Pick your most favorite songs of the Carpenters

[Vash01]

Last night on PBS they showed many of the Carpenters songs, interviews with Richard Carpenter and others. I used to love their songs (still do). It was a very good program, and I almost wanted to order all 4 CDs they were offering with a donation. I am already a monthly contributor, so it would mean increasing my donation. I may just buy a CD from Amazon.

One website has listed top 10 Carpenters songs. Here is a poll using those. I know there are many more.

Unfortunately a poll allows just 10 options, so I could not add 'Other', but you can list those.

Pick your most favorite Carpenters songs. No minimum or maximum

 

[personwhoishere]

I LOVE the Carpenters, and so does my mother. We sing their songs together all the time. I don't know that I could pick a favorite.

 

[Skate Talker]

Some beautiful songs there. I am actually haunted by one that is not on the list (I don't think), that I don't know the name of. I saw Katarina Witt once skate to it, I think exhibition when she was pro. The song was very melancholy, something about pretending it was her first time. Can anybody help out?

 

[Vash01]

I LOVE the Carpenters, and so does my mother. We sing their songs together all the time. I don't know that I could pick a favorite.

You can pick as many as you want (all 10 of those listed, and more, if you wish)

 

[Vash01]

Last night in that TV show, I heard the song 'Masquerade' for the first time and I really liked it.

From the 10 listed here, my most favorite songs are (not in order):

Superstar
Top of the world
We've only just begun
Rainy days and Mondays

 

[personwhoishere]

Some beautiful songs there. I am actually haunted by one that is not on the list (I don't think), that I don't know the name of. I saw Katarina Witt once skate to it, I think exhibition when she was pro. The song was very melancholy, something about pretending it was her first time. Can anybody help out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRRYigp9TmA "Make Believe it's your First Time"

I'm actually not super familiar with this song but I just looked up "Carpenters Katarina Witt" on YouTube and it was one of the first options that came up. The power of the Internet!

 

[Cachoo]

For All We Know https://youtu.be/O3doTyoI80E
Bless the Beasts and the Children https://youtu.be/LTZ5VpfzoW0
I Need to Be In Love https://youtu.be/mTVpNXG7iBk
The Rainbow Connection https://youtu.be/PYuE2roIkH0
Ave Maria https://youtu.be/sKG1HCoQ1LY
Someone did a sweet presentation showing "beasts" and children on youtube so I posted that.

Even all of these years later, with so many great singers in the world, Karen Carpenter
still tops my list of favorite female voices.

 

[paskatefan]

From this list - Top of the World, For All We Know, & Goodbye to Love

Not on this list, but probably my most favorite - It's Going to take Some Time This Time (written by Carole King ) Another one I really like is "Bless the Beasts & the Children"

 

[Susan1]

Watched that too! I had seen it before, but DVR'd it again (FFing through all the pledge breaks).

Can I pick "all"?

However, here are two songs from albums that I always played over and over. (Anybody else remember picking up the needle and putting it back at the beginning of a song? Geez, I'm old!) They didn't become hits, but her voice is so haunting, they still give me chills.

Road Ode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUZi0ZxWk6Y
Crescent Noon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYNckacP6E

 

[skatesindreams]

"For All We Know".

Anybody else remember picking up the needle and putting it back at the beginning of a song?

Many times!

 

[nubka]

Close to You. I remember that was the first 45 I ever bought...

 

[PeterG]

I swore I either did a thread on this topic...or prepared to do so before... But I couldn't find anything. Maybe because trying to whittle down all the good Carpenters song into one poll is simply impossible. Anyway, this topic was on my mind when I read the book "Little Girl Blue" by Randy L. Schmidt a few years back. It's a great book and I definitely recommend it, but at the same time it is just crushing.

I started making a list of my favourite Carpenters songs and it was becoming too big, so I deleted all the songs that had already been mentioned. Below are only my favourite (non-mentioned) singles of their's (with the exception of the first one, which SHOULD have been a single). Who knows how long my list would be if I looked into their album tracks!

1. You’re The One
2. Hurting Each Other
3. Sing
4. Touch Me When We’re Dancing
5. Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore
6. Those Good Old Dreams
7. All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
8. I Believe You

I do have to single out Merry Christmas Darling as a favourite even though it's been mentioned. It's too gorgeous not to provide a link to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn1uK4SwB9Q

 

[liv]

For me it's Solitaire...

 

[Reuven]

Loved Karen's rich, warm voice. And she was a drummer! Look her up on YouTube.

 

[tracylynn]

I love The Carpenters and it's hard to choose a favorite, but if I had to pick just one then it would be Superstar. I just think Karen sings that song so well. For me, you can hear and feel all the emotions in her voice. It gets me every time.

 

[Cachoo]

The votes are spread out over every song listed; truly quality with quantity. That doesn't happen a lot.

 

[AragornElessar]

Last night on PBS they showed many of the Carpenters songs, interviews with Richard Carpenter and others. I used to love their songs (still do). It was a very good program, and I almost wanted to order all 4 CDs they were offering with a donation. I am already a monthly contributor, so it would mean increasing my donation. I may just buy a CD from Amazon.

One website has listed top 10 Carpenters songs. Here is a poll using those. I know there are many more.

Unfortunately a poll allows just 10 options, so I could not add 'Other', but you can list those.

Pick your most favorite Carpenters songs. No minimum or maximum

1st ~ So glad you said more than one later on, as I gladly join the group of IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!

2nd ~ Mom & I came into that special at the start of the last bit of it & wish we'd seen the entire thing. Will have to keep an eye out for a repeat of it.

For All We Know https://youtu.be/O3doTyoI80E
Bless the Beasts and the Children https://youtu.be/LTZ5VpfzoW0
I Need to Be In Love https://youtu.be/mTVpNXG7iBk
The Rainbow Connection https://youtu.be/PYuE2roIkH0
Ave Maria https://youtu.be/sKG1HCoQ1LY
Someone did a sweet presentation showing "beasts" and children on youtube so I posted that.

Even all of these years later, with so many great singers in the world, Karen Carpenter
still tops my list of favorite female voices.

I never knew they'd done The Rainbow Connection. Will have to check that out later, as that's one of my very favourite songs period. I think between iTunes & Spotify, I've got about ten different versions of it. Thank you so much for sharing that link w/us.

Watched that too! I had seen it before, but DVR'd it again (FFing through all the pledge breaks).

Can I pick "all"?

However, here are two songs from albums that I always played over and over. (Anybody else remember picking up the needle and putting it back at the beginning of a song? Geez, I'm old!) They didn't become hits, but her voice is so haunting, they still give me chills.

Road Ode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUZi0ZxWk6Y
Crescent Noon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYNckacP6E

I do & I'm really sorry for making it worse, but...One of my earlieest memories is of me either four or five years old & playing our 45 copy of Close To You over & over again.

And Musicwise, it's Christmas when I hear that beautiful & much missed voice of Karen's sing the intro to Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. When Global had the rights to The Santa Claus Parade, they always played Karen singing that for the closing credits & became the first Christmas song heard for the year. It always triggers special memories whenever I hear it.

 

[PeterG]

The votes are spread out over every song listed; truly quality with quantity. That doesn't happen a lot.

Or maybe there are others like me who voted for every single poll option.

 

[Seerek]

I remember the PBS special when it originally aired in 1997 (it got me to buy my first ever DVD player).

Having perhaps "been there/done that" with all the hit singles at this point, there are two "eras" in particular that I've got more into recently...


- The "Offering/Ticket to Ride" album from 1969 which predates "Close to You".

"Someday", "Eve" and "All of My Life" show a 19 year old Karen still trying to find her contralto range, plus the Baroque-esque backing harmonies give the texture almost an art-song feel.

- The 1977-1981 period, songs from "Passage" and "Lovelines"

While these are not the definitive versions, I'm pleased that Karen got a chance to record songs like, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Ave Maria", "When I Fall in Love" and the Duet with Ella Fitzgerald


While they weren't considered "cool" at all with the generation in their heyday, it's reassuring to learn the breadth of Karen/Richard's influence in so many genres, whether it be opera (Deborah Voigt), Broadway (Audra McDonald), alternative rock (the late Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots), Eastern/Electronic (India's A.R. Rahman), and even today's top 40 (Harry Styles from One Direction). Even with essentially no radio play or visibility in today's pop culture, Karen has still found a way to make an imprint with younger generations 33 years after her passing.

 

[twinsmom]

Watched that too! I had seen it before, but DVR'd it again (FFing through all the pledge breaks).

Can I pick "all"?

However, here are two songs from albums that I always played over and over. (Anybody else remember picking up the needle and putting it back at the beginning of a song? Geez, I'm old!) They didn't become hits, but her voice is so haunting, they still give me chills.

Road Ode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUZi0ZxWk6Y
Crescent Noon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYNckacP6E

I watched this back in December (I think) and was consumed with nostalgia. I loved the Carpenters! I think Karen's voice was the one I always tried to emulate when I was singing - it was THE voice for me. Susan1, Crescent Noon is one of my absolute favorites. It's amazing how I haven't heard some of these songs for years (Road Ode), but I can still remember most of the words. Thanks for the trip down memory lane

 

[Vash01]

I am surprised that so many thought they had to pick just one favorite song. I said in the OP that you can pick as many as you want.

 

[PeterG]

I am surprised that so many thought they had to pick just one favorite song. I said in the OP that you can pick as many as you want.

But one can't pick all of them. That would just be gluttonous!! (I said I picked all ten already, right?)

 

[Susan1]

Or maybe there are others like me who voted for every single poll option.

Yeah, that's why I didn't vote. They would all cancel each other out in the final count.