A very rare photo of Karen Carpenter. From the 1981 photo sessions for her last album while she was alive, Made in America. She and brother Richard made some amazing albums, and they play a large part of the soundtrack of my years growing up in Southern California.
I long wanted to be a Disney Imagineer, designing all those world famous attractions for Disneyland. And it was the music of Carpenters more than any other artist that kept me glued to Top 40 radio like L.A.'s famous KHJ.
The duo's popularity waned in the late 70s, and mine took a brief dip as I got busy becoming an adult. But I never forgot Karen's incredible voice and listened to the duo almost daily.
Driving along Pacific Coast Highway or on the way to Disneyland, hits by she and Richard proudly came out of my speakers along with Earth, Wind & Fire, old Motown, and much, much more. Check out the series below, and you'll understand why.
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Below is a continuing series on the albums of Karen and Richard Carpenter. There are so many stand alone posts highlighting different aspects of their career, recordings, rare photographs, and life that I've lost count.
Below is the list of my "Revisited /Fresh Look" reviews, and then a List of reviews done a decade earlier. Each with different and rare photos, album charts, and a perspective on their lives and their career.
My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:
My Initial Reviews of the albums:
LOVE your reviews and candor on the Carpenters output! Waiting to read the fresh reviews coming up, especially the KC solo album! JA
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think you'll enjoy the Revisited / Fresh Look at Christmas Portrait in early December. And I'm pretty sure you'll find the review of Karen's solo album interesting, to say the least. :)
ReplyDeleteI really hope you pulled out all the "stops" and really say what you feel and what your hear about the KC album....and what you think about the outtakes. I will say more when the Fresh look is published in February! JA
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