City]]. Though Richard was concerned about her health, he still thought her voice sounded as good as ever.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=254}}<ref name=brother>{{cite journal|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-a-brother-remembers-vol-20-no-21/|title=A Brother Remembers|author=Carpenter, Richard|work=People|publisher=People|date=November 21, 1983|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> |
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===Solo=== |
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Carpenter released her first solo record, "Looking For Love" / "I'll Be Yours" in 1967 on Osborn's Magic Lamp label. Only 500 copies were pressed, and the label folded shortly afterwards.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=51}} |
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In 1979, while Richard took a year off to treat his addiction to [[Methaqualone|Quaaludes]], Karen decided to make a solo album with producer [[Phil Ramone]].{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=242}} These sessions produced music that was different from the usual Carpenters material, tending more towards disco and up-tempo numbers, with more explicit lyrics and taking full advantage of Karen's upper vocal register. The album met with a tepid response from Richard and A&M executives in early 1980. The album was shelved by A&M Records co-owner [[Herb Alpert]], in spite of attempts by producer [[Quincy Jones]] to convince him to release the record after a remix.{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=330}} A&M subsequently charged the Carpenters $400,000 to cover the cost of recording this album, to be paid out of the duo's future royalties.{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=274}} A portion of the solo album was commercially released in 1989, when some of its tracks (as remixed by Richard) were included on the album ''[[Lovelines]]'', the final album of Carpenters' unreleased new material. In 1996, the complete album, titled ''[[Karen Carpenter (album)|Karen Carpenter]]'', was finally released.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=289}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/karen-carpenter-and-the-mystery-of-the-missing-album/|title=Karen Carpenter and the mystery of the missing album|first=Neil|last=McCormick|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=February 4, 2016|accessdate=September 21, 2017}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
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Carpenter had a complicated relationship with her parents. They had hoped that Richard's musical talents would be recognized and that he would enter the music business, but were not prepared for her success.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=50}} She continued to live with them until 1974.<ref name=nolan>{{cite journal|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-carpenters-up-from-downey-19740704|title=The Carpenters: Up From Downey|first=Tom|last=Nolan|date=July 4, 1974|accessdate=September 21, 2017}}</ref> In September and October 1971, two years after their debut album, she and her brother bought two apartment buildings in Downey as a financial investment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/6253006031 |title=Address: 8353 5TH ST, DOWNEY CA 90241-3849 |publisher=Los Angeles County: Assessor Portal |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/6254014024 |title=Address: 8356 5th St, Downey, CA 90241-3845 |publisher=Los Angeles County: Assessor Portal |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/parceldetail/6254015030 |title=Address: 8355 LA VILLA ST, DOWNEY CA 90241-3826 |publisher=Los Angeles County: Assessor Portal |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref> |
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In 1976, Carpenter bought two [[Century City, Los Angeles|Century City]] apartments which she combined into one; the doorbell chimed the opening notes of "We've Only Just Begun".{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=228}} She collected [[Disney]] memorabilia and liked to play softball and baseball.<ref name=baseball/><ref name=second>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/06/magazine/karen-carpenter-s-second-life.html?mcubz=1|title=Karen Carpenter's Second Life|first=Rob|last=Hoerburger|work=New York Times|date=October 6, 1996|accessdate=September 24, 2017}}</ref> [[Petula Clark]], [[Olivia Newton-John]] and [[Dionne Warwick]] were close friends.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/0/petula-clark-elvis-had-eye-karen-carpenter/|title=Petula Clark: 'Elvis had his eye on both me and Karen Carpenter'|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=December 22, 2016|accessdate= September 24, 2017}}</ref><ref name=second/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=131002997|title=Dionne Warwick Reflects On Her Life, As She Sees It|work=NPR|date=November 2, 2010|accessdate=September 24, 2017}}</ref> While she was enjoying success as a woman drummer in what was primarily an all-male occupation, Carpenter was not supportive of the [[Women's liberation movement]], saying she believed a wife should cook for her husband and that when married, this was what she planned to do.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14193990/carpenters_1973_2/|title=How Sweet Can You Be?|author=Rosenfeld, Megan|date=May 27, 1973|publisher=Akron Beacon-Journal|page=133|accessdate=October 5, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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In early interviews, Carpenter showed no interest in marriage or dating, believing that a relationship would not survive constant touring, adding "as long as we're on the road most of the time, I will never marry".{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=1905}} In 1976, she said the music business made it hard to meet people and that she refused to just marry someone for the sake of getting married.<ref name=act>{{cite journal|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-brother-sister-act-vol-6-no-5/|title=Brother & Sister Act|author=Windeler, Robert|work=People|publisher=People|date=August 2, 1976|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> Carpenter admitted to Olivia Newton-John that she longed for a happy marriage and family.{{sfn|Stanton|2003|p=35}} She later dated several notable men, including [[Mike Curb]], [[Tony Danza]], [[Terry Ellis (record producer)|Terry Ellis]], [[Mark Harmon]], [[Steve Martin]] and [[Alan Osmond]].{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=330}} 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, "[[Touch Me When We're Dancing|Because We Are in Love]]", was released in 1981. The couple settled in [[Newport Beach, California|Newport Beach]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=217, 227, 234}} |
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Carpenter desperately wanted children, but Burris had had a [[vasectomy]] and refused to get an operation to reverse it. Their marriage did not survive this and ended after 14 months.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=239}}<ref name=npr>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171080334/remembering-karen-carpenter-30-years-later |title=Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later |work=NPR |date=February 4, 2013 |accessdate=October 30, 2015 |author=Joel Samburg}}</ref> Burris was living beyond his means, borrowing up to $35,000 and $50,000 at a time from his wife, to the point that she had only stocks and bonds left. Carpenter's friends also reported he was abusive towards her, often being impatient; they added that she remained fearful when he would occasionally lose his temper.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=239}} Close friend [[Karen Kamon]] recounted one incident where she and Carpenter went to their normal hangout, Hamburger Hamlet, and Carpenter appeared to be distant emotionally, sitting not at their regular table but in the dark, and wearing large dark sunglasses, unable to eat and crying. According to Kamon, the marriage was "the straw that broke the camel's back. It was absolutely the worst thing that could have ever happened to her".{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=240}} |
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In September 1981, Carpenter revised her [[will (law)|will]] and left everything to her brother and parents.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=240}} Two months later, following an argument after a family dinner in a restaurant, Carpenter and Burris broke up.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=242}} Carpenter filed for divorce on October 28, 1982, while staying in [[Lenox Hill Hospital]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=266}} |
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==Illness and death== |
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Carpenter began [[dieting]] while in high school. Under a doctor's guidance, she went on the [[Stillman diet|Stillman Diet]], eating lean foods, drinking eight glasses of water a day, and avoiding fatty foods. She was {{convert|5|ft|4|in}} in height and before dieting weighed {{convert|145|lb|kg stlb}} and afterwards weighed {{convert|120|lb|kg stlb}} until 1973, when the Carpenters' career reached its peak.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=63–64}} In 1973, she happened to see a photo of herself taken at a concert which made her appear heavy. Carpenter hired a personal trainer who advised her to eat a high carbohydrate, low calorie diet. The new diet caused her to build muscle, which made her seem heavier instead of slimmer. Carpenter fired the trainer and began her own weight loss program using exercise equipment and counting calories. She lost about 20lb; she then weighed about {{convert|110|lb|kg stlb}} and intended to lose five more pounds. Her eating habits also changed around this time, with Carpenter trying to get the food off her plate by offering it to others at the meal as a taste.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=128–129}} |
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By September 1975, her weight was {{convert|91|lb|kg stlb}}.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=127}} At live performances fans reacted audibly to her gaunt appearance and many wrote to the pair to inquire what was wrong.<ref name=brother/> She refused to publicly declare she was in ill health; on her 1981 ''Nationwide'' appearance, she simply said she was "pooped".{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=255}} Richard later stated that he and his parents did not know how to help Karen; in 1981, she told Richard there was a problem and she needed help with it.<ref name=brother/> Carpenter also spoke with [[Cherry Boone]], who had recovered from anorexia and contacted Boone's doctor for help. She was hoping to find a quick solution to her problem, as she had various performing and recording obligations, but the doctor told her treatment could take from one to three years.<ref name=starved>{{cite web| |
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url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-starved-to-a-tragic-death-vol-19-no-7/|title=Starved to a Tragic Death|author=Levin, Eric|date=February 21, 1983|work=People|publisher=People|accessdate=October 6, 2017}}</ref> She then chose to be treated in New York City by psychotherapist [[Steven Levenkron]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=252}}<ref name=brother/> |
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Anorexia had driven her to use [[Levothyroxine|thyroid replacement]] medication, increasing her metabolism, and [[laxatives]], which caused food to pass quickly through her digestive tract. Despite Levenkron's treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate and she lost more weight. Carpenter told Levenkron that she felt dizzy and that her heart was beating irregularly. Finally, in September 1982, she was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, where she was placed on [[Intravenous therapy|intravenous]] [[parenteral nutrition]]. The procedure was a success, and she gained {{convert|30|lb|kg stlb}} in a relatively short time, but the sudden weight gain put a strain on her heart, which was already weak from years of improper diet.<ref name="Guardian"/> |
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Carpenter returned to California in November 1982, determined to reinvigorate her career, finalize her divorce and begin a new album with Richard.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/oct/24/karen-carpenter-anorexia-book-extract |title=Karen Carpenter's tragic story |author=Randy Schmidt |date=October 24, 2010 |publisher=''[[The Guardian]]'' |deadurl=no |accessdate=August 21, 2016}}</ref> On December 17, 1982, she gave her last singing performance in the multi-purpose room of the [[Buckley School (California)|Buckley School]] in Sherman Oaks, California, singing [[Christmas carol]]s for her godchildren, their classmates and other friends.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=270}} On January 11, 1983, Karen made her last public appearance at a gathering of past Grammy Award winners, who were commemorating the show's 25th anniversary.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=271}}<ref name=cashbox83>{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/stream/cashbox44unse_35#page/n53/mode/2up/search/karen+carpenter|title=Industry Mourns Death Of Singer Karen Carpenter|date=February 19, 1983|page=30|work=Cash Box|publisher=Cash Box|issn=0008-7289|accessdate=October 10, 2017}}</ref> She seemed somewhat frail and worn out, but according to Dionne Warwick, Karen was vibrant and outgoing, exclaiming to everyone, "Look at me! I've got an ass!"{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=271}} She had also begun to write songs after returning to California and told Warwick she had "a lot of living left to do".<ref name=starved/> |
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On February 1, 1983, Carpenter saw her brother for the last time, where they discussed new plans for the Carpenters and resuming touring.{{efn|Richard spoke to his sister the day before her death. Karen called him to ask his opinion about a new videocassette player she planned on buying. He described her as sounding "absolutely fine".<ref name=brother/>}} A few days later, on February 4, Carpenter was scheduled to sign papers making her divorce official. Shortly after waking up, she collapsed in her bedroom at her parents' home in Downey. Paramedics found her heart beating once every 10 seconds.<ref name="YahooStopThePresses">{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/music/bp/karen-carpenter-death-30-years-tipping-point-eating-205140717.html |title=Karen Carpenter’s Death, 30 Years On: The Tipping Point For Eating Disorder Awareness |author=Chris Willman |date=February 4, 2013 |publisher=''Yahoo! Music'' |accessdate=June 3, 2015}}</ref> She was pronounced dead at [[Downey Community Hospital]] at 9:51 a.m.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=278}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13948428/karen_carpenter_obit/|title=Karen Carpenter, Half of Soft-Rock Duo, Dead at 32|author=Seiler, Michael|date=February 4, 1983|page=2|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 23, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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Carpenter's funeral was held on February 8, 1983, at Downey [[United Methodist Church]]. Approximately one thousand mourners attended, including her friends [[Dorothy Hamill]],{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|p=245}} [[Olivia Newton-John]], Petula Clark{{sfn|Petrucelli|2009}} and Dionne Warwick.<ref name=funeral>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=13948508|title=1,000 Attend Rites for Karen Carpenter|author=Markel, Michelle|date=February 9, 1983|page=5|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 23, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref name=rites>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13948513/karen_carpenter_funeral_2/|title=1,000 Attend Rites for Karen Carpenter|author=Markel, Michelle|date=February 9, 1983|page=24|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 23, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> Thomas Burris also attended, and threw his wedding ring into her casket.{{sfn|Coleman|1994|p=330}} Carpenter was buried at the [[Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in [[Cypress, California]].<ref name=funeral/> In 2003 her body was moved, to be placed with her parents in a mausoleum at the Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in [[Westlake Village, California]].{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=425}} |
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An autopsy released on March 11, 1983, ruled out drug or medication overdose,<ref name="March11PressConference">{{cite news |author=<!--no by-line.--> |title=Irregular Heartbeat Killed Singer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N65HAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f38MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2866%2C2695229 |newspaper=The Victoria Advocate |location=Victoria, Texas |date=March 12, 1983 |accessdate=June 3, 2015}}</ref> attributing death to "[[emetine]] [[cardiotoxicity]] due to or as a consequence of [[anorexia nervosa]]".<ref name=Guardian/> She was discovered to have a [[blood sugar level]] of 1,110 [[Gram per litre|milligrams per decilitre]], more than ten times the average.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=279}} Two years later, the coroner told colleagues that Carpenter's heart failure was caused by repeated use of [[ipecac syrup]], an [[Over-the-counter drug|over-the-counter]] emetic often used to induce vomiting in cases of overdosing or poisoning.<ref name=Guardian/>{{efn|Ipecac syrup production was discontinued in the United States in 2010.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.ashp.org/Drug-Shortages/Current-Shortages/Drug-Shortage-Detail.aspx?Type=Rss&Id=468|title=Ipecac syrup|publisher=American Society of Health-System Pharmacists|accessdate=October 6, 2017}}</ref>}} This was disputed by Levenkron, who said he had never seen her using ipecac, or seen evidence she had been vomiting.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=283–284}} Carpenter's friends were convinced that she had been abusing [[laxatives]] and thyroid medication to maintain her low body weight, which had started shortly after her marriage began to collapse.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=252}} |
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==Legacy== |
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{{quotebox|width=35%|align=right|quote="This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and me. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts".|source=[[Richard Carpenter (musician)|Richard Carpenter]] speaking at the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], 1983{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=292}}}} |
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[[File:Carpenters - Walk of Fame.jpg|right|thumb|The Carpenters' star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame]] |
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Carpenter's singing has attracted critical praise and influenced several significant musicians and singers, including [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], [[Sheryl Crow]], [[Pat Metheny]], [[Sonic Youth]]'s [[Kim Gordon]], [[Shania Twain]], [[Natalie Imbruglia]], and [[k.d. lang]].<ref name=md/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03dgl7n/|title=BBC Radio 4 - Inheritance Tracks, Natalie Imbruglia|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://revistatodoenbondi.com/una-de-las-voces-mas-inusuales-de-la-musica-popular/|title=Una de las voces más inusuales de la música popular|publisher=}}</ref> |
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[[Paul McCartney]] has said she had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive".<ref name=npr/> She has been called "one of the greatest voices of our lifetime" by [[Elton John]].<ref name=rollingstone/> Her drumming has been praised by fellow musicians Hal Blaine, Cubby O'Brien and Buddy Rich{{sfn|Schmidt|2012|pp=1945–1946}} and by ''[[Modern Drummer]]'' magazine. In 1975, she was voted the best rock drummer in a poll of ''[[Playboy]]'' readers, beating [[Led Zeppelin]]'s [[John Bonham]].<ref name=md>{{cite journal|url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/december-2013-know-karen-carpenter/|title=What Do You Know About…Karen Carpenter?|work=Modern Drummer|date=December 2013|accessdate=September 19, 2017}}</ref> [[Sheila E.]], [[Debbi Peterson]] and [[Kelley Deal]] are among the female drummers that cited Carpenter as an inspiration at an early age to becoming musicians.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://revistatodoenbondi.com/una-de-las-voces-mas-inusuales-de-la-musica-popular/|title=Una de las voces más inusuales de la música popular|publisher=}}</ref> |
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On October 12, 1983, shortly after her death, the Carpenters received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Carpenters|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/the-carpenters|publisher=[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]|accessdate=June 13, 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=292}} |
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In 1999, [[VH1]] ranked Carpenter at #29 on its list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/vh1women.htm |title=VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll |publisher=Rock On The Net |date= |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> |
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Jazz musician [[Charlie Hunter]] payed tribute to her on his album "Baboon Strength" with an instrumental track called "A Song for Karen Carpenter".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://revistatodoenbondi.com/una-de-las-voces-mas-inusuales-de-la-musica-popular/|title=Una de las voces más inusuales de la música popular|publisher=}}</ref> |
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In 2010, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked Carpenter number 94 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, calling her voice "impossibly lush and almost shockingly intimate", adding "even the sappiest songs sound like she was staring directly into your eyes",<ref name=rollingstone>{{cite journal|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/karen-carpenter-20101202 |title=100 Greatest Singers of All Time |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 2, 2010 |accessdate=September 21, 2017}}</ref> |
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Carpenter's death brought media attention to conditions such as anorexia nervosa.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://time.com/3685894/karen-carpenter-anorexia-death/|title=How Karen Carpenter's Death Changed the Way We Talk About Anorexia|author=Latson, Jennifer|date=February 4, 2015|work=Time|publisher=Time-Life|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> Her family started the Karen A. Carpenter Memorial Foundation, which raised money for research on anorexia nervosa and eating disorders.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13949306/memorial_foundation/|title=Carpenter:'This Album is Karen's'|author=Barrios, Greg|date=October 23, 1983|page=5 Calendar|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 23, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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Carpenter is known to fans as "Lead Sister". This originated from a mispronunciation of "lead singer" by a Japanese journalist in 1974, and she later wore a T-shirt with the nickname during live shows.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=158}} |
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==Biographies== |
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The 43-minute film ''[[Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' (1987) was directed by [[Todd Haynes]], and featured [[Barbie doll]]s as the characters. It was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a [[copyright infringement]] lawsuit filed by Richard.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=292–293}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |title=Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/movies/film-focusing-on-glam-rock-s-blurring-of-identity.html?pagewanted=all |accessdate=May 29, 2015 |work=The New York Times |date=November 8, 1998}}</ref>{{sfn|Hilderbrand|2004|p=67}} The film's title is derived from The Carpenters' 1971 hit song, "[[Superstar (Delaney and Bonnie song)#Carpenters version|Superstar]]". Over the years, it has developed into a [[cult film]] and is included in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''s 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dirks, Tim |url=http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilmsew2.html |title=Top 50 Cult Movies |work=''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''/[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] |accessdate=January 1, 2013}}</ref> |
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On January 1, 1989, the similarly titled made-for-TV movie ''[[The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' aired on [[CBS]] with [[Cynthia Gibb]] in the title role. Gibb lip-synced the songs to Carpenter's recorded voice, with the exception of "The End of the World." Both films use the song "[[This Masquerade]]" in the background while showing Carpenter's marriage to Burris.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=293}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13998973/karen_carpenter_cbs_film_1989/|title=CBS to retell Karen Carpenter's tragic tale|author=Miller, Ron|page=78|publisher=Detroit Free Press|date=January 1, 1989|accessdate=September 25, 2017|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> The movie helped reverse criticism of the Carpenters' music as being "soft" or "nice".{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=295}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hoerburger |first1=Rob |title=Revisionist Thinking On the Carpenters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/03/arts/recordings-view-revisionist-thinking-on-the-carpenters.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 3, 1991 |accessdate=May 29, 2015}}</ref> |
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Richard Carpenter helped in the productions of the documentaries ''[[Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters]]'' (1997)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13955215/remembering_the_carpenters/|title=The pitch: Auction, Carpenters start Channel 9's pledge drive|author=Pennington, Gail|page=62|date=December 4, 1997|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> and ''[[Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story]]'' (2007).{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=329}} Randy Schmidt wrote a biography about Carpenter entitled ''Little Girl Blue'', published in 2010, which included a foreword from Warwick.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|p=xi}} It avoided previous biographies which had been officially endorsed by the family, and was based on interviews with other friends and associates. The ''[[New York Times]]'' said the book was "one of the saddest tales in pop."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/books/review/Gavin-t.html?mcubz=1|title=Sorrow in Her Voice|first=James|last=Gavin|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 8, 2010|accessdate=September 22, 2017}}</ref> |
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==Discography== |
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{{Main|The Carpenters discography}} |
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===Studio albums=== |
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* ''[[Ticket to Ride (album)|Offering]]'' (later reissued as ''Ticket to Ride'') (1969) |
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* ''[[Close to You (The Carpenters album)|Close to You]]'' (1970) |
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* ''[[Carpenters (album)|Carpenters]]'' (1971) |
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* ''[[A Song for You (The Carpenters album)|A Song for You]]'' (1972) |
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* ''[[Now & Then (The Carpenters album)|Now & Then]]'' (1973) |
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* ''[[Horizon (The Carpenters album)|Horizon]]'' (1975) |
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* ''[[A Kind of Hush (album)|A Kind of Hush]]'' (1976) |
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* ''[[Passage (The Carpenters album)|Passage]]'' (1977) |
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* ''[[Christmas Portrait]]'' (1978) |
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* ''[[Made in America (The Carpenters album)|Made in America]]'' (1981) |
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===Posthumous albums=== |
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* ''[[Voice of the Heart]]'' (1983) |
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* ''[[An Old-Fashioned Christmas]]'' (1984) |
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* ''[[Lovelines]]'' (1989) |
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* ''[[As Time Goes By (The Carpenters album)|As Time Goes By]]'' (2001/2004) |
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===Solo albums=== |
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* ''[[Karen Carpenter (album)|Karen Carpenter]]'' (1996) |
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==References== |
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'''Notes''' |
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{{notelist}} |
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'''Citations''' |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
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'''Sources''' |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Coleman|first=Ray |title=The Carpenters: The Untold Story. An Authorized Biography |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1994|isbn=978-0-060-92586-4|ref=harv}} |
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*{{cite journal|last=Hilderbrand|first=Lucas|year=2004|title=Grainy Days and Mondays:Superstar and Bootleg Aesthetics|journal=Camera Obscura|volume=19|issue=3|subscription=yes|publisher=Duke University press|issn=0270-5346|via=[[Project MUSE]]|ref=harv}} |
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*{{cite book|last=Petrucelli|first=Alan W.|year=2009|title=Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-1011-4049-9|ref=harv}}<!-- Comment This is an eBook so there are no page numbers. url is: https://books.google.com/books?id=r7csXXH7S9UC&pg=PT72&dq=karen+carpenter+petula+clark&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOzPjA78HYAhUChuAKHT__B-YQ6AEIODAD#v=onepage&q=karen%20carpenter%20petula%20clark&f=false--> |
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* {{cite book |last=Schmidt|first=Randy |title=Little Girl Blue: The Life Of Karen Carpenter |year=2010|isbn=978-1-556-52976-4|ref=harv}} |
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*{{cite book|last=Schmidt|first=Randy|title=Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader|publisher=Chicago Review Press |year=2012|isbn=978-1-613-74417-8|ref=harv}} |
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*{{cite book|last=Stanton|first=Scott|title=The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians|year=2003|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-743-46330-0|ref=harv}} |
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{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/ Richard and Karen Carpenter] – Official site |
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* [http://leadsister.com Lead Sister] – Tribute side |
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* {{IMDb name|0139389|title=Karen Carpenter}} |
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* {{findagrave|8241055}} |
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{{The Carpenters albums}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Karen}} |
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[[Category:American female singers]] |
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[[Category:The Carpenters members]] |
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[[Category:1950 births]] |
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[[Category:1983 deaths]] |
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[[Category:A&M Records artists]] |
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[[Category:American contraltos]] |
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[[Category:American female drummers]] |
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[[Category:American female pop singers]] |
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[[Category:American female rock singers]] |
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[[Category:American soft rock musicians]] |
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[[Category:American pop singers]] |
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[[Category:American jazz drummers]] |
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[[Category:Musicians from Downey, California]] |
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[[Category:Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from anorexia nervosa]] |
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[[Category:Disease-related deaths in California]] |
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[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park]] |
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[[Category:Singers from California]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American singers]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American drummers]] |
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[[Category:20th-century women musicians]] |
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[[Category:American record producers]] |
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{{Other people|Richard Carpenter}} |
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{{Infobox musical artist |
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| name = Richard Carpenter |
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| image = Richard Carpenter - NARA - 194770.tif |
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| caption = Richard Carpenter in 1972 |
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| background = solo_singer |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1946|10|15|}}<ref name="birthdate">{{cite web|url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/biography-1.htm |website=Richardandp KarenCarpenter.com |title=Carpenters biography |date=2005}}</ref> |
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| birth_place = [[New Haven, Connecticut]], United States |
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| birth_name = Richard Lynn Carpenter |
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| origin = [[Downey, California]] |
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| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] |
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| instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]]<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument---> |
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| years_active = 1965–present |
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| occupation = Musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, conductor |
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| label = [[A&M Records|A&M]] |
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| associated_acts = {{unbulleted list|[[The Carpenters]]|[[Karen Carpenter]]}} |
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| website = {{url|http://richardandkarencarpenter.com/}} |
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}} |
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'''Richard Lynn Carpenter''' (born October 15, 1946) is an American [[pop music|pop]] musician, best known as one half of the sibling duo [[The Carpenters]], along with his sister [[Karen Carpenter]]. He is a record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, occasional lyricist, and composer, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals. |
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==Childhood== |
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Richard Lynn Carpenter was born at [[Grace-New Haven Hospital]] (now called Yale-New Haven Hospital) in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], the same hospital where his sister Karen was later born.<ref>{{cite book | author = Schmidt, Randy L. | contributor = Dionne Warwick | contribution = Forward | contributor-link = Dionne Warwick | year = 2010 | title = Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter | publisher = Chicago Review Press, Inc. | location = Chicago | isbn = 978-1-55652-976-4}}</ref> His parents were Agnes Reuwer Tatum (a housewife<ref name="Gavin, James">{{cite news|work=The New York Times Book Review|title=Sorrow in Her Voice|author=Gavin, James|date=August 6, 2010}}</ref>) (March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988). His father was born in [[China]], where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in [[England]],<ref name="Schmidt, Randy L. 2010">{{cite book|author=Schmidt, Randy L.|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter|publisher=Chicago Review Press|date=2010|isbn=9781556529764}}</ref> before working in the printing business.<ref name="Gavin, James"/> Carpenter was named after his father's younger brother, Richard Lynn Carpenter. Carpenter and his uncle both married women named Mary.<ref>{{cite book| author=Coleman, Ray| title= The Carpenters: The Untold Story|date=1994| page= 30}}</ref> Richard and his sister were baptized into the [[United Methodist Church]] and as children were part of the Methodist Youth Ministry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyI4_Phue4IC&pg=RA2-PT146&dq=karen+carpenter+methodist&hl=pl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9gJ3u1sjXAhWDWRoKHTwjDCAQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=karen+carpenter+methodist&f=falseYesterday|title=Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader|first=Randy L.|last=Schmidt|date=12 April 2018|publisher=Chicago Review Press|via=Google Books}}</ref> |
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Carpenter frequently played the piano while his younger sister, [[Karen Carpenter|Karen]], played baseball outside.<ref name=cty>Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters</ref> He and Karen also liked to listen to the children's records their father bought for them when they were young.<ref name=cty/> Richard was introduced to [[Perry Como]] and [[Ella Fitzgerald]], among many others through his father's record collection,<ref name=Billboard>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA13&dq=the+carpenters&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20carpenters&f=false|title=A Talented Brother and Sister Act Which Represents Clean, Wholesome Entertainment|author=Lieberman, Frank H.|work=Billboard|page=C-6|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|date=November 17, 1973|issn= 0006-2510|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> and by age 12, he knew he wanted to be in the music industry. His first public appearance as a musician was at age 16 in New Haven. Along with two older friends, a group was formed and they played at a local pizza parlor. Richard joined the venture to earn money to buy a car.<ref name=Billboard/> The Carpenter family moved from New Haven to [[Downey, California]], in June 1963. They wanted Richard to further his music career, and the family was tired of the cold [[New England]] winters.<ref>{{cite book|author=Coleman, Ray|title= The Carpenters: The Untold Story|date= 1994|page= 48}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| |
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url=https://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171080334/remembering-karen-carpenter-30-years-later|title=Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later|author=Samberg, Joel|date=February 4, 2013|publisher=[[NPR]]|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> |
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Carpenter studied music at the [[California State University]] at [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]. There, he met [[Frank Pooler]], a conductor and composer who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic "[[Merry Christmas Darling]]" in 1968. Richard also met good friend, [[John Bettis]], who co-wrote songs with Richard.<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2017-03-18 |url=http://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry_id=1678 |title=John Bettis|publisher=Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame}}</ref> |
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==The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum== |
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Carpenter created the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 with sister Karen and friend Wes Jacobs. Richard played the piano, Karen played the drums, and Wes played the tuba and bass. |
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In 1966 the Richard Carpenter Trio played "Iced Tea" and "[[The Girl from Ipanema]]" at the [[Hollywood Bowl]] [[Battle of the Bands]]. They won the competition, and shortly afterward recorded three songs at [[RCA Records|RCA Studios]]: "[[Every Little Thing (song)|Every Little Thing]]", "[[Strangers in the Night]]", and the Carpenter original, "Iced Tea". "Iced Tea" is the only recording that was officially released to the public.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} |
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Around 1967 Richard and Karen joined four other student musicians from [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]] to form a sextet, '''Spectrum''', consisting of: |
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*Richard Carpenter |
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*Karen Carpenter |
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*[[John Bettis]] |
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*Leslie Johnston |
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*Gary Sims |
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*Danny Woodhams |
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Although Spectrum played frequently at LA-area nightclubs such as [[Whisky a Go Go]], they met with an unenthusiastic response—their broad harmonies and avoidance of [[Rock and roll|rock 'n' roll]] limited the band's commercial potential. Yet Spectrum was fruitful in another way, providing the raw material of future success: Bettis went on to become a lyricist for Richard's original compositions, and all the other members, except Leslie Johnston, went on to become members of the Carpenters.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} |
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==Career== |
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Richard and Karen signed with [[A&M Records]] on April 22, 1969. "Let's hope we have some hits," [[Herb Alpert]] told the two. According to Richard, Alpert gave them ''carte blanche'' in the recording studios, but after ''[[Ticket to Ride (album)|Offering]]'', their first album, was released and wasn't a big seller, it was rumored that some of A&M's people were asking Alpert to release the Carpenters, but he believed in their talent and insisted on giving them another chance. |
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Alpert suggested that the Carpenters record a [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]] song called "[[(They Long to Be) Close to You]]" written in 1963. Though Richard worked up an arrangement only after Alpert's insistence, his arranging talents clearly shone in the finished product. His arranging and musical talents, as well as Karen's vocals, helped the song climb to #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], where it stayed for a month. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" gained public recognition seemingly overnight. According to Richard, even though the song became popular overnight, the Carpenters themselves did not. |
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Sitting at home one night, Richard was watching TV and saw a commercial for [[Crocker National Bank]]. He recognized the voices of [[Paul Williams (songwriter)|Paul Williams]] and [[Roger Nichols (songwriter)|Roger Nichols]], two A&M songwriters on the commercial's theme song "[[We've Only Just Begun]]." Richard made some calls to confirm their involvement, and asked if there was a full version of the song, which Williams affirmed. Carpenter managed to turn the bank commercial jingle into an [[RIAA certification|RIAA-certified]] [[Music recording sales certification|Gold record]]. It peaked at #2 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and has become a popular wedding song. The song also successfully launched the careers of Nichols and Williams, who went on to write multiple hits for the Carpenters and many other artists.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} |
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Richard composed many of the Carpenters' hits as well, with John Bettis as lyricist, such as: |
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*"[[Goodbye to Love]]" (1972; #7; one of the first pop ballads to have a [[fuzz guitar]] solo—influenced the development of the [[power ballad]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Popular Musicians| authors=Hochman, Steve Hochman & Adams, Mcrea |date= 1999 |page =168 }}</ref>) |
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*"[[Top of the World (The Carpenters song)|Top of the World]]" (1972; #1. Though the Carpenters originally opted to not release this song as a single, a version recorded by [[Lynn Anderson]] reached #2 on the ''Billboard'' Country chart; following the success of Anderson's version, the Carpenters decided to release their version as a single, and it reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.) |
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*"[[Yesterday Once More (song)|Yesterday Once More]]" (1973; #2) |
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*"[[Only Yesterday (song)|Only Yesterday]]" (1975; #4) |
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==Quaalude addiction and treatment== |
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While Karen was suffering from the [[anorexia nervosa]] that would ultimately lead to her death in 1983, in the late 1970s, Richard suffered from insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and an addiction to [[Methaqualone|Quaalude]], a sedative and hypnotic medication. Author James Gavin noted in his ''New York Times'' review of Randy L. Schmidt's biography ''Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter'' (2010):<ref name="Schmidt, Randy L. 2010"/> "His mother is said to have given him his first pill,"<ref name="Gavin, James"/> an observation that was previously portrayed in the [[CBS|CBS-TV]] television film ''[[The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' (1989) and commented on in several of that [[Television film|made-for-TV]] movie's reviews, which also noted that Agnes (their mother) had been taking them under prescription and thus thought they were safe.<ref>{{cite news|author=Weiskind, Ron|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19881231&id=RbBRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=920DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6856,8508274|title=Why: Missing From Carpenter Story|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=December 31, 1988}}</ref><ref name="Sanello, Frank">{{cite news|author=Sanello, Frank|date=January 1, 1989|title=`A Puzzle For The Ages`: Film Chronicles Carpenter`s Fall But Can`t Answer Why|work=The Chicago Tribune|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-01-01/features/8902220490_1_karen-carpenter-story-mrs-carpenter-anorexia-nervosa}}</ref> At the time he sought help, Carpenter had a doctor's prescription for Quaalude as sleep aid, but his use had gotten out of hand. |
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A reviewer of the [[BBC]] biopic ''[[Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story]]'' (2007) notes: "As their fame grew, cracks began to show in their wholesome facade. An insane touring schedule began to take its toll and Richard took refuge in heroic doses of quaaludes. Meanwhile, Karen started worrying about her weight. The worrying became obsession. The cracks became faultlines. The centre could not hold."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://aerialtelly.co.uk/only-yesterday.php| work=Aerial Telly| date=April 11, 2007| author=jamdog| title=Only Yesterday – The Carpenters Story}}</ref> |
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Dr. Gabe Mirkin wrote in "The sad story of Karen Carpenter" (February 15, 2014), "In those years, you could tell that something was wrong because the Carpenters frequently cancelled appearances. She appeared unhealthfully thin, weighing only 90 pounds when she was 25. Richard appeared to be forgetful, and it was later found that he was addicted to Quaaludes. In 1978, the Carpenters stopped touring and in 1979 Richard went into treatment to cure his dependency on this drug."<ref>{{cite news|author=Mirkin, Dr. Gabe|work=Village-News|url=http://www.villages-news.com/sad-story-karen-carpenter/|date=February 15, 2014|title=The sad story of Karen Carpenter}}</ref> |
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Nick Talevski similarly observes in ''Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door'' (2010): "Constantly on the road since 1970 with their [[Las Vegas|Vegas]]-style act, both Karen and Richard Carpenter were in ill health by late 1975. With Karen's weight down to 80 pounds, a tour had to be cancelled. Richard, meanwhile, had become addicted to a prescription drug, Quaalude."<ref>{{cite book|author=Talevski, Nick|title=Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door|publisher=Omnibus Press|date=2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=richard+carpenter+has+prescription+for+quaaludes&source=bl&ots=6yrWMHwrZT&sig=oE_iljf_xrmuMFB2AapIwPz8UuI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ctECVJXOIo3NggTi_4GgAg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=richard%20carpenter%20has%20prescription%20for%20quaaludes&f=false}}</ref> |
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By late 1978, Richard was receiving "much encouragement (and browbeating) from family and friends, to ‘face the music.’"<ref name="Biography">{{cite web| url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/biography-9.htm| page=9| title=Biography| website=RichardAndKarenCarpenter.com| accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref> Finally, in January 1979, semicomatose on Quaaludes, Richard fell down a flight of stairs backstage and finally confronted his addiction."<ref name="Sanello, Frank"/> He checked into a six-week [[Drug rehabilitation|treatment]] program<ref name="Biography"/> at the [[Menninger Foundation|Menninger Clinic]] in [[Topeka, Kansas]], and kicked his habit.<ref name="Sanello, Frank"/> "For any number of reasons, the first three weeks were 'hell on earth,' Richard says, 'but after that, things really started to change, and of course, all for the better.' Still, all of this had been a monumental change for Richard and he decided it was wise not to delve right back into work, and to pretty much take the rest of 1979 off, all the better to get accustomed to his changed fortunes."<ref name="Biography"/> |
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==Post-Carpenters== |
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[[File:Carpenters - Walk of Fame.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Carpenters' star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame]] |
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On October 12, 1983, eight months after Karen's death, the Carpenter family celebrated the unveiling of The Carpenters' new star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. Richard said in his speech, "This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and [me]. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts."<ref name=cty/><ref>Schmidt 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VeNVvoZdJ94C&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292 p. 292.]</ref> |
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On June 26, 1985, he started recording the solo album ''[[Time (Richard Carpenter album)|Time]]'' and finished it on July 5, 1987.<ref>''Time,'' Richard Carpenter. "Recording for this album commenced on June 26, 1985, with the final session in mix-down occurring on July 5, 1987."</ref> The album features [[Dusty Springfield]] singing "Something in Your Eyes," [[Dionne Warwick]] singing "In Love Alone," and a song Richard created – dedicated to Karen – called "When Time Was All We Had," which starts off ''[[a cappella]],'' but then Richard's piano fades in as well as Herb Alpert's [[flugelhorn]]. Lyrics include: |
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:Our hearts were filled with music and laughter, |
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:Your voice will be the sweetest sound I'll ever hear and yet, |
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:We knew somehow the song would never end, |
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:When time was all we had to spend. |
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In 1996, at the suggestion of music writer [[Daniel Levitin]], Carpenter recorded and released ''Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor'', which included reworkings of many Carpenters favorites, including hits and album tracks, and ends with "Karen's Theme," which Carpenter composed for the television movie, ''The Karen Carpenter Story'' (1989). |
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He released the DVDs ''[[Gold: Greatest Hits (video)|Gold: Greatest Hits]]'' (2002), a repackaging of the [[VHS]]/[[Betamax]] ''Yesterday Once More'' (released in 1985, two years after Karen's death in 1983) that contains all the videos from ''Yesterday Once More,'' and ''[[Interpretations (The Carpenters DVD)|Interpretations]]'' (2003), which updates the original, VHS/cassette tape released in 1995 and includes footage from the Carpenters' five TV specials and TV series from 1971–1980. The DVD follows the compilation album of the same name, which had been released earlier the same year, and includes eleven Carpenters' tracks never before available on DVD (including "From This Moment On," an outtake from the Carpenters' fifth television special), all of them digitally enhanced and feature remastered in stereo audio.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=A&M|authors=Carpenter, Richard & Carpenter, Karen|date= July 29, 2003|asin= B0000A9D2F|url=https://www.amazon.com/Carpenters-Interpretations/dp/B0000A9D2F/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409460224&sr=8-2&keywords=interpretations%2Cthe+carpenters|title=Capenters – Interpretations}}</ref> |
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On his 62nd birthday in October 2008, at a luncheon for The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Carpenter announced plans for "his career comeback – dubbed 'Richard Carpenter Strikes Back'"—which included "the re-release of a Carpenters Christmas album and a tribute album featuring cover versions of Carpenters songs."<ref>{{cite news|work=Daily Mail|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077848/Yesterday-Richard-Carpenter-announces-singing-comeback-pays-emotional-tribute-late-sister-Karen.html#ixzz3BwgMZBLt |title=Yesterday once more: Richard Carpenter announces singing comeback as he pays emotional tribute to late sister Karen| author= Daily Mail Reporter |date= 15 October 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=October 2008| website=Smooth Radio| title=Take a Look At Carpenters In Pictures: Richard Carpenter – a comeback?| url =http://www.smoothradio.com/artists/carpenters/carpenters-pictures/richard-carpenter-a-comeback/| author=AP Photo}}</ref> |
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===Documentaries=== |
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The 43-minute film ''[[Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' (1987) was directed by [[Todd Haynes]] and was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a [[copyright infringement]] lawsuit filed by Richard.<ref name="holden">{{cite news|author=[[Holden]], Stephen |date=November 8, 1998|title=FILM; Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> The film's title is derived from [[The Carpenters]]' 1971 hit song, "[[Superstar (Delaney and Bonnie song)#Carpenters version|Superstar]]." Over the years, it has developed into a [[cult film]] and is included in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''s 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dirks, Tim|url=http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilmsew2.html|title=Top 50 Cult Movies|work= ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''/[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]|accessdate= January 1, 2013}}</ref> |
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Richard helped in the productions of the documentaries ''[[Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters]]'' (1997) and ''[[Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story]]'' (2007). |
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===Scholarship/talent show=== |
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He funds an annual scholarship/talent show for people with artistic abilities that is held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} |
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===Gear=== |
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Richard used a wide range of keyboard instruments including [[grand piano]], [[Hammond organ]], [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[ARP Odyssey]], [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]], [[harpsichord]], [[celesta]], [[synthesizer]] and [[tack piano]]. His favourite grand piano was [[Baldwin Piano Company|Baldwin]] and initially in the 1970s, he endorsed and used Wurlitzer electric pianos before switching to the [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]] around the 1970s. He says that at [[A&M Studios]], he regularly used a [[Steinway]] piano on the Carpenters' records with the exception of the ''[[A Song for You (The Carpenters album)|A Song for You]]'' album. On stage, he initially had both a Wurlitzer electric piano and grand piano, but after switching to the Fender Rhodes, he would typically alternate between the three for different songs on stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/fans_ask_Archive-All.htm|title=Carpenters Fans Ask-Richard Answers Archive|website=www.richardandkarencarpenter.com}}</ref> He has described the sound of the Wurlitzer electric piano as "warm" and "beautiful" and via [[overdubbing]] in the studio, he would regularly supplement his grand piano with a Wurlitzer electric piano to thicken the sound, thus creating a distinctive keyboard sound. On the song "Happy" on ''[[Horizon (The Carpenters album)|Horizon]],'' he made his earliest experiments with the [[ARP Odyssey]] synthesizer.<ref>John Tobler. ''The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters'' (1997); Omnibus Press, London; {{ISBN|0-7119-6312-6}}; p.67</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
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{{BLP sources section|date=August 2014}} |
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In 1984, Carpenter married his adopted cousin, Mary Rudolph.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoerburger|first1=Rob|title=Karen Carpenter's Second Life|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/06/magazine/karen-carpenter-s-second-life.html?pagewanted=3|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=4 August 2015|quote=[I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.}}</ref> Her brother, Mark Rudolph, was the Carpenters' [[road manager]] as well as the radio call-in "contestant" in the [Oldies] "Medley" on the album ''[[Now & Then (The Carpenters album)|Now & Then]]'' (1973). The couple had been dating since the late 1970s. A young Mary made a cameo appearance in the Carpenters' promotional video for the song "[[I Need to Be in Love]]" (1976). |
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Richard and Mary have five children: Kristi Lynn (the name Karen intended for a daughter had she had one) was born on August 17, 1987, Traci Tatum on July 25, 1989, Mindi Karen (named after her late paternal aunt) on July 7, 1992, and Colin Paul and Taylor Mary.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=297–298}} The children and Richard sometimes perform music together at various Carpenter-related events. The family today resides in [[Thousand Oaks, California]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeNVvoZdJ94C&lpg=PA297&ots=D2rbSclvdJ&pg=PA297#v=onepage|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter|first1=Randy|last1=Schmidt|first2=Dionne|last2=Warwick|publisher=Chicago Review Press|date=May 17, 2010|pages=297–298|access-date=January 8, 2016}}</ref> |
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Richard is a [[MOPAR]] automobile enthusiast, and original owner of a 1970 [[Plymouth Barracuda]] with the unusual 440-6 engine and automatic transmission package.<ref>{{cite web|title=Richard Carpenter's 1970 Chrysler Barracuda|url=http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/richard-carpenters-1970-chrysler-barracuda/310108|website=Jay Leno's Garage|accessdate=21 September 2016|date=19 September 2016}}</ref> |
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==Discography== |
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===The Carpenters=== |
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{{Main|The Carpenters discography|List of songs by The Carpenters}} |
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===Albums=== |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! width="33"| Year |
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! Title |
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! Notes |
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|- |
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|align="center"|1987 |
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|align="left"|'''''[[Time (Richard Carpenter album)|Time]]''''' |
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| |
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* Released in October 1987 |
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* Richard Carpenter's debut solo album |
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* Included guest singers [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Dionne Warwick]], and actor [[Scott Grimes]] |
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* Out of print |
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* Label: [[A&M Records]] |
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* Formats: [[LP album]], [[Compact Cassette|cassette tape]], [[Compact Disc|compact disc]], digital download |
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|- |
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|align="center"|1998 |
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|align="left"|'''''[[Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor|Pianist • Arranger • <br>Composer • Conductor]]''''' |
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| |
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* Released on January 27, 1998 |
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* Richard's second and latest solo album |
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* Includes instrumentals of popular songs of Carpenters |
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* Dedicated to Richard's deceased mother, Agnes Carpenter<ref name="officialsite">{{cite web |url= http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/|title= Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official website|accessdate=2008-01-17 |author= Carpenter, Richard}}</ref> |
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* Label: A&M Records |
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* Formats: Cassette tape (out of print), compact disc (out of print), digital download |
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|- |
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|} |
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===Singles=== |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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!rowspan="2"|Year |
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!rowspan="2"|Song |
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!colspan="6"|Chart positions |
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!rowspan="2"|B-side |
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!rowspan="2"|<sup>[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]<br>cert.</sup><ref name="riaas">{{cite web |url= https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Carpenters&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50|title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for singles by the Carpenters|accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref> |
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!rowspan="2"|Album |
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|- |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[Billboard Hot 100|U.S. Hot 100]]</sup> |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[Adult Contemporary (chart)|U.S. AC]]</sup> |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]</sup> |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN]]</sup> |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[Oricon Singles Chart|JPN]]</sup> |
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!width="35"|<sup>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]</sup> |
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|- |
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|rowspan="2"|1987 |
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|"[[Something in Your Eyes (Richard Carpenter song)|Something in Your Eyes]]"<br><small>''(featuring [[Dusty Springfield]])''</small> |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|12 |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|84 |
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|<small>"Time"</small> |
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|align="center"|— |
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|rowspan="2"|''Time'' |
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|- |
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|"Calling Your Name Again" |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|<small>"When Time Was All We Had"</small> |
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|align="center"|— |
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|- |
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|rowspan="2"|1998 |
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|"Karen's Theme" |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|<small>—</small> |
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|align="center"|— |
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|rowspan="2"|''Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor'' |
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|- |
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|"Medley" |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|align="center"|— |
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|<small>—</small> |
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|align="center"|— |
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|- |
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|} |
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==References== |
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'''Citations''' |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
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'''Sources''' |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Schmidt|first=Randy|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life Of Karen Carpenter|year=2010|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-556-52976-4|ref=harv}} |
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{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/ Richard and Karen Carpenter] – Official site |
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* {{IMDb name|0139443|name=Richard Carpenter}} |
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*[http://www.myokom.info/ Make Your Own Kind of Music] – 1971 Summer Television Series |
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*{{IMDb name|0139443}} |
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{{The Carpenters albums}} |
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{{Portal| Biography }} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Richard}} |
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[[Category:1946 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut]] |
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[[Category:A&M Records artists]] |
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[[Category:American male singers]] |
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[[Category:American pop pianists]] |
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[[Category:American pop singers]] |
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[[Category:American soft rock musicians]] |
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[[Category:Musicians from Downey, California]] |
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[[Category:The Carpenters members]] |
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[[Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni]] |
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[[Category:American jazz pianists]] |
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[[Category:American male songwriters]] |
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[[Category:American music arrangers]] |
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[[Category:American conductors (music)]] |
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[[Category:American record producers]] |
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[[Category:Backing vocalists]] |
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[[Category:American pop keyboardists]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American pianists]] |
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{{About|the American pop duo|their third studio album|Carpenters (album)|other uses|Carpenters (disambiguation)}} |
{{About|the American pop duo|their third studio album|Carpenters (album)|other uses|Carpenters (disambiguation)}} |
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{{pp-move-dispute|small=yes}} |
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Revision as of 07:39, 22 June 2018
Karen Carpenter | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Karen Anne Carpenter |
Born | [1] New Haven, Connecticut, United States | March 2, 1950
Origin | Downey, California, United States |
Died | February 4, 1983[1] Downey Community Hospital, Downey, California | (aged 32)
Genres | Pop, easy listening, soft rock, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, drums |
Years active | 1965–1983 |
Labels | A&M |
Website | richardandkarencarpenter |
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, and part of the duo the Carpenters with her brother Richard. She was critically acclaimed for her contralto vocals, and her drumming was praised by contemporary musicians and peers.
Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963 with her family. She began to study the drums in high school, and upon graduation, joined the Long Beach State choir. After several years of touring and recording, the Carpenters were signed in 1969 and achieved commercial and critical success throughout the 1970s. Initially, Carpenter was the band's full-time drummer, but gradually took the role of frontwoman as drumming was reduced to a handful of live showcases or tracks on albums. While the Carpenters were on hiatus in the late 1970s, she recorded a solo album, which was never released during her lifetime.
Carpenter had the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, which was little known at the time, and was briefly married in the early 1980s. She died at age 32 from heart failure caused by complications related to her illness, and her death led to increased visibility and awareness of eating disorders. Her work continues to attract praise, including being listed in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers of all time.
Early life
Karen Anne Carpenter was born on March 2, 1950 in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Agnes Reuwer (née Tatum, March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988).[2] Harold had been born in Wuzhou, China, where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in England, before working in the printing business.[3]
Carpenter's elder brother Richard developed an interest in music at an early age, becoming a piano prodigy. Karen's first words were "bye-bye" and "stop it", the latter in response to Richard. She enjoyed dancing and by age four was enrolled in tap dancing and ballet classes.[4] When she was young, she enjoyed playing baseball with other children on the street, and was picked before her brother in sandlot games.[5] She studied baseball statistics carefully and became a fan of the New York Yankees.[6] In the early 1970s she would become the pitcher on the Carpenters' official softball team.[7] The family moved in June 1963 to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey after Harold had been offered a job there by a former business associate.[8]
Carpenter entered Downey High School in 1964 aged 14, and was a year younger than her classmates.[9] She joined the school band, initially to avoid gym classes. Bruce Gifford, the conductor (who had previously taught her older brother) gave her the glockenspiel, an instrument she disliked, and after admiring the performance of her friend and drummer Frankie Chavez (who had been playing from an early age and idolized jazz drummer Buddy Rich), she asked if she could play those instead.[10] Carpenter wanted a Ludwig set, because it was used by her favorite drummers, Joe Morello and Ringo Starr. Chavez persuaded her family to buy her a $300 ($2,900 as of 2023) Ludwig kit, and he began to teach her drums.[11] She was always enthusiastic about drumming and taught herself how to play complicated lines, and studied the difference between traditional and matched grip.[12] Within a year she could play in complex time signatures, such as the 5
4 in Dave Brubeck's "Take Five".[13]
Carpenter was initially nervous about performing in public, but said she "was too involved in the music to worry about it".[14] She graduated from Downey High School in the spring of 1967, receiving the John Philip Sousa Band Award, and enrolled as a music major at Long Beach State, performing in the college choir with Richard. The choir's director, Frank Pooler, said that Karen had a good voice that was particularly suited to pop, and gave her lessons in order for her to develop a three-octave range.[15][16]
Career
The Carpenters
Carpenter's first band was Two Plus Two, an all-girl trio formed with two friends from Downey High. They split up after she suggested her brother Richard join the group.[17] In 1965, Karen, Richard, and his college friend Wes Jacobs, a bassist and tuba player, formed the Richard Carpenter Trio.[18] The band rehearsed daily and played jazz at numerous nightclubs and also appeared on the TV talent show Your All-American College Show.[10] Richard was immediately impressed with his sister's musical talent, saying she would "speedily maneuver the sticks as if she had been born in a drum factory".[19] She did not sing at this point; instead, singer Margaret Shanor guested on some numbers.[18] The trio signed a contract with RCA Records and recorded two instrumentals, but they were not released.[19]
In April 1966, the Carpenters were invited to audition at a session with bassist Joe Osborn, well known for being part of the studio collective The Wrecking Crew. Though she was initially expected to just be the drummer, Karen tried singing, and impressed everyone there with her distinctive voice.[20] Osborn signed a recording contract with her for his label, Magic Lamp Records; he was not particularly interested in Richard's involvement.[21]
In 1967, Jacobs left the trio to study at the Juilliard School, and the Carpenter siblings were keen to try out other musical styles.[11] Along with other musicians, including Gary Sims and John Bettis, the siblings formed the group Spectrum, which focused on a harmonious vocal sound and recorded many demo tapes in Osborn's garage studio, working out how to overdub voices onto multitrack tape. Many of those tapes were rejected by record companies.[22][23] The group found difficulty attracting a live following, as their sound was too dissimilar from the hard rock and psychedelic rock then popular in clubs.[24][a]
A&M Records finally signed the Carpenters to a recording contract in 1969.[26] Karen sang most of the songs on the band's first album, Offering (later retitled Ticket to Ride), and her brother wrote 10 out of the album's 13 songs and sang 5 of them while the opening and concluding tracks were sung by both siblings in unison. As well as drumming, she played bass guitar on two songs, "All of My Life" and "Eve", under Osborn's guidance.[27][b] On "All I Can Do", she played in 5/4 time, while "Your Wonderful Parade" featured multiple snare and bass drum overdubs to emulate the sound of a marching band.[13] The issued single (later the title track), which was a cover of a Beatles song, became their first single; it reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[29] Their next album, 1970's Close to You, featured two hit singles: "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". They peaked at #1 and #2, respectively, on the Hot 100.[30]
Carpenter started out as both the group's drummer and lead singer, and she originally sang all her vocals from behind the drum set. Because she was just 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall, it was difficult for people in the audience to see her behind her drum kit.[31] After reviews complained the group had no focal point in live shows, Richard and manager Sherwin Bash persuaded her to stand at the microphone to sing the band's hits, while another musician played the drums (former Disney Mouseketeer Cubby O'Brien served as the band's other drummer for many years).[32][31] She initially struggled in live performances singing solo, as she felt more secure behind a drum kit.[33] After the release of Now & Then in 1973, the albums tended to have Carpenter singing more and drumming less, and she became the focal point of all records and live performances; Bash later said "she was the one that people watched".[34] Many of the duo's hits prominently feature her contralto singing, leading her to quip, "The money’s in the basement".[32] During the 1970s live shows, she would perform a showcase where she moved around the stage playing various configurations of drums.[35]
Carpenter always considered herself a "drummer who sang".[36] She preferred Ludwig Drums, including the Ludwig SuperSensitive snare drum, which she favored greatly.[37] Despite this, she was not often featured as a drummer on the Carpenters' albums[according to whom?]; she was the only drummer on Ticket to Ride and on Now & Then except for "Jambalaya".[13][36] According to Hal Blaine, Karen played on most of the album cuts[32] and he played on most of the Carpenters' studio sessions where she did not play drums herself.[38] Though she was a competent drummer, the duo were happy for Blaine to take the role in the studio as he was a respected session musician and it was easier to record Carpenter's guide vocal without it spilling onto the drum mics.[32] On Made in America, Karen provided percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams" in tandem with Paulinho da Costa and made a final return to playing drums on the song "When it's Gone (It's Just Gone)" in unison with Larrie Londin.[39]
In the mid-1970s, Richard developed an addiction to Quaaludes. The Carpenters frequently cancelled tour dates, and they stopped touring altogether after their September 4, 1978, concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In 1980, she performed a medley of standards in a duet with Ella Fitzgerald on the Carpenters' television program Music, Music, Music.[40] In 1981, after the release of Made in America album (which turned out to be their last), the Carpenters returned to the stage and did some promotional tours, including an appearance for the BBC programme Nationwide.[41][42]
"Now" was the last song Carpenter recorded in April 1982. The session took place during a two-week break in her anorexia therapy with psychotherapist Steven Levenkron in New York City. Though Richard was concerned about her health, he still thought her voice sounded as good as ever.[43][44]
Solo
Carpenter released her first solo record, "Looking For Love" / "I'll Be Yours" in 1967 on Osborn's Magic Lamp label. Only 500 copies were pressed, and the label folded shortly afterwards.[45]
In 1979, while Richard took a year off to treat his addiction to Quaaludes, Karen decided to make a solo album with producer Phil Ramone.[46] These sessions produced music that was different from the usual Carpenters material, tending more towards disco and up-tempo numbers, with more explicit lyrics and taking full advantage of Karen's upper vocal register. The album met with a tepid response from Richard and A&M executives in early 1980. The album was shelved by A&M Records co-owner Herb Alpert, in spite of attempts by producer Quincy Jones to convince him to release the record after a remix.[47] A&M subsequently charged the Carpenters $400,000 to cover the cost of recording this album, to be paid out of the duo's future royalties.[48] A portion of the solo album was commercially released in 1989, when some of its tracks (as remixed by Richard) were included on the album Lovelines, the final album of Carpenters' unreleased new material. In 1996, the complete album, titled Karen Carpenter, was finally released.[49][50]
Personal life
Carpenter had a complicated relationship with her parents. They had hoped that Richard's musical talents would be recognized and that he would enter the music business, but were not prepared for her success.[21] She continued to live with them until 1974.[51] In September and October 1971, two years after their debut album, she and her brother bought two apartment buildings in Downey as a financial investment.[52][53][54] In 1976, Carpenter bought two Century City apartments which she combined into one; the doorbell chimed the opening notes of "We've Only Just Begun".[55] She collected Disney memorabilia and liked to play softball and baseball.[7][56] Petula Clark, Olivia Newton-John and Dionne Warwick were close friends.[57][56][58] While she was enjoying success as a woman drummer in what was primarily an all-male occupation, Carpenter was not supportive of the Women's liberation movement, saying she believed a wife should cook for her husband and that when married, this was what she planned to do.[59]
In early interviews, Carpenter showed no interest in marriage or dating, believing that a relationship would not survive constant touring, adding "as long as we're on the road most of the time, I will never marry".[60] In 1976, she said the music business made it hard to meet people and that she refused to just marry someone for the sake of getting married.[61] Carpenter admitted to Olivia Newton-John that she longed for a happy marriage and family.[62] She later dated several notable men, including Mike Curb, Tony Danza, Terry Ellis, Mark Harmon, Steve Martin and Alan Osmond.[47] 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. The couple settled in Newport Beach.[63]
Carpenter desperately wanted children, but Burris had had a vasectomy and refused to get an operation to reverse it. Their marriage did not survive this and ended after 14 months.[64][65] Burris was living beyond his means, borrowing up to $35,000 and $50,000 at a time from his wife, to the point that she had only stocks and bonds left. Carpenter's friends also reported he was abusive towards her, often being impatient; they added that she remained fearful when he would occasionally lose his temper.[64] Close friend Karen Kamon recounted one incident where she and Carpenter went to their normal hangout, Hamburger Hamlet, and Carpenter appeared to be distant emotionally, sitting not at their regular table but in the dark, and wearing large dark sunglasses, unable to eat and crying. According to Kamon, the marriage was "the straw that broke the camel's back. It was absolutely the worst thing that could have ever happened to her".[66]
In September 1981, Carpenter revised her will and left everything to her brother and parents.[66] Two months later, following an argument after a family dinner in a restaurant, Carpenter and Burris broke up.[67] Carpenter filed for divorce on October 28, 1982, while staying in Lenox Hill Hospital.[68]
Illness and death
Carpenter began dieting while in high school. Under a doctor's guidance, she went on the Stillman Diet, eating lean foods, drinking eight glasses of water a day, and avoiding fatty foods. She was 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) in height and before dieting weighed 145 pounds (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) and afterwards weighed 120 pounds (54 kg; 8 st 8 lb) until 1973, when the Carpenters' career reached its peak.[69] In 1973, she happened to see a photo of herself taken at a concert which made her appear heavy. Carpenter hired a personal trainer who advised her to eat a high carbohydrate, low calorie diet. The new diet caused her to build muscle, which made her seem heavier instead of slimmer. Carpenter fired the trainer and began her own weight loss program using exercise equipment and counting calories. She lost about 20lb; she then weighed about 110 pounds (50 kg; 7 st 12 lb) and intended to lose five more pounds. Her eating habits also changed around this time, with Carpenter trying to get the food off her plate by offering it to others at the meal as a taste.[70]
By September 1975, her weight was 91 pounds (41 kg; 6 st 7 lb).[71] At live performances fans reacted audibly to her gaunt appearance and many wrote to the pair to inquire what was wrong.[44] She refused to publicly declare she was in ill health; on her 1981 Nationwide appearance, she simply said she was "pooped".[72] Richard later stated that he and his parents did not know how to help Karen; in 1981, she told Richard there was a problem and she needed help with it.[44] Carpenter also spoke with Cherry Boone, who had recovered from anorexia and contacted Boone's doctor for help. She was hoping to find a quick solution to her problem, as she had various performing and recording obligations, but the doctor told her treatment could take from one to three years.[73] She then chose to be treated in New York City by psychotherapist Steven Levenkron.[74][44]
Anorexia had driven her to use thyroid replacement medication, increasing her metabolism, and laxatives, which caused food to pass quickly through her digestive tract. Despite Levenkron's treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate and she lost more weight. Carpenter told Levenkron that she felt dizzy and that her heart was beating irregularly. Finally, in September 1982, she was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, where she was placed on intravenous parenteral nutrition. The procedure was a success, and she gained 30 pounds (14 kg; 2 st 2 lb) in a relatively short time, but the sudden weight gain put a strain on her heart, which was already weak from years of improper diet.[75]
Carpenter returned to California in November 1982, determined to reinvigorate her career, finalize her divorce and begin a new album with Richard.[75] On December 17, 1982, she gave her last singing performance in the multi-purpose room of the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, singing Christmas carols for her godchildren, their classmates and other friends.[76] On January 11, 1983, Karen made her last public appearance at a gathering of past Grammy Award winners, who were commemorating the show's 25th anniversary.[77][78] She seemed somewhat frail and worn out, but according to Dionne Warwick, Karen was vibrant and outgoing, exclaiming to everyone, "Look at me! I've got an ass!"[77] She had also begun to write songs after returning to California and told Warwick she had "a lot of living left to do".[73]
On February 1, 1983, Carpenter saw her brother for the last time, where they discussed new plans for the Carpenters and resuming touring.[c] A few days later, on February 4, Carpenter was scheduled to sign papers making her divorce official. Shortly after waking up, she collapsed in her bedroom at her parents' home in Downey. Paramedics found her heart beating once every 10 seconds.[79] She was pronounced dead at Downey Community Hospital at 9:51 a.m.[80][81]
Carpenter's funeral was held on February 8, 1983, at Downey United Methodist Church. Approximately one thousand mourners attended, including her friends Dorothy Hamill,[82] Olivia Newton-John, Petula Clark[83] and Dionne Warwick.[84][85] Thomas Burris also attended, and threw his wedding ring into her casket.[47] Carpenter was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California.[84] In 2003 her body was moved, to be placed with her parents in a mausoleum at the Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California.[86]
An autopsy released on March 11, 1983, ruled out drug or medication overdose,[87] attributing death to "emetine cardiotoxicity due to or as a consequence of anorexia nervosa".[75] She was discovered to have a blood sugar level of 1,110 milligrams per decilitre, more than ten times the average.[88] Two years later, the coroner told colleagues that Carpenter's heart failure was caused by repeated use of ipecac syrup, an over-the-counter emetic often used to induce vomiting in cases of overdosing or poisoning.[75][d] This was disputed by Levenkron, who said he had never seen her using ipecac, or seen evidence she had been vomiting.[90] Carpenter's friends were convinced that she had been abusing laxatives and thyroid medication to maintain her low body weight, which had started shortly after her marriage began to collapse.[74]
Legacy
"This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and me. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts".
Richard Carpenter speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1983[91]
Carpenter's singing has attracted critical praise and influenced several significant musicians and singers, including Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Pat Metheny, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Shania Twain, Natalie Imbruglia, and k.d. lang.[32][92][93] Paul McCartney has said she had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive".[65] She has been called "one of the greatest voices of our lifetime" by Elton John.[1] Her drumming has been praised by fellow musicians Hal Blaine, Cubby O'Brien and Buddy Rich[94] and by Modern Drummer magazine. In 1975, she was voted the best rock drummer in a poll of Playboy readers, beating Led Zeppelin's John Bonham.[32] Sheila E., Debbi Peterson and Kelley Deal are among the female drummers that cited Carpenter as an inspiration at an early age to becoming musicians.[95]
On October 12, 1983, shortly after her death, the Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[96][91]
In 1999, VH1 ranked Carpenter at #29 on its list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll.[97]
Jazz musician Charlie Hunter payed tribute to her on his album "Baboon Strength" with an instrumental track called "A Song for Karen Carpenter".[98]
In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Carpenter number 94 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, calling her voice "impossibly lush and almost shockingly intimate", adding "even the sappiest songs sound like she was staring directly into your eyes",[1]
Carpenter's death brought media attention to conditions such as anorexia nervosa.[99] Her family started the Karen A. Carpenter Memorial Foundation, which raised money for research on anorexia nervosa and eating disorders.[100]
Carpenter is known to fans as "Lead Sister". This originated from a mispronunciation of "lead singer" by a Japanese journalist in 1974, and she later wore a T-shirt with the nickname during live shows.[101]
Biographies
The 43-minute film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) was directed by Todd Haynes, and featured Barbie dolls as the characters. It was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Richard.[102][103][104] The film's title is derived from The Carpenters' 1971 hit song, "Superstar". Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and is included in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.[105]
On January 1, 1989, the similarly titled made-for-TV movie The Karen Carpenter Story aired on CBS with Cynthia Gibb in the title role. Gibb lip-synced the songs to Carpenter's recorded voice, with the exception of "The End of the World." Both films use the song "This Masquerade" in the background while showing Carpenter's marriage to Burris.[106][107] The movie helped reverse criticism of the Carpenters' music as being "soft" or "nice".[108][109]
Richard Carpenter helped in the productions of the documentaries Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters (1997)[110] and Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007).[111] Randy Schmidt wrote a biography about Carpenter entitled Little Girl Blue, published in 2010, which included a foreword from Warwick.[112] It avoided previous biographies which had been officially endorsed by the family, and was based on interviews with other friends and associates. The New York Times said the book was "one of the saddest tales in pop."[113]
Discography
Studio albums
- Offering (later reissued as Ticket to Ride) (1969)
- Close to You (1970)
- Carpenters (1971)
- A Song for You (1972)
- Now & Then (1973)
- Horizon (1975)
- A Kind of Hush (1976)
- Passage (1977)
- Christmas Portrait (1978)
- Made in America (1981)
Posthumous albums
- Voice of the Heart (1983)
- An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984)
- Lovelines (1989)
- As Time Goes By (2001/2004)
Solo albums
- Karen Carpenter (1996)
References
Notes
- ^ The tapes of the original sessions were lost in a fire at Joe Osborn's house and the surviving versions of those early songs exist only as fragile acetate reference discs.[25]
- ^ Although Karen's bass playing is heard on the original album, Richard remixed both songs (as he has done with almost every Carpenters song), and Joe Osborn's bass playing was substituted on later "greatest hits" releases.[27][28]
- ^ Richard spoke to his sister the day before her death. Karen called him to ask his opinion about a new videocassette player she planned on buying. He described her as sounding "absolutely fine".[44]
- ^ Ipecac syrup production was discontinued in the United States in 2010.[89]
Citations
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- ^ a b Economopolous, Lou (July 20, 1973). "Carpenters Hammer Bouton to Nail Celebrities". The Central New Jersey Home News. Retrieved September 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
{{cite news}}
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- ^ McCormick, Neil (February 4, 2016). "Karen Carpenter and the mystery of the missing album". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ Nolan, Tom (July 4, 1974). "The Carpenters: Up From Downey". Retrieved September 21, 2017.
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{{cite web}}
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{{cite web}}
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{{cite web}}
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- ^ "Petula Clark: 'Elvis had his eye on both me and Karen Carpenter'". The Daily Telegraph. December 22, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ "Dionne Warwick Reflects On Her Life, As She Sees It". NPR. November 2, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
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- ^ a b Joel Samburg (February 4, 2013). "Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later". NPR. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
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- ^ a b Levin, Eric (February 21, 1983). "Starved to a Tragic Death". People. People. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
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{{cite web}}
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- ^ a b Schmidt 2010, p. 271. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ "Industry Mourns Death Of Singer Karen Carpenter". Cash Box. Cash Box: 30. February 19, 1983. ISSN 0008-7289. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
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- ^ a b Markel, Michelle (February 9, 1983). "1,000 Attend Rites for Karen Carpenter". Los Angeles Times. p. 5. Retrieved September 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "Una de las voces más inusuales de la música popular".
- ^ "The Carpenters". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll". Rock On The Net. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ "Una de las voces más inusuales de la música popular".
- ^ Latson, Jennifer (February 4, 2015). "How Karen Carpenter's Death Changed the Way We Talk About Anorexia". Time. Time-Life. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Barrios, Greg (October 23, 1983). "Carpenter:'This Album is Karen's'". Los Angeles Times. p. 5 Calendar. Retrieved September 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 158. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Schmidt 2010, pp. 292–293. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ^ Hilderbrand 2004, p. 67.
- ^ Dirks, Tim. "Top 50 Cult Movies". Entertainment Weekly/AMC. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=
(help) - ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 293. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Miller, Ron (January 1, 1989). "CBS to retell Karen Carpenter's tragic tale". Detroit Free Press. p. 78. Retrieved September 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 295. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Hoerburger, Rob (November 3, 1991). "Revisionist Thinking On the Carpenters". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ^ Pennington, Gail (December 4, 1997). "The pitch: Auction, Carpenters start Channel 9's pledge drive". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 329. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Schmidt 2010, p. xi. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Gavin, James (August 8, 2010). "Sorrow in Her Voice". New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
Sources
- Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. An Authorized Biography. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-060-92586-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Hilderbrand, Lucas (2004). "Grainy Days and Mondays:Superstar and Bootleg Aesthetics". Camera Obscura. 19 (3). Duke University press. ISSN 0270-5346 – via Project MUSE.
{{cite journal}}
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suggested) (help) - Petrucelli, Alan W. (2009). Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-1011-4049-9.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Schmidt, Randy (2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life Of Karen Carpenter. ISBN 978-1-556-52976-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Schmidt, Randy (2012). Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-613-74417-8.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Stanton, Scott (2003). The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-743-46330-0.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)
External links
- Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official site
- Lead Sister – Tribute side
- The Carpenters at IMDb
- The Carpenters at Find a Grave
Richard Carpenter | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Richard Lynn Carpenter |
Born | [1] New Haven, Connecticut, United States | October 15, 1946
Origin | Downey, California |
Genres | Pop |
Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, conductor |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboards |
Years active | 1965–present |
Labels | A&M |
Website | richardandkarencarpenter |
Richard Lynn Carpenter (born October 15, 1946) is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the sibling duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He is a record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, occasional lyricist, and composer, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.
Childhood
Richard Lynn Carpenter was born at Grace-New Haven Hospital (now called Yale-New Haven Hospital) in New Haven, Connecticut, the same hospital where his sister Karen was later born.[2] His parents were Agnes Reuwer Tatum (a housewife[3]) (March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988). His father was born in China, where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in England,[4] before working in the printing business.[3] Carpenter was named after his father's younger brother, Richard Lynn Carpenter. Carpenter and his uncle both married women named Mary.[5] Richard and his sister were baptized into the United Methodist Church and as children were part of the Methodist Youth Ministry.[6]
Carpenter frequently played the piano while his younger sister, Karen, played baseball outside.[7] He and Karen also liked to listen to the children's records their father bought for them when they were young.[7] Richard was introduced to Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others through his father's record collection,[8] and by age 12, he knew he wanted to be in the music industry. His first public appearance as a musician was at age 16 in New Haven. Along with two older friends, a group was formed and they played at a local pizza parlor. Richard joined the venture to earn money to buy a car.[8] The Carpenter family moved from New Haven to Downey, California, in June 1963. They wanted Richard to further his music career, and the family was tired of the cold New England winters.[9][10]
Carpenter studied music at the California State University at Long Beach. There, he met Frank Pooler, a conductor and composer who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1968. Richard also met good friend, John Bettis, who co-wrote songs with Richard.[11]
The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum
Carpenter created the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 with sister Karen and friend Wes Jacobs. Richard played the piano, Karen played the drums, and Wes played the tuba and bass.
In 1966 the Richard Carpenter Trio played "Iced Tea" and "The Girl from Ipanema" at the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands. They won the competition, and shortly afterward recorded three songs at RCA Studios: "Every Little Thing", "Strangers in the Night", and the Carpenter original, "Iced Tea". "Iced Tea" is the only recording that was officially released to the public.[citation needed]
Around 1967 Richard and Karen joined four other student musicians from Long Beach State to form a sextet, Spectrum, consisting of:
- Richard Carpenter
- Karen Carpenter
- John Bettis
- Leslie Johnston
- Gary Sims
- Danny Woodhams
Although Spectrum played frequently at LA-area nightclubs such as Whisky a Go Go, they met with an unenthusiastic response—their broad harmonies and avoidance of rock 'n' roll limited the band's commercial potential. Yet Spectrum was fruitful in another way, providing the raw material of future success: Bettis went on to become a lyricist for Richard's original compositions, and all the other members, except Leslie Johnston, went on to become members of the Carpenters.[citation needed]
Career
Richard and Karen signed with A&M Records on April 22, 1969. "Let's hope we have some hits," Herb Alpert told the two. According to Richard, Alpert gave them carte blanche in the recording studios, but after Offering, their first album, was released and wasn't a big seller, it was rumored that some of A&M's people were asking Alpert to release the Carpenters, but he believed in their talent and insisted on giving them another chance.
Alpert suggested that the Carpenters record a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song called "(They Long to Be) Close to You" written in 1963. Though Richard worked up an arrangement only after Alpert's insistence, his arranging talents clearly shone in the finished product. His arranging and musical talents, as well as Karen's vocals, helped the song climb to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for a month. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" gained public recognition seemingly overnight. According to Richard, even though the song became popular overnight, the Carpenters themselves did not.
Sitting at home one night, Richard was watching TV and saw a commercial for Crocker National Bank. He recognized the voices of Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, two A&M songwriters on the commercial's theme song "We've Only Just Begun." Richard made some calls to confirm their involvement, and asked if there was a full version of the song, which Williams affirmed. Carpenter managed to turn the bank commercial jingle into an RIAA-certified Gold record. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has become a popular wedding song. The song also successfully launched the careers of Nichols and Williams, who went on to write multiple hits for the Carpenters and many other artists.[citation needed]
Richard composed many of the Carpenters' hits as well, with John Bettis as lyricist, such as:
- "Goodbye to Love" (1972; #7; one of the first pop ballads to have a fuzz guitar solo—influenced the development of the power ballad[12])
- "Top of the World" (1972; #1. Though the Carpenters originally opted to not release this song as a single, a version recorded by Lynn Anderson reached #2 on the Billboard Country chart; following the success of Anderson's version, the Carpenters decided to release their version as a single, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.)
- "Yesterday Once More" (1973; #2)
- "Only Yesterday" (1975; #4)
Quaalude addiction and treatment
While Karen was suffering from the anorexia nervosa that would ultimately lead to her death in 1983, in the late 1970s, Richard suffered from insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and an addiction to Quaalude, a sedative and hypnotic medication. Author James Gavin noted in his New York Times review of Randy L. Schmidt's biography Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter (2010):[4] "His mother is said to have given him his first pill,"[3] an observation that was previously portrayed in the CBS-TV television film The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) and commented on in several of that made-for-TV movie's reviews, which also noted that Agnes (their mother) had been taking them under prescription and thus thought they were safe.[13][14] At the time he sought help, Carpenter had a doctor's prescription for Quaalude as sleep aid, but his use had gotten out of hand.
A reviewer of the BBC biopic Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007) notes: "As their fame grew, cracks began to show in their wholesome facade. An insane touring schedule began to take its toll and Richard took refuge in heroic doses of quaaludes. Meanwhile, Karen started worrying about her weight. The worrying became obsession. The cracks became faultlines. The centre could not hold."[15]
Dr. Gabe Mirkin wrote in "The sad story of Karen Carpenter" (February 15, 2014), "In those years, you could tell that something was wrong because the Carpenters frequently cancelled appearances. She appeared unhealthfully thin, weighing only 90 pounds when she was 25. Richard appeared to be forgetful, and it was later found that he was addicted to Quaaludes. In 1978, the Carpenters stopped touring and in 1979 Richard went into treatment to cure his dependency on this drug."[16]
Nick Talevski similarly observes in Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door (2010): "Constantly on the road since 1970 with their Vegas-style act, both Karen and Richard Carpenter were in ill health by late 1975. With Karen's weight down to 80 pounds, a tour had to be cancelled. Richard, meanwhile, had become addicted to a prescription drug, Quaalude."[17]
By late 1978, Richard was receiving "much encouragement (and browbeating) from family and friends, to ‘face the music.’"[18] Finally, in January 1979, semicomatose on Quaaludes, Richard fell down a flight of stairs backstage and finally confronted his addiction."[14] He checked into a six-week treatment program[18] at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and kicked his habit.[14] "For any number of reasons, the first three weeks were 'hell on earth,' Richard says, 'but after that, things really started to change, and of course, all for the better.' Still, all of this had been a monumental change for Richard and he decided it was wise not to delve right back into work, and to pretty much take the rest of 1979 off, all the better to get accustomed to his changed fortunes."[18]
Post-Carpenters
On October 12, 1983, eight months after Karen's death, the Carpenter family celebrated the unveiling of The Carpenters' new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Richard said in his speech, "This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and [me]. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts."[7][19]
On June 26, 1985, he started recording the solo album Time and finished it on July 5, 1987.[20] The album features Dusty Springfield singing "Something in Your Eyes," Dionne Warwick singing "In Love Alone," and a song Richard created – dedicated to Karen – called "When Time Was All We Had," which starts off a cappella, but then Richard's piano fades in as well as Herb Alpert's flugelhorn. Lyrics include:
- Our hearts were filled with music and laughter,
- Your voice will be the sweetest sound I'll ever hear and yet,
- We knew somehow the song would never end,
- When time was all we had to spend.
In 1996, at the suggestion of music writer Daniel Levitin, Carpenter recorded and released Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor, which included reworkings of many Carpenters favorites, including hits and album tracks, and ends with "Karen's Theme," which Carpenter composed for the television movie, The Karen Carpenter Story (1989).
He released the DVDs Gold: Greatest Hits (2002), a repackaging of the VHS/Betamax Yesterday Once More (released in 1985, two years after Karen's death in 1983) that contains all the videos from Yesterday Once More, and Interpretations (2003), which updates the original, VHS/cassette tape released in 1995 and includes footage from the Carpenters' five TV specials and TV series from 1971–1980. The DVD follows the compilation album of the same name, which had been released earlier the same year, and includes eleven Carpenters' tracks never before available on DVD (including "From This Moment On," an outtake from the Carpenters' fifth television special), all of them digitally enhanced and feature remastered in stereo audio.[21]
On his 62nd birthday in October 2008, at a luncheon for The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Carpenter announced plans for "his career comeback – dubbed 'Richard Carpenter Strikes Back'"—which included "the re-release of a Carpenters Christmas album and a tribute album featuring cover versions of Carpenters songs."[22][23]
Documentaries
The 43-minute film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) was directed by Todd Haynes and was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Richard.[24] The film's title is derived from The Carpenters' 1971 hit song, "Superstar." Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and is included in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.[25]
Richard helped in the productions of the documentaries Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters (1997) and Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007).
Scholarship/talent show
He funds an annual scholarship/talent show for people with artistic abilities that is held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.[citation needed]
Gear
Richard used a wide range of keyboard instruments including grand piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, ARP Odyssey, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, celesta, synthesizer and tack piano. His favourite grand piano was Baldwin and initially in the 1970s, he endorsed and used Wurlitzer electric pianos before switching to the Fender Rhodes electric piano around the 1970s. He says that at A&M Studios, he regularly used a Steinway piano on the Carpenters' records with the exception of the A Song for You album. On stage, he initially had both a Wurlitzer electric piano and grand piano, but after switching to the Fender Rhodes, he would typically alternate between the three for different songs on stage.[26] He has described the sound of the Wurlitzer electric piano as "warm" and "beautiful" and via overdubbing in the studio, he would regularly supplement his grand piano with a Wurlitzer electric piano to thicken the sound, thus creating a distinctive keyboard sound. On the song "Happy" on Horizon, he made his earliest experiments with the ARP Odyssey synthesizer.[27]
Personal life
In 1984, Carpenter married his adopted cousin, Mary Rudolph.[28] Her brother, Mark Rudolph, was the Carpenters' road manager as well as the radio call-in "contestant" in the [Oldies] "Medley" on the album Now & Then (1973). The couple had been dating since the late 1970s. A young Mary made a cameo appearance in the Carpenters' promotional video for the song "I Need to Be in Love" (1976).
Richard and Mary have five children: Kristi Lynn (the name Karen intended for a daughter had she had one) was born on August 17, 1987, Traci Tatum on July 25, 1989, Mindi Karen (named after her late paternal aunt) on July 7, 1992, and Colin Paul and Taylor Mary.[29] The children and Richard sometimes perform music together at various Carpenter-related events. The family today resides in Thousand Oaks, California.[30]
Richard is a MOPAR automobile enthusiast, and original owner of a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with the unusual 440-6 engine and automatic transmission package.[31]
Discography
The Carpenters
Albums
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1987 | Time |
|
1998 | Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor |
|
Singles
Year | Song | Chart positions | B-side | RIAA cert.[33] |
Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. AC | AUS | CAN | JPN | UK | |||||
1987 | "Something in Your Eyes" (featuring Dusty Springfield) |
— | 12 | — | — | — | 84 | "Time" | — | Time |
"Calling Your Name Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | "When Time Was All We Had" | — | ||
1998 | "Karen's Theme" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor |
"Medley" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
References
Citations
- ^ "Carpenters biography". Richardandp KarenCarpenter.com. 2005.
- ^ Dionne Warwick (2010). "Forward". Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. By Schmidt, Randy L. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-55652-976-4.
- ^ a b c Gavin, James (August 6, 2010). "Sorrow in Her Voice". The New York Times Book Review.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Randy L. (2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 9781556529764.
- ^ Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. p. 30.
- ^ Schmidt, Randy L. (April 12, 2018). "Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader". Chicago Review Press – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters
- ^ a b Lieberman, Frank H. (November 17, 1973). "A Talented Brother and Sister Act Which Represents Clean, Wholesome Entertainment". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media: C-6. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. p. 48.
- ^ Samberg, Joel (February 4, 2013). "Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later". NPR. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ "John Bettis". Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ Popular Musicians. 1999. p. 168.
{{cite book}}
: Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=
(help) - ^ Weiskind, Ron (December 31, 1988). "Why: Missing From Carpenter Story". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ a b c Sanello, Frank (January 1, 1989). "`A Puzzle For The Ages`: Film Chronicles Carpenter`s Fall But Can`t Answer Why". The Chicago Tribune.
- ^ jamdog (April 11, 2007). "Only Yesterday – The Carpenters Story". Aerial Telly.
- ^ Mirkin, Dr. Gabe (February 15, 2014). "The sad story of Karen Carpenter". Village-News.
- ^ Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press.
- ^ a b c "Biography". RichardAndKarenCarpenter.com. p. 9. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
- ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 292.
- ^ Time, Richard Carpenter. "Recording for this album commenced on June 26, 1985, with the final session in mix-down occurring on July 5, 1987."
- ^ Capenters – Interpretations. A&M. July 29, 2003. ASIN B0000A9D2F.
{{cite book}}
: Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=
(help) - ^ Daily Mail Reporter (October 15, 2008). "Yesterday once more: Richard Carpenter announces singing comeback as he pays emotional tribute to late sister Karen". Daily Mail.
- ^ AP Photo (October 2008). "Take a Look At Carpenters In Pictures: Richard Carpenter – a comeback?". Smooth Radio.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "FILM; Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". New York Times.
- ^ Dirks, Tim. "Top 50 Cult Movies". Entertainment Weekly/AMC. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=
(help) - ^ "Carpenters Fans Ask-Richard Answers Archive". www.richardandkarencarpenter.com.
- ^ John Tobler. The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters (1997); Omnibus Press, London; ISBN 0-7119-6312-6; p.67
- ^ Hoerburger, Rob. "Karen Carpenter's Second Life". New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
[I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.
- ^ Schmidt 2010, pp. 297–298. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ Schmidt, Randy; Warwick, Dionne (May 17, 2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. Chicago Review Press. pp. 297–298. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ "Richard Carpenter's 1970 Chrysler Barracuda". Jay Leno's Garage. September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ^ Carpenter, Richard. "Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official website". Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for singles by the Carpenters". Retrieved July 3, 2008.
Sources
External links
- Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official site
- Richard Carpenter at IMDb
- Make Your Own Kind of Music – 1971 Summer Television Series
- The Carpenters at IMDb
Warning: Default sort key "Carpenter, Richard" overrides earlier default sort key "Carpenter, Karen".
The Carpenters | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Downey, California, United States |
Genres | |
Years active | 1969–1983 |
Labels | A&M |
Past members | |
Website | richardandkarencarpenter.com |
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo of Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (b. 1946). [a] They produced a distinct soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's arranging and composition skills. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded ten albums, along with numerous singles and several television specials.
The siblings were born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963. Richard took piano lessons as a child, progressing to California State University, Long Beach, while Karen learned the drums. They first performed together as a duo in 1965 and formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio followed by the middle-of-the-road group Spectrum. Signing as Carpenters to A&M Records in 1969, they achieved major success the following year with the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". Subsequently, the duo's brand of melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, and they became leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and Adult contemporary music genres. The Carpenters had three No. 1 singles and five No. 2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen No. 1 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, in addition to twelve top 10 singles. They have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The duo toured continually during the 1970s, which put them under increased strain; Richard took a year off in 1979 after he had become addicted to Quaaludes, while Karen suffered from anorexia nervosa.
Their career together ended in 1983 following Karen's death from heart failure brought on by complications of anorexia. Extensive news coverage surrounding these circumstances increased public awareness of eating disorders. Though the Carpenters were criticized for their clean-cut and wholesome conservative image in the 1970s, their music has since been re-evaluated, attracting critical acclaim and continued commercial success.
History
Pre-Carpenters
Childhood
The Carpenter siblings were both born at Grace–New Haven Hospital (now called Yale–New Haven Hospital) in New Haven, Connecticut, to Harold Bertram (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988) and Agnes Reuwer (née Tatum, March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996). Harold was born in Wuzhou, China, moving to Britain in 1917, and the US in 1921, while Agnes was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. They married on April 9, 1935; their first child, Richard Lynn, was born on October 15, 1946, while Karen Anne followed on March 2, 1950.[4] Richard was a quiet child who spent most of his time at home listening to Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Red Nichols and Spike Jones, and playing the piano.[5] Karen was friendly and outgoing; she liked to play sports, including softball with the neighborhood kids, but still spent a lot of time listening to music. She enjoyed dancing and began ballet and tap classes aged four. Karen and Richard were close, and shared a common interest in music. In particular, they became fans of Les Paul and Mary Ford, whose music featured multiple overdubbed voices and instruments.[6] Richard began piano lessons aged eight, but quickly grew frustrated with the formal direction of the lessons and quit after a year. He had begun to teach himself how to play by ear by 11, and resumed studying with a different teacher. He took a greater interest in playing this time, and would frequently practice at home. By age 14, he was interested in performing professionally, and started lessons at Yale School of Music.[7]
In June 1963, the Carpenter family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey. hoping that it would mean better musical opportunities for Richard.[8][9][10] He was asked to be the organist for weddings and services at the local Methodist church; instead of playing traditional hymns, he would sometimes rearrange contemporary Beatles songs in a "church" style.[11] In fall 1964, Richard enrolled at California State College at Long Beach where he met future songwriting partner John Bettis, Wesley Jacobs, a friend who played the bass and tuba for the Richard Carpenter Trio, and Frank Pooler, with whom Richard would collaborate to create the Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1966.[12]
That same fall, Karen enrolled at Downey High School, where she found she had a knack for playing the drums.[13] She had initially tried playing the glockenspiel, but had been inspired by her friend Frankie Chavez, who had been drumming since he was three. She became enthusiastic about the drums, and began to learn complex pieces, such as Dave Brubeck's "Take Five".[14] Chavez persuaded her parents to buy a Ludwig drum kit in late 1964, and she began lessons with local jazz players, including how to read concert music. She quickly replaced the entry-level kit with a large Ludwig set that was a similar set-up to Brubeck's drummer, Joe Morello. Richard and Karen gave their first public performance together in 1965, as part of the pit band for a local production of Guys and Dolls.[15][16]
The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum
By 1965, Karen had been practicing the drums for a year, and Richard was refining his piano techniques under Pooler's tuition. Late that year, Richard teamed up with Jacobs, who played tuba and stand-up bass. With Karen drumming, the three formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio.[12] Richard led the band and wrote all the arrangements, and they began to rehearse daily.[17] He bought a tape recorder, and began to make recordings of the group. Originally, neither Karen nor Richard sang; Richard's friend Dan Friberg occasionally filled in on trumpet, along with guest vocalist Margaret Shanor.[18]
Karen subsequently became more confident in singing, and began to take lessons with Pooler. He taught her a mixture of classical and pop singing, but realised she most enjoyed performing Richard's new material. Pooler later said, "Karen was a born pop singer".[19] In early 1966, Karen tagged along at a late-night session in the garage studio of Los Angeles bassist Joe Osborn, and joined future Carpenters collaborator and lyricist John Bettis at a demo session where Richard was to accompany Friberg.[20][21] Asked to sing, she performed for Osborn, who was immediately impressed with her vocal abilities. He signed Karen to his label, Magic Lamp Records, and Richard to his publishing arm, Lightup Music.[22] The label put out a single featuring two of Richard's compositions, "Looking for Love" and "I'll Be Yours". As well as Karen's vocals, the track was backed by the Richard Carpenter Trio. The single was not a commercial success, due to a lack of promotion and the label folded the next year.[23]
In mid-1966, the Richard Carpenter Trio entered the Hollywood Bowl annual Battle of the Bands competition. They played an instrumental version of "The Girl from Ipanema" and their own piece, "Iced Tea". They won the competition on June 24 and were signed up by RCA Records.[24] They recorded songs such as the Beatles' "Every Little Thing" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". A committee reviewed their recordings and chose not to produce them, so the trio were released from RCA.[25][b]
Karen graduated from high school in early 1967, and was awarded the John Philip Sousa Band award.[26] She subsequently joined Richard at Long Beach State as a music major.[27] Osborn let Karen and Richard continue to use his studio to record demo tapes.[28] As they had unlimited studio time, Richard decided to experiment with overdubbing his and Karen's voices in order to create a large choral sound.[29]
In 1967, Jacobs left to study classical music and join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Richard Carpenter Trio disbanded.[30] Richard and Bettis then were hired as musicians at a refreshment shop at Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.. They were expected to play turn of the 20th century songs in keeping with the shop's theme. The shop's patrons had other ideas; many requested the musicians to play current popular music. When the pair tried pleasing their customers and honoring the requests, they were fired by a Disneyland supervisor named Mr. Guder for being "too radical".[31][32] Bettis and Richard were unhappy about their dismissal and wrote the song "Mr. Guder" about their former superior.[32]
Richard and Karen then teamed up with student musicians from Long Beach State to form the band Spectrum.[33] The group included Bettis on guitar, who began writing lyrics to Richard's songs, guitarist Gary Sims, bassist Dan Woodhams, and vocalist Leslie "Toots" Johnston.[34] The group sent demos to various record labels around Los Angeles, with little success. Part of the problem was the group's middle-of-the-road sound, which was different to the psychedelic rock popular in clubs.[28] Richard's friend Ed Sulzer managed to book time at United Audio Recording Studio in Santa Ana, and the group recorded several original songs including "Candy" (which would later become "One Love" on the Carpenter's self-titled 1971 album). Richard bought a Wurlitzer electric piano as an additional instrument to complement his acoustic piano onstage.[35] Spectrum performed regularly at the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in Los Angeles, including opening for Steppenwolf early in that group's career.[36][37]
By 1968, Spectrum had disbanded, finding it difficult to get gigs as their music was not considered "danceable" by rock and roll standards.[38] Having enjoyed their multi-layer sound experiments at Osborn's studio, Richard and Karen decided to formally become a duo, calling themselves Carpenters. Later in the year, the duo received an offer to be on the television program Your All American College Show. Their performance on the program, playing a cover of "Dancing in the Street", was their first television appearance, with new bassist Bill Sissoyev.[39] The program had a weekly winner with all weekly winners competing in semi-finals and finals at the end of 12 weeks. The finals featuring "The Dick Carpenter Trio" aired on August 31, 1968.[40] Karen also auditioned as a vocalist in Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, but was unsuccessful.[3] By this time, Sulzer had become the group's manager, while the duo continued to record demos with Osborn, one of which was sent to A&M Records via a friend of Sulzer's. At the same time, the duo were asked to audition for a Ford Motor Company advertising campaign, which included $50,000 each and a brand new Ford automobile.[41] The group accepted the offer, but quickly withdrew it after receiving a formal offer from A&M. Label owner Herb Alpert was intrigued by Karen's voice, later saying "It touched me ... I felt like it was time". On meeting the duo, Alpert said "Let's hope we can have some hits!"[42]
The Carpenters
Offering (Ticket to Ride)
Richard and Karen Carpenter signed to A&M Records on April 22, 1969.[42] Since Karen was 19 and underage, her parents had to co-sign.[43] The duo had decided to sign as "Carpenters", without the definite article, which was influenced by names such as Buffalo Springfield or Jefferson Airplane, which they considered "hip".[3]
When the Carpenters signed to A&M Records, they were given free rein in the studio to create an album in their own style.[42] The label recommended that Jack Daugherty should produce it, though those present have since suggested that Richard was the de facto producer. Most of the album's material had already been written for and performed with Spectrum; "Your Wonderful Parade" and "All I Can Do" both came from demos recorded with Osborn. Richard rearranged the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" in a melancholic ballad style.[44] Osborn played bass on the album, and would continue to do so throughout the Carpenters' career. Karen also played bass on "All of My Life" and "Eve", after being taught the relevant parts by Osborn.[45][c] The album, entitled Offering, was released on October 9, 1969, to a positive critical reception; one review in Billboard said "With radio programming support, Carpenters should have a big hit on their hands."[45]
"Ticket to Ride" was released as a single on November 5, and became a minor hit for the Carpenters, peaking at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 20 of the Adult Contemporary chart.[46][47] The album only sold 18,000 copies on its initial run, at a loss for A&M, but after the Carpenters' subsequent breakthrough the album was repackaged and reissued internationally under the name Ticket to Ride and sold 250,000 copies.[48]
Close to You
Despite the poor showing of Offering, A&M retained the Carpenters and decided they should record a hit single instead. In December 1969, they met Burt Bacharach, who was impressed by their work and invited the duo to open for him at a charity concert, which should include them performing a medley of Bacharach / Hal David songs.[d] Herb Alpert asked Richard to re-work a Bacharach/David song "(They Long to Be) Close to You", which had first been recorded in 1963 by Richard Chamberlain, and Dionne Warwick the following year. Richard Carpenter decided the song would work as a standalone piece, and wrote an arrangement from scratch without being influenced by any earlier recordings.[50] The duo struggled on an early recording attempt, and for the second session, Alpert suggested that seasoned session player Hal Blaine play drums instead of Karen. Larry Knechtel was tried out as a session pianist, but was replaced by Richard for the final take.[51] The Carpenters' version was released as a single in March 1970.[52] It entered the charts at No. 56, the highest debut of the week ending June 20.[53] It reached No. 1 on July 25 and stayed there for the next four weeks.[54]
Their next hit was a song Richard had seen in a television commercial for Crocker National Bank, "We've Only Just Begun", written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.[55] Three months after "Close to You" reached No. 1, the Carpenters' version of "We've Only Just Begun" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first of their eventual five No. 2 hits (it was unable to get past "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5 and "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family during its four-week stay). The song became the first hit single for Williams and Nichols, who think the Carpenters' version is definitive.[56]
"Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun" became RIAA certified gold singles and were featured on the best-selling album Close to You, which placed No. 175 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003.[57] The album also included "Mr. Guder", the song inspired by Disneyland supervisor Victor Guder, who had dismissed the young songwriters for playing popular music when they worked at the park.[58][32]
The Carpenters began touring, attempting to recruit Jacobs and former Spectrum members. Jacobs decided to continue with the Detroit Symphony, but Woodhams and Sims agreed to be part of the live band, which was completed with Doug Strawn and Bob Messenger. They rehearsed daily on the A&M soundstage in order to present a concert show that could compare with their records. As a result of their chart success, the group made several television appearances in 1970, including The Ed Sullivan Show.[59] The Carpenters also chose Sherwin Bash as their new manager around this time.[60] On Thanksgiving Day, 1970, the Carpenter family moved into a new $300,000 ($2,354,000 as of 2023) home near the San Gabriel River.[61][e]
The duo rounded out the year with the holiday release of "Merry Christmas, Darling", which they had been playing for several years. The single scored high on the holiday charts and would repeatedly return to the holiday charts in subsequent years.[63] In 1978, Karen re-cut the vocal for their Christmas TV special, feeling she could give a more mature treatment to it; this remake also became a hit.[64]
Carpenters and A Song for You
The Carpenters had a string of hit singles and albums through the early 1970s. Their 1971 song "For All We Know" was recorded the previous year by members of the pop group Bread for a wedding scene in the movie Lovers and Other Strangers. Richard saw the song's potential for the Carpenters and recorded it in the autumn of 1970. The track became the duo's third gold single, and later won an Oscar for "Best Original Song".[65][66] On March 16, 1971, the duo received Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.[67]
The duo's fourth gold single, "Rainy Days and Mondays", became Williams' and Nichols' second major single with the Carpenters. The demo was written by Williams about his mother, which led to the line, "Talking to myself and feeling old". Richard rearranged the song to include a saxophone solo, played by Bob Messenger. The single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept from the top slot by Carole King's "It's Too Late".[68]
"Superstar", written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell, became the duo's next hit. The song had originally appeared on Joe Cocker's 1970 album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, sung by Rita Coolidge. Karen was familiar with the album, but Richard first heard the song when it was covered by Bette Midler on The Tonight Show, and realised its potential as a Carpenters hit. The duo changed the line "I can hardly wait to sleep with you again" to "... to be with you again", as they knew the former would not be played on Top 40 radio.[69] The single sold a million copies, attaining gold status, and became the Carpenters' third No. 2 single on the Billboard Hot 100 (this time held off the top spot by Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe").[70][71] On May 14, 1971, the Carpenters performed a sell-out show at Carnegie Hall,[72] and they released their third album, Carpenters the same day.[73] It became one of their best sellers, earning RIAA certification for platinum four times,[74] and rising to No. 2 on Billboard's pop album chart for two weeks (behind Carole King's Tapestry) with over a million pre-sales orders. The album won a Grammy Award, as well as receiving three nominations.[75] Shortly after this, the duo recorded a short television series, Make Your Own Kind of Music, which drew mixed reviews.[76]
By mid-1971, the Carpenters were being criticized that their live shows had no focal point, as Karen was seated behind the drums. Richard and Bash tried to persuade her to sing out-front.[77] Karen resisted at first, but was eventually persuaded to front the popular numbers and ballads, and drum for more up-tempo numbers. Consequently, Jim Anthony was hired as a touring drummer.[78] Over time, Karen became more relaxed as a frontwoman and centerpiece of the band.[79]
Later that year, Richard was watching a Bing Crosby movie, Rhythm on the River, in which Crosby played a country singer whose career was in decline and whose most famous song was "Goodbye to Love". The song was never performed in the film, so Richard imagined what it might sound like and wrote down some initial lyrics. These were finished off by Bettis, and became "Goodbye to Love".[79] For the arrangement, Richard suggested adding a fuzz guitar solo. He resisted suggestions to get an experienced session player in, and instead asked Tony Peluso, whose band Instant Joy had supported the Carpenters on an earlier tour. Peluso was a typical rock guitarist and did not read music, so Richard wrote out a chord chart for him to follow. Having been instructed to play the first five bars of the melody and then improvise, he recorded the solo in two takes. Bettis later described "Goodbye to Love" as his favorite single he has worked on in his career.[81] The single reached No. 7 in the Billboard Hot 100, and Peluso accepted an offer to tour with the Carpenters full-time.[82] Some did not appreciate the combination of a soft ballad and loud electric guitar, and sent hate mail to the Carpenters, but conversely they picked up new fans who appreciated the bridge between rock and pop.[81]
On April 25, 1972, the Carpenters visited the White House to meet presidential assistants James Cavanagh, Ken Cole and Ronald Zeigler. They returned on August 1 to meet President Richard Nixon and posed for photographs with him at the Oval Office.[83]
"Goodbye to Love" was featured on the Carpenter's fourth album, A Song for You released on June 13, 1972. The title track, a cover of a song on Leon Russell's debut album, was considered as a single, but rejected owing to its length. The album also included a Carole King song, "It's Going To Take Some Time" and another Nichols / Williams original, "I Won't Last A Day Without You".[84] Another Carpenter / Bettis composition, "Top of the World", was originally intended as just an album cut, but after Lynn Anderson scored a hit with the song in early 1973, the Carpenters opted to record their own single version. It was released in September and became the Carpenters' second Billboard No. 1 hit, in December.[85]
Now & Then
The Carpenters met the President again on April 30, 1973, when they performed a special concert at the White House, though the event was overshadowed by the resignation of White House Chief of Staff, Bob Haldeman and assistant John Ehrlichman over the Watergate scandal, which would ultimately also lead to Nixon's resignation.[86]
Their next album, Now & Then, was named by the duo's mother, Agnes. It contained the Sesame Street song "Sing", featuring the Jimmy Joice Children's Choir, which was released as a single, reaching No. 3 in the Hot 100.[87][88] The album also included a Leon Russell composition, "This Masquerade", and the ambitious "Yesterday Once More", a side-long tribute to oldies radio which incorporated renditions of eight hit songs from previous decades into a faux oldies radio program.[89][90] The single version of the latter became their biggest hit in the United Kingdom, holding the number 2 spot for two weeks,[91] and became the Carpenters' biggest worldwide hit.[92]
In 1974, the Carpenters achieved a significant international hit with an up-tempo remake of Hank Williams's "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)".[93] While the song was not released as a single in the US, it reached the top 30 in Japan, No. 12 in the United Kingdom (as part of a double A-side with "Mr. Guder"),[91] and No. 3 in the Netherlands.[94] At Christmas that year, the duo released a jazz-influenced rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and appeared on Perry Como's Christmas Show.[95][96]
The Singles: 1969–1973
The Carpenters did not record a new album in 1974. They had been touring extensively and were exhausted; Richard later said, "there was simply no time to make one. Nor was I in the mood."[97] Tensions had erupted in the family unit; Richard had started dating the group's hairdresser but neither Agnes or Karen took kindly to her and she ultimately ended the relationship and quit the band's services. Agnes had always considered Richard to be her favorite child, which did not sit well with Karen.[98] The duo ultimately moved out of their parents' house, at first the siblings shared a home.[99][100] In May, the Carpenters undertook their first tour of Japan, playing to 85,000 fans. They later likened the scenes when they first touched down at Tokyo Airport to Beatlemania.[101]
During this period, the pair released just one single, "I Won't Last a Day Without You" from A Song for You. The Carpenters finally decided to release their original two years after its original album release and some months after Maureen McGovern's 1973 cover.[102] In March 1974, the single version became the fifth and final selection from the album to chart in the Top 20, reaching No. 11 on the Hot 100 in May.[103]
In place of a new album, their first greatest hits package was released, featuring new remixes of their singles, and newly recorded leads and bridges that allowed each side of the album to play through with no breaks. Richard later regretted this decision.[85][104] This compilation was entitled The Singles: 1969–1973, and topped the charts in the US for one week, on January 5, 1974. It also topped the UK chart for 17 weeks (non-consecutive) and became one of the best-selling albums of the decade, ultimately selling more than seven million copies in the US alone.[74]
Horizon
In 1975, the Carpenters had a hit with a remake of the Marvelettes' chart-topping 1961 single, "Please Mr. Postman". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January and became the duo's third and final No. 1 pop single.[95] It also earned Karen and Richard their record-setting twelfth million-selling gold single in the US.[74] The follow-up, a Carpenter / Bettis composition "Only Yesterday", was the duo's last Hot 100 top 10 hit, reaching No. 4.[105] The sound on the track was intended to emulate Phil Spector's famous Wall of Sound production technique.[106]
Both singles appeared on their 1975 LP Horizon, which also included covers of the Eagles' "Desperado" and Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire", which became a moderate hit later that year. Horizon was certified gold after two weeks, but missed the top ten in the US, peaking at No. 13.[107] The album still had a positive critical reception.[106]
The Carpenters toured with Sedaka during 1975, but critics found the latter's performances to be more professional and entertaining. Richard became particularly cross at how Sedaka was getting more attention, and ultimately fired him from the tour.[108][109] By this time, Karen was visibly unwell, and a planned tour of the UK and Japan was cancelled.[109][110][f] The duo begun to produce music videos to promote their records; in early 1975, they filmed a performance of "Please Mr. Postman" at Disneyland and "Only Yesterday" at the Huntington Gardens.[104]
A Kind of Hush and Passage
Their next album, A Kind of Hush, was released on June 11, 1976, and was certified gold.[74] However, it was the first Carpenters' album not to become platinum-certified since Ticket to Ride seven years earlier. The duo had several hits that year, but by this time the public had become over-familiar with them, and sales fell.[112] Their biggest single that year was a cover of Herman's Hermits' "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)", which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "I Need to Be in Love" (Karen's favorite song by the Carpenters)[113][114] charted at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it followed "There's a Kind of Hush" to the top spot on the Adult Contemporary charts and became the duo's 14th No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit, more than any other act in the history of the chart.[115]
The Carpenters' Very First Television Special aired on December 8, 1976 and included guests John Denver and Victor Borge. It was the duo's first headlining television variety show in the US. A follow-up special, The Carpenters at Christmas, aired on December 9, 1977, featuring Kristy McNichol.[116][117]
The 1977 album, Passage, marked an attempt to venture into other musical genres.[118] It featured an unlikely mix of jazz fusion ("B'wana She No Home"), calypso ("Man Smart, Woman Smarter"), and orchestrated balladry ("I Just Fall in Love Again", "Two Sides"), and included the hits, "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft".[118] "Calling Occupants" was supported with the TV special Space Encounters, which aired May 17, 1978, with guest stars Suzanne Somers and John Davidson. Although the single release of "Calling Occupants" became a significant Top 10 hit in the UK and reached No. 1 in Ireland, it only peaked at number 32 on the Hot 100, and for the first time a Carpenters album did not reach the gold threshold of 500,000 copies shipped in the US.[119] In early 1978, they had a surprise Top 10 country hit with the up-tempo, fiddle-sweetened "Sweet, Sweet Smile", written by country-pop singer Juice Newton and her long-time musical partner Otha Young.[120]
The Singles: 1974–1978
In place of a new album for 1978, a second compilation, The Singles: 1974–1978, was released in the UK where it reached No. 2 in the charts. In the US, their first Christmas album, Christmas Portrait, became a seasonal favorite, and was certified platinum. Richard later said that the album should have been released as Karen's first solo album. It was shortly followed by the television special The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait.[121] During the sessions, several non-Christmas songs were recorded such as "Where Do I Go from Here", which was not released until after Karen's death.[122]
Hiatus
By 1978, Richard had become addicted to Quaaludes, which he had been taking on prescription in increasing doses since the 1971 tours. On September 4, during an engagement at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he decided to quit touring, and the concerts there were curtailed.[123] On December 3, the Carpenters were scheduled to play at the Pacific Terrace Theatre, Long Beach Convention Center, which turned out to be the last live concert that Karen and Richard played together.[124] Richard refused to fly to the UK for an appearance on ITV's Bruce Forsyth's Big Night, realizing he had a serious problem, so Karen performed without him and denied rumors that the duo were to split.[125]
Richard began treatment for his addiction at a facility in Topeka, Kansas, for six weeks in January 1979.[126] He decided to take the rest of the year off to relax and rehabilitate. Richard was now sure that Karen was battling with anorexia nervosa, but she denied it, saying she simply had colitis.[127] Karen did not want to take a break from singing nor seek professional medical help for her own condition, so she decided to pursue a solo album project with producer Phil Ramone in New York.[128][g] The choice of Ramone and more adult-oriented and disco / dance-tempo material represented an effort to retool her image.[130] Heatwave keyboardist and songwriter Rod Temperton (and future Michael Jackson collaborator) was asked by Ramone to help with songwriting and arranging, and Billy Joel's backup band were used for the album.[131] She decided not to record Temperton's "Off the Wall" and "Rock with You", which later became hits for Jackson.[132] The album was finished by early 1980, but drew a negative reception from A&M. Her mother Agnes did not like Karen working without Richard,[133] while Richard felt that Karen was not well enough to have worked on the album. The total cost of recording was $500,000 of which $400,000 came from the Carpenters' own funds.[134] The album was not released and although the press announced it was canceled at Karen's request, its rejection devastated her; she felt she had just wasted months of work.[135] It was finally issued in 1996, 13 years after Karen's death.[136]
Made in America and Karen's final days
Following the cancellation of her solo album and her marriage to Tom Burris on August 31, 1980, Karen decided to record a new album with Richard, who had now recovered from his addiction and was ready to continue their career.[137] The Carpenters produced their final television special in 1980, called Music, Music, Music!, with guest stars Ella Fitzgerald and John Davidson.[138] Karen's outfit for the show was designed by Bill Belew, who was nominated for an Emmy Award for best costume designer. He had also designed her wedding dress.[139]
On June 16, 1981, the Carpenters released what would become their final LP as a duo, Made in America.[140] The album sold around 200,000 copies and spawned the hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing", which reached No. 16 on the Hot 100.[140] It also became their fifteenth and final number one Adult Contemporary hit. The album also produced three other singles, including "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", "Those Good Old Dreams", and a remake of the Motown hit "Beechwood 4-5789". The singles fared well on the adult contemporary charts. "Beechwood 4-5789", the last single by the Carpenters to be released in Karen's lifetime, on her 32nd birthday.[141] The album concluded with "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", referring to Karen's marriage.[142] Promotion for the album included a whistle-stop tour of America, Brazil and Europe,[143] including an appearance on America's Top Ten. At all of these events, the band mimed to the studio recordings.[124]
Karen sought therapy for her eating disorder with psychotherapist Steven Levenkron in New York City.[144] In April, she briefly returned to Los Angeles for recording, including a Carpenter / Bettis tune "You're Enough" and a Roger Nichols / Dean Pitchford song, "Now". Richard noticed that while Karen's interpretation of the songs was as strong as ever, he felt the timbre was weak owing to her poor health.[145] He was unimpressed with Levenkron's treatment of Karen, which he considered worthless.[146] In September, Karen called Levenkron to say her heart was "beating funny" and she felt dizzy and confused.[147] Admitting herself into hospital later that month, she was hooked up to an intravenous drip; she ended up gaining 30 pounds (14 kg) in eight weeks. On November 8, she left the hospital and despite pleas from family and friends, she announced that she was returning home to California and that she was cured.[148] Her last public appearance was on January 11, 1983, for a photo session celebrating 25 years of the Grammy Awards.[149][150]
Karen's death
On February 1, 1983, Karen and Richard met for dinner and discussed future plans for the Carpenters, including a return to touring.[151] On February 3, Karen visited her parents, and discussed finalising her divorce from Burris.[152] The following morning, her mother found her lying unresponsive on the floor of a walk-in closet, and she was rushed to hospital.[153] After Richard and his parents spent 20 minutes in a waiting room, a doctor entered and told them Karen had died.[154] The autopsy stated that her death was caused by "emetine cardiotoxicity due to or as a consequence of anorexia nervosa."[155] Under the anatomical summary, the first item was heart failure, followed by anorexia. The third finding was cachexia, which is extremely low weight and weakness and general body decline associated with chronic disease. Emetine cardiotoxicity implied that Karen abused ipecac syrup, although there was no evidence to suggest that she did as her brother and family never found ipecac vials in her apartment, even after her death.[156]
Karen's funeral was at the Downey United Methodist Church on February 8, 1983.[157] More than a thousand mourners attended, among them her friends Dorothy Hamill, Olivia Newton-John, Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick and Herb Alpert.[158][159][160][161]
On October 12, 1983, the Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a few yards from the Dolby Theatre. Richard, Harold and Agnes Carpenter attended the inauguration, as did many fans.[162] Karen's death brought media attention to anorexia nervosa and related conditions such as bulimia nervosa, which were little known about at the time.[163][164][165]
Post-Carpenters
Following Karen's death, Richard has continued to produce recordings of the duo's music, including several albums of previously unreleased material and numerous compilations. The posthumous Voice of the Heart was released in late 1983 and included some tracks left off Made in America and earlier albums.[166] It peaked at No. 46 and was certified gold.[167] Two singles were released, "Make Believe It's Your First Time", a second version of a song Karen had recorded for her solo album, and "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore".[167][168]
For the second Christmas season following Karen's death, Richard constructed a new Carpenters' Christmas album entitled An Old-Fashioned Christmas, using outtakes from Christmas Portrait and recording new material around it.[167] Richard released his first solo album, Time, in 1987, sharing vocals between himself, Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield. The track "When Time Was All He Had" was a tribute to Karen.[166] The same year, Todd Haynes released the short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, which featured Barbie dolls playing the main cast. Richard objected to music being used in the film without his consent, and served an injunction in 1990 that prevented it from being shown.[169] On January 1, 1989, the television special The Karen Carpenter Story premiered on CBS, topping the ratings for that week.[170] It included the previously unreleased "You're the One" and "Where Do I Go from Here" in its soundtrack, which were released on the album Lovelines later that year.[122]
Richard married his (adopted) first cousin, Mary Rudolph, on May 19, 1984.[171] Together, they have four daughters and one son, and live in Thousand Oaks, California, where the couple are supporters of the arts.[172] In 2004, Richard and his wife pledged a $3 million gift to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation in memory of Karen. Richard has actively supported the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at his alma mater, Long Beach State. He continues to make concert appearances, including fund raising efforts for the Carpenter Center.[173]
In 2007 and 2009, the current owners of the former Carpenter family home on Newville Avenue, Downey, obtained city permits to tear down the existing buildings to make room for newer and larger structures, despite protests from fans. In February 2008, the campaign was covered in the Los Angeles Times. At that time an adjacent house that had once served as the band's headquarters and recording studio had already been demolished and the main house was on the verge of being demolished too. The original house was featured on the cover of Now & Then and was where Karen had died. In the words of one fan, "this was our version of Graceland."[174]
Influences
Since Richard was responsible for the group's sound, he cited what he calls "The Three B's" as the main influences for the band, which consists in The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach.[175]
Musical style
Richard
Richard Carpenter was the creative force behind the Carpenters' sound. An accomplished keyboard player, composer and arranger, music critic Daniel Levitin called him "one of the most gifted arrangers to emerge in popular music."[176][177] The duo's smooth harmonies were not in step with contemporary music, which was dominated by heavy rock.[28] Instead, the Carpenters strove for a rich and melodic sound, along the same vein as the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas, but with greater fullness and orchestration including frequent use of small string and horn sections and introspective lyrics centred around relationships.[2][178] Richard also admired the musicianship and arranging skills of Frank Zappa, and the two briefly met backstage at the Billboard Forum in 1975. He has credited Judd Conlon as a key influence on his vocal arranging.[179][180]
Many of Richard's arrangements were classically influenced, featuring strings and occasional brass and woodwind, such as the Tijuana Brass-style couplets in the chorus of "Superstar", which did not appear in the original. He later said "if you don't have the right arrangement for that song, the singer's going nowhere and neither is the song".[181] As well as arranging all of the parts for musicians, he would also write notation for the drums, showing where individual components of a kit were supposed to be played. He also scored bass lines that he knew Joe Osborn would enjoy playing and fit his style. Most Carpenters albums credit Ron Gorow, who sometimes took some of Richard's arrangements worked out on piano, and wrote the actual sheet music notation onto paper.[177]
Richard frequently played the Wurlitzer electric piano, which he purchased during his Spectrum days.[182] He also played the grand piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer and the harpsichord. In the studio, he dubbed the Wurlitzer over acoustic piano parts to thicken the sound. From the mid-1970s, he also used Fender Rhodes pianos, and kept up to date with music technology.[183] While touring, he alternated between grand piano, Rhodes and Wurlitzer on stage, for different songs.[179]
Karen
Karen did not possess a powerful singing voice, but close miking brought out many nuances in her performances.[106] Richard arranged their music to take advantage of this, though Karen had a three-octave vocal range.[184][185] Richard's work with Karen was influenced by the music of Les Paul, whose overdubbing of the voice of wife and musical partner Mary Ford allowed her to be used as both the lead and harmony vocals.[6] By multi-tracking, Richard was able to use Karen and himself for the harmonies to back Karen's lead. The overdubbed background harmonies were distinctive to the Carpenters, but it was the soulful, engaging sound of Karen's lead voice that made them so recognizable.[29] Record executive Mike Curb said it was Karen's voice that took the Carpenters above straight pop music into pop rock.[186] She was known as a "one take wonder" and could deliver a strong performance on the first attempt.[187]
Karen was an accomplished drummer, which was her original musical role, but she soon began to sing for the group too. Before 1974, Karen played the drums for a number of their songs, although some had Hal Blaine playing.[51] Blaine later reported that while Karen was a capable drummer he was brought in for studio work partly because Karen was accustomed to playing loudly for live audiences and thus was unfamiliar with the more subtle playing required in recording facilities of the era.[188] She considered herself a "drummer who sang".[189] However, while Karen's vocals soon became the centerpiece of the group's performances, at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) tall, performing behind her drum kit made it difficult for audiences to see her and it was soon apparent to Richard and their manager that the audience wanted to see more of Karen. Although unwilling, she eventually agreed to sing the ballads standing up front, returning to her drums for the lesser known songs.[190]
As the group's popularity increased, demand for Karen's vocals at the expense of her drumming overshadowed her abilities and gradually, she played the drums less; for A Kind of Hush, she played no drums at the sessions at all,[191] although she continued to sporadically drum in concert. From spring 1976 onward, the tours would include a drum medley for Karen to play, and a piano solo number was included for Richard.[192] Karen made a final return to studio drumming for the track "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)" on Made in America, albeit in tandem with Nashville session drummer Larrie Londin, and she also provided percussion in tandem with Paulinho da Costa on "Those Good Old Dreams".[193] Karen used Ludwig Drums, Zildjian cymbals, a Rogers foot pedal and hi-hat stand, 11A drumsticks and Remo drumheads.[179]
Promotion and touring
Although the Carpenters' greatest success was with record sales, most of their professional career was spent on the road. Albums took between four and five months to produce; the remainder of time would be spent at live concerts and television appearances. Touring engagements would sometimes consist of six one-night concerts back-to-back, which left the duo exhausted,[194] along with television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Carol Burnett Show, The Mike Douglas Show and The Johnny Cash Show, as well as their own television specials.[195]
The Carpenters played numerous concerts from 1971 to 1975:[97]
Year | Number of concerts | Number of TV appearances |
---|---|---|
1971 | 145 concerts[97] | 10 TV appearances (as well as Make Your Own Kind of Music) |
1972 | 174 concerts[97] | 6 TV appearances |
1973 | 174 concerts[97] | 3 TV appearances |
1974 | 203 concerts[97] | 3 TV appearances |
1975 | 118 concerts + 46 postponed shows[97] | 1 TV appearance |
From the mid-1970s onwards, the Carpenters changed their stage show to allow Karen to have more presence and to interact with the audience, particularly between instrumental breaks.[196] However, extensive touring and lengthy recording sessions had begun to take their toll on the duo and contributed to their professional and personal difficulties during the latter half of the decade. Karen dieted obsessively and developed anorexia nervosa, which first manifested itself in 1975 when the duo was forced to cancel concert tours in the Philippines, UK and Japan.[197] Richard has said that he regrets the six- and seven-day work schedules of that period, adding that had he known then what he knows now, he would not have agreed to it, and was persuaded to do so by the belief that the Carpenters would not be financially stable without the touring.[198] Richard's Quaalude addiction began to affect his performance in the late 1970s and led to the end of the duo's live concert appearances in 1978.[123]
Despite numerous concert appearances, the Carpenters have never released a live album in the US. Two such albums, Live in Japan (1974) and Live at the Palladium (1976) have been released in Japan and reissued on CD there. Richard has said he is not particularly interested in live albums.[179]
Public image
The Carpenters' popularity confounded critics. With their output focused on ballads and mid-tempo pop, the duo's music was often dismissed as being bland and saccharine. The recording industry, however, bestowed awards on the duo, who won three Grammy Awards during their career (Best New Artist, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus, for "(They Long to Be) Close to You" in 1970;[199] and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for Carpenters in 1971).[75] In 1974, the Carpenters were voted Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group at the first annual American Music Awards.[200]
From the start of their career, the Carpenters were coached in interviews, and told to avoid saying anything controversial that would spoil their "clean cut" image.[201] A&M described the duo as "Real nice American kids – in 1971".[202][203] While the Carpenters were not a rock band, they were reviewed by the rock press; in 1971, Rolling Stone's Lester Bangs described them as having "the most disconcerting collective stage presence of any band I have seen". He also said that promotional photographs made them resemble "the cheery innocence of some years-past dream of California youth", and they appeared to the public to be more conservative than they actually were.[h] The White House appearances only served to reinforce this image.[109][203][204]
Though the Carpenters had mass popular appeal and were recognized as being musically talented, people felt embarrassed and stigmatised about liking their records.[205] In later interviews, Richard stressed repeatedly how much he disliked the A&M executives for making their image "squeaky-clean", and the critics for criticizing them for their image rather than their music.[206]
I got upset when this whole "squeaky clean" thing was tagged on to us. I never thought about standing for anything! They [the critics] took "Close to You" and said: "Aha, you see that number one? THAT's for the people who believe in apple pie! THAT's for people who believe in the American flag! THAT's for the average middle-American person and his station wagon! The Carpenters stand for that, and I'm taking them to my bosom!" And boom, we got tagged with that label.[206]
After "Goodbye to Love" had been released, attitudes towards the duo changed slightly. Ken Barnes, writing in Phonograph said "It's certainly less than revolutionary to admit you like the Carpenters these days – in 'rock' circles, if you recall, it formerly bordered on heresy. Everybody must be won over by now."[189] Since then, the group's "saccharine" image has softened and musicians have cited the Carpenters as a key influence.[207] In 1995, Rolling Stone's Sue Cummings wrote that the 1990s acceptance of the duo's work was "a renewed ironic appreciation", adding that listeners "had loved the veneer, then hated it, then found it even more compelling, on a second look, for the complexity in the places where the darkness cracked through".[208]
Legacy and influence
Karen Carpenter has been called one of the greatest female vocalists of all time by Rolling Stone[209] and National Public Radio.[9] Paul McCartney has said she was "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive",[9] while Herb Alpert said she was "the type of singer who would sit in your lap and sing in your ear".[210]
Shortly after Karen's death, a film archivist discovered some rare footage of an early Carpenters' television appearance. The archivist contacted Richard Carpenter and the two began viewing more footage which he had found. When the British division of A&M Records learned of the discoveries, they suggested the footage be turned into a video for home viewing. The finished piece, entitled "Yesterday Once More" is 55 minutes long and combines vintage and recent film clips. A&M Video and Richard intended "to create a video that played like an album"; all music was remixed from the masters and each selection was put into correct synchronization. The video was released in the spring of 1985.[211]
Pop singer Michael Jackson was a fan of the duo, being one of his favourite bands. He cited the group as an early influence growing up.[212]
A critical re-evaluation of the Carpenters occurred during the 1990s and 2000s with the making of several documentaries such as Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters (US), The Sayonara (Japan), and Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (UK). Despite contentions that their sound was "too soft" to fall under the definition of rock and roll, major campaigns and petitions exist toward inducting the Carpenters into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[186]
Both "We've Only Just Begun" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You" have been honored with Grammy Hall of Fame awards for recordings of lasting quality or historical significance.[213] The Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 90 million units[214] making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Japanese singer Akiko Kobayashi has been influenced by Karen Carpenter, and she asked Richard to produce her 1988 album, City of Angels.[179] In 1990, the alternative rock band Sonic Youth recorded "Tunic (Song for Karen)" in recognition of her musical talents.[215] A tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter, by contemporary artists such as Sonic Youth, Bettie Serveert, Shonen Knife, Grant Lee Buffalo, Matthew Sweet, and The Cranberries, was released in 1994 and provided an alternative rock interpretation of Carpenters hits.[216] Richard Carpenter played keyboards for the Matthew Sweet cut "Let Me Be the One".[217] Guitarist Pat Metheny covered "Rainy Days and Mondays" for his album of cover versions of popular songs called "What's All About", as a tribute to the band.[218] Modern entertainers such as Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera have listed Karen Carpenter as an influence on their careers.[185][219]
Logo
In 1971, the A&M graphics department hired Craig Braun and Associates to design the album cover for their third album.[179] "I recognized it to be a great logo as soon as I saw it", says Richard.[179] The logo was used on every Carpenters album thereafter; Richard said it was done "to keep things consistent".[179] The logo did not appear on the front cover of Passage but a small version appeared on the back cover.[179]
Discography
The Carpenters released ten albums during their active career, of which five contained two or more top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then, and Horizon). Ten singles were certified gold by the RIAA, and twenty-two peaked in the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
- Ticket to Ride (1969)
- Close to You (1970)
- Carpenters (1971)
- A Song for You (1972)
- Now & Then (1973)
- Horizon (1975)
- A Kind of Hush (1976)
- Passage (1977)
- Christmas Portrait (1978)
- Made in America (1981)
Posthumous releases
- Voice of the Heart (1983)
- An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984)
- Lovelines (1989)
- As Time Goes By (2001)
References
Notes
- ^ Even though they are often referred to as The Carpenters, the duo's official name for authorized recordings and press material is simply "Carpenters".[3]
- ^ In 1991, some 25 years later, a couple of these recordings were released as part of a "From The Top" boxed set of Carpenters material.[25]
- ^ Later Carpenters' compilations feature Richard's remixes of these songs, which include Osborn playing the bass.[45]
- ^ Bacharach invited the duo to open for him again at the Westbury Music Fair in 1970 as "Close to You" was beginning its climb on the music charts.[49]
- ^ By 1972, both Richard and Karen were millionaires. Their assets included two apartment complexes in Downey and two shopping centers.[62]
- ^ In an attempt to compensate UK record dealers for possible overstocking in anticipation of the now cancelled tour, A&M Records issued a single of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Merry Christmas Darling" for sale in the UK.[111]
- ^ In 1978, Karen was asked to sing on Gene Simmons' first solo album. She turned Simmons down; Helen Reddy and Donna Summer performed instead.[129]
- ^ Both Richard and Karen privately believed marijuana should be legal.[109]
Citations
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ignored (|url-status=
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- ^ Markel, Michelle (February 9, 1983). "1,000 Attend Rites for Karen Carpenter". Los Angeles Times. p. 5. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Schmidt 2012, p. 245. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFSchmidt2012 (help)
- ^ Coleman 1994, p. 323. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFColeman1994 (help)
- ^ Costin 2007, p. 2.
- ^ Zerbe 1995, pp. 249–250.
- ^ Latson, Jennifer (February 4, 2015). "How Karen Carpenter's Death Changed the Way We Talk About Anorexia". Time. Time-Life. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
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- ^ a b c Schmidt 2010, p. 309. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFSchmidt2010 (help)
- ^ "Make Believe It's Your First Time". Richard and Karen Carpenter (official website). Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
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- ^ Hoerburger, Rob. "Karen Carpenter's Second Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
[I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.
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- ^ "Fans love Carpenters but not carpenters". Los Angeles Times. February 16, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Una de las voces más inusuales de a música popular". www.revistatodoenbondi.com. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Levitin 1995, p. 199.
- ^ a b Levitin, Daniel (May 1995). "Arranging Master Class: Richard Carpenter". Electronic Musician. Archived from the original on August 27, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i Carpenter, Richard. "Fans Ask Archive". Richard and Karen Carpenter (official website). Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
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- ^ a b "What Do You Know About…Karen Carpenter?". Modern Drummer. December 2013. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
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- ^ Made In America (Media notes). A&M Records. 1981. SP-3723.
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- ^ a b Lott 2008, pp. 220–221.
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- ^ "The Carpenters Bio". Rolling Stone. 2001. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
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- ^ Hudak, Joseph. "Karen Carpenter – 100 Greatest Singers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
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Sources
- Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. Harpercollins. ISBN 978-0-06-018345-5.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Costin, Carolyn (2007). The Eating Disorder Sourcebook. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-0718-1999-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Levitin, Daniel (1995). "Arranging Master Class: Richard Carpenter". Electronic Musician. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Lott, Eric (2008). "Perfect is Dead:Karen Carpenter, Theodor Adorno, and the Radio; or, If Hooks Could Kill". 50 (2). Criticism – via Project MUSE.
{{cite journal}}
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(help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|subscription=
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(help) - Schmidt, Randy (2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life Of Karen Carpenter. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-556-52976-4.
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: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Schmidt, Randy, ed. (2012) [2002]. Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader. Chicago Review Press. pp. 47–49. ISBN 978-1-613-74417-8.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Simpson, Kim (2011). Early 70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-44112-9-680.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Stanton, Scott (2003). The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-743-46330-0.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-8460-9091-2.
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(help) - Terrace, Vincent (2013). Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936–2012 (2nd ed.). McFarland. ISBN 978-1-476-61240-9.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Tobler, John (1998). The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-711-96312-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Zerbe, Kathryn J. (1995). The Body Betrayed: A Deeper Understanding of Women, Eating Disorders, and Treatment. Gürze Books, LLC. ISBN 0-936077-23-9.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)
External links
- Richard and Karen Carpenter: Carpenters – Official site
- Carpenters The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center – Exhibit page official website
- Carpenters discography at Discogs
- The Carpenters at IMDB
- Carpenters discography, biography, song versions, appearances
- Society Music Theory – A musicologist's discourse on the song "Superstar"
- Chris Walter – Pictures of Carpenters in an official archive
- Carpenters Complete Recording Resource – discography and remix version resource
Warning: Default sort key "Carpenters" overrides earlier default sort key "Carpenter, Richard".