It's 1 of the GREATEST Vocal Performances EVER RECORDED & The SINGER DESPISED IT!--Professor of Rock

Today, we’re covering a truly special group, the Carpenters. This brother-sister pair ruled the 70s and early 80s with 10 Top 5 hits, 18 that made the Top 20, and 15 more that went to #1 on the AC Charts. And we’re going to cover as many as we can, tracing the evolution of their career. We’ve got some amazing behind-the-scenes song stories to go with this one. How about the song that Richard Carpenter saw performed on late-night TV, but had no idea what it was called? But he knew they had to record a cover version because they could do it better. Or the track that one Richard was so sure would bomb on the charts that he bet his recording engineer $1000 that it would flop. And how about the song that Karen Carpenter hated with a fiery passion, and never performed live. And to add flame to the fire… Neal Sendaka, who wrote the original version, went out on tour with them, and they fired him for stealing the show. There are a lot of cool stories on this one. Find out how it all plays out… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal

Honorary Producers
Holly Hammet, Remnarc, Kevin riley, Paul Moore II, CharleyAnne

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Hey Music Junkies Professor of Rock Always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you remember You’ll dig this channel of deep musical Nostalgai. Make sure to subscribe below right now to be a part of our music history daily straight from the artists. Let’s do another episode of our Show Evolution Telling the story of a great band or artist through 5 definitive songs. But today’s legendary group we are giving you a 2 for 1. Today we're celebrating one of the most iconic duos in pop music history… a brother and sister whose pristine harmonies and lush arrangements helped define the pop sound of the early 1970s. I'm talking about Richard and Karen Carpenter, together known as the Carpenters. They were the biggest-selling group of the 70s. No fewer than ten of their singles became million-sellers, and from 1970 to 1981, this duo delivered hit after hit, racking up three Grammys, five #1 singles, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units. Their sound was unmistakable…



And on this episode we’re telling the story of their evolution. But we’re Doubing it. Today’ I’ve got ten songs lined up across five albums. I’m going to split them up into an A-side and a B-side from each of these iconic records. Behind the wholesome image and chart-topping success, there are incredible stories of creative genius, unexpected discoveries, and personal struggles that shaped their music. I think you’re going to enjoy this one, so let’s get into it. Before they were “Carpenters,” they were just Richard and Karen from Downey—an older brother obsessed with chords and voicing, and a younger sister who hid behind a drum kit until that burnished alto slipped out and stunned everybody in the room.



Richard formed the jazz-leaning Richard Carpenter Trio in the mid-60s with Karen on drums and Wes Jacobs on bass/tuba, winning a Hollywood Bowl “Battle of the Bands” and sharpening his arranger’s instincts while Karen learned to swing and lock a pocket. At Cal State Long Beach, Richard linked up with lyricist John Bettis, and the siblings moonlighted in Spectrum, a harmony-first outfit that foreshadowed their sound. The true hinge came in bassist Joe Osborn’s home studio, where the pair cut immaculate demos—Karen even issued an obscure 1966 single, “I’ll Be Yours" backed with “Looking for Love.” Those tapes, along with the undeniable gravity of Karen’s voice, reached Herb Alpert, who signed them to A&M in 1969. From then on the were officially know as “Carpenters.” The duo released their debut album Offering (later renamed Ticket to Ride) on October 9, 1969. It only made it to #150 on the Billboard 200. However, their next album Close to You would be a completely different story.



Released in 1970 on A&M, Close to You is the moment Richard’s meticulous pop architecture met Karen’s warm alto and set the blueprint for their sound. Produced by Jack Daugherty with arrangements by Richard, the album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and went multi-platinum over time.