Post by Alex61 on Sept 25, 2019 16:58:50 GMT
Karen Anne Carpenter
Vocal Range: B2 – B♭5
Significant High Notes:
B♭5 ("B'wana She No Home")
G♯5 ("Angel in the Christmas Play" live The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait)
G5 ("All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Don't Try to Win Me Back Again", "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night")
F♯5 ("Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", "Love Makin' Love to You")
F5 ("Bacharach/David Medley", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Sing", "Strength of a Woman")
E5 ("Beechwood 4-5789", "Don't Try to Win Me Back Again", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Lovelines", "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", "Still Crazy After All These Years", "Still in Love with You")
E♭5 ("Angel in the Christmas Play" live The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)", "I Got Rhythm Medley", "Johnny Angel", "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song" live The Carol Burnett Show, "Somebody's Been Lyin'", "Strength of a Woman")
D5 ("All I Can Do" The Spectrum demo version, "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Angel in the Christmas Play" live The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, "Another Song", "Beechwood 4-5789", "Christmas Alphabet", "Cinderella Rockafella" live Australia 1972, "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "If I Had You", "Invocation", "Keep My Lovelight Burning", "Lovelines", "Please Mr. Postman", "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night", "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "Two Sides")
C♯5 ("Daddy's Home" live Thank You, Rock 'n' Roll, "Dead Man's Curve", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "It's Really You, It's Really Me", "Last One Singin' the Blues", "Little Honda" live Live in Japan, "Midnight (Never Lets You Down)", "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "The Parting of Our Ways", "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", "Something's Missing in My Life", "Still Crazy After All These Years")
C5 ("Ave Maria", "Bacharach/David Medley", "Beechwood 4-5789", "Boat to Sail", "Cinderella Rockafella" live Australia 1972, "Crescent Noon", "Desperado", "Don't Try to Win Me Back Again", "Druscilla Penny", "Heartache Tonight" live Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights, "Help", "If I Had You", "Intermission", "Invocation", "Jimmy Mack", "Johnny Angel", "Keep My Lovelight Burning", "KFRC Radio Jingle", "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night", "Lovelines", "Make It Easy on Yourself", "Maybe It's You", "Medley" live The Tonight Show, "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" An Old-Fashioned Christmas version, "Truly You", "Two Lives", "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", "Without a Song", "When You've Got What It Takes", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore")
B4 ("All I Can Do", "At the End of a Song", "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", "B'wana She No Home", "Benediction", "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", "Dancing in the Street", "Druscilla Penny", "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "I Kept On Loving You", "I Need to Be in Love", "If We Try", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "Karen/Ella Medley", "Last One Singin' the Blues", "Love Makin' Love to You", "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "Making Love in the Afternoon", "Man Smart, Woman Smarter", "Merry Christmas Darling", "Morton's Potato Chips Commercial", "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "Now", "One Fine Day", "Only Yesterday", "Our Day Will Come", "Road Ode", "Runaway" live Live in Japan, "Sailing on the Tide", "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", "Somebody's Been Lyin'", "Something's Missing in My Life", "Still in Love with You", "Sweet, Sweet Smile", "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "The Uninvited Guest", "What's the Use", "When You've Got What It Takes", "Your Wonderful Parade", "You're Enough", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore")
B♭4 ("All Because of You", "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Another Song", "Ave Maria", "Baby It's You", "Bacharach/David Medley", "Boat to Sail", "Desperado", "The First Snowfall/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Goofus", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "I Could Have Danced All Night" live The Carpenters...Space Encounters, "I Do It for Your Love", "I Fell in Love with You" live BBC 1970, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Invocation", "It's Really You, It's Really Me", "Keep My Lovelight Burning", "Look to Your Dreams", "Love Is Surrender", "Make It Easy on Yourself", "Midnight (Never Lets You Down)", "Now", "Only Yesterday", "Prime Time Love", "The Rainbow Connection", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night", "Slow Dance", "Something's Missing in My Life", "Strength of a Woman", "Suntory Pop Jingle 1", "Suntory Pop Jingle 2", "Superstar", "Thank You for the Music" live The Tonight Show, "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Those Good Old Dreams", "Top of the World", "Two Lives", "The Uninvited Guest", "What's the Use", "Without a Song", "Your Wonderful Parade")
A4 ("All I Can Do", "All of My Life", "Another Song", "At the End of a Song", "Baby It's You", "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", "Benediction", "Book of Love" live Live in Japan, "Breaking Up is Hard to Do", "California Dreamin'", "Can't Smile Without You", "Christ is Born", "Christmas Alphabet", "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)", "Cinderella Rockafella" live Australia 1972, "Crescent Noon", "Don't Be Afraid", "For All We Know", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Good Day Sunshine", "Good Friends Are for Keeps", "Goodbye to Love", "Happy", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Heartache Tonight" live Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights, "Help", "Honolulu City Lights", "Hurting Each Other", "I Believe You", "I Can't Make Music", "I Got Rhythm Medley", "I Just Fall in Love Again", "I Need to Be in Love", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You", "It's Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children", "Jingle Bells", "Karen/Ella Medley", "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night", "Little Altar Boy", "Little Honda" live Live in Japan, "Love Makin' Love to You", "Lovelines", "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "Make Your Own Kind of Music", "Making Love in the Afternoon", "Merry Christmas Darling", "Morton's Potato Chips Commercial", "Mr. Guder", "A New World Coming", "On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "One Love", "The Parting of Our Ways", "Piano Picker", "Please Mr. Postman", "Road Ode", "Sailing on the Tide", "Sandy", "Shuboom" live Live in Japan, "Sleigh Ride", "Solitaire", "Sometimes", "A Song for You", "Still Crazy After All These Years", "Sweet, Sweet Smile", "There's a Kind of Hush", "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Truly You", "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", "Two Sides", "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", "We've Only Just Begun", "When You've Got What It Takes", "Wishin' and Hopin'", "Without a Song", "You", "You'll Love Me", "You're Enough", "You're Just in Love", "You're the One", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore")
G♯4 ("Ave Maria", "Bless the Beasts and Children", "Breaking Up is Hard to Do", "Carpenters/Como Medley", "Christ is Born", "Christmas Waltz", "Crystal Lullaby", "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)", "Dead Man's Curve", "Desperado", "The End of the World", "Eve", "The First Snowfall/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "He Came Here for Me", "A House Is Not a Home", "Hurting Each Other", "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "I Got Rhythm Medley", "I Have You", "I Kept On Loving You", "I'll Be Home For Christmas", "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You", "If I Had You", "It's Going to Take Some Time", "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song" live The Carol Burnett Show, "Last One Singin' the Blues", "Leader of the Pack" live Live in Japan, "Let Me Be the One", "Little Girl Blue", "Look to Your Dreams", "Love Is Surrender", "Love Me for What I Am", "Midnight (Never Lets You Down)", "Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial", "One Fine Day", "One More Time", "Only Yesterday", "Prime Time Love", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Saturday", "Silent Night", "Silly Love Songs" live ABC's Silver Anniversary Celebration, "Sing", "Sleigh Ride", "Solitaire", "Someday", "Strike Up the Band" live MGM Grand 1978, "Suntory Pop Jingle 2", "Superstar", "Thank You for the Music" live The Tonight Show, "This Masquerade", "Those Good Old Dreams", "Ticket to Ride", "Turn Away", "Where Do I Go From Here?", "Yesterday Once More")
Significant Low Notes:
G♯3 ("All I Can Do", "B'wana She No Home", "Bless the Beasts and Children", "Christ is Born", "The End of the World" live Osaka 1976, "Goodnight", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "I Have You", "I'll Be Home For Christmas", "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You", "Look to Your Dreams", "Love Me for What I Am", "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "One More Time", "Prime Time Love", "Silent Night", "Silly Love Songs" live ABC's Silver Anniversary Celebration, "Superstar", "Thank You for the Music" live The Tonight Show, "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays", "The Uninvited Guest", "What's the Use", "Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas", "Yesterday Once More", "You're Enough")
G3 ("Adeste Fideles" live The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, "And When He Smiles", "Another Song", "At the End of a Song", "Aurora", "Baby It's You", "Bacharach/David Medley", "Can't Smile Without You", "Carpenters/Como Medley", "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)", "Crystal Lullaby", "Don't Be Afraid", "Don't Try to Win Me Back Again", "Eventide", "For All We Know", "From This Moment On" live Live at the Palladium, "Goodbye to Love", "Goofus", "Honolulu City Lights", "I Believe You", "I Can't Make Music", "I Just Fall in Love Again", "I'll Be Yours", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Intermission", "Invocation", "It's Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children", "It's Going to Take Some Time", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "Jingle Bells", "Karen/Ella Medley", "Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night", "Leave Yesterday Behind", "Let Me Be the One", "Looking for Love", "Make It Easy on Yourself", "Making Love in the Afternoon", "Man Smart, Woman Smarter", "Maybe It's You", "Merry Christmas Darling", "Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial", "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", "Ordinary Fool", "Our Day Will Come", "(A Place To) Hideaway", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Reason to Believe", "Sandy", "Sing", "Slow Dance", "Something's Missing in My Life", "Sometimes", "Sweet, Sweet Smile", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "This Masquerade", "Ticket to Ride", "Top of the World", "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "Trains and Boats and Planes", "Truly You", "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", "Two Lives", "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)", "Where Do I Go From Here?", "Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas", "Wishin' and Hopin'", "Without a Song", "You'll Love Me", "You're the One", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore")
F♯3 ("And When He Smiles", "B'wana She No Home", "Breaking Up is Hard to Do", "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)", "Crescent Noon", "Daddy's Home" live Thank You, Rock 'n' Roll, "The End of the World", "The First Snowfall/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Guess I Just Lost My Head", "A House Is Not a Home", "Hurting Each Other", "I Do It for Your Love", "I Have You", "I Need to Be in Love", "I'll Be Home For Christmas", "If We Try", "It's Really You, It's Really Me", "Little Altar Boy", "Little Girl Blue", "Love Makin' Love to You", "Lovelines", "Merry Christmas Darling", "Now", "Nowhere Man", "One Love", "The Parting of Our Ways", "Please Mr. Postman", "Prime Time Love", "The Rainbow Connection", "Sailing on the Tide", "Sleigh Ride", "Still in Love with You", "Solitaire", "Somebody's Been Lyin'", "Someday", "Still Crazy After All These Years", "There's a Kind of Hush", "Two Sides", "We've Only Just Begun", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", "You", "You're Enough")
F3 ("All Because of You", "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Another Song", "Aurora", "Ave Maria", "Baby It's You", "Bacharach/David Medley", "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", "Big Brothers, Kid Sisters", "Bless the Beasts and Children", "Boat to Sail", "Christmas Alphabet", "Christmas Waltz", "Desperado", "Do You Hear What I Hear?", "Eve", "Eventide", "Good Day Sunshine", "Goodbye to Love", "Goofus", "He Came Here for Me", "Honolulu City Lights", "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", "I Just Fall in Love Again", "I Have You", "I Wanna Be Free", "If I Had You", "It's Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children", "Johnny Angel", "Karen/Ella Medley", "Keep My Lovelight Burning", "Leader of the Pack" live Live in Japan, "Let Me Be the One", "Look to Your Dreams", "Love Me for What I Am", "Make It Easy on Yourself", "Maybe It's You", "Midnight (Never Lets You Down)", "Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial", "One More Time", "Only Yesterday", "Ordinary Fool", "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night", "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" An Old-Fashioned Christmas version, "Sing", "Slow Dance", "Someday", "Something's Missing in My Life", "Sometimes", "A Song for You", "Strength of a Woman", "Strike Up the Band" live MGM Grand 1978, "Superstar", "Thank You for the Music" live The Tonight Show, "This Masquerade", "Those Good Old Dreams", "Ticket to Ride", "Top of the World", "The Uninvited Guest", "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", "When You've Got What It Takes", "You're Just in Love")
E3 ("At the End of a Song", "Can't Smile Without You", "Carpenters/Como Medley", "Crescent Noon", "The End of the World", "The First Snowfall/Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "From This Moment On" live Live at the Palladium, "Good Friends Are for Keeps", "Happy", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "I Can't Make Music", "I Do It for Your Love", "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", "I Need to Be in Love", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You", "If We Try", "Last One Singin' the Blues", "Little Altar Boy", "Little Girl Blue", "Looking for Love", "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "Nowhere Man", "On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Road Ode", "Sailing on the Tide", "Sandy", "Silent Night", "Solitaire", "Somebody's Been Lyin'", "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "We've Only Just Begun", "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", "When I Fall in Love", "Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas", "Yesterday Once More", "You", "You're Enough", "You're the One", "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore")
E♭3 ("Ave Maria", "B'wana She No Home", "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", "Christmas Waltz", "Desperado", "A House Is Not a Home", "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "I Can't Make Music", "It's Really You, It's Really Me", "Johnny Angel", "Look to Your Dreams", "Lovelines", "Midnight (Never Lets You Down)", "Only Yesterday", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Solitaire", "Strength of a Woman", "Those Good Old Dreams", "You're Just in Love")
D3 ("Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", "If I Had You", "Make Believe It's Your First Time", "A Song for You", "Where Do I Go From Here?")
B2 ("Singing 'Top of the World' Drumfill" live Famous Lost Words)
..................................................................
• Bold marks notes or passages that are particularly outstanding (relative to the singer).
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
One half of brother/sister duo the Carpenters, Karen Carpenter was one of America's best-loved singers throughout the '70s for bringing low-voiced singers into the mainstream. Her role in the duo was both as a singer and a drummer; though initially just the percussionist, Karen was eventually coaxed into the limelight as the lead singer of the group, with audiences worldwide loving her distinctive, velvety voice on ballads like "(They Long to Be) Close to You".
Karen's vocal approach was a smooth, soft one; producers discovered early on that close micing brought out the nuances in her voice in studio performances. Though she didn't consider herself a singer primarily, Karen's voice was one of beauty, with emphasis on her tone, phrasing and technique over her range. While her upper register was angelic, Karen focused by-and-large in her silky lower register, once famously stating "the money's in the basement" in regards to her vocal approach. Karen's voice was comfortable seemingly right down to her lowest note, and she was even capable of sustaining notes as low as E3 for ten seconds. Though sadly remembered now for the tragic circumstances of her death over her talent, Karen Carpenter still stands today as having one of the most exquisite voices - some would argue the most exquisite - ever in popular music.
{A Few Examples of Her Voice}
Soft singing throughout here, but also a lovely showcase of Karen's comfortable lower register and her gorgeous upper one.
Possibly the best song to display her lower register.
A song to showcase her seemless harmonising and her head voice.
Soft singing throughout here, but also a lovely showcase of Karen's comfortable lower register and her gorgeous upper one.
Possibly the best song to display her lower register.
A song to showcase her seemless harmonising and her head voice.
{Questionable Notes}
E♭6 ("B'wana She No Home"[1])
B5 ("Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"[1])
F5 ("Only Yesterday" live Osaka 1976[2])
B♭2 ("If I Had You"[1])
...................................................................
1. Questionable identity/legitimacy.
2. Questionable exclamations.
...................................................................
Questionable notes are any notes of questionable significance. In short, this spoiler acknowledges notes that I am aware exist, but do not want to contribute to the singer's range. These involve (but are not limited to) notes of questionable identity, notes of questionable legitimacy and notes of significantly poor quality.
E♭6 ("B'wana She No Home"[1])
B5 ("Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"[1])
F5 ("Only Yesterday" live Osaka 1976[2])
B♭2 ("If I Had You"[1])
...................................................................
1. Questionable identity/legitimacy.
2. Questionable exclamations.
...................................................................
Questionable notes are any notes of questionable significance. In short, this spoiler acknowledges notes that I am aware exist, but do not want to contribute to the singer's range. These involve (but are not limited to) notes of questionable identity, notes of questionable legitimacy and notes of significantly poor quality.
{Notewatching Credit & Other Info}
Alex61
Solo:
Karen Carpenter (1996): D3 – G5
Carpenters:
Offering/Ticket to Ride (1969): F3 – D5
Close to You (1970): E3 – F5
Carpenters (1971): E♭3 – F5
Now & Then (1973): E♭3 – F5
A Kind of Hush (1976): E3 – C5
Passage (1977): E♭3 – B♭5
Voice of the Heart (1983): D3 – C5
An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984): E3 – C5
As Time Goes By (2001/2004): E3 – E♭5
galaxyseal
Carpenters:
A Song for You (1972): D3 – D5
Horizon (1975): E♭3 – D5
Christmas Portrait (1978): E♭3 – E5
Made in America (1981): D3 – F5
Lovelines (1989): D3 – G5
Numerous performances notewatched by 'S. Notewatching of other performances not listed above done by Alex61. Many thanks to 'S for miscellaneous things!
Alex61
Solo:
Karen Carpenter (1996): D3 – G5
Carpenters:
Offering/Ticket to Ride (1969): F3 – D5
Close to You (1970): E3 – F5
Carpenters (1971): E♭3 – F5
Now & Then (1973): E♭3 – F5
A Kind of Hush (1976): E3 – C5
Passage (1977): E♭3 – B♭5
Voice of the Heart (1983): D3 – C5
An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984): E3 – C5
As Time Goes By (2001/2004): E3 – E♭5
galaxyseal
Carpenters:
A Song for You (1972): D3 – D5
Horizon (1975): E♭3 – D5
Christmas Portrait (1978): E♭3 – E5
Made in America (1981): D3 – F5
Lovelines (1989): D3 – G5
Numerous performances notewatched by 'S. Notewatching of other performances not listed above done by Alex61. Many thanks to 'S for miscellaneous things!
