Richard and Karen Carpenter on the Top of the World

Photographer Neal Brisker captured Richard and Karen Carpenter on film for use on their album, The Singles 1969-1973. But his most famous photo of the duo is not the one you see above. It's the one you see below as the interior gatefold photo for this global multiplatinum best seller: 

Top of the World, Yesterday Once More, We've Only Just Begun, Close to You, and Superstar - made even more famous by Chris Farley and David Spade in the movie Tommy Boy- and seven other monster hits. 

After this collection, there would be many more hits, successful concert tours, and television shows, but no album would eclipse the sheer artistry and impact of the original disc.

It seems the whole world knows Karen Carpenter died of anorexia in 1983, but the legacy she and Richard left behind outshines the sad image. She would have turned 72 today. Just imagine what could have been... 

Happy Birthday Karen- and thank you, Richard, for keeping her memory and the duo's legacy alive.

(Photographs copyright Neal Brisker. And thank you "Karen and Richard Carpenter Fans" Facebook page for the top photo.)