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- Oct 20, 2013
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When Karen Carpenter was alive, Paul McCartney, then at the height of his fame, referring to her, said that she has “the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive.” That was a massive compliment back in the day, but it remains solid to this day, by music critics and other professional singer-musicians, of which I am one. John Lennon also praised her as having a beautiful voice.
Here we are in that time of the year again, and supermarkets and department stores play Christmas songs through their PA speakers, giving us that Christmas feeling while we shop. And whose songs do we hear all over America, every year in the stores ? Karen Carpenter. I have lived in 4 states of the US in my life, and I sometimes visit friends there (New York, Tennessee, California). In all of these, plus my home state of Florida, it is a longtime ritual for Karen Carpenter songs to be heard along with our Christmas shopping - and this has been going on for 50 years.
Looks like Paul McCartney has plenty of company for his music appreciation. Notably, Karen sang in a contralto range (ie. The lowest female voice or voice part, higher than tenor and lower than soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to a similar musical pitch, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor.
Quite remarkable Karen was one of the very few singers ever, who sang across 3 different octaves, and she did it consistently and effortlessly. As you walk around in the stores this Christmas season, undoubtably you'll hear that wide ranging contralto voice, and if you have an ear for music, you can feel fortunate to have such a marvelous voice there while you shop.
Karen Carpenter with Olivia Newton John in 1981.
Here we are in that time of the year again, and supermarkets and department stores play Christmas songs through their PA speakers, giving us that Christmas feeling while we shop. And whose songs do we hear all over America, every year in the stores ? Karen Carpenter. I have lived in 4 states of the US in my life, and I sometimes visit friends there (New York, Tennessee, California). In all of these, plus my home state of Florida, it is a longtime ritual for Karen Carpenter songs to be heard along with our Christmas shopping - and this has been going on for 50 years.
Looks like Paul McCartney has plenty of company for his music appreciation. Notably, Karen sang in a contralto range (ie. The lowest female voice or voice part, higher than tenor and lower than soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to a similar musical pitch, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor.
Quite remarkable Karen was one of the very few singers ever, who sang across 3 different octaves, and she did it consistently and effortlessly. As you walk around in the stores this Christmas season, undoubtably you'll hear that wide ranging contralto voice, and if you have an ear for music, you can feel fortunate to have such a marvelous voice there while you shop.
Karen Carpenter with Olivia Newton John in 1981.
