Well, today I determined I would get out for my walk. Which I did.
Oddly enough, I did not get that post lunch fatigue. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but we’ll see. If walking eliminates that, I will definitely go for it.
I intend to walk every day, using the step counter as I am desperately in need of exercise.
Then, I took the afternoon off and watched a movie. This is something I never do, but today felt like I needed a change of pace. The movie was a documentary about Karen Carpenter. (Not the one made by her brother which had an actress playing her and which I imagine had been heavily whitewashed.) It was sad that such a decent-seeming person died so young. This was a real documentary, featuring interviews with people who knew and worked with her. Carol Burnett, Olivia Newton-John, and many musicians and record-business people. She not only had a marvelous voice, but was one terrific drummer.
It was something different 
at any rate.
See you tomorrow.
God bless everybody.
Patty
Just walk as often as is reasonable. Even a short walk every day is better than no walk.
Karen Carpenter is fascinating to me. An incredibly gifted singer, and an excellent drummer. I think that I have seen that documentary, as well. The one produced by Richard Carpenter was somewhat whitewashed, but mostly rang true. Interestingly, Richard Carpenter has disavowed that movie, to a great extent.
I have the sense that she was a gentle soul, but also a no nonsense businessperson who understood the value of her gift. Perhaps the greatest lesson from it all is how fame swept these very average young people into a world far different from anything they could have imagined. In 1970, Richard Carpenter had his father co-sign for the loan on a new car, and just a few months later they were stars, making big money, and buying a new, very large, home for their family. Not bad for a couple of kids who, not long before that, had mostly been playing and singing at Downey Methodist Church.
I feel bad, to this day, about the whole thing. The anorexia nervosa, the struggle for independence that Karen obviously had, her death, and the fact that her brother, an exceptional pianist, composer and arranger had his career disrupted. It’s just sad to see two young people who seemed so refreshingly wholesome face all they had to face.
There were some disturbed family dynamics there, too. The mother favored Richard incredibly, and Karen was always second fiddle. She did not resent her brother, however and usually did whatever he said. Sad.
From what I understand, they knew that Richard was exceptionally talented and centered their attention on him. I think that they were surprised that Karen was just as talented and just never got around to supporting her the way they had supported Richard. IMO, they were just so fixated on Richard that Karen seemed like an interruption to their plans.
IMHO, after having done music as a living, without Karen’s voice, Richard, as brilliant as he is, would have been moderately successful as a pianist, but never a star. He’s amazing, but there are a lot of fine players to compete with. He would have been successful, but it was the combination of the two that made it work.
Karen was a stunningly good vocalist, and her sense of rhythm was honed by having played drums. She had exceptional phrasing. Once again, without her brother, she probably would have been successful, but there were other great vocalists.
Marilyn Mc Coo Davis, of The 5th Dimension is another stunning vocalist. Love’s Lines, Angles and Rhymes displays this well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xHwDI2rzko&list=RD4xHwDI2rzko&start_radio=1&pp=ygUobG92ZSdzIGxpbmVzIGFuZ2xlcyByaHltZXMgNXRoIGRpbWVuc2lvbqAHAQ%3D%3D
So, as stunningly good as Karen Carpenter was, she had some competition.
The magic came from the fact that Richard was an outstanding arranger. From the first time I heard Close To You, I recognized that there was some Choral influence there, and sure enough, Richard Carpenter had served as an accompanist for the choir at USC.
The last ingredient was Herb Alpert, who had signed The Carpenters to his label, A&M Records. A&M was somewhat an artists haven and Herb Alpert had a great track record as a musician and arranger, himself. His Tijuana Brass actually outsold The Beatles in 1966. Alpert wanted The Carpenters to record a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song that had been recorded by actor Richard Chamberlin in 1963, but hadn’t been a hit.
It was the alchemy of a great Bacharach/David song, the creative freedom of Herb Alpert’s A&M Records, Karen’s superb voice and Richard’s brilliant arrangement that made for an unforgettable hit. Without that, The Carpenters would likely have sunk into the sea of Soft Rock acts and probably wouldn’t have gained the ear of the broader public. It was the combination of both siblings that made them a household name.