“Superstar” is about a groupie who’s been left behind (the song was even originally titled “Groupie ”). Though seen as relentless purveyors of sunny optimism, their songs reveal otherwise: every “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and “Top of the World” is matched by a “Hurting Each Other” and “Goodbye to Love.” The covers of “Ticket to Ride” and “Please Mr. This was true even before those details of their lives became public knowledge. Karen’s subsequent death in 1982 due to complications from anorexia, and Richard’s own admitted struggles with substance abuse have shown that the Carpenters’ perceived image never did match up with reality. The Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra And their songs (produced by Richard, who also sang and played keyboards) were smooth pop treats: catchy, tuneful, irresistible. And those who were able to focus on the music over the image discovered that the Carpenters’ lead singer, Karen, possessed an astonishing voice, one of exceptional warmth and beauty. The masses didn’t care, of course, and it was a golden era for the duo, who racked up a steady stream of hit after hit after hit, landing sixteen singles in the Top 20 from 1970 to 1975 no mean feat. Indeed, their record company eagerly promoted them as being the antithesis of the raucous sounds that had emerged from an increasingly loud and “heavy” rock scene, an early press release heralding them as “bringing back the 3 H’s - hope, happiness, harmony - that have been missing in the last musical decade of dissonance, cynicism and despair disguised as ‘relevance.’” President Nixon gave them the establishment stamp of approval by inviting them to the White House to perform, lauding them as “young America as its very best.” That wasn’t something that was going to go down well with folks spinning Led Zeppelin or Rolling Stones records - let alone Sly & the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On. The Carpenters’ wholesome, white bread image made them terminally unhip in the hard rocking 1970s. And unlike the other similarly-themed releases, this one has the direct involvement from one of the artists as well Richard wrote the new arrangements, conducts the orchestra, and serves as as co-producer.
Seventeen of the duo’s best known and best loved songs have been arranged into what’s in essence a complete performance, kicking off with an overture (a new piece written by Richard Carpenter), with each song seguing into the next. Once his 2015 album If I Can Dream, which paired his previously recorded vocals with new backing from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra became a best seller (selling over a million copies and topping Billboard ’s Top Classical Albums chart in the process), other similarly fashioned releases have followed, throwing an orchestra behind the likes of Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, and the Beach Boys.Īnd now, the Carpenters have been given the symphonic treatment, on Carpenters With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
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